Technical overview on AHU(Air Handling Unit)

Air Handling Unit:

AHU is a device used to condition and circulate air as part of a heating ventilating and
air-conditioning (HVAC) system.
It is a large metal box containing a blower, heating or cooling elements, filter racks or
chambers, humidity & temperature control loops.

Functions of AHU
Conditions the air and distributes it to various spaces.
Fresh air and re-circulation air are often mixed and conditioned.
Components of AHU

Casing, Cooling/dehumidification coil, Heating coil, Humidifier, Filters.

Controls temperature/humidity, fan speed, interlock, etc.
Fan, motor, drive
Modular design

Control philosophy of single AHU

a) Basic control model
In most of the cases, close loop control is used to maintain a desired level of following control
variables-
Cooling/heating coil control
Dehumidification/humidification control
Air distribution control
Fan capacity modulation and static pressure control
 Figure 1: Close control model

It is called a control loop because information flows in a circle

The senor measures the controlled variable and the signal is sent to the controller where the
actual value is compared to the setting

The controller then makes control decision to adjust position of controlled variable; this then
has an effect on process variable.

Sensors as feedback and status sensing element

Components & functions

Sensing element, Transducer, Transmitter

Standard signals of transmission

0 ~ 10V, 4 ~ 20mA, Pulse, Free contact, Resistive input

Typical sensors as AHU control field devices

Temperature sensor

Humidity or dew-point sensor

Pressure/differential pressure sensor

Velocity/flow sensor

Differential pressure switch

CO2 sensor
Controller

DDC with centralized controller and hardwiring

Controller provides a signal to the controlled device in response to feedback from the
sensor.

Controller could be a hardware device in a simple application or a software function in a

large system, for example DDC or PLC/field bus

Actuators, valves and dampers

An actuator responds to the output signal from a controller and provides the mechanical action
to operate the control device usually a valve or damper.
Types of actuators
Electrical, Pneumatic, Hydraulic, etc
Characteristics of valves
Equal percentage is suitable for continuous volume control
Set point, Control variable, Input/output

Set point is the desired condition of a variable that is to be maintained,

such as room temperature
Control variable is the actual process value being sensed
Input/output signal to/from the controller
Digital input: fan status (on/off), dirty filter
Digital output: start/stop fan or pump, open/close damper
Analog input: temperature, pressure, airflow
Analog output: control valve or damper position

Control mode
Controllers maintain the process value at the desired set point, through
output signal to the controlled device.
The output signal is a function of the difference between the control
variable and the set point.
 The action that the controller takes is called control mode or control
logic, of which there are three basic types:
Two-position control
Floating control
Modulating control
Two-position (on/off)
 Applies to systems that have only 2 states, for example On/Off of equipment,
Close/Open of solenoid valves, etc
Balancing between frequent start/stop of equipment and tighter tolerance of the
control variables

Floating control

Similar to two-position control but not limited to two states. The controller has
three modes Open/Idle/Close
A modulating-type controlled device is needed, typically a valve or damper
driven by a slow moving bi-directional actuator
Modulating control
 PID (proportional integral derivative) algorithm has been widely applied for
majority of the industrial processes .
Best tuning of PID parameters depends on a clear understanding of behavior of
the process responding to the changes; fortunately there are lots of techniques
helpful for selecting appropriate values.

Usual control points of single AHU

System start/stop control
Air filter section control
Mixed air section control
Cooling/heating coil control
Dehumidification/humidification control
Air distribution control
Fan capacity modulation and static pressure control
Terminal units control
Example: discharge temperature control

The controller compares the measured temperature to the set point

The valve is adjusted to change chilled water flow rate through the coil to
achieve the set point.
Example: static pressure control Common methods to modulate fan capacity
Inlet vanes control
Fan speed control
Discharge damper control
Variable pitch blade control
 The controller compares the measured static pressure to the set point
Capacity of the supply fan is adjusted to maintain the static pressure and deliver
required air volume to the space.
Example: ventilation control

Fresh air (outdoor air) entering the AHU is monitored and compared to the
desired value
The controller compares the difference and adjusts the damper to bring in the
proper amount of fresh air.
Example: fan pressure optimization

Each VAV terminal unit is positioned based on individual demand

Positions of all dampers are monitored, and the control system re-sets its set
point so that at least one damper is near fully open