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How can DCV and VAV be compatible in both heating and cooling?

asked 2021-06-06 06:34:21 -0500

Keigo's avatar

updated 2021-06-09 20:44:55 -0500

Has anyone been able to successfully implement CO2 based DCV in a VAV system, both in heating and cooling? I'm trying to model it with a simple single-zone, but I can't find the perfect settings. Any advice would be appreciated.

Here are IDF files (v9.4.0). Now I have 4 cases with different settings. The table below shows the setting differences for each case. Common settings are omitted in the table. Of course I set other classes that are necessary for DCV such as ZoneAirContaminantBalance and ZoneControl:ContaminantController.

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Case_A: I modelled it first, but the supply air (SA) flow rate was not variable. It's similar to this post.

Case_B: After much trial and error, I found that blank Design Specification Outdoor Air Object Name in AirTerminal:SingleDuct:VAV:Reheat made SA flow rate variable, but instead, DCV became ineffective when heating.

Case_C: When I removed Controller:MechanicalVentilation, DCV in winter was OK, but this time DCV was no longer working when cooling.

Case_D: I don't think it's the best setting, but it's the best I can do at the moment. DCV of Case_B in summer is OK, and the occupancy schedule of summer and winter is the same. So, I manually calculated the hourly OA fractions (= OA/Maximum SA) in one day that keep CO2 consentration to the setpoint(1000ppm) from the result of Case_B in summer. Then, I made the following schedule and put it into Minimum Air Flow Fraction Schedule Name in AirTerminal:SingleDuct:VAV:Reheat. The result looks OK at a glance, but it just forces SA and OA to vary enough to keep zone CO2 concentration 1000ppm. It is "pretended" correctness.

Schedule:Compact,
MinimumAirFlowFractionSchedule,  !- Name
Fraction,                !- Schedule Type Limits Name
Through: 12/31,          !- Field 1
For: AllDays,            !- Field 2
Until: 8:00,  0,         !- Field 4
Until: 9:00,  .35,       !- Field 6
Until: 10:00,  .45,      !- Field 8
Until: 11:00,  .43,      !- Field 10
Until: 12:00,  .34,      !- Field 12
Until: 13:00,  .18,      !- Field 14
Until: 14:00,  .34,      !- Field 16
Until: 18:00,  .43,      !- Field 18
Until: 19:00,  .22,      !- Field 20
Until: 21:00,  .05,      !- Field 22
Until: 24:00,  0;        !- Field 24

The charts below are the simulation results of all cases.

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answered 2025-08-21 04:36:49 -0500

Keigo's avatar

A self-reply to one of my earliest posts.

I didn't need to think this issue too difficult. Case B was closest to the correct setting. The key is the minimum air flow rate of AirTerminal:SingleDuct:VAV:Reheat. 0 is unrealistic.

I revised Fixed Minimum Air Flow Rate of Case B to 0.153m3/s (equivalent to Constant Minimum Air Flow Fraction of 0.430) which is equal to the maximum OA flow rate during simulation with DCV (the idf file). Everything looks fine. The idf fileWe also set the minimum flow rate of a VAV box in the real world so that it does not fall below the required OA flow rate. It's the same thing.

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To generalise what I observed, there are three types of air flow rate for AirTerminal:SingleDuct:VAV:XXXXX as follows.

  1. Required supply air flow rate determined by the heating load.
  2. User-defined minimum supply air flow rate
  3. Required outdoor air flow rate with DCV

My expectation in heating mode: SA flow rate = Max(1,2,3). OA flow rate = 3.

What is actually happening in heating mode: SA flow rate = Max(1,2). OA flow rate = Min(Max(1,2),3).

In other words, AirTerminal:SingleDuct:VAV:XXXXX ignores the required OA flow rate with DCV when it determines the SA flow rate in heating mode. As a result, insufficient OA flow rate when the determined SA flow rate is below the required OA flow rate with DCV.

I think this should be considered a bug, but it can be avoided by carefully setting each zone minimum air flow rate (or fraction).

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Supplement: It turned out that the bug that the SA flow ignores the required OA flow at low loads also occurs without DCV, and also occurs in cooling. Furthermore, 'autosize' for Fixed Minimum Air Flow Rate or Constant Minimum Air Flow Fraction also does not consider the required OA flow rate. The autosized minimum air flow rate is lower than the design OA flow rate.

Keigo's avatar Keigo  ( 2025-08-22 03:38:14 -0500 )edit

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Asked: 2021-06-06 06:34:21 -0500

Seen: 944 times

Last updated: Aug 21