Modeling Floor-Wise TFA Rooms in DesignBuilder with VRF Groups (DOAS + ODU Connection)
We are modeling a VRF system in DesignBuilder with the following setup:
Three VRF zone groups, each with a VRF outdoor unit (ODU) connected to indoor units (IDUs: hi-wall, cassette, ducted).Treated Fresh Air (TFA) rooms (one per floor) also connected directly to the ODU (via DX-treated outdoor air units).
Design Constraints:
Each floor has a separate TFA room supplying fresh air via ducts to its zone.
The TFA units are part of the VRF system (connected to the same ODU as IDUs).
Challenges in DesignBuilder:
When defining a VRF zone group, all floors merge into a single zone, making it impossible to:
1.Assign floor-wise TFA rooms within the group.
- Model DOAS systems connected directly to the ODU (in addition to IDUs).
Question: What’s the best workflow to:
Maintain per-floor TFA room ventilation while using VRF zone groups?
Accurately represent DOAS units connected to the ODU (not just IDUs)?
Attempted Solutions:
Option 1: Sum all floors’ fresh air and assign a single DOAS to the VRF group (loses floor-wise control).
Option 2: Model TFA rooms as separate zones with standalone DOAS (but breaks ODU connection)