Digital Hydronics™ in HVAC systems

Danfoss AB-QM has been at the forefront of changing the market to more efficient solutions for balancing and controlling HVAC systems. The AB-QM PICV combines precise control with great convenience. It is simple to select, effortless to install and straightforward to set. By combining multiple functions into one valve the AB-QM is also an extremely cost-efficient choice. Through shortening the design process, time saving during commissioning and by efficiency gains during operation, it is a no-brainer with a short pay-back time.

Challenges in commercial buildings that use manual balancing valves and traditional control valves in HVAC systems can be overcome with Danfoss AB-QM pressure independent control valves:

• Easy valve selection according to design flow calculation
• Integrated balancing and control in one product to avoid long and complex commissioning
• No more overflow in the hydronic systems due to valves opening and closing. Dynamic balancing ensures design flows at full- and partial load conditions
• Avoid fluctuations in room temperature with precise control and high delta
• Move away from the low delta T syndrome and enable savings

The NovoCon^® digital IoT actuators are tailor made to fit Danfoss AB-QM valves from DN 15 up to DN 250. They establish the perfect connection between superior hydronic HVAC system performance and smart building automation solutions. Due to its accuracy, remote functionality and flow indication features, this product accelerates the commissioning process, allows easy and predictive maintenance, improves indoor comfort and increases savings.

The digital NovoCon^® actuators can fight some of the challenges that are well known when using traditional actuators and turn into benefits:

• Avoid manual one-by-one commissioning of the valves and benefit from remote mass upload of design flows via configuration tool or BMS (up to 64 actuators / valves at once)
• Adaptions to design flows can be done from the BMS, ideal in case of late design changes or calculation mistakes
• Troubleshooting difficulties due to early closing of ceilings. Flushing and purging of the system can be handled from the BMS (all at once, one floor at a time, one valve at a time)
• The complicated wiring integration to the BMS can be eased by using standard BACnet or ModBus bus-communication and pre-fabricated cables
• Transparency of energy usage is limited, but when using NovoCon you can get full transparency of the hydronic heating system and/or cooling system in the building

Data can be transformed into useful information. Information about how much energy you’re using, where you are maybe wasting it and what is the overall status. You need sensors that link into your BMS. The optional MID-certified temperature- and flow sensors can give valuable insights in the actual energy consumption of for example the heat source, air handling unit, the fan coils or other terminal units. The data can be used to spot problems with inefficiencies. It can also be used for a fair allocation of energy costs. Temperature and flow sensors can directly be connected to the NovoCon actuator giving you additional, highly precise and valuable insights in the functioning of our HVAC system.

The benefits of using flow and temperature sensors in hydronic HVAC systems:

• Advanced transparency of energy flows in a building per terminal unit and air handling unit
• Predictive maintenance data and transparency (lifetime, total operating hours, etc.)
• Easy identification of energy waste in building, enabling benchmark per user.

MID certified volume and temperature sensors directly connected to the Building Management System