Automatically Detecting Faulty Regulation in HVAC Controls

Published

May 1, 2013

Author(s)

Daniel A. Veronica

Abstract

A new method is introduced to automatically detect faulty regulation of temperatures, pressures, and flow rates within the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems and equipment of buildings by using digital data typically available from the existing building automation system. The method employs numerical accumulating registers to record excursions of the regulated variables beyond allowance bands set by the user. Under the method, three separate functions keep surveillance over: (1) variables regulated to a sepoint value; (2) the actuating variables that effect the regulation; and (3), temperatures regulated by thermostats. Faults detected include unstable, excessively oscillatory regulation, failure of regulated variable to maintain allowed band, and incorrect actuator commands or positions. For the latter case, the method further enables logic that discerns faulty excursions from normal transients.

Citation

International Journal of Heating, Ventilating, Air-conditioning and Refrigerating Research

Volume

19

Issue

4

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1080/10789669.2013.789369

Keywords

hvac, fdd, fault detection, diagnostics, automatic, building, automation, controls, expert system

Citation

Veronica, D. (2013), Automatically Detecting Faulty Regulation in HVAC Controls, International Journal of Heating, Ventilating, Air-conditioning and Refrigerating Research, [online], https://doi.org/10.1080/10789669.2013.789369 (Accessed May 19, 2026)

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