Automation for ventilation: functions, features,

Automation of ventilation and air conditioning systems allows you to organize monitoring and control of the main processes, as well as to ensure the safety and energy efficiency of ventilation systems. We want to talk about the purpose, the main features and characteristics that distinguish the automation of ventilation systems.

Ventilation automation

Purpose

Modern air-conditioning and ventilation systems are quite complex complexes of instruments, power plants, heaters and channels that are able to provide the necessary microclimate parameters in the room only if all the components and assemblies work together (find out here what are heat exchangers for ventilation).

To ensure this condition, modern engineers have created specialized devices, sensors and mechanisms with which you can assemble a control system and ventilation protection.

A competently created system solves a whole set of tasks, among which the most significant are:

• Tracking, monitoring and control of all system parameters. Alert for faults, hazardous conditions, other emergencies and events. Modern means of control and monitoring allow the operator to track in real time all the important indicators of the health of the system and its compliance with the desired mode;
• Analysis of monitoring data and correction of the operation of each device individually and the system as a whole in accordance with the preset parameters and modes. The control automation collects data using sensors, analyzes them using computational power, decides to make changes in the work and gives a signal to the performing mechanics or start / stop devices;
• Protection of water circuits for heating the supply air and valves against freezing in winter. Using thermostats, the system monitors the temperature of the heaters and prevents it from dropping below a critical value;
• Switching the operating modes of the system depending on the time of day, day of the week, weather conditions, load on the room. Automation of ventilation control according to a given program, as well as on the basis of monitoring data, may put into operation additional power plants, switch off operating fans or change their rotational speed, turn on or turn off air dryers, etc .;
• Cut-off of short-circuit currents or other emergency modes to protect electronics and conductors from the danger of burnout.

Note! As you can see, the automation of ventilation systems solves a number of important tasks that would be impossible to cope with by the staff of the operating personnel.

Main nodes

It should immediately be said that the design of automation of ventilation systems is a rather complicated engineering problem, for the solution of which it is necessary to have a number of theoretical knowledge and certain experience.

It is also important to know:

• the structure of a similar system;
• its main components and parts;
• logic of work and interaction of all its parts and aggregates.

In order to choose the most suitable set of instruments and controls for specific conditions, it is necessary to know the product range of different manufacturers, to have experience in operating various devices, to get acquainted with user feedback, to know the model in terms of price / quality ratio. In short, you need to be "in the subject."

Modern automatic complexes are equipped with various equipment, both analog and digital, comprising three main groups:

1. Sensor devices and sensors. This group includes various means of collecting information about the real state of the system by various parameters: temperature, pressure, air humidity, current strength, etc. The obtained information is converted into an electrical signal that is fed to the input of the controller;
2. Regulators and Controllers. This group of devices collects and analyzes data obtained from sensors and, based on the analysis, gives commands to the performing mechanics or switches that change the mode of operation of the system or its individual parts. Regulators can be assembled on the basis of analog logic circuits or consist of digital equipment with software;
3. Executive mechanics. It includes various actuators, regulators, switches and other mechanisms that implement the implementation of commands from the controllers to change certain parameters of the ventilation operation. This may be an automatic valve for inlet ventilation, a servo actuator, a current shut-off switch, an electric motor rotor speed control, etc.

Note! Regardless of the complexity of the control system, one way or another, it will include the listed nodes. Depending on the tasks, other nodes can be added to these nodes, but without sensors, controllers and actuators, it will not work.

Knowledge of the logic of the system will not make you an expert in the field of automation, but the author of the article didn’t have such a task, because all the adequate people understand that reading articles for qualification is not enough. However, now you will be able to speak with specialists in the same language, understanding what exactly you are offered and why it is necessary.

Note! Most companies that sell automated control systems provide accompanying services that include delivery, design, installation, maintenance and repair of ventilation automation.

Features and benefits

With the development of digital computing technology on the background of general technical progress, the engineer had the opportunity to create complex logic circuits and solve multi-pass complex tasks using engineering and electronics without human intervention. All modern ventilation systems are designed with this opportunity in mind, so they cannot do without automatic control.

Note! Automation is necessary not only because it is more convenient and efficient to control the forces of the operator, but also because the operator is not able to solve the tasks that today's technology can handle.

Automated systems allow you to simultaneously monitor an almost unlimited number of parameters, make instant and accurate decisions, perform complex calculations and calculations, execute commands in a strictly timely and correct manner. There is no fatigue, inattention and other human factors.

The minimum set of functions that automatics performs, with rare exceptions, is:

• Control and adjustment of the fan speed;
• Control of return water temperature and protection of heaters from freezing;
• Monitoring the parameters of indoor air and the implementation of the strategic management of the system based on the performance of its main product - the microclimate inside the object;
• Indication of the degree of contamination of air purification filters, and warning the operator about the need to replace them;
• Putting the system or its individual parts into “sleep” mode by turning off unused capacity, as well as activating “sleeping” nodes if necessary;
• Protection of motors, conductors and electronics against overloads and short circuits;
• Indication of the state of the system and its modes of operation with the output of signals on the display, manual control and adjustment using various organs and software.

Note! The advantage of automatic control is that it is devoid of human factors and errors, is able to work around the clock and solve simultaneously a large number of complex tasks in a short time.

Conclusion

Complex integrated ventilation systems can not do without automatic control and monitoring (also find out why you need ventilation in plastic windows).

Design, installation and adjustment of automation should be done by qualified specialists, who can see the work with the help of the video in this article.