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H V A C D A T
A
The 21st Century Solution
to Your Facilities Management Maintenance Management and Data Collection
Needs.
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White Paper
Operations personnel are interested in
values such as temperature and device position which are communicated
verbally as numbers by radio or telephone between Control Room operators and
field mechanics. Operators rapidly become familiar with their system's
configurations but must still use the graphics as a data-control interface.
These graphics are generally configured
around individual systems that are accessed by penetration paths. These
paths are often up to 12 layers of graphics. Anyone familiar with wait time
knows how this can cause needless and distracting delay. This delay can be
critical in obtaining speedy information in event of crisis such as power
failure and fire.
Obviously, a rapid assessment of physical
plant at the onset a crisis can be crucial in containing the impact of an
event on plant operations. With our software system, the HVAC Data Tracker,
all relevant data can be updated from only one display screen from which
operators have a complete overview of their physical plant.
This overview, and the massive amount of data involved, is impossible with
graphic software. The chief advantage of a tabular data display is its
ability to render large amounts of data immediately accessible. These
displays offer a remarkable degree of control. Any variable selected by
highlighting can be updated either as a single point are multiple points,
allowing fast analysis of changing conditions.
Printed reports can easily be carried into the field by service technicians
for reference and repairs. The ability to produce a real time printed report
of physical plant is a subtle but powerful method of coordinating all levels
of operations and checking the results of work performed by workers or
contractors. Printed daily reports distributed to engineering personnel are
certain to clear up troublesome problems.
A particularly difficult problem of modern HVAC maintenance is keeping track
of the thousands of VAV terminal units installed in today's facilities.
These units are serviced, as practical matter, only on a basis of
complaints. These terminals are in reality an integral part of the HVAC air
delivery system the failure of only a few to properly regulate air flow can
affect total system static and render expensive balancing irrelevant.
With an HVAC Data Tracker display these VAV terminals will be grouped with
their air handler so that the entire system can be seen at a glance. Again
out of tolerance values are color coded on the display to cull the
malfunctioning devices. In many instances we have found these terminals
function as constant volume devices. Since the reheats are maintaining
temperature there are few customer complaints but the energy waste is
extraordinary and the entire air handling system involved is problematic.
Overtime VAV systems can be brought up to
promised, but rarely delivered, performance. This is but another example of
important troubleshooting insight that can be culled from a careful
examination of the data by experienced HVAC personnel. Never before has so
much information been available to service personnel. It will undoubtedly
increase efficiency both of mechanical systems and personnel. |
