how to: cxhydronic systems - bcxa.org

How To: Cx Hydronic Systems

David SellersSenior Engineer, Facility Dynamics Engineering

AIA Quality Assurance

The Building Commissioning Association is a Registered Provider with The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems (AIA/CES). Credit(s) earned on completion of this program will be reported to AIA/CES for AIA members. Certificates of the Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request.

This program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.

Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.

2

Learning Objectives

1. Attendees will be able identify field clues that provide insights into opportunities to improve the performance of central plant equipment and the systems they serve and deduce the design intent for the systems.

2. Attendees will be understand that it is possible to develop field clues into meaningful savings estimates based on basic information available in the field and an application of fundamental principles to that information and the clues they have identified.

3. Attendees will have a practical understanding of the operating principles behind a decoupled, variable flow, primary/secondary hydronic system.

4. Attendees will recognize the interactive nature of HVAC systems and the utility systems and equipment serving them and that the physical configuration of the systems and equipment need to support the design intent.

3

Class Material Location

The slides, Sketchup Models and other supporting information for the class can be found at:• http://tinyurl.com/NCBC2016WorkshopI will keep them there for a while and anything that we develop in class or that I mention having as a resource that I can share will be put up there in a “Follow Up” folder so you can pull the information back after classAbout using my spreadsheets and other resources:• They are my tools vs. tools I developed to be used by others• Use at your own risk; I provide them as a resource for you to use as

a starting point• You still need to understand how it works and fix it if it doesn’t work

for you

4INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

Agenda

1. Overview of key commissioning skills with a focus on field observation and “Obvious Indicators”

HOW TO: CX HYDRONIC SYSTEMS 5

Gary Larson Goat in the Clouds Cartoon Here

Agenda

1. Overview of key commissioning skills with a focus on field observation and “Obvious Indicators”

2. Visit a central chilled water plant to practice using obvious indicators to identify opportunities to improve performance, save resources, and understand how the building and its systems work


An EBCx Approach, but Technically, its All the Same

On going operation &

commissioning

Retro-commissioning

New construction

commissioning

Technical steps and techniques

Field Experience

Design Intent


NC Cx vs. EBCx

Operating Requirements

Heat Transfer Equipment Selections

Process Parameters

System Configuration

Owner’s Project

Requirements

Distribution Equipment Selections

Installation Documents

Assembled Building

Physical Configuration

Loads

Construction Project


NC Cx vs. EBCx



Process Parameters


Owner’s Project

Requirements



Assembled Building


Loads



NC Cx vs. EBCx



Process Parameters


Owner’s Project

Requirements



Assembled Building


Loads


For more on NC vs. EBCx functional testing see the proceedings from the session Kent Barber and I did together at NCBC 2013;http://tinyurl.com/NCBC2013KentBhttp://tinyurl.com/2013NCBCDavidS


Ten Key Commissioning Skills

1. Be Able to Benchmarking and Perform Utility Analysis

2. Be able to Scope a Facility

3. Be Familiar with Fundamental Principles and HVAC

4. Understand and Apply the System Concept

5. Be Able to Perform Data Logging and Trend Analysis

6. Be Familiar with Functional Testing Techniques

7. Be Familiar with Data Analysis Techniques

8. Be Familiar with Basic HVAC and Energy Calculations

9. Be Familiar with Cost/Benefit and Return on Investment Calculations

10. Develop a Competency with Control Systems

Visit http://tinyurl.com/EBCxSkills for more on why these skills matter














Be Familiar with Fundamental Principles:1. Loads2. Centrifugal Machines3. Piping Systems4. Refrigeration and Cooling

Equipment5. Heating Equipment6. Variable Flow Water Systems7. Duct Systems8. Economizers9. Makeup and Exhaust Systems10.Variable Air Volume Systems














Our focus for the session today


Scoping – On Site

Looking for Obvious Clues• Do things make sense?

• Should the outdoor air dampers be open or closed given the current conditions?

• Should the chilled water coil be active given the current conditions?

• Are things running when they don’t need to run?

Gary Larson Goat in the Clouds Cartoon Here


Scoping – On Site

Applying Fundamental Principles can be Helpful• Fundamental principle

Power used over time is energy

• Helpful insights1. If I optimize the number of

hours that a machine operates, I will save energy

2. If I reduce the power required by a machine to operate for any period of time, I will save energy


Scoping – On Site


Pump power is a direct function of the flow and head

produced• Helpful insights

1. If I reduce the head or the flow, I will reduce the power required

2. If there is unnecessary head or flow that I can eliminate, I will reduce the power required


Scoping – On Site


Head required varies as the square of the flow

• Helpful insights1. If I cut the flow in half the

pressure required to produce it will be cut to 25% of what it was for a fixed system

2. For a fixed system, pump power will vary in proportion to the cube of the flow


Scoping – On Site


As an engineer, I my actions will result in the expenditure of

energy and other resources• Helpful insight

I have more than a technical and financial responsibility for

resource expenditures, I also have an ethical responsibility

http://tinyurl.com/EnergyEthic


Scoping – On Site


The fundamental goal of most building systems is to provide

an environment that is safe, clean, comfortable and

productive • Helpful insight

If, in the name of efficiency and sustainability, I do something that

makes the built environment unsafe, unclean, uncomfortable or

unproductive, then I have done a disservice


Common Findings for CHW Systems

1. Equipment in “Hand”2. Throttled pumps3. Throttled pumps with VFDs4. Short circuits across the

mains5. Non-optimized set points6. Non-optimized sequencing7. Interactive parallel pumps8. Physical piping configuration

issues9. Poor cooling tower flow

distribution

10. Concurrent cooling tower make-up and over-flow

11. Misapplication of the pump and fan affinity laws

12. Control system lags13. Issues with loads served by

the planta. Part load performanceb. Mismatch between load

and plant ∆tc. Coil performance

characteristicsd. Control valve issuese. Economizers not working


Looking at a Few Examples

Equipment in “Hand”• Very common• Potential big savings for a low cost

(maybe)



Equipment in “Hand”• The Applicable Fundamental

Principles



Equipment in “Hand”• Evaluating the savings with field

data …

The pump is probably throttled to design conditions

The pump nameplate probably reflects design conditions




data …... operator insights …

The operators typically can provide key information like hours of operation and when they need to start chillers vs. using economizer cooling

The operators typically can provide key information like hours of operation and when they need to start chillers vs. using economizer cooling




data …... operator insights …

... and climate data

Bin data, TMY data or hourly weather data from a national climate resource can provide a sense of how many hours a year exist at the conditions associated with different operating modes



Throttled Pumps• Very common• Many ways to achieve the savings

with pros and cons to each that will be equipment and site specific



Throttled Pumps• The Applicable Fundamental

Principle


The System Concept

Fundamental to Understanding how Equipment and Machinery will be Integrated and Interact with Other Machines, Systems, Building Occupants, Building Processes, and the Climate


Its Not Just an Air Handling Unit … …It’s an Air Handling System


The Physical Configuration Needs to Match Design Intent

The piping plan



The piping isometric


Typi

cal

AHU

Typi

cal

AHU

SD

TDV

Chi

ller 1

N

o VF

D

SD

TDV

Chi

ller 2

VF

D &

HG

SD

TDV

SD

TDV


The piping system diagram

Which is the easiest to use to communicate or understand how a system works and perform diagnostics?


Let’s Go to the Plant


A Few Bottom Lines

• Cooling systems are major players in terms of delivering a safe, comfortable and productive built environment

• Cooling systems are major consumers of the resources we are blessed with

• Cooling systems are dynamic, complex, and highly interactive

• Understanding the details behind the equipment and systems provides insight into how to design them for efficient, sustainable operation

• Understanding the details behind the equipment and systems provides insight into how to make them work properly and keep them that way


One Thing Leads to Another

Piping Network

Load

Pump

Expansion tank and make up water

Make-up, Blow-down, and Water Treatment

Evap

orat

or

Con

dens

er

Expansion Device

Compressor

Water Chiller

Pump

Piping Network

Piping Network

Cooling Tower End

Use


The Savings Ripple Out Beyond the Plant

Switch Gear

MCC

TransformerkWh VFD

Pump Efficiency LossesVFD Efficiency Losses

Distribution System Losses

Transformer Losses

More Distribution System Losses

Motor Efficiency Losses


Fossil Fuel Base Generation Has Ripple Effects

• Most plants run on electricity • A lot of electricity comes from fossil fuel

‒ The current heat rate for fossil fuel plants is about 10,000 Btu/kWh‒ A kWh is 3,413 Btu

Conservation of mass and energy says that most of the mass of all of this coal (all but the fly ash) will eventually show up as gasses going up the stack


Coal Oil Gas Other Fossil Fuel

Purchased, Fuel

Generated

Biomass Hydro Wind Solar Geothermal

AK 9.2 13.9 55.6 0.0 0.0 0.1 21.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 78.7 21.3 0.3 78.7 21.3AL 41.4 0.1 25.8 0.2 0.0 1.8 5.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 24.9 92.5 7.5 1.8 69.3 30.7AR 46.2 0.1 20.4 0.0 0.0 2.7 6.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 24.6 91.3 8.7 2.7 69.4 30.6AZ 39.1 0.1 26.6 0.0 0.0 0.2 6.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 27.9 93.6 6.4 0.3 65.8 34.2CA 1.0 1.2 52.7 0.2 0.3 3.0 16.3 3.0 0.4 6.2 15.8 71.3 28.7 12.5 58.4 41.6CO 68.1 0.0 21.9 0.0 0.1 0.1 2.9 6.8 0.1 0.0 0.0 90.1 9.9 7.0 90.2 9.8CT 7.8 1.2 35.2 2.2 0.0 2.1 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 50.2 96.7 3.3 2.1 48.6 51.4DC 0.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 0.0DE 45.6 1.0 50.9 0.0 0.0 2.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 97.5 2.5 2.5 100.0 0.0FL 26.1 4.0 56.2 0.6 0.7 1.9 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.4 98.0 2.0 1.9 89.4 10.6GA 53.3 0.5 17.4 0.0 0.0 2.3 2.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 24.4 95.5 4.5 2.3 73.4 26.6HI 14.3 74.8 0.0 3.5 0.0 2.5 0.6 2.4 0.0 1.9 0.0 92.6 7.4 6.8 95.1 4.9IA 71.8 0.3 2.3 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.6 15.9 0.0 0.0 7.7 82.1 17.9 16.2 74.7 25.3ID 0.7 0.0 14.0 0.0 0.7 4.2 76.1 3.7 0.0 0.6 0.0 15.4 84.6 8.4 19.6 80.4IL 46.5 0.1 2.8 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.1 2.2 0.0 0.0 47.8 97.4 2.6 2.6 50.0 50.0IN 89.7 0.4 5.2 1.5 0.3 0.2 0.4 2.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 97.1 2.9 2.6 97.3 2.7KS 67.8 0.2 4.8 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 7.1 0.0 0.0 19.9 92.8 7.2 7.2 72.9 27.1KY 92.7 2.3 1.9 0.0 0.0 0.4 2.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 96.9 3.1 0.4 97.4 2.6LA 23.1 3.2 50.3 1.6 0.5 2.4 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 18.0 96.6 3.4 2.4 81.0 19.0MA 19.3 0.7 59.9 1.9 0.0 2.8 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 13.8 95.6 4.4 2.8 84.7 15.3MD 54.3 0.7 6.6 1.2 0.0 1.3 3.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 32.1 94.9 5.1 1.3 64.1 35.9ME 0.5 1.6 49.2 2.0 0.0 21.4 22.4 2.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 53.3 46.7 24.3 74.7 25.3MI 58.8 0.3 11.0 0.6 0.0 2.2 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.0 26.6 97.3 2.7 2.5 72.9 27.1MN 52.4 0.1 8.1 0.4 0.1 3.4 1.6 8.9 0.0 0.0 25.1 86.1 13.9 12.3 64.4 35.6MO 81.3 0.1 5.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 2.6 1.0 0.0 0.0 9.7 96.3 3.7 1.1 86.6 13.4MS 25.0 0.1 54.4 0.0 0.0 2.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 17.7 97.2 2.8 2.8 82.3 17.7MT 62.6 1.4 0.3 0.0 0.9 0.0 31.7 3.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 65.2 34.8 3.1 65.2 34.8NC 55.6 0.2 6.8 0.0 0.3 1.6 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 31.5 94.4 5.6 1.6 64.5 35.5ND 82.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 5.9 11.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 82.4 17.6 11.7 82.4 17.6NE 63.8 0.1 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 3.6 1.2 0.0 0.0 30.2 95.1 4.9 1.3 65.1 34.9NH 13.9 0.3 24.2 0.3 0.0 5.2 6.7 0.3 0.0 0.0 49.2 87.8 12.2 5.5 43.8 56.2NJ 9.7 0.7 37.8 0.8 0.0 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 49.8 98.8 1.2 1.2 50.2 49.8NM 70.6 0.1 23.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6 5.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 94.3 5.7 5.1 94.3 5.7NV 19.9 0.0 67.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.1 0.0 0.6 5.9 0.0 87.4 12.6 6.5 87.4 12.6NY 9.9 1.5 35.7 0.7 0.0 1.6 18.2 1.9 0.0 0.0 30.6 78.3 21.7 3.4 49.3 50.7OH 82.1 1.0 5.0 0.2 0.0 0.5 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 11.0 99.2 0.8 0.5 88.7 11.3OK 43.5 0.0 47.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 3.7 5.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 90.6 9.4 5.8 91.1 8.9OR 7.5 0.0 28.4 0.1 0.0 1.5 55.4 7.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 36.0 64.0 8.6 37.5 62.5PA 48.0 0.3 14.7 0.6 0.0 1.0 0.7 0.8 0.0 0.0 33.9 97.4 2.6 1.8 64.6 35.4RI 0.0 0.2 98.0 0.0 0.0 1.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 98.1 1.9 1.8 99.9 0.1SC 36.2 0.2 10.5 0.1 0.0 1.8 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 49.9 96.8 3.2 1.8 48.7 51.3SD 32.8 0.1 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 52.1 13.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 34.2 65.8 13.6 34.2 65.8TN 53.3 0.3 2.8 0.0 0.0 1.2 8.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 33.9 90.2 9.8 1.2 57.5 42.5TX 36.5 0.8 45.3 0.2 0.1 0.4 0.3 6.4 0.0 0.0 10.1 93.0 7.0 6.7 83.3 16.7UT 80.6 0.2 15.3 0.0 0.4 0.1 1.6 1.1 0.0 0.7 0.0 96.5 3.5 1.8 96.6 3.4VA 34.9 1.8 23.3 0.6 0.0 3.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 36.4 97.0 3.0 3.0 63.6 36.4VT 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 7.1 20.3 0.2 0.0 0.0 72.2 72.4 27.6 7.3 7.2 92.8WA 8.3 0.3 9.9 0.1 0.0 1.8 66.2 4.5 0.0 0.0 8.9 27.5 72.5 6.3 20.4 79.6WI 62.5 1.1 8.5 0.0 0.1 2.2 3.3 1.7 0.0 0.0 20.7 92.9 7.1 3.8 74.4 25.6WV 96.7 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 1.7 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 97.1 2.9 1.2 97.1 2.9WY 89.3 0.1 1.0 0.6 0.1 0.0 2.1 6.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 91.1 8.9 6.7 91.1 8.9

Minimum 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 15.4 0.0 0.0 7.2 0.0Maximum 96.7 100.0 98.0 3.5 0.9 21.4 76.1 15.9 0.6 6.2 72.2 100.0 84.6 24.3 100.0 92.8Average 41.9 4.3 22.5 0.4 0.1 1.8 9.2 2.5 0.0 0.3 17.0 86.1 13.9 4.7 71.0 29.0

Non-renewable Percent of

Total

Renewable Percent of

Total

Non-hydro Renewable Percent of

Total

Combustion Process

Generated Percent of

Total

Non-combustion Process


Total

State % of Total Electric Power Generation

Combustion Processes Non-Combustion ProcessesRenewableNon-Renewable Nuclear

Minimum 15.4 0.0 0.0 7.2 0.0Maximum 100.0 84.6 24.3 100.0 92.8Average 86.1 13.9 4.7 71.0 29.0


Total


Total


Total

Combustion Process


Total



Total

State

Minimum 15.4 0.0 0.0 7.2 0.0Maximum 100.0 84.6 24.3 100.0 92.8Average 86.1 13.9 4.7 71.0 29.0


Total


Total


Total

Combustion Process


Total



Total

State


My Logic Based Conclusion; We Have to be Having Some Sort of Impact

Public Domain Image Courtesy https://burritojustice.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/20120326-122232.jpg


We Don’t Inherit the World from our Ancestors, We Borrow it From Our Children

Unknown


Public Domain Image Courtesy https://burritojustice.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/20120326-122232.jpg

You Are Here

A Few Bottom Lines


A Few Bottom Lines

You AlsoAre Here


A Few Bottom Lines

Applying the principles we have been discussing can make a difference for as and for future generations

Applying the principles we have been discussing can be a lot of fun


David SellersSenior Engineer

Facility Dynamics Engineeringwww.FacilityDynamics.comCell: 503-320-2630, Office: 503-286,1494Blog: www.Av8rDAS.Wordpress.com