Feedback Systems in HVAC

ASHRAE Distinguished Lecture Series

Jim Coogan
Siemens Building Technologies

ASHRAE, Madison Chapter

October, 2014

Agenda

Definitions: feedback and closed-loop control

Types of feedback algorithms
Application: Supply Air Temperature Control
DX cooling – staged control
Chilled water valve – PI and PID control
Application: Mixed Air Control
Adaptive control
Application: Duct pressure reset
Specifying loop performance

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Handout 1
 What is a loop?

A closed loop controller responds to the results of it’s own actions

Controller Plant

Closed loop control Open loop control

temperature affects controller output temperature does not affect controller
valve curve is not crucial depends on known valve curve
uses a temperature sensor doesn’t need a sensor
delivers temperature data delivers no data

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Examples of closed loop control

Many feedback technologies

Float valve
Bi-metal pneumatic stat
DDC with sensor,
controller, actuator

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Handout 2
Characterizing response

Mathematical measures of:

Speed
Accuracy
Stability
Apply feedback theory to get
the behavior we want

Diagram from: Control Technology

Page 5 Siemens Switzerland, 2013 Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved.

Some things stay true,

1958 ASHRAE Handbook

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Handout 3
AHU Supply Air Temperature Control

Consider the cooling loop in 2 similar air handlers

4-stage DX unit Chilled water coil and
modulating valve

Diagrams from:
Sequences of Operation for Common HVAC Systems
Page 7 ASHRAE, 2005 Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved.

Staged control of DX machine

Equipment cycles on and off

Temperature rises and falls
Can reduce the size of the swing
by cycling equipment faster

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Handout 4
Staged control of DX machine

Fixed relationship between

cycle rate and size of
temperature swing
Slower cycle = Bigger swing
Depends on mechanical
and thermal sizing,
NOT on control calculations

Diagram adapted from: Control Technology

Page 9 Siemens Switzerland, 2013 Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved.

Modulating control of a Chw valve

Refinement of the on/off approach

Don’t just turn it on and off,
adjust for steady operation
Executed with many different
technologies
Today we use DDC
Today we (usually) use PID
Proportional
Integral
Derivative
Diagram from: Control Technology We need to tune it
Siemens Switzerland, 2013

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Handout 5
What is tuning?

Adjust feedback parameters

for closed loop performance
Determines speed, stability
and accuracy
Tuning is matching controller
to the mechanical system
Match the size of response
Match the timing or response

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What is tuning

Matching values of the feedback parameters to the

characteristics of the system under control
For PID
Proportional band
Integral time
Derivative time
Sample time
What are “characteristics”
Physical sensitivity
Response time

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Handout 6
PID Operation and Tuning

Mathematical model simulates the

cooling control process
Easy to study effects of tuning and other conditions

Schematic diagram from:

Sequences of Operation for Common HVAC Systems
ASHRAE, 2005

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PID Operation and Tuning

P: 50 deg

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Handout 7
PID Operation and Tuning
P: 5 deg

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PID Operation and Tuning

P: 0.5 deg

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Handout 8
PID Operation and Tuning

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PID Operation and Tuning

P: 5 deg
I: 100 sec

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Handout 9
PID Operation and Tuning
P: 5 deg
I: 400 sec

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PID Operation and Tuning

P: 5 deg
I: 20 sec

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Handout 10
PID Operation and Tuning

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PI vs PID?

Tuning presents range of acceptable performance

trade-off of speed vs. stability
PID (rather than PI) can extend the range
allowing a better trade-off
Occasionally valuable

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Handout 11
PID Operation and Tuning

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PID Operation and Tuning

total
I+ bias
P

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Handout 12
Second Application: Mixed air loop

Q: What is the sensitivity

of the process?
A: Difference between
temperature inside and out
Weather changes, loop
behavior changes too
Options:
Tune for stability in cold,
accept slow response
in warm weather
Recalculate gains based on OAT `Diagram from:
Sequences of Operation for Common HVAC Systems
Apply adaptive control ASHRAE, 2005

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Adaptive Control

Approaches to the varying

physical system
Calculate varying gain for PID
from known conditions
W1

W2

Apply generic PID gain W3

W4

adjusting algorithm
Apply alternate, non-linear
adaptive technology
Adaptive controllers are
available in the market today

Page 26 Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved.

Handout 13
Return Air Tracking Loop
with Adaptive Control

PID Control Adaptive Control

Pink – VFD
Blue – Supply Air
Green – Return Air
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Duct Pressure Control

VSD

Fan
Controller
F F F F

Flow Flow Flow Flow

Controller Controller Controller Controller

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Handout 14
Duct Pressure Control,
Duct Pressure Reset
Duct pressure loop is usually not very difficult
System can oscillate
De-coupling is the key
Duct pressure reset can be tricky
Pressure is “reset until one zone damper
is nearly wide open”

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ASHRAE Energy Standard

Setpoint Reset. For systems

with direct digital control of
individual zone boxes
reporting to the central
control panel, static pressure
setpoint shall be reset
based on the zone requiring
the most pressure; i.e., the
setpoint is reset lower until
one zone damper is nearly
wide open.

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Handout 15
Duct Pressure Reset

“reset until one zone damper is nearly wide open”

What control algorithm?

Some use open loop
Some use PID
What is the controlled variable?
What is the setpoint?
Some use ad hoc feedback (“trim and respond”)

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Specifying loop performance

Already discussed loop behavior

Already characterized responses
Should be easy to define performance requirements
Difficult because it’s hard to nail down test condition
Behavior defined in math world
Test occurs in real world
Standard 195 defines flow control performance test
Intended as a product qualification test, not a
commissioning procedure

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Handout 16
Summary

Closed-loop control concepts

2-state control
Modulating control and PID
Tuning and performance
Advanced approaches

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Questions?

Jim Coogan, PE
Jim.Coogan@Siemens.com W1

W2

W3

W4

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Handout 17