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DemandBasedStaticPressureResetControl
forLaboratories
Page123
Laboratoriesaregenerallythelargestusersofenergyinanyfacility.Whetherina
pharmaceuticalresearchfacility,auniversityoraresearchfacility,laboratoriesuse
muchlargeramountsofenergythanotheroperations.
TheindustryhaslookedatwaystosaveonenergyusebyusingVAVfumehood
controlsystemsaswellaslowflowfumehoods.Thesesystemstookabigbite
outofenergyuseinlabs.
Incontinuingeffortstoreduceenergycostsandmakebuildings"greener"and
sustainable,Labs21hasrecommendedreducingthestaticpressuredropofthe
devicesintheairstreamforbothsupplyandexhaustsystemsinlabs.
ThegoalofthispaperistoshowtheadvantagesofDemandBasedStatic
PressureResetControlforuseinlaboratoriesandhowitcanreducethesystem
staticpressureatwhichthemechanicalsystemsoperate,thusreducingthe
operatingcostandloweringthecarbonfootprintofthebuilding.Reducingthe
operatingstaticpressuregivestheaddedbenefitofloweringthenoiselevelsinthe
ductmakingthelabenvironmentmorepleasanttoworkin.

ASHRAEStandard90.1
ASHRAEStandard90.16.5.3.2.3provides:
"Forsystemswithdirectdigitalcontrolofindividualzoneboxes
reportingtothecentralcontrolpanel,staticpressuresetpointshallbe
resetbasedonthezonerequiringthemostpressurei.e.,thesetpoint
isresetloweruntilonezonedamperisnearlywideopen."
Whilethisstandardiswrittenforcommercialbuildingsthereisnoreasonthatit
shouldn'tbeappliedtolaboratoriesaswell.Withthehighpressuredropoflab
controlairvalvescurrentlybeingusedsuchasventurivalves,thepotential
savingsisevengreaterthanforcommercialbuildings.
ThethemeoftheLabs21conferencein2006wasloweringpressuredropin
mechanicalsystemsinlabs.Fig.1(below)showswheretheemphasiswas
placedforthesesystems.Lowerstaticpressuresystemshavethepotentialfor
largesavings,astrategywhichhasquiteoftenbeenoverlooked.Labs21,
sponsoredbytheEPAandUSDepartmentofEnergyEfficiencyandRenewable
EnergyFederalEnergymanagementProgram,hasputtogetherabestpractices
guidecalled"LowPressureDropHVACDesignforLaboratories."Theguideoffers
suggestionsforobtaininglowerpressuresystemsinlaboratories.
Intheguidetheylistamongotherthings,lowerpressuredropVAVcontroldevices.

TheyalsomentiontheASHRAE90.1standardwhichincludes6.5.3.2.5above,
callingforstaticpressuresetpointreset.

NotethatinFig.1therecommendedpressuredropforVAVcontroldevicesfora
"good"designis0.6"0.3"andfora"better"designitis0.1".Awordofclarification
iswarrantedhere.Differentvalvemanufacturersdesignatepressuredrop
differently.Forexample,venturitypeairflowvalvemanufacturersshowpressure
dropbetween0.6"and3.0".Thisindicatestheoperatingrangeofthedevicenot
theminimumoperatingpressure.Inotherwordsaventurirequiresaminimumof
0.6"tooperateandgenerallywouldrequire1.5"to2.0"ofstaticpressuretoensure
operationoverthefullrangeofthedevice.
OntheotherhandtheAccuValvestaticpressurespecificationislessthan0.3"
pressuredropatthefullscaleCFMforthevalve.Thismeansthatifthedesign
airflowislessthanthefullscaleCFMoftheunit,therequiredstaticpressure
wouldbeevenlessthan0.3".Ifforexample,thedesignmaximumCFMis20%
lessthanthefullscaleCFMfortheAccuValvethanthestaticpressureatdesign
flowwouldbelessthan0.2"ofdropacrossthevalve.
AnotherimportantpointregardingFig.1isthatbyreducingthestaticpressureof
thesystem,noisefromtheVAVcontroldevicesisreducedandsilencerscan
potentiallybeeliminatedtherebyreducingthepressureinthesystemevenfurther.

SystemDescription
ThegoalofDemandBasedStaticPressureResetControlistooperatethe
mechanicalsystemattheminimumstaticpressurewhileallowingthecontrolsto
maintainasafeenvironmentinthelab.Accordingtothearticle"Increasing
EfficiencywithVAVsystemstaticpressuresetpointreset"byStevenT.Taylorin
June2007ASHRAEJournal,utilizingthesecontrolsinacommercialbuildingcan
providefansavingsof30%50%.Whencomparingthisapproachtothecommonly
usedventurivalve,savingscaneasilyreachtheselevelsorgreaterin
laboratories.
AsseeninFig.2(below),thestaticpressuresensorislocatedabout2/3ofthe
waydowntheductinboththesupplyandexhaustducts.Duringstartupthestatic
pressuresetpointsaresetat2.5"andthesystemoperatestomaintainthefume
hoodsataconstantfacevelocityandtrackingcontrolineachlaboratoryto
maintainthesupplyatafixeddifferentialfromtheexhaust.

TheBuildingManagementSystemmonitorsthepositionofeachairflowcontrol
valveanddetermineswhichvalvesaremostopen(i.e.thelargestcontroloutput).
Ifthecontroloutputofthevalvesthataremostopenisbelow80%,theBMS
reducestheductstaticpressuresetpointthenagainlooksatthepositionofeach
valvedeterminingthevalve(s)thataremostopen.Thiscontinuesuntilthemost
openvalveisapproximately80%open.Thisensuresthatthesystemisoperating
attheminimumpressurewhileensuringthatthereisenoughpressureinthe
systemtoallowthecontrolstooperatetomaintainasafelabenvironment.
Itisworthnotingatthistimethatthiscontrolschemecannotbeusedwitha
venturitypeairflowcontrolvalve.Aventuriderivesitspressureindependence
fromaspringandplungerintheairstream.Thespringandplungercombinationis
usedtocompensateforchangesinstaticpressureintheduct.Theshaftis
"commanded"toapositionwhereitiscalibratedforagivenflow.The
spring/plungerthencompensateforstaticpressurechangesinthesystem.
Therefore,regardlessofthestaticpressureintheduct(between0.6"and3.0")the
valvewillalwaysbe"commanded"tothesamepositionforagivenCFM.Control
outputorvalvepositionisnotindicativeofstaticpressureinthesystem,sothis
signalcannotbeusedtoreducetheductstaticpressure.
Therefore,safestdesignforahighpressuredropventuritypevalveistosetthe
systemtoarelativelyhighstaticpressuretoensurethatallvalvesinthesystem
willoperateproperlyregardlessoftheirlocationintheductandthechangesinthe
systemasfumehoodsopenandclose.Itisalsoimportantnottooperatecloseto
theminimumallowablestaticpressureof0.6"becausethefrictioncoefficientofthe
plungerridingovertheconecanchangeastheshaftbecomescoatedwith
exhaustparticlesthusaffectingitsresponsivenessandaccuracyinlowstatic
pressureconditions.
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