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TekAirProvidesHVACControlsat
RensselaerPolytechnic
TekAirJobProfile
Project:WalkerLaboratory
RensselaerPolytechnicInstitute
Location:Troy,NewYork
DesignEngineer:HarzaNortheast
Completed:1996

FacilityDesignGoals
Thisisalaboratoryfacilityonthecampusofa
prestigiousnortheasternengineeringinstitute.The
variablevolumedesignwasdrivenbytheUniversity'sdedicationtoenergy
efficiencywithoutcompromisingsafety,performance,andreliability.

ScopeofProject
TekAirprovidedallHVACcontrolsforatotaloftenlaboratories.Whilesome
laboratoriesdidnothavefumehoods,othershadasmanyasthirteen.Eachlab
incorporatedbothgeneralexhaustsandvarioussnorkelexhausts.

EquipmentSupplied
LaboratoryControlPanels:TekAir,TekTrakIIdirectdigitallaboratory
controllersinflushmountNEMA1enclosures,locatedinlabs.
FumeHoodFaceVelocityControls:TekAirFVC2000standalone,direct
digitalcontrollerwithsidewallsensorfacevelocityandroomventkit.
SupplyAirflowValveAssemblies:CompositeassembliesconsistingofTekAir
Pneumavalveairvalves,VorTekSDairflowmeasuringdevices,andindustrial
currenttopressuretransducers.
GeneralExhaustBoxes:CompositeassembliesconsistingofTekAir
Pneumavalveairvalves,andindustrialcurrenttopressuretransducers.
FumeHoodExhaustControlValves:CompositeassembliesconsistingofTek
AirPneumavalveairvalves,exhaustflowsensor,VorTekSDinhoodexhaust
duct,andFairchildcurrenttopressuretransducers.
RoomTemperatureSensors:Spacetemperaturesensorwithintegral420mA
transmitter.
BuildingAutomationInterface:TekAirFVCNetGateway.

BASInterface
AlabcontrollernetworkallowsthelabcontrollerstocommunicatetoaHoneywell
graphicscentralmonitoringcomputer.Thelabcontrollernetworkterminatesata
TekAirFVCNetGatewaycommunicationadapter.TheadaptertranslatesTek
TrakdatatoHoneywellusabledataviaastandardprotocol.Theadaptersconnect
tothecentralcomputerthroughstandardRS232communicationscables.See

diagrambelow:

SystemOperation
EachlabfumehoodisfittedwithaTekAirFVC2000facevelocitycontroller.The
controllersenseschangesinfacevelocityandcontrolsexhaustvolumefromthe
hoodtomaintainaconstantfacevelocityregardlessofsashposition.ATekAir
VorTektransmittermeasurestotalhoodexhaustairflowinthehoodexhaustduct
branchandtransmitsvolumedatatotheTekTraklabcontrolpanel.
Severallabshavefixed(unmeasured,uncontrolled)exhaustintheformofsnorkel
exhaust.Thevalueofthesefixedexhaustamountsisaccountedforinthetotal
exhaustmeasurement.
Labsarefittedwithgeneralexhaustvalveswhichdrawairfromtheroomasa
supplementtothefumehoodexhausts.AVorTekintheinletmeasurestheflow
andtransmitsitsvaluetotheTekTrak.Shouldtheroomtotalexhaustrequirement
exceedthetotalfumehoodexhaustvolumeatanygiventime,thegeneralexhaust
valveismodulatedopentosatisfytheroom'sload.
SupplyairflowtothelabismeasuredbyaVorTektransmitterinthesupplyair
Pneumavalveassemblyinlet.SupplyairvolumeisreportedtotheTekTrakpanel
whichmodulatesthatsupplyairvolumetosynchronizethesupplyairwiththe
actualtotalexhaust,lessadifferentialairflowvalue.Thedifferentialiscontrolledso
thatthesupplyairflowisalwayslessthantheexhaustairflow,therebycreatinga
negativepressurewithinthelabenvelope.
TheTekTrakcontrollersareprogrammedtomaintainaminimumexhaustairflow
whichisbasedonminimumrequiredroomairchange.Spacetemperaturesensors
reportlabtemperaturetotheTekTrak,whichthenresetstherequiredsupplyair
temperaturesetpointinresponsetoanincreaseordecreaseinlabtemperature.If
thereheatisclosedandtheroomtemperaturecontinuestoincrease,thecontroller
willincreasethetotallabexhaustvolumebyopeningthegeneralexhaust.
Consequently,thecontrollerwillincreasethevolumeofsupplyairtomaintainthe
pressurizingoffsetdifferentialandtheincreaseinsupplyairwillcoolthelab.
Allairflow,temperature,facevelocity,alarm,andsetpointvaluesarereportedviaa
directdigitallinktotheHoneywellgraphiccentralcomputersystem.Room
temperatureandairflowdifferentialsetpointscanbeadjustedfromtheoperators
console.
Air/ProAssociates,Inc.

POBox1239
Highland,MI483571239
Phone:(248)4651027
Fax:(248)4651034
Email:sales@airpromi.com