Control tuning of a simplified VAV system: Methodology and impact on energy consumption and IAQ

Nowadays, with the improvement of living standards, air-conditioning systems have been widely used causing more health problems linked to air-conditioning systems and indoor air quality. When an air handling unit is designed for a conference room, its variable use demands an outdoor air rate control in particular to optimize energy consumption of the new air heating/cooling. Based on an experimental site, the present work shows how to combine air quality and the improvement of energy consumption thanks to a way to define a control strategy. The control problem considered here is the management of air quality associated to a control of the outdoor air rates. A review of classical tuning methods is led in order to select suitable ones. Thus, a linearization of the phenomena must be done to border the system expression in tuning methods. Several classical methods are studied and the family model is chosen: monovariable and multivariable applications are brought to fruition. Simulations and applications permit to enhance energy consumption through the choice of a strict way to tune such control equipments.