Description:

This article will consider aspects of the use of automation and dispatch systems in multifunctional high-rise residential complexes, mainly in relation to heat and power supply and air conditioning systems.

Automation and dispatch systems for high-rise residential complexes

V. V. Pankratov, Director of LLC "VVP";

A. N. Kolubkov, director of the design and production company "Alexander Kolubkov", ch. Eng. project;

N. V. Shilkin, Associate Professor, Moscow Architectural Institute

Modern building construction technology implies the presence of a large number of engineering systems. Newly built residential complexes, as a rule, are multifunctional in terms of the presence, in addition to residential premises, of office, retail, sports, entertainment areas, garages, parking lots, etc. The requirements for the consumer qualities of residential premises are also increasing: apartment buyers are trying to get better quality housing , more comfortable living conditions. These circumstances force developers to use rather complex ventilation, heating, and air conditioning systems for air-conditioning residential and public premises. In addition to air conditioning systems, a number of other systems operate at such facilities: lighting, fire protection systems, security and CCTV systems, etc. Automation and dispatching tools ensure reliable and trouble-free operation of these systems. These systems make it possible, at relatively low capital costs, to ensure high quality microclimate (high consumer qualities of the building) and reduce operating costs by reducing energy consumption and increasing equipment reliability.

This article will consider aspects of the use of automation and dispatch systems in multifunctional high-rise residential complexes, mainly in relation to heat and power supply and air conditioning systems. As an example, the principles of constructing automation and dispatch systems for high-rise residential complexes “Scarlet Sails”, “Vorobyovy Gory” and “Triumph Palace” will be considered.

General principles for building an automation and dispatch system

From the point of view of building an automation and dispatch system in the engineering systems of multifunctional high-rise residential complexes, two main functional parts can be distinguished: a thermal input unit (heat supplier to the building) and several heat consumer circuits.

The thermal input unit is a central heating substation or ITP. Typically, at such facilities we are talking about central heating centers, since in addition to the residential part, these complexes also have public premises. For example, the heating point of building IV of the Scarlet Sails complex, in addition to residential apartments, provides thermal energy to the penthouse premises (including a swimming pool), a sports complex, an underground parking garage and a yacht club.

Heat consumer circuits, as a rule, include ventilation and air conditioning circuits, radiator heating, hot water supply for domestic needs, and underfloor heating circuits. Both thermal units and heat consumer circuits include a certain amount of equipment - pumps, heat exchangers, various control valves, etc.

It is currently possible to control the operation and ensure the maintenance of the required parameters of all this equipment through automation and dispatch systems. From the technical side there are no obstacles. However, at the stage of drawing up technical specifications, it is necessary to answer a number of questions: how justified is the use of automation and dispatch systems, which systems should be automated, what is the degree of this automation (simple automation, automation and dispatch system, building intellectualization). The economic feasibility of using automation and dispatch systems for such facilities is determined taking into account the fact that the customer will subsequently operate this facility himself, i.e. the customer does not consider the individual cost of the installed system, but the cost of the system taking into account its operation for 5–10 years (this period was chosen because manufacturers of automation systems declare exactly this period as a guaranteed service life - 10 or more years of trouble-free operation, which is confirmed by the experience of operating a number of facilities). The cost of thermal and electrical energy is increasing from year to year. If you approach the implementation of the assigned tasks correctly, then in the end the customer receives quite significant savings in thermal energy due to the efficient use of it and the installations (if there is no need to operate a certain circuit - pumps, boilers - the equipment is turned off). This saving of thermal and electrical energy reduces the cost of operating the building, since payments to the supplier of heat and electrical energy are made based on the fact of its use.

In the objects under consideration this is exactly the situation: the customer operates the object himself. These complexes consume a large amount of thermal energy, so reducing heat consumption by 10–20% through the use of an automatic control system for engineering equipment allows you to achieve significant savings while reducing operating costs.

The payback period for an automation and dispatch system, according to various estimates, ranges from 3 to 5 years. The customer determines the systems that he wants to see automated. For example, in the engineering equipment control section, supply and exhaust units, an individual heating point, temperature maintenance and control in the secondary circuits of heating, ventilation and hot water supply systems, and refrigeration machines can be automated. Efficient use of energy is ensured by competent implementation of assigned tasks. For example, the temperature control of the coolant in the secondary circuits of ventilation systems can be carried out according to several parameters: it is mathematically linked to the outside air temperature, and the human factor is taken into account. There is no need to precisely maintain the same temperature all year round. You can identify distinct seasons - winter, summer, off-season - and determine the system operation algorithm for each such period (in fact, setting four different modes related to environmental conditions). Another example of reducing operating costs through the use of automation systems is one of the functions implemented in the automation of heating points. The heat (hot water) supplier obliges you to comply with the temperature schedule - the heat must be removed, otherwise penalties are possible. At all the objects under consideration, this function - support for a heat removal schedule - has been implemented.

Automation of other building systems can also reduce energy costs. For example, the lighting of public premises can be controlled: according to a schedule, by motion sensors, by light sensors. If the lighting control function is properly implemented, a significant reduction in electrical energy consumption is possible. Facade lighting, fountains and similar decorative elements are also significant consumers of electrical energy, and the use of automation systems can significantly reduce its costs.

The automation system can be divided into three functional parts. These are peripheral equipment, controllers and power units.

Peripheral equipment is a set of sensors (sensors for air temperature, water pressure, water temperature - i.e. any disturbing influences) (Fig. 1) and actuators (valves (Fig. 2), actuators (Fig. 3) and other shut-off devices -control valves).

Controllers are essentially minicomputers that are becoming more powerful every year (Fig. 4). Controllers can have a modular structure, or they can be implemented as an “all-in-one”. Such controllers are usually used for small buildings or individual systems - they allow you to connect all the necessary sensors, drives, actuators, but at the same time they have limitations in information capacity. The information capacity of the controller is determined by the number of inputs and outputs. There are four types of signals in total - analog inputs/outputs and digital inputs/outputs. Any automation system is a combination of these four types of signals. When creating a mathematical model of system control, intermediate variables are also introduced.

The third part of the automation system is power. Actuators that act on valves, dampers, etc. are low-current, they belong to peripheral equipment. However, in addition to these low-current mechanisms, it is necessary to control equipment that is a powerful energy consumer and requires an external power source - fan motors, circulation pumps, etc. Power loads are controlled through electrical cabinets (Fig. 5). From a power section point of view, there are two types of system layouts. The use of a particular layout is determined by the organization and structure of the customer's operation service. If there are two operation services at the facility, one of which is responsible for automation systems, and the other for power supply systems, then a separate layout of automation cabinets and power electrical cabinets is possible. However, at the sites under consideration, a concept was proposed and approved by the customer, which provides for combined automation panels, since currently there is equipment that allows the installation of automation controllers directly into control cabinets. In this case, the controllers must have good noise immunity from exposure to strong electric fields. The advantage is the reduction of cable products and intermediate terminal connections (in the case of separate power cabinets and automation cabinets, they must be connected to each other by cable routes), which ultimately increases the reliability of the system while reducing installation costs.

Work offline and work together. Protocol selection

Engineering equipment can operate autonomously. For example, an autonomous heating point can be implemented. In this case, the simplest means (a simple display with a text screen) are provided to control and monitor the equipment. These simple control and monitoring tools can be expanded, for example, in the form of portable operator consoles or the ability to connect a laptop. The next stage of automation is the creation of a control center, which is, as a rule, a server-class personal computer or a workstation with a certain set of software. In this case, the question arises of choosing an information exchange protocol.

Some time ago (until about the mid-1990s), automation equipment manufacturers used their own internal closed protocols, therefore, once having installed, for example, certain equipment in a heating substation, the customer was forced to use equipment from the same manufacturer to automate other systems. The widest range of systems can be automated - from refrigeration machines to water treatment equipment for swimming pools, and no single manufacturer is able to produce the entire range of equipment. As a result, at any large facility a certain set of equipment from different manufacturers will be installed, each of which will complete its systems with separate controllers. For example, a refrigeration machine is a complete device with its own control system, operating in autonomous mode, but during its operation there are a number of parameters necessary for the operation service to monitor the performance of the equipment and perform service functions. The question arises of information exchange between equipment from different manufacturers. To solve this problem, it is possible to use a number of protocols - ModBas, RS485, BACnet. This facility adopted the LON protocol, developed by an independent manufacturer (Echelon, www.echelon.com) to unify equipment from different manufacturers. This protocol is used by many equipment manufacturers today.

The information exchange protocols used can be defined at the level of technical specifications, or the equipment manufacturer can be directly determined (since the customer knows in advance what equipment he is working with, he can specify in the technical specifications, for example, the manufacturer of pump drive control panels). The equipment of many companies allows you to make a choice at the time of installation - to work using the LON protocol or using your own internal closed protocol. If the equipment operates in offline mode, then it does not matter what the exchange protocol will be. If there is a need to create a dispatch service, the systems must be integrated and a single information field must be created. In this case, the supplied devices are supplied with a certain set of files, a device database is created and access to any device is provided via the communication bus. The simplest communication bus consists of one pair of wires. The communication bus is subject to noise immunity requirements. There are different levels of software. Depending on the type of system, a simple or more complex (and more expensive) package will be selected that supports an expanded set of interfaces. Already at the stage of drawing up the technical specifications, the customer must determine what structure of the automation system he wants to obtain and to what degree of detail he wants to implement this structure, since in some cases the autonomous mode of operation of engineering equipment is sufficient. For example, currently in Moscow, the reconstruction of old buildings, such as factories, into office space or retail space has become widespread. According to the standards, it is necessary to equip such premises with general ventilation. To maintain a given supply air temperature in such cases, the simplest controllers are usually used, which do not support any exchange protocols at all and operate from a single supply air temperature sensor - the system operates in autonomous mode. Another option is if the customer operates the facility himself. In this case, he is interested in reducing operating costs and can implement a more complex control system for engineering equipment, which allows, through more flexible regulation of microclimate parameters, to reduce energy costs for air conditioning the facility. To ensure reliability and safety, the “system integrity rule” must be followed. In this case, any ventilation unit or air conditioner is considered as a complete system that can function autonomously. To achieve this, each individual system must be controlled by one controller. Modern automation equipment allows you to control, for example, several air conditioners using one controller. On the other hand, there is always the possibility of expanding the system by combining several controllers via a communication bus, for example, using the LON protocol. However, the polling cycle of one controller is much shorter than that of several controllers over a communication bus, i.e., when using multiple controllers, the system response time increases. When designing an automation system, consideration should be given to whether this delay is critical to the system.

Interconnected systems should, if possible, be controlled by a single controller, since when using different controllers connected by a communication bus, if the communication bus is broken, the system will become inoperable (required parameters cannot be requested, etc.). If one controller is used, the system can operate in autonomous mode even if the communication bus is interrupted. For the same reasons, systems are globalized as little as possible - they try to divide them into separate segments, each of which can work autonomously. If one of the system segments fails, the other segment remains operational. On the other hand, it is more profitable to globalize some systems: for example, to measure the outside air temperature, there is no point in installing separate sensors for each system that requires such data to operate. Typically, two sensors are used to measure this parameter, one of which is located on the north side of the building, and the second on the south. The measured temperatures are averaged according to a certain algorithm, and the time of measurement (day and night temperatures), time of year (modes “winter” and “summer”), etc. are taken into account, which makes it possible to avoid sudden changes in equipment operating modes in the event of short-term fluctuations in outside temperature air. This outdoor temperature data can then be used by all systems that require this information to operate. As the number of physical points increases, the flow of transmitted information increases, therefore, in the case of large objects, a system of distributed servers is used to reduce traffic. The building is divided into segments. When using a tree structure (server and several workstations), the server is redundant to increase reliability - a backup server with a mirror database is installed. When using distributed servers, the ideology of building a system changes - a separate segment of the system is allocated, and for this segment a server is installed on a certain number of physical points. Any level of detail is possible for a given segment. Cross-requests are sent from workstations to the server via the IP protocol, which reduces traffic. In this case, the network throughput is much higher (Fig. 6).

Building intelligence

Currently, there is no consensus among experts about which buildings can be called “intelligent,” and what is the difference between an “intelligent building” and a highly automated building with a developed automation and dispatch system. On the other hand, there is often no real need to install highly automated and especially “intelligent” control systems. As a result, at present only a few objects that can be classified as “smart” have been implemented in our country.

The presence of a single information field (a certain set of sensors, signals, etc.) allows you to achieve any level of “intelligence” of a building. The mathematical model in this case is a three-dimensional matrix, and the option for selecting actions from this matrix can be arbitrarily large. However, even in a highly automated building, some functions may not be used due to a lack of real need for them.

From the point of view of automation, three segments can be distinguished: automation for low-rise residential buildings (home solution), automation for residential and public buildings and structures, automation for industrial buildings. The ideology of building automation systems for these segments is the same. The ideology of a “smart home” usually implies a cottage of an “elite” class. However, there is often no need to organize a single information field for such objects. There are ready-made solutions for this segment that do not require expensive engineering. For example, a cottage can actually be considered as a separate heating unit servicing several circuits (floor heating circuit, heating circuits of the first and second floors, etc.), accordingly, there is a ready-made controller designed to solve these problems. Such controllers imply a fixed combination of connected peripheral equipment and require simple commissioning. Within one house there is no need to organize a data bus, etc., although from a technical point of view this is quite feasible.

This simplification of the automation system made it possible to reduce the cost of the system - for little money you can automate a cottage with an area of ​​over 300 m2. Currently, glass facades are used in the construction of new buildings. The use of such an architectural solution led to the danger of overheating of the rooms facing south in the summer. To prevent this danger, manufacturers have proposed specialized controllers that combine the functions of controlling fan coils, lighting and blinds (Fig. 7). When implementing an automation system based on these controllers, the impact of solar radiation, illumination, temperature, and the presence of people in the room is assessed, and as a result of processing this information, fan coils, lighting fixtures and blinds are controlled. The set of these functions allows for very flexible microclimate control by selecting various combinations of device operating modes, which prevents overheating of the premises and at the same time reduces the load on the air conditioning system. However, it is unlikely that the implementation of this function in a separate building allows us to call it “intelligent”.

An example of the implementation of the “intelligent building” concept can be considered Domodedovo Airport. The ideology of building an automation and dispatch system implied the use of equipment from different manufacturers, interconnected by a communication bus. Using the appropriate software, a single database was created, which, in turn, was connected to the flight schedule management system, i.e., a single information field was created. In the airport complex there are quite high requirements for the general ventilation system, but very large areas lead to significant air consumption. The so-called “optimization concept” was developed - a project for optimizing the operation of the system. Depending on the flight schedule (flight planning, of course, is carried out by a special service that is in no way connected with the engineering equipment operation service), the conditional load factor of the building is calculated by the number of passengers per hour (one of three states of this coefficient is accepted, corresponding to low, medium and high loading), but not the entire building as a whole, but its individual zones. Initially, five zones were defined: the departure zone, the arrival zone, the waiting zone, two separate zones for international and domestic flights, and then these large zones were divided into 27 smaller subzones, the microclimate of which was provided by separate installations (zoning of engineering equipment). This “optimization concept” was foreseen at the engineering systems design stage, and the equipment was supplied with the corresponding functions (for example, ventilation units were designed to be multi-mode). The implementation of the concept made it possible to flexibly control engineering systems depending on the load, making it possible, for example, in winter to reduce the temperature and turn off the ventilation of rooms that are currently unoccupied. As a result of the creation of a single information field, integration with a “third party” in the form of an information provider and the implementation of the “optimization concept,” energy costs for air conditioning of this facility decreased, according to preliminary estimates, by 7–10%.

Another example of the implementation of the “intelligent building” concept is one of the office buildings in Moscow. A control and dispatch system for engineering equipment and office lighting was created in this building. Automation equipment from three different manufacturers was used - a lighting control system, automation of a heating point, and automation of other engineering equipment produced by different companies. All automation systems were integrated into a single system via the LON protocol. During working hours, air conditioning systems and lighting are constantly on. During non-working hours or on weekends, when people are not expected to be present, the air conditioning equipment operates in standby mode and the lighting is turned off. If there are people in the room during these hours, their presence is detected by motion sensors, and based on signals from these sensors, lighting and related equipment in this area are turned on automatically, without operator intervention. At the same time, a corresponding signal is sent to the control panel, and the operator can make adjustments to the operating modes of the equipment (for example, if any work is being carried out in a large room, then, despite the presence of several workers, the air conditioning system in it can be turned off).

Features of automation of certain types of HVAC systems

This section will discuss the automation features of certain types of HVAC systems.

“Return air” regulation

A simple automation system for the ventilation system works “on the supply side,” i.e., it allows you to control only one parameter - the temperature of the supply air. In this case, the actual air temperature in the room can be predicted with varying degrees of accuracy, since it is difficult to accurately estimate the heat emission from people and various office equipment (often at the design stage the number of people who will occupy a given room and the exact composition of the office equipment that will be used is unknown. moreover, it can change repeatedly during operation), heat gain from solar radiation (which is now very important, since such an architectural solution as all-glass facades is very widely used). In residential and public buildings, in the case of mechanical supply ventilation, exhaust ventilation is usually designed with mechanical motivation. As a rule, the temperature of the exhaust air quite accurately reflects the real air temperature in the room, so currently a popular solution is “return air” control. By integrating these settings via a communication bus, even if the supply and exhaust units are located in different parts of the building, it is possible to determine the temperature of the exhaust air and transmit this data to the controller of the supply air ventilation unit, which, in accordance with a predetermined algorithm, increases or decreases the temperature of the supply air air (but not above or below some predetermined values). At the same time, firstly, a reduction in energy costs for heating or cooling the supply air is ensured, and secondly, an increased quality of the microclimate is ensured.

Zone Control Systems

During the construction of luxury housing and high-class office space in Moscow, the so-called “zonal control” became widespread. In this case, general ventilation is organized in the building, which provides supply air to most of the premises (there is no point in splitting them into smaller zones served by small systems, since this leads to higher costs). Locally, through closers, the specified air temperature is ensured in each individual zone (for example, in an office space nearby there may be a manager’s office and a large office space separated by open partitions, and the requirements for the microclimate of these two zones may differ). As a rule, systems based on fan coils, ceiling or wall mounted, are used as closers, but other solutions can also be used, for example, cooling ceilings, beams (Fig. 8).

Closers are equipped with controllers (such controllers are produced both by manufacturers of closers and by companies specializing in the production of automation systems), through which control is carried out to set the required temperature in a given zone.

Variable Air Volume (VAV) Systems

Another type of control of microclimate parameters is VAV (Variable Air Volume) systems - systems with variable air flow. This system is very attractive from an energy saving point of view. In addition to regulating the air temperature in the room, this system provides a specified pressure drop, which allows, for example, to prevent polluted air from flowing into adjacent rooms. Based on this circumstance, possible areas of application of systems with variable air flow are hazardous industries, chemical laboratories, hospitals. This scheme is widely used in the USA, including for office premises, but in Russia it is implemented quite rarely. This is due to the fact that if such a scheme is used, certain restrictions are imposed on the air supplier, i.e., on the ventilation system. In this case, it is necessary to ensure the required static pressure in the air duct. Zonal regulation occurs due to two actuators in each room - one on the supply, one on the exhaust (Fig. 9).

If there are no people in the room (which is determined by a motion sensor, manually setting the “Not Occupied” mode or from the control panel, etc.), then both dampers are closed, and the air exchange is zero. In the supply air duct, in turn, pressure begins to increase, so it is necessary to install static pressure sensors. As pressure increases, the system begins to slow down, for which supply volutes with variable air flow or inverter control are used. The need to use such devices makes the ventilation system more complex and expensive. However, such an increase in cost quickly pays off due to energy savings for heating or cooling the air.

Figure 9. Automation of variable air flow systems

Systems with “group” control

Previously, fan coil units with simple thermostat control (solenoid valve) were common. This control made it possible to provide the desired air temperature in only one room (connection technology - one control module per fan coil). This circumstance caused certain problems when air-conditioning very large rooms, the microclimate in which was provided by several installations. From the point of view of automation, large premises are defined as one climatic zone, in which there must be one temperature regime, and the number of actuators to ensure this regime is quite large. In this case, all actuators are equipped with separate controllers connected to each other by a common bus, but one controller operates in the “Master” mode, and the rest, respectively, in the “Slave”, i.e., the so-called “group logic” is implemented . The temperature module (control module) is installed alone per zone, but controls the operation of several devices. The limit on the total number of devices is imposed by the protocol used. For example, the LON protocol allows you to control the operation of up to 60 devices in one segment.

Interfacing automation systems with security systems

One of the features of building engineering systems of buildings in our country, associated mainly with mentality, is the special position of the facility’s security service. The security service, as a rule, already at the level of technical specifications requires restricting access to everything related to security, i.e. engineering systems are separated from access control systems, CCTV, etc. Foreign experience shows that it is very profitable to use complex solutions when, for example, one sensor is used in an access control system, an air conditioning system, and lighting control. Currently, existing technologies allow flexible implementation of such a concept. In particular, one of the facilities in our country where such a concept has been implemented is the central railway station of one of the regional centers of Russia, where a complex high-level system was developed, which included, in addition to automation and dispatch devices for engineering equipment, a security system in the form of CCTV, security system, fire alarm. As a result, on one monitor you can monitor the operating parameters of engineering systems, the “picture” from CCTV and other information. In the event, for example, of a fire, when the fire alarm is triggered, the entire sequence of actions to localize the fire is determined (programmed with appropriate scripts), which significantly reduces the influence of the “human factor” in this extraordinary situation. Thus, from a technical point of view, the safety system can be combined with an automation system for air conditioning equipment. One aspect of this combination is the sharing of sensors, for example, to determine the presence of people in separate areas.

The second aspect is the security system, it imposes certain requirements on the air conditioning system, for example, the introduction of a fire mode should lead to the shutdown of ventilation systems, the inclusion of air pressure in a smoke-filled area, etc. As a rule, these functions are implemented at the level of power panels (relay circuits ), but at the same time, the automation system necessarily receives a duplicate signal about the introduction of a fire mode, otherwise stopping the equipment will be interpreted as an accident of this equipment with all the ensuing consequences.

Interface with the power supply system

When designing an automation system, special attention should be paid to the interface of this system with the building's electrical supply system. The terms of reference for the automation system are issued to the automation system developers, but quite often they are not brought to the attention of the power supply system developers, or the power supply system developer does not take into account the wishes of the automation system developers. As a result, for example, lighting control is carried out from a single sensor, which is in no way connected via a communication bus with the general control system, and if this sensor fails, the lighting will be on constantly, and this malfunction will be difficult to quickly localize.

An important issue is the quality of supplied electricity. Automation equipment manufacturers impose certain restrictions on power quality.

If, when using an autonomous power supply source, it is quite easy to ensure the required quality of electricity, then when using an external power supply source, problems with the equipment are possible. To prevent such problems, it is necessary to monitor the quality of power supply by installing additional sensors for voltage, current, frequency, etc.

Engineering and Operations

Much attention must be paid to engineering (in this case, engineering means a set of engineering and consulting services of a commercial nature to ensure the installation and commissioning of automation systems). The use of modern technologies has led to the fact that the commissioning process itself is becoming very complex. You can't do anything with it just by purchasing equipment - engineering is required.

Often the equipment is supplied at relatively low prices, but then the commissioning process requires large expenses. The required software costs extra money and is only supplied by the hardware manufacturer or a few authorized partner companies. As a result of illiterate engineering, a system breakdown may occur, but in this case the customer often makes claims against the equipment manufacturer. In fact, a breakdown occurs either as a result of illiterate actions of the maintenance service, or as a result of initially incorrect programming of the controllers.

After the creation of the project, coordination and approval of all decisions, delivery of equipment, installation and supervision of equipment is required. Supervised installation includes checking the correct connection, correct installation, since, for example, the equipment will not function correctly if the temperature sensor is located in the “dead zone”. Often installation and installation supervision are carried out by different organizations, installation supervision is carried out by the organization carrying out commissioning.

During the adjustment process, it is necessary to withstand the necessary temperature changes, etc., but this is only possible when the object is under load (dynamic adjustment).

The main consumer of thermal energy is ventilation and air conditioning systems, i.e. for the complexes under consideration, not even the residential part, but public premises (offices, water park, shops, etc.). When the installation supervision is completed, a preliminary start-up is carried out in manual mode - the operation is checked, the correct direction of rotation of fans, pumps, etc., then a mechanical run-in for 72 hours for belt tension, after which it is transferred to the commissioning organization for dynamic commissioning, when the necessary parameters are selected and set, regulation is carried out, etc. If necessary, the parameters can be maintained with an accuracy of ±0.1 °C for air and ±1.0 °C for water. Ill-proper installation and commissioning, as noted above, can lead to equipment failure. All these factors increase the requirements for the commissioning organization and at the same time for the operation service, since it becomes more and more difficult to operate the equipment.

Ideally, even such large facilities as the high-rise residential complexes under consideration can be managed by only five operators, according to the number of divisions: heating and cooling divisions, electrical supply, HVAC systems, water supply and sewerage, and other systems. In this case, however, the qualifications of these five specialists must be very high. You can install a server with a database that accumulates all the information on all mentioned systems. An arbitrarily large number of workstations are connected to the server. The workstation allows the operator to display only the information that is necessary specifically for his area, i.e., access control is implemented. The system's response time is currently measured in seconds, and in addition, it is possible to predict emergency situations and take appropriate preventive measures.

For example, one of the most important dangerous modes is “Threat of Freezing”; the use of an automation system makes it possible to prevent this threat at several levels (by stopping the system, opening additional valves, etc.). Notification of operation service specialists can be organized, for example, by sending SMS messages or paging. In any case, information about the emergency situation, the reaction of the system, the reaction of the operation service to this emergency situation will be entered in the “Accident Log”. In some cases, this information can help in resolving controversial situations, for example, claims from residents or tenants.

Correct and timely maintenance plays a major role in ensuring the correct operation of air conditioning and automation systems. At such facilities, a customer operation service must be organized, which will operate the equipment.

Training of operation service specialists is usually carried out by the organization carrying out commissioning. There is another possibility - remote monitoring of equipment operation. In this case, a third party (for example, the organization that carried out commissioning) can enter into a monitoring contract and observe the situation at the site from its own office.

Some modern controllers natively support IP protocols and have a web interface - an RJ-45 access point. This allows you, having a login and password, from any point where there is access to the Internet, to monitor operating modes of the system and perform any actions with it. Typically, in this case, five different levels of access are supported - from the operator, who can only monitor information, to the administrator, who can exercise any influence on the system.

An example of the use of automation and dispatch systems in high-rise residential complexes

The automation systems of the Alye Parusa, Vorobyovy Gory, and Triumph Palace complexes are similar in terms of completeness, engineering solutions used, and functions. They differ in capacity - more or less systems. In most cases, combined power cabinets are used, which increases reliability and reduces installation and commissioning costs. Automation equipment and EBI (Enterprise Building Integrator) software from Honeywell, no integrated systems. Security systems are separated into independent threads. All decisions were worked out at the first site, worked out, accepted, and subsequently applied at other sites.

From an automation point of view, ventilation and air conditioning systems are relatively simple. All problems caused by the large vertical extent of systems are solved mainly through mechanical systems. For example, vertical zoning of high-rise buildings leads to the separation of engineering equipment, which, in turn, from the point of view of the automation system, implies several control cascades at different levels.

In residential premises, general ventilation systems are used, but there are no central air conditioning systems. Central SCRs are used in a number of public premises. In certain areas, for example in a shopping center, zoning regulation is used.

A special feature of these complexes are very complex heating units, the automation of which is subject to the highest requirements.

To automate heating points, equipment suppliers often offer comprehensive solutions, for example, a pumping station that operates in autonomous mode, which only needs to be installed and connected. Here we have abandoned such decisions. During the design, the layout of the systems was determined, the number of pumps and their power were calculated, and then a rather complex control scheme was implemented. For example, a group of four pumps is controlled by just one inverter; accordingly, an electrical cabinet design was individually developed and its implementation based on free programming. As a result, these pumps can operate in any mode, all four, cascade control, redundancy (two working pumps, two standby, or one working and three in standby, changed every week), etc. One inverter of the required power is used as a booster - it accelerates the pump; if the pump power is not enough to maintain pressure, the pump is switched to maximum power, and the same inverter begins to accelerate the second pump.

Such functions are also implemented in the above-mentioned complex solutions of equipment suppliers, but there they are implemented at the controller level (fixed logic), and it is impossible, for example, to introduce time delays, it is impossible to control the work process remotely, at most, you can receive an emergency signal.

In this case, it is possible to monitor (taking into account the piping), for example, contamination of heat exchangers, pressure drops on mud traps, pressure pressure, etc., i.e. all predicted options are, in principle, realizable. To control and monitor the operation of the technological equipment of the engineering systems of the central heating center of the Triumph Palace complex, Honeywell equipment is used, consisting of XCL5010 controllers with distributed input/output modules, peripheral devices and automation equipment (pressure, temperature sensors, electromechanical drives, valves, differential relays pressure, etc.).

Excel 500 controllers are located in combined automation cabinets installed in the technical rooms of the heating unit.

In addition to controllers, starting equipment is installed in combined cabinets. Excel 500 controllers are connected to each other by a C-bus data bus. Peripheral devices and automation equipment are installed on technological equipment of engineering systems in places convenient for installation, operation and ensuring maximum accuracy of readings.

The engineering equipment of the central heating station is automated (coolant injection unit, heat exchangers and circulation pumps), equipment of the pressure maintenance station of all systems, pumps of the snow melting system, pumps and valves of the drainage pit filling system, etc. The pressure in the direct and return water networks, on heat exchangers, is controlled. on filters, in secondary circuits, temperature of network water, in secondary circuits, on heat exchangers, pressure drop across pumps, condition of pump motors, condition of motor overheat sensor, etc.

To be continued.

Read the article about specific technical solutions for automation of high-rise complexes in the next issue of the ABOK magazine.

Any structure without communication systems looks lifeless and is of little value. Only connecting electricity, water and gas, heating and sewer systems to it allows the building to be used for its intended purpose. The totality of all communication systems that support life b in buildings or structures, usually called life support systems , or engineering systems. In industrial premises, where communications are required not only to maintain the microclimate, but also to ensure production process, the volume of consumed resources increases many times over. At the same time, there is an increasing need for accounting and control of the use of water, gas, electricity and the need to coordinate the operation of all engineering systems. These problems are solved by partial or complete automation of engineering systems. TORELS LLC offers services for the design, implementation and debugging of automated systems for dispatching and managing engineering systems.

TORELS LLC - ready-made solutions for automation of production and engineering systems

Our company’s specialists offer a full range of work on the development of automation and dispatching of engineering systems. In each specific case, individual solutions are offered for a specific production: monitoring the operation of the system, preventing emergency situations, metering consumption, mode of operation and shutdown of devices, maintaining an optimal microclimate and level of illumination of premises. We offer rational, cost-effective solutions for automation of engineering systems:

water supply and drainage;

ventilation and air cooling;

electricity supply;

lighting;

heating;

gas supply;

warning systems (fire and security alarms);

special systems (intercom, dispatch, etc.).

Automation of engineering systems - a cost-effective project

The introduction of integrated or local automation and control systems for utility networks helps to avoid inappropriate use of resources, maintains a comfortable microclimate in the room, and systematizes consumption accounting.The implementation of automation management and control programs has enormous economic potential and quick payback due to energy savings. Automation and dispatch of engineering systems ensures the safe operation of industrial premises, shopping and entertainment facilities, sports facilities, and medical institutions. The level of automation of engineering systems can be different: organization of an automatic dispatch network, installation of sensors, meters and control rooms, or complex intelligent systems with software and the ability to control from individual mobile units. Practice shows that automation systems for managing engineering systems significantly reduce operating costs for maintaining a facility.

Dispatching the engineering systems of a building, a group of buildings, an enterprise is the bottom of the most pressing problems in the implementation of automated process control systems - automated process control systems. Modern engineering systems are complex, integrated systems, the normal functioning of which requires automated dispatch systems. Engineering equipment included in the life support complex of buildings, as a rule, has a huge set of technological parameters and signals that require continuous monitoring. Only modern dispatch systems can provide such control.

Dispatching of engineering systems makes it possible to expand the traditional automation of engineering systems and bring it to a level where all systems are monitored and controlled from one dispatcher’s workstation. Dispatch of engineering systems allows you to maintain their performance and increase the efficiency of energy use. Thanks to operational monitoring of the condition of engineering systems and timely response to changes in the operation of systems and equipment, it is possible to effectively make management decisions and prevent possible failures.

The essence of dispatching is to visualize information about the functioning of engineering systems and provide the operator with the ability to directly control equipment from the control room. Data on the status of engineering equipment comes from local automation controllers and is transmitted to the server. The processed process data with the necessary analytical information arrives at the dispatch server and is displayed on computer screens at the operators’ workstations in a visual, dynamic graphical form.

When using dispatch systems for engineering systems, the rational use of all types of resources increases and thereby increases the profit from the operation of facilities. An automated dispatch system for engineering systems allows you to take into account energy resources, normalize their consumption, and adjust the operation of equipment taking into account external conditions. Thus, the client can save a significant share of financial resources and direct them to business development.

STC Energo-Resource effectively develops and implements automated dispatch control systems (ASDC) and control systems (ASDU) for engineering systems of various facilities:

• industrial facilities and enterprises;
• business centers;
• shopping and entertainment centers, hypermarkets;
• detached buildings or complexes of residential buildings;
• sports facilities;
• medical institutions;
• warehouse complexes;
• separate areas within an industrial, commercial, public, office or residential facility.

The introduction of the ASDC dispatch control system, and if required, the ASDU dispatch and control system allows:

• Graphically, visually display information;
• Keep records and analysis of energy consumption;
• Carry out round-the-clock operational management depending on the situations at the facility;
• Quickly and reliably diagnose the condition of an object;
• Reduce the level of impact of the human factor;
• Significantly reduce the number of service personnel;
• Reduce operating costs;
• Plan equipment maintenance;
• Promptly monitor failures, preventing the development of emergency situations in a preventive mode;
• Provide the dispatcher with contextual clues in emergency situations;
• Keep a log of events automatically, documenting the causes of accidents, losses and their culprits;
• Obtaining and analyzing data to develop measures aimed at increasing energy efficiency.

Dispatching covers engineering systems:

• Internal and external lighting;
• Boiler installations and individual heating points forming a heat supply system;
• Elements of exhaust ventilation (EV) and supply ventilation (PV), central air conditioners and air conditioners (fan coil units, thermal curtains, air flow regulators);
• Refrigeration centers and cold supply stations;
• Security and fire alarm systems (smoke removal systems, fire protection valves, water and gas fire extinguishing systems, etc.);
• Separate wells and water intake units, pressure boosting installations;
• Cold water supply (CWS);
• Hot water supply (DHW);
• Leakage control (flooding and drainage);
• Diesel power plants, transformer substations, powerful UPS, power distribution devices;
• Energy resource metering units;
• Elevators and escalators;
• Access control and management systems, video surveillance.

The engineering systems dispatch system is a multi-level remote monitoring and control system. It includes:

Lower level (field level): sensors, actuators and cable system. The lower level can include from units to thousands of signal sources, polled sensors, various devices connected via various types of interfaces that transmit information to middle-level equipment.

Average level: controllers that receive and process analog and discrete signals and generate control commands. Mid-level equipment consists of programmable controllers, discrete and analog input modules, relay inputs and outputs. Controllers convert data received from the monitored equipment, make preliminary calculations of the equipment state, generate data packets, and also generate signals for controlled devices. An object can contain hundreds of such controllers, depending on the structure and size of the object.

Top level: control computer with application software (operator's workstation). The top-level equipment is a computer with special software. It requests and receives data from controllers.

The software with which the operator works displays the equipment involved in the system in a form convenient for the operator (building layouts indicating the placement of equipment, structural chains of equipment for various subsystems). It is possible to work with logs of alarms, events, operator actions, and filter events in the logs by date, time, type of event, type of equipment. The operator's workstation can set the operating parameters of the equipment, with the appearance of alarms when the parameters go beyond the specified limits, and display statistics on changes in system parameters in the form of graphs and tables. User rights are also differentiated according to the capabilities of management and dispatch of engineering systems.

Dispatch post (operator's workstation) equipped with an uninterruptible power supply, sound alarm and includes 3 monitors (left, center and right). From the point of view of placing information on them, each monitor is independent and self-sufficient. Each monitor can display any frame with information. The distribution of frames with information on monitors is carried out by the dispatcher himself, based on his own preferences and ease of perception.

The following frame types exist:

• Start frame;
• Main mnemonic diagram of buildings;
• Main mnemonic diagram of the structure;
• Mnemonic diagram of the engineering system circuit;
• Mnemonic diagram of the floor plan for equipment placement.

To quickly troubleshoot a fault, a floor-by-floor mnemonic diagram of equipment placement is displayed on the screen, on which it is possible to accurately determine the location of emergency equipment.

After putting the dispatch system into operation, the STC Energo-Resource company provides service maintenance of the system. The company’s specialists, in agreement with the customer, using remote access, can see the real picture of what is happening in any dispatch circuit of the customer’s facility in “on-line” mode and make the necessary changes to the software.

The need to use dispatch systems for engineering systems is obvious. They enable reliable interaction between all life support subsystems of the facility, operational monitoring and control. The more complex the engineering complex of a facility, the more important the role of dispatch systems.

Main mnemonic diagram of the building

Mnemonic diagram of the engineering system circuit (heating)

Mnemonic diagram of the floor plan for equipment placement

Any modern buildings (public, residential, administrative, industrial, etc.) are equipped with a large number of engineering structures that ensure the safety and comfort of people. The increase in the volume of construction of buildings with an increase in their number of storeys and saturation with complex equipment requires the widespread introduction of Automated Control Systems (ACS) in the housing and communal services sector.

In modern buildings, the operation of the following engineering systems is automated:

• Ventilation.
• Electricity supply.
• Electric lighting.
• Water supply.
• Central heating.
• Fire protection system.
• Air conditioning systems.
• Video surveillance and access control systems.

Automation of building engineering equipment is necessary for constant monitoring of its operation. Automatic systems themselves observe, record, and record multiple states of building equipment. In accordance with specified programs, automation systems can respond to changes in sensor readings and change the modes or parameters of the functioning of the building's engineering systems. They notify personnel about critical and near-emergency conditions of engineering equipment. Allow dispatchers to quickly make decisions in non-standard and emergency situations.

Building automation systems consist of numerous sensors, controllers, and control subsystems, united under one common control system. This control system allows you to set programs for the functioning of both the entire engineering system of the building as a whole and its parts, as well as monitor the controlled subsystems of the building from dispatch terminals, and through them carry out general control or programming of the operation of automation systems.

Automation of engineering systems of buildings can significantly reduce operating costs for their maintenance due to constant automatic monitoring, increasing the service life and productivity of engineering equipment and economical use of resources.

Automation of power supply

Automation of power supply to engineering equipment of buildings should ensure anti-emergency operation. Monitor the parameters of electrical equipment and the electrical network. Thanks to the automation of power supply to buildings, the reliability of electrical installations is significantly increased, the number of maintenance personnel is reduced, and operating costs are reduced.

Electric power supply automation promptly identifies problems in the operation of electrical equipment that can pose a threat to people’s lives, cause enormous damage to the economy, or cause massive defects in the company’s products. This is especially true for buildings and structures with large concentrations of people, such as subways, stadiums, urban transport, large department stores, maternity hospitals, high-rise buildings, large enterprises.

Also, the significant benefit of implementing an automation system for power supply is expressed in a sharp reduction in downtime of electricity-consuming equipment and associated economic costs.

Automation of ventilation systems

Ventilation systems are divided into supply and exhaust. Supply systems provide fresh air into the room. Exhaust systems, on the contrary, remove polluted air and create air balance. Automation of ventilation systems maintains an acceptable eco-balance of industrial, administrative and residential premises. The operation of many industrial facilities would be impossible without the operation of automated ventilation control systems to maintain the required life safety standards.

Automation of air conditioning systems

Automation of air conditioning systems makes it possible to maintain the stability of temperature, humidity and air freshness with specified accuracy, protects premises from the unwanted influence of polluted street air, and ensures the consistency and trouble-free operation of air conditioning equipment. Automation of building engineering equipment in the field of air conditioning makes it possible to efficiently use heat and cold, and therefore save energy.

Automation of lighting control

Automation of lighting control establishes the optimal operating mode for indoor lighting systems. This saves energy and reduces building operating costs.

Automation of engineering equipment of buildings in the field of electric lighting provides, in particular, remote control of lighting using modern gadgets.

Our company specializes in the design, production and installation of automation systems for building engineering equipment. In addition, we integrate reliable automated control systems into existing building engineering systems, which increases the efficiency of operation of these engineering systems.

System structure

The system has a two-level structure:

Top level:

Cloud SCADA system DispSky is a platform for remote control of industrial equipment via a web browser.

The DispSky system will allow you to organize a dispatch center for a complex for monitoring the operation of refrigeration units, only by equipping the dispatcher with a computer, tablet, or smartphone with Internet access. All information about the object is sent to the server in the Data Processing Center (DPC). Data is stored and processed directly on the server.

Lower level:

Automation of engineering systems is provided by the following devices:

• temperature sensors;
• Pressure Sensors;
• motion sensors;
• ACS controllers;
• fire and security sensors;
• PLC controllers;
• actuators.

The control cabinet generally contains:

• PLC controllers for refrigeration equipment;
• communication module (iRz ATM21 or HF-2211);
• discrete input/output modules;
• contactors for controlling actuators;
• cabinet uninterruptible power supply system;
• terminals for connecting external cables.

At the Customer's request, the control cabinet can be equipped with an electric energy meter. In this option, operating services have the opportunity to:

• keep records of consumed electricity;
• control the quality of electricity;
• promptly receive messages about increased energy consumption.

Automated dispatcher workstation:

Functions and services:

• Visualization of the control process in the form of mnemonic diagrams.
• Function of sending emergency SMS messages.
• Ability to view archived and online videos.
• Service for viewing operator actions.
• Service for free layout of mnemonic diagrams.
• Service for editing mnemonic diagrams and project structure.
• Report generation service.
• Chart viewing service.
• Service for viewing the accident archive.
• Function of sending systematic reports.

Automated dispatcher workstation

• Ability to display system status on a map.
• It is possible to create individual mnemonic diagrams at the customer's request. Delivery to the customer of a constructor allowing the creation of mnemonic diagrams.

Advantages of our system

• Remote control of objects.
• Managing multiple objects from one point.
• Fast integration into the process.
• Visualization of the technological process.
• Data backup.
• Precise distribution of access rights for personnel.
• Data protection.

Automation and dispatching of buildings

Residential and industrial buildings today cannot exist without engineering systems. And they are controlled using modern automation. The NHTA company is ready to provide a full range of services in this area. If you need automation of engineering systems, contact us. We will offer many effective solutions based on the latest technologies. This will ensure a high level of system controllability.

Complex automation and dispatching of buildings

To improve the operating comfort of various buildings, various types of engineering infrastructure are installed in them: ventilation, heating, air conditioning, fire safety and alarm systems. And to improve the efficiency of equipment, sooner or later the question arises of combining all networks into a single whole. And to ensure a high level of reliability, automation of building engineering systems is being introduced.

In the absence of automation, any engineering system requires constant and close attention to its operation. Therefore, the introduction of automation has a number of advantages. These include:

• service mobility;
• reduction of operating costs;
• reduction in energy consumption;
• optimization of all work processes.

Automation of engineering systems also helps control the level of safety and reduces the risk of accidents. This happens by minimizing the influence of the human factor and more quickly responding to changes. All this allows you to adjust work processes in a timely manner.

We invite you to cooperation

Having extensive experience in this field, the NHTA company can offer high-quality and reliable equipment for complex automation and dispatching. All equipment offered to you:

• fully complies with existing standards in this area;
• has all the necessary certificates.

If you need automation of building engineering systems, then the best option would be to contact us. We will create an optimal project taking into account the individual characteristics of the facility, help you select the optimal equipment and perform installation. Competent specialists will provide you with comprehensive information on all issues of interest and provide the necessary support. Cooperation with us will be comfortable and profitable.