Smart Controls and Automation for AHU Optimisation

Advanced controls and regular maintenance help optimise energy use, ensuring a balance between comfort, indoor air quality, and operational efficiency. Integrating smart controls and automation into AHUs significantly improves HVAC functionality. Technologies like EC motors, VFDs, and Building Management Systems enhance energy efficiency, optimise airflow, and enable precise control, contributing to superior indoor environments.

Ventilation systems are essential to maintain indoor air quality in commercial buildings, utilising natural, mechanical, or hybrid methods – each with unique advantages and limitations based on building design and environmental requirements. Enhancing indoor air quality and energy efficiency with Air Handling Units requires a strategic design approach tailored to specific industries, balancing compliance, energy efficiency, and performance needs. Customised solutions and innovative technologies ensure that AHUs meet each sector’s unique environmental and operational needs. The design accounts for regulatory standards, environmental controls, and industry-specific needs. Advanced technologies, modular configurations, and material selection hold significance in achieving sustainability and compliance across industrial applications.

Ventilation systems

Ventilation systems and air Handling Units are vital for creating healthy, comfortable, and energy-efficient indoor environments. Sandeep Rane, Director at Sheetal Academy, discusses types of ventilation, stating that natural ventilation uses wind and thermal buoyancy to circulate fresh air through windows, vents, and openings. Mechanical ventilation relies on fans and equipment, like exhaust and supply fans, to ensure consistent air movement. While reliable, it can be energy-intensive and requires maintenance. Hybrid ventilation combines both approaches, using natural methods primarily and mechanical systems when necessary, mostly during extreme weather or high occupancy. This system aims to enhance energy efficiency while maintaining indoor air quality, offering flexibility for various environments.

Davide Di Dia, CAREL Application Specialist—HVAC Commercial, discusses the purpose of a ventilation system in commercial buildings and parameters to guarantee occupants’ well-being, including monitoring and controlling the CO2, PM, and VOC levels through dilution with filtered outside air.

AHU technologies to improve IAQ

Indoor air quality relies on monitoring filters, temperature, humidity, and CO2 sensors, highlights, Davide Di Dia. Differential pressure sensors detect clogged filters, prompting timely maintenance to ensure optimal AHU performance.

Sandeep Rane discusses factors to improve indoor air quality and energy efficiency with Air Handling Units. Accurate Cubic Feet per Minute measurements are crucial for maintaining optimal ventilation, preventing variation in ventilation, and ensuring comfort and air quality. High-quality filters play a role by removing airborne contaminants like dust, pollen, and pollutants, enhancing indoor air quality, and reducing strain on the AHU, thus increasing energy efficiency.

Proper chilled water flow, correct positioning of temperature sensors, and managing the valve with relative humidity controls are a few issues. Integrating these factors optimises AHU performance, improves air quality, and increases energy efficiency indoors.

Kishor Patil, HVAC & Transport, India & SAARC Country Leader, Trane Technologies, states that modular AHU design offers flexibility and scalability, allowing easy system expansion or adjustments as needs change. Integrating modularity with smart controls increases HVAC performance and meets evolving demands. While focussing on energy efficiency, automation, and customisation, AHU technologies support sustainable, high-performing systems tailored to diverse industry requirements.

AHU components

Air Handling Units are vital for creating comfortable and energy-efficient indoor environments. They play a role in maintaining optimal air quality, temperature, and humidity. Efficient air management in an Air Handling Unit requires attention to components. AHUs consist of fans, coils, quality filtration, dampers, and control systems that regulate temperature, humidity, and air quality. These components are crucial for optimising performance and maintaining efficient HVAC operations. Mohammed Abdul Qhavi, PMP, Project Engineer at Firefreeze EST Fire Protection & Safety Solutions, highlights that AHU components maintain controlled indoor environments. Fans, such as centrifugal and axial, circulate air, while filters like HEPA and carbon capture contaminants. Dampers regulate airflow and system pressure, and humidifiers maintain optimal humidity levels. Control systems with sensors and actuators coordinate these elements, adjusting temperature, humidity, and airflow to improve energy efficiency across various applications.

Smart controls and automation

Smart technologies automate temperature control, airflow, and filtration, adjusting AHU performance based on real-time conditions. This optimisation improves energy efficiency, enhances indoor air quality, and lowers operational costs. Kishor Patil thinks automating manual tasks as smart AHUs reduces energy consumption, minimises the building’s carbon footprint and saves money. It promotes environmental sustainability.

Sandeep opines that regular cleaning filters prevent reduced airflow and increase energy consumption. Proper inspections, monitoring and adjustment of valves ensure consistent temperature control. Maintaining these elements enhances AHU efficiency and overall system performance.

Davide Di Dia emphasises that advanced algorithms for energy efficiency and improved indoor air quality activate the various devices on the AHU. They continuously monitor performance and detect problems before failures occur, providing data for energy audits and identifying areas to save energy.

Solutions for industry-specific challenges

In healthcare and pharmaceutical applications, requirements include HEPA filters, precise temperature and humidity control, stainless steel components, and advanced contamination control logic.  Conversely,  the manufacturing and painting industries focus on maximising efficiency through heat recovery, optimised airflow management, adiabatic humidification, and evaporative cooling. Essential components should resist corrosion and high temperatures and meet certification standards. The food and beverage industry emphasises hygiene, necessitating easy-to-clean stainless steel components. According to Kishor Patil, customising AHU designs to meet these requirements ensures that the systems remain functional and efficient, effectively addressing the unique challenges of their environment. Smart AHUs manage temperature, humidity, and contaminants to maintain air quality without energy waste. It is vital in hospitals for patient health and industrial facilities where proper ventilation results in safety and operations. AHU designs tailored to industry needs – healthcare, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, or food production ensure efficiency and suitability.

Future trends

Energy efficiency is crucial in AHU design, cutting costs and reducing environmental impact. In summary, ventilation and AHU systems improve indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and occupant well-being through Smart technologies, customised designs, and advanced controls. Innovations like modular configurations and predictive maintenance ensure compliance, sustainability, and optimal performance across industries.

Future trends in AHUs include innovations like modular configurations, integration of Smart technology and IoT, electrostatic and photocatalytic filters, and emphasis on sustainability through eco-friendly materials. AI integration and automation in AHUs enable predictive maintenance and optimisation, increasing performance and efficiency. This technology improves indoor environments across industries and ensures systems operate at their best with minimal downtime.

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Sandeep Rane, Director, Sheetal Academy.

High-quality filters remove airborne contaminants like dust, pollen, and pollutants, enhancing indoor air quality and reducing strain on the AHU.

Kishor Patil, HVAC & Transport, India & SAARC Country Leader, Trane Technologies.

AHU technologies emphasise energy efficiency, Smart automation, and customisation, contributing to sustainable and high-performance HVAC systems.

Mohammed Abdul Qhavi PMP, Project Engineer, Firefreeze EST Fire Protection & Safety Solutions.

Sustainability focuses on eco-friendly materials and energy efficiency, while AI enhances predictive maintenance and system optimisation for AHUs.

Davide Di Dia, CAREL Application Specialist – HVAC Commercial.

Advanced algorithms for energy efficiency and improved indoor air quality activate the various devices on the AHU in sequence.