Chiller Plant Commissioning Joseph Lorino
The installation of a central chiller plant can be a very expensive and intensive process for any facility. If not properly commissioned, it can lead to high operating and maintenance costs, excessive downtime, low availability factor, crisis repair, untrained personnel, etc. These issues may plague the facility throughout the useful life of the plant. Based on these factors, the guaranteed manufacturer’s efficiencies may never be obtained. Striving for improved efficiencies may seem impossible.
This presentation will concentrate on the key elements that should be addressed during each phase of a chiller plant commissioning project. Starting with the program phase, we will query the design team and owners to ensure that the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) are satisfied before entering into the design phase. This may include a review of the facilities heat load calculations, flow limitations, cooling coil design data, space requirements, etc. The end result of this phase should be the initial Design Intent document. During the design phase, the Cx Provider should ensure that the design and contract documents meet the OPR before bid packages are released to prospective contractors. Items may include review of equipment selection, minimum performance efficiencies, detailed training requirements, sequence of operations, Cx specifications, etc. Construction phase objectives will include proper submittal review, installation inspection, pre-functional testing, development of testing procedures, testing and balancing review, etc. Finally, during the acceptance and post-acceptance phase, functional performance testing, acceptance procedures, personnel training, deficiency identification, seasonal testing, systems’ manual, and the final report are discussed.
Sustaining Ultra-Efficient, All-Variable Speed Chilled Water Plants, a Green Building Imperative Ben Erpelding
Based on over 300 central plant measurement and verification analysis, Mr. Erpelding has learned that current strategies for energy efficiency and sustainability are just not cutting it. Commissioning and Retro-commissioning have offered short term solutions to the many issues these systems face. But, a long term solution for ultra-efficient systems is necessary and will be presented in the seminar.
We have proved that configuring, controlling and maintaining an HVAC system to operate 40-60% below current energy optimization standards is not difficult if designers and engineers are ready to replace proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control with new relational networked control strategies. Whether the chiller plant is a new one under design or the result of a decision to retrofit an existing system, achieving successful long term results requires close attention and cooperation by those responsible for the design and operation of the plant. To be successful, an ultra-efficient chiller plant system requires a new method of automatic control that optimizes the equipment operation under all loading conditions as well as a new methodology for making sure the plant operates at commissioned levels for the life of the system.
Ben Erpelding, P.E. will present an introduction to this new paradigm shift for the industry; a completely new model for configuring, implementing, operating, and continuously commissioning chilled water plant with relational, demand based control. Actual case studies from central plants will be included using measurement and verification data gathered over the last three years from over a dozen successful installations.
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