- Author
- Schein, J.
- Title
- Results From Field Testing of Embedded Air Handling Unit and Variable Air Volume Box Fault Detection Tools.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Sponsor
- California Energy Commission, Sacramento, CA
- Report
- NISTIR 7365, October 2006, 76 p.
- Keywords
- air handling unit | air volume box fault | field tests | BACnet | cybernetic building systems | building automation and control | direct digital control | energy management systems | fault detection and diagnostics
- Identifiers
- AHU Performance Assessment Rules (APAR); VAV Box Performance Assessment Control Charts - VPACC; Robust FDD Parameters
- Abstract
- Fault detection and diagnostic (FDD) methods that can detect common mechanical faults and control errors in air-handling units (AHUs) and variable-air-volume (VA V) boxes were developed and commercialized. The tools are sufficiently simple that they can be embedded in commercial building automation and control systems and rely only upon the sensor data and control signals that are commonly available in these systems. AHU Performance Assessment Rules (APAR) is a diagnostic tool that uses a set of expert rules derived from mass and energy balances to detect faults in air-handling units. V A V box Performance Assessment Control Charts (VP ACC) is a diagnostic tool that uses statistical quality control measures to detect faults or control problems in V A V boxes. This report describes the transfer of the FDD methods from research to commercial use. An interface between the FDD tools and the building operator is introduced. Results are presented from a multiple site field demonstration in which AP AR and VP ACC were embedded in commercial AHU and V A V box controllers. Robust FDD parameters are tabulated for both AP AR and VP ACC. The parameters, which eliminate the need for site-specific configuration, were developed based on experience from the field demonstration.