1

HVAC Special Working Group

Spin III
Web v.1
Section Title
Air Handling Unit
Operational Control
Spreadsheet Training
Objectives
3
To provide a tool for systematic review of AHU performance
Paper based or Excel spreadsheet based
For use by operations and maintenance personnel
Applies logical checks
Illogical outcomes highlighted for investigation
Layout
Macro tools
One for RH system, one for heating systems
Determine desired AHU status from temp & RH requirements
Determine room needs from temp & RH requirements
Check sheet
Customise sheet per AHU
Include design operational control parameters
4
Macro tools
Assessment Tools- allows the
operator to determine the
desired status of the AHU
based on air temp & RH.
(i.e. should the AHU be in
dehum mode based on outside
temp and RH
Also determines the room
requirements.
5
AHU Condition Assessment Tool
Outside Air Temperature-Enter value between
-20
0
C and 35
0
C
Relative Humidity-Insert
value between 0% and
100%
Fresh Air Requirements-Insert value
between 0% and 100%
AHU Supply Air Condition-
Insert value between 5
0
C
and 25
0
C
AHU Supply Air
condition-Insert
value between 0%
and 100%
AHU Conditions Required
Red-Heating
Blue-Cooling
Green Rehumification
Blue-Dehumification
Indicates Room
Requirement
Insert Room
Temperature and
Humidity
Specifications
between 15
0
C to 25
0
C
and 0% To 100%
AHU Return Air
Requirements-
Insert value between
5
0
C and 25
0
C
AHU Return Air
Condition-Insert
value between 0%
and 100%
Check sheet
7
Enter AHU Number Insert Description of AHU
including location and
areas served by AHU
Insert Date (Format 03 Mar
10)
Insert Time (24 Hour Clock
format e.g. 16.45)
Insert Room Humidification
Requirement from Macro Tool
DeHum
Rehum
N/A (when Dehum or Rehum are
not required)
Enter Room
Heating
Requirements-
Heating
Cooling
None
Insert AHU Humidification
Status from Macro Tool
DeHum
Rehum
N/A (when Dehum or
Rehum are not required)
Enter AHU
Heating Status-
Heating
Cooling
None
AHU Set point Status & Conditions
Insert design supply air temperature and
humidity set points.
Insert the Original Supply Air
Volume and Return Air
Volume set points.
Insert Filter dP
limits.
Insert actual setpoint values
from BMS screen
Insert value for
each of the
conditions from
BMS screen
Insert commissioning
report data.
AHU Set up Check
Determine Result from Building
Management System (BMS). Enter
Yes No or N/A. Red colour indicates
incorrect result/problem on system
Determine Result from BMS.
When mixing section is fixed
enter N/A.
Determine Results from
BMS. Enter Yes, No or N/A
Determine result from BMS. View
trends for Control Valves, Speed etc
to determine if record is stable.
Enter Yes No or N/A
Confirm on BMS
room pressure
operating according
to specification.
Enter Yes, No or N/
A
AHU Operating Situation
Enter AHU pre-heating value which
can be obtained from BMS.
Enter AHU pre-cooling value which
can be obtained from BMS.
Enter cooling valve data from
BMS.
Enter heating valve data from
BMS.
Enter pre-dehumidifcation value data
from BMS.
Enter de-humidifcation
value data from BMS.
Enter heat recovery data from BMS. If heat recovery
fixed record 100% for running and enter 0% if heat
recovery is not running
Enter fresh air and
mixing air data from
BMS.
AHU Conditions
Enter AHU mode. This has already been
determined in Macro status Section.
Consult Macro Section when entering
value.
Determine if heating and cooling valves
are open at same time.
When heating is required heat recovery
should be the first stage of heating.
When cooling is required heat recovery
should be off. Enter yes, No or N/A
Free cooling from outside should be maximized when
available, and should be the first stage of cooling.
If outside air is colder than return air then100% fresh air
should be used before chilled water.
Free heating from outside should be maximized when available, and
should be the first stage of heating if outside air is hotter than return air
then in this case 100% fresh air should be used before heat recovery or
LPHW.
Determine if
the rooms
supplied by
AHU are within
specification for
temp and RH.
Using the Macro Status
information determine if
the AHU is achieving
the conditions required
for each room.
Determine if the
heating/Cooling
valves are operating
at 100% If answer is
Yes then a system is
maxed out and may
indicate a problem.
AHU Conditions
Determine DeHum mode from
Macro Status for AHU. Determine if the AHU is carrying out
DeHum and Re-Hum at the same time.
One should always be at 0%.
Determine if chilled water Pre-DeHum is
maximized when Dehum is required.
(Pre-DeHum with chilled water is cheaper than
dessicant drying, and therefore the Pre-DeHum
should be 100% before dessicant drying
commences)
Determine if Room
temperature
conditions are being
met. When in DeHum
mode or ReHum
mode verify if the
system control the
final temperature of
the rooms.
See the Macro
Status .Determine if
the AHU status match
the room status.
Determine if enthalpy
control is being used
Confirm that the
positions of the exhaust
air and mixing dampers
approximately = 100%
Determine if the fan speed is increasing/decreasing
over time and determine if this can be explained by
filter conditions
Determine if the
statis pressures is
increasing/
decreasing over time
and determine if this
cat be explained by
the filter conditions.
Determine if the fan
power is increasing/
decreasing over time
and determine if this
can be explained by
the filter conditions.
Compare the changes in filter
DP with the filter change
history. Step reductions in DP
should correspond with filter
changes
Use of check-sheet (Paper)
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Customise worksheet per AHU
Copy insert or delete lines as required
Fill in design data
Fit one or multiple AHU spreadsheets in each page
Print workbook
Use of check-sheet (excel)
Customise worksheet per AHU
Copy insert or delete lines as required
Fill in design data
Fit one or multiple AHU spreadsheets in each page
Complete the spreadsheet
Insert new column for further data entry as per next slide
14
To Copy Cells for Adding Data
15
Highlight Column E of
Excel Sheet. Right
Click and select Copy
Right Click and
select Insert
Copied Cells
Delete Contents of
Copied Cell and add
AHU data as required
Use of check-sheet (excel)
All cells highlighted in red have potential issues causing
excessive energy usage
All issues should be fed into maintenance system on site
Spreadsheet can form part of the operational control clause of
the energy management system
AHU Operational Control
Spreadsheet Training