Control Trends India

India's Source for Smart Building Control News

Messung announces Master Distributorship of HVAC Sensors from Thermokon, Germany

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Messung Group, the pioneers of factory automation in India, has announced its master distributor agreement with Thermokon, headquartered in Mittenaar, Germany. Thermokon Sensortechnik GmbH is the leading manufacturer of world class HVAC sensors. With this partnership, Messung will promote a complete range of HVAC sensors for the Air-conditioning, Refrigeration and Building Automation Market in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

messtermo
“Thermokon is very excited to be partnered with Messung and is looking to penetrate intensely in the Indian subcontinent market. We are looking forward to growth of our market share” said Matthias Haas, Business Development Manager, Thermokon.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Farook Merchant, Chairman & Managing Director, Messung Group said, “Our association with Thermokon will allow Messung Group’s entry into the HVAC Controls market and will give us immense opportunities in the Building Automation market as a neutral player offering quality products from Thermokon”.

Messung-Thermokon will target industry verticals like Pharma, IT/ITES, Corporate offices, Infrastructure, HVAC and MEP contractors, Building Automation System Integrators and major HVAC OEMs.

About Messung Group
Established in 1981, Messung is a pioneer in manufacturing high quality automation products in India. Having designed and developed the first PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) in India, Messung revolutionized the manufacturing process by providing automation solutions to diverse industries in the Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Textiles, Printing, Packaging and Plastics sectors.

With 3 decades of knowledge and experience in the industry, the Messung Thermokon partnership will bring world-class products, sales & service support, quick deliveries, installation & engineering support for the HVAC sector in the Indian Subcontinent.

About Thermokon
For more than three decades, Thermokon is recognized worldwide for leveraging standards in intelligent buildings for HVAC Sensors with world class Engineering, Innovation and Quality. Thermokon focuses on efficiency, sustainability and openness to new fields of technology. For more information visit

http://www.thermokon.de/en/

For further information please contact:
Vinayak Athavale
General Manager, Sales & Marketing, Messung Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
M.: +91 98673 99988
T.: +91 20 6649 2800
email id: vinayak.athavale@messung.com

Know the Energy Valve – Series 4 of 4 by Belimo India

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Belimo provides Data analysis tool with Energy valve which is an excel tool to read the .csv files
generated in the Energy valve actuator. Following is the snap shot of the tool

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The tool also has an important function of plotting the performance curve of the coil

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With this information, the performance of the coil can be checked and maintenance activities like descaling the system can be planned.

The valve is BACnet testing laboratory (BTL) certified and the valve can communicate on BACnet MSTP, BACnet IP. If there is no BMS available, then the valve can communicate with the computer through the Ethernet port and cable. By typing the IP address in the internet explorer, the webpage of the valve opens up to display various parameters. Following is the screen shot of the webpage

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To conclude, Energy valve offers following features and benefits-
1. Energy Optimization-
• Improve coil ΔT by parameterize Delta T Manager mode to match the installed characteristic of the coil.
• Save pump distribution energy by eliminating coil overflow
• Improve plant performance by improving chiller or boiler efficiency
• Reduce unwanted chiller or boiler staging by improving plant ΔT
2. Planner/Consultant Benefits
• Achieve coil performance that follows the calculated design flow rates exactly
• Benchmarking installed coil efficiency characteristic (power curve and Delta T curve)
• Compare installed benchmark to coil manufacturer’s performance data to identify installation anomalies such as piping problems or clogged coils, etc.
3. Planner/Consultant Benefits
• Achieve coil performance that follows the calculated design flow rates exactly
• Benchmarking installed coil efficiency characteristic (power curve and Delta T curve)
• Compare installed benchmark to coil manufacturer’s performance data to identify installation anomalies such as piping problems or clogged coils, etc.
• Control Contractor Benefits
• Sizing and selection is simplified valve sizing and selection, no Cv calculations required
• The valve provides data to the BAS that enables continuous commissioning of coils which enables customized control strategies. Use diagnostics to achieve Green design criteria and constant commissioning requirements. The Energy Valve™ package will offer a tremendous value to building operators and owners.
4. Installation Benefits
• Compact foot print requires only 5x straight pipe run leading to the flow meter section
5. Commissioning Agent/Balancer Benefits
• The Energy Valve™ provides the rated flow, Initial coil baseline efficiency data and installed coil efficiency data. This data can be used by the Commissioning Agent and Balancer to ensure that
every coil is performing at its optimum BTUH output and Delta T.
• Compare installed benchmark to future coil performance to identify; fouling, external dirt and fin degradation
• Document installed benchmark and subsequent coil performance data to meet green designs and continuous commissioning M&V criteria
6. Owner Benefits
• The Energy Valve™ offers better comfort, less maintenance costs and valuable coil performance data. The system saves energy costs by reducing the power consumption of pumps and chilled water plants by optimizing coil operation. The Energy Valve™ provides coil performance data that will allow continuous re-commissioning of the coil over its lifetime.

Know the Energy Valve – Series 3 of 4 by Belimo India

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Now, let us look at the Working Principle of the ∆T manager of the Energy Valve:

Following is the control logic diagram of Energy valve

ControlLogic- delT

This control logic diagram is an extension of previous diagram of Energy valve for pressure
independency function. The Energy valve has an important feature of setting the ∆T across the AHU. With this feature, the valve can not only measure the ∆T through inlet and outlet temperature sensors but it also can control the required amount of ∆T across the AHU. From Va and the measured ∆T through the temperature sensors, actual tonnage is derived. From this tonnage value and the ∆T set point, corresponding flow set point (Vdt) is calculated. The BMS input flow value Vr is compared with Vdt value.
If Vr is less than or equal to Vdt (ie ∆Tr is more than or equal to ∆Tdt), then ∆T manager will be inactive and Vr will be compared with Va. If Vr is equal to Va then the valve position will be maintained as it is. Else corrective signal will be given to the control valve so that Vr is equal to Va.
If Vr is more than Vdt (ie ∆Tr is less than ∆Tdt), then ∆T manager will become active. Vdt will then be compared with Va so that if the values are equal the valve position (angle of rotation) will be held at its position. Otherwise corrective signal will be given to the control valve so that Va becomes equal to Vdt.
If for some reason the ∆T across the AHU is not achieved even when the flow rate Va falls below 30% of Vmax, than the ∆T manager will become passive and the valve will take the signal from the BMS. This function ensures that the valve does not close down completely in the process of achieving ∆T.
The valve measures BTUs delivered by the AHU as we measure the flow and ∆T across the AHU. We can also control the BTUs delivered through power control mode. In this case the valve becomes both pressure and ∆T independent.

The 4th and final post of this series shall shed light on the data analysis tool and communication options of the Belimo Energy Valve, and summarise its benefits.

Know the Energy Valve – Series 2 of 4 by Belimo India

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For the sake of simplicity, the pressure independency function of the Energy valve is explained through control logic diagram.
ControlLogic
The energy valve just like a mechanical pressure independent valve has a maximum flow catering ability. We can consider it as the nominal flow possible through the valve (Vnom). The design flow or the maximum allowable flow (Vmax) can be less than or equal to Vnom. The maximum flow rate (Vmax) can be set as per the design requirement. The valve then adapts the control signal from BMS of 0..10V as 0 to Vmax. This derived flow from the BMS signal is Vr. The actual flow through the valve measured by the flow sensor is Va. The algorithm in the actuator compares if there is a difference between Vr and Va. It accordingly controls the valve opening so that the condition Va = Vr is achieved. For example, lets take a case where Vr value proportionate to the BMS signal is 20USgpm and Va = Vr. If there is increase in the inlet pressure, there will be momentary increase in actual flow Va, i.e. Va value suppose increases to 25USgpm. The flow sensor will give this feedback to the actuator and the comparator will sense that Va > Vr by 5USgpm and it will give proportionate signal to the valve to close down till Va = Vr condition of 20USgpm is again restored. On the other hand, if the inlet pressure reduces thereby reducing the actual flow Va to suppose 15USgpm, then again the flow sensor gives the flow feedback to the actuator and the actuator in turn will give proportionate signal to the valve to pen until Va = Vr = 20USgpm condition is restored. This is how it maintains the required flow irrespective of the pressure fluctuations in the system.

With Energy valve you can always compare the required flow Vr with the actual flow Va. Moreover, if the desired flow Vr is not realized even after the valve is fully open then actuator will raise an alarm that flow is not realized. The flow measuring feature and the alarm feature is not available in conventional mechanical pressure independent valves.
Energy valve unlike mechanical pressure independent valve does not require minimum pressure drop to start working as a pressure independent valve. This means, with lesser pressure drops across energy valve, the pump head can be reduced.

Stay tuned here to learn more on the deltaT function of the Energy valve…

Know the Energy Valve – Series 1 of 4 by Belimo India

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Energy valve is a new generation transparent control solution for the cooling coil. It comprises of a characteristics control valve with multi function modulating actuator, electromagnetic / ultrasonic flow meter, two temperature sensors (RTDs) for measuring the chilled water supply and return temperatures.

The main functions of the valve being as follows-

1. It acts as a pressure independent 2 way control valve and ensures design flow through the coil irrespective of differential pressure in the line.

2. It measures the flow through the coil and the supply and return CHW temperatures and thus the cooling capacity (Tonnage) (cooling energy) of the coil can store the data real time up to 13 months.

3. The actuator can be accessed directly through an internet explorer though a URL, wherein one can display / analyze the data, set parameters, choose control strategies and also import the data in .csv files which can be accessed through Excel tool for further analysis, thus validating and benchmarking the design parameters and giving valuable data for maintenance personnel to ensure smooth operations.

4. The actuator also has a delta T manager control which limits the delta T across the coil to the design value to ensure no overflow through the coil and thus resulting in energy savings. (thus overcoming the LOW DELTA T SYNDROME).

Stay tuned to this space for more in this series….

Hariharan TV, HVAC Consultant, gets candid about the needs and opportunities in Indian HVAC & Data Center market

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Hariharan TV is a well-known name in the Indian HVAC Industry, as a consulting engineer in HVAC and control systems.
Having worked with a contracting company before foraying into consultancy, Hariharan has closely experienced both sides of the business.

Watch him emphasize the need for Open systems on Niagara platform, skill development and the future of Data Centers in India.

ControlTrends India garners increasing support for its training initiative.

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Watch Mohan Iyengar, Associate Consultant, Rumi H. Bharucha Consultants Pvt Ltd, talk about the GenNext building automation service providers. With all leading OEMs embracing newer technologies, the major challenge now lies in buttressing technology with matching skill sets in form of installers and commissioning engineers, not to forget, building operators.
Rumi H. Bharucha Consultants is a 23 year old MEP and HVAC consulting firm of great repute across India, panning all sectors of CRE, largely Multinational Corporations and Banking sector.
Given Mohan’s vast experience and expertise on HVAC systems, ControlTrends India looks forward to his active collaboration with our community.

Sierra Monitor’s Featured Application — Data Center Monitoring

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data center Sierra Monitor — Experts in Data Center Monitoring Applications.

A data center is a facility used to house networked computer servers and storage systems that are securely connected to the Internet. A data center generally includes redundant or backup power supplies, redundant data communications connections, environmental controls (e.g., air conditioning, gas detection, fire suppression), and physical access control systems.

Large data centers are industrial scale operations using as much electricity as a small town and therefore facilities managers must look for ways to be more energy efficient without compromising the operation of the data center. Facility managers must also implement various systems to ensure that the assets and the personnel working in the data center are protected from potentially hazardous conditions like gas and fire. The facility management system or features are often integrated with the facility’s Data Center Information Management (DCIM) system.

Energy Management and Other Facility Automation

DCIM systems collect a lot of data from the typical electronic systems in the data center, often through SNMP based collection schemes. However, a data center also uses many devices used in generic building management such as electric sub-meters, HVAC-specific sensors, and physical access control systems. These devices or subsystems, typically running on BACnet and Modbus protocols, need to be integrated into the data center’s or larger facility’s Building Management System (BMS), and they also need to feed into the DCIM system so that the DCIM dashboard can offer a holistic view of the health of the data center.

SMC_1As data centers continue to evolve, integrating a variety of devices used within a data center facility to a BMS and/or DCIM system becomes important to centralizing access and reducing ongoing costs related to data center production, such as power and cooling. Through the DCIM system, facility managers can monitor real-time device information and benefit from integrated monitoring, ticketing, and reporting for better accuracy and speed. Facility managers can also adjust temperature and humidity levels to control energy usage within the data center through the DCIM.

As data center facility managers look to integrate more devices into a DCIM system to ensure peak monitoring and controlling capabilities, protocol gateways are the key to full interoperability. A protocol gateway capable of translating from any protocol to any other protocol becomes an essential element in a data center blueprint. Within a data center, typical protocol translations from devices to the DCIM include:

o BACnet/IP to SNMP
o BACnet MS/TP to SNMP
o Modbus RTU to SNMP
o Modbus TCP/IP to SNMP

Increasingly, the tool of choice for integrators to connect DCIM systems to a BMS is the FieldServer protocol gateway. Here are an inspiring set of examples:

o JCI’s Dallas office used FieldServer protocol gateways on a project at State Farm Insurance’s data center. The gateway is used to bridge the Johnson Controls BMS system and the Schneider DCIM system, and serves as a neutral demarcation device between the two vendor networks.

o JCI’s Fort Worth office used FieldServer protocol gateways on a project at the Alcon/Novartis data center that will serve the Swiss pharmaceutical company’s operations in North and South America. The gateways are part of a high-availability network design that brings thousands of Modbus RTU and Allen Bradley Ethernet IP data points from various electrical devices to the DCIM system over Modbus TCP.

o Zonatherm used FieldServer protocol gateways as part of a data center commissioning project. The gateway connects to Generac back-up diesel generators, displays critical generator data on a web page, and interfaces that data to the DCIM using the SNMP protocol.

o E-Trade used FieldServer gateways to integrate the Siemens XLS fire alarm system to the Automated Logic BAS at one of their large data centers. The FieldServer gateway bridges between the Siemens fire alarm control panel protocol and the BACnet protocol used by the BAS system.

Gas Hazards in a Data Center

Backup power in a data center is often provided by batteries or by diesel (or sometimes alternative fuel powered)
generators. Lead-acid batteries release hydrogen gas when they are charging, and as a combustible gas, the buildup of hydrogen in the battery room can potentially result in an explosion. Generators, running on diesel fuel, can produce an output that is sufficient enough to cover a data center’s electricity demand for a period of time in the event of an electrical outage. The use of diesel fuel can result in Carbon Monoxide as a byproduct. Although good ventilation can generally dispel the gas, if not properly monitored, the buildup of Carbon Monoxide can displace Oxygen within a generator room and create a hazard for personnel.

A gas detection and alarming system that uses appropriate audio, visual, or message based alarms and that is integrated with the larger facility management or DCIM system for mitigation (such as increasing air flow to dispel gas) or analytics is the best practice.

“Open and Cyber Secured Building Management Systems are the Top Trends in India,” Observes Devang Dalal, Owner, D2 Consulting Engineers

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D2 Consulting Engineers, has been consulting for MEP services, mainly data centres, banks, residential projects, hotels, hospitals and commercial complexes. Very often faced by the daunting task of having their clients’ BMS systems interfaced with BMS systems of the base buildings, Devang Dalal emphasises it is crucial that open systems are widely promoted.

Watch him talk of increasing need for Cyber Secured Building controls in the emerging and growing Data Centre and IT projects in India, at ACREX 2016 show in Mumbai.

ControlTrends India thanks Devang for his best wishes and support to our initiative!