Peter Lowther, managing director of Ability Projects, explains how the successful implementation of Ability Project's Matrix II has promoted the development of a suite of related products.
The successful implementation of Ability Project's Matrix II self-commissioning fan coil unit on numerous projects has promoted the development of a suite of related products that further exploit the simplicity and energy-saving advantages of EC motor technology in fan coils.
The first of these, the Link-Able fan coil system, is suitable for most projects, allowing a mechanical contractor to network the fan coil communication lines before hand over to the controls specialists. Every Link-Able fan coil incorporates a special controls enclosure with one external socket for the network communication line in and another for the communication line out.
Thus the installer is merely required to use either the pre-configured connection cables or a connection cable kit to snap-connect each of the units together. Link-Able units also incorporate a special mains socket, enabling them to be completely connected in a fraction of the time usually needed for such a task.
Furthermore, since the connections to the fan coil are external, there is no requirement to enter the controls enclosure and potential damage and delays are avoided.
The Link-Able method can be applied to the BACnet controls, so often supplied by Ability, especially on Matrix fan coil systems and also to many of the free-issued controls packages put forward. To complete the Link-Able package, Ability introduced a number of BACnet routers using the same quick connection styles. These allow the entire terminal control level to be wired, scanned and checked by the installer before hand over to the control specialist for integration into the rest of the building BMS. That BACnet terminal controllers can, of course, interface with any manufacturer's BMS head end has been well proven on those Ability Matrix projects using BACnet controllers.
Ability has introduced a number of BACnet routers
A second product, rapidly proving successful, is EC-Easy - the upgrading of AC fan coils to the latest, highly efficient, EC motor technology.
EC-Easy is more a package of work, which commences with a site survey. The survey visit confirms the units employed and allows measurements to be taken or even the removal of some components for future use as templates for replacement parts. At its most basic level, EC-Easy simply replaces ailing AC fan/motors with new EC fan/motors and a new fan speed adjuster. This provides the fan coils with a new lease of life and cuts electrical consumption by at least 50 per cent. Ability personnel take an accurate air flow measurement before changeover to ensure the upgraded unit remains at its original performance level.
The next step is the replacement by (or addition of) a new BACnet device to the existing fan coil controller in order to provide the unit with demand-dependent fan speed control. This control strategy, sometimes referred to as fan coil VAV, allows the new EC fans to slow down to a predefined level when demand is low. This means the installation will generally run slower, quieter and far more efficiently than even a conventional EC installation.
The final step provides for a general clean up of the existing unit during the refit and possibly cleaning, or replacing, the filters. Thus, EC-Easy is a three step process that can be taken as far as the client wishes. Step one, changeover to EC - step two, upgrade to demand-dependent fan speed control and step three, incorporate a full service.
Both these new products, of course, stem from the successful Matrix I and II fan coil systems, marketed by Ability since 2006.
Matrix fan coil units are different in that their individual air volumes per duct run and design heating and cooling water flow rates are loaded into the terminal controller strategy during manufacture. After installation they sense their surroundings and automatically adjust and maintain factory preset air volume and water flow design values. Subtle variations between ductwork and pipe work resistances are immaterial since the fans and valves self compensate to preserve the preset values.
Unlike conventional EC fan coils, Matrix also provides occupancy and demand-dependent fan speed. Every Matrix system is factory preset with both 'set back' and 'design' air volumes, generally decided by the project team before the fan coils are manufactured. The fan coil then varies its output air volume according to thermal load conditions or occupancy levels, or both. As most buildings spend most of the working year at a level away from the design peak load, the fans will work slower, quieter and save more power input. Each project is nevertheless provided with a laptop and the latest BACnet commissioning software, enabling the commissioning team wirelessly to adjust any presets on individual units, groups or all the units.
Interest and completed projects show that Matrix II fan coils save a significant amount of time at the commissioning and installation stages. The addition of the Link-Able capability allows the communication networking to be brought into the mechanical contractor's package saving even more time and money.
18 February 2010