Phone: (540) 961-3576     Fax: (540) 953-3010      e-mail: mkt@vatell.com

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HEAT Control Monitor

High Efficiency Ambient Temperature Control Monitor

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 ** See Significant Savings in your Building's Energy Costs!! **

Function:
The HEAT Control Monitor precisely compensates for actual net cooling loads on the outer walls of buildings. It is used as part of the control system in a four sided zone set up instead of a floor by floor traditional arrangement. Large energy losses are reduced by lowering the amount of heat that must be taken away by air conditioning for comfort control on a side of the building that is heated by the sun.  At the same time the perimeter heat supplied to a shaded or wind-chilled side of the building is automatically increased so that temperature control and comfort are improved. Customers report significant savings in energy bills.

Components:
The HEAT Control monitor has two components, the heat transfer sensor and the signal transmitter.  The standard transmitter is loop powered, requiring a user supplied power source.  Each sensor transmitter pair is calibrated together and should be used together to maintain factory settings.  For complete information on the sensor please follow this link:  BF SENSOR

Output:
The output from the signal transmitter is 4 to 20 mA.  The low end (4 mA) corresponds to a heat loss of -800 W/m2, while the full output (20 mA) corresponds to heat gain of +800 W/m2.  The sensor response is linear so each milliamp above 4 mA indicates an increase of 100 W/m2.  Positive heat is defined as heat flowing into the building, negative heat flow is defined as heat flowing out of the building.

Mounting:
The transmitter can be mounted on any convenient stud or beam with screws through two holes in the case.  The heat transfer sensor should be applied to the inside of a window with the adhesive strip provided.  If possible the heat transfer sensor should be placed on a centrally located window and not shaded from the sun by leges, overhangs, or other building projections.

Maintenance:
The Heat Control Monitor itself requires no adjustment or maintenence.  The outside of the window on which the sensor is mounted should be kept clean.  Do not attempt to remove or clean the sensor once it is mounted.

Technical Principles:
 

Efficiently controlling HVAC systems in large buildings is critical in keeping cost downs.  One of the primary factors driving the energy required for comfort control is the heat flow in and out of the building to the environment.  Factors such as solar energy, wind effects, and shading can greatly influence the heat transfer to and from buildings. The glazing across a building has a large impact on the comfort level of the occupants. By setting up a four sided zone system for a building's HVAC control and measuring heat transfer in and out of the zone directly, much more efficient energy consumption is realized.  For example, on a typical spring morning one side of a building may be hit directly by the sun, causing it to heat up.  The opposite side of the building is still shaded and losing heat to the environment.  The positive and negative heat flows are measured on each side of the building directly and adjusted for in the HVAC controls.  The control system with a direct heat flow measurement is more stable than a traditional PID system.  It also has a faster time response as it does not rely on the thermal mass of the building to account for temperature changes.

Example Application:

Heat Monitor Example  Word Document (23KB)
                                        PDF File (8KB)
 
 
 

Press Release:

For immediate release      February 11, 2002

BUILDING HVAC CONTROL BREAKTHROUGH

Vatell’s BF sensors used in HVAC control result in major energy savings in new commercial buildings, by exactly compensating for actual net cooling loads on the outer walls.  In a conventional floor-by-floor zoned arrangement, where perimeter hot water heating does not respond to different cooling loads on the four sides of the building, the combination of solar heating and outside air cooling can produce large energy losses.  In the new system, BF sensors are used with an unconventional perimeter hot water zoning arrangement, in which there is a heating zone for each side of the building instead of each floor.  Temperature of the heating water on each side of the building is controlled directly by the sensor on that side, exactly compensating for the net cooling load.  This greatly reduces the amount of heat that must be taken away by air conditioning for comfort control on a side of the building that is heated by the sun.  At the same time the perimeter heat supplied to a shaded or wind-chilled side of the building is automatically increased so that temperature control and comfort are improved.

The sensor and transmitter combination supplied by Vatell is pre-calibrated so the perimeter hot water temperature control on each side of the building can be initially set based on calculated building losses.  After the building is occupied there may be a need for final adjustment to minimize the excess energy that is added to the building on each side for temperature control.  After this the system requires no adjustment.  Response to changes in outside conditions is rapid and precise.

Installation of the single BF sensor on each side of the building is simple and economical.  Mounted on a central window with its transmitter in the space above, the sensor measures the combined effect of solar heating and outside air cooling on its side of the building.  The millivolt sensor output is converted to a 4-20 ma loop-powered control signal that directly indicates the energy loss or gain in W/cm2.  This signal is used directly to reset the hot water temperature on that side of the building.

For further information contact:

Phil Prosser
VP Marketing
Vatell Corporation
P.O. Box 66
Christiansburg, VA 24068
(540) 961-3576
mkt@vatell.com