The Laboratory of Air Treatment and Control of Air Conditioning Installations allows us to show and test various air conditioning systems using different terminal units and heat transfer fluids (water and/or air). The control system can be modified to test different control strategies and adjust different parameters or PID controller constants. It has a complete monitoring system that allows the measurement and visualization of the main variables (air humidity, temperatures, flows and pressures) as well as perform calculations of power consumed. By analyzing the data, the monitoring system can calculate the energy efficiency of each system tested.
The laboratory is composed of a heat pump and an air treatment unit (ATU) with enthalpy recovery, flow control by frequency converter and air temperature control by regulating the flow of cold/hot water to the battery of the ATU.
The laboratory has the following air conditioning systems and controllers:
- All-air system including diffusers and regulating dampers with the associated control systems:
- Constant air flow using air displacement diffusers and nozzles.
- Variable air flow using rotational diffusers and radial diffusers.
- Air-water systems with chilled beams and fan-coil terminal units.
- Water only systems with chilled ceiling terminal units.
Regarding the management and regulation system, the laboratory has compact and programmable controllers. It also has a monitoring and management station with the XWorks Plus and DESIGO INSIGHT software from SIEMENS for the development of the control system, controller programming, installation regulation, monitoring and real-time data collection of all probes and states of the dampers and valves of the laboratory. The installed automation stations are as follows:
- SIEMENS PXC100 E.D. automation station with 4 TXM1.8U modules, 2 TMX1.6R modules and 2 TMX1.8D modules. This controller allows to process all the analog and digital signals and carry out the regulation of the installation from the implemented programming. This controller is used to regulate most of the laboratory: the ATU, the water valves and air dampers, impulse air conditions, flows, rotational diffusers, chilled beams, chilled ceiling, fan-coils. It also performs the calculations and operations needed for the laboratory to work correctly. Using the station, we can collect all the necessary measurements to realize the balances of matter and energy needed to calculate the efficiency of each one of the systems of distribution installed in the laboratory.
- SIEMENS RXC32.1 pre-programmed compact controller for VAV applications with the SIEMENS QAX34.1 thermostat and an actuator for a TROX TVR air regulator. This system is used for the regulation of radial diffusers and is integrated into the PXC100 E.D. controller and the monitoring station using the PXC00 + PXX-L11 controller.
- TROX VARYCONTROL compact controller for CAV applications for nozzles and displacement diffuser.