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Pressure Independent balancing Control Valves (PICV)

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Danfoss AB-QM family with NovoCon digital IoT actuators

Two- or four-pipe heating and/or cooling systems are characterized by changing conditions due to valves opening and closing depending on the need for heating or cooling. This continuously causes flow and differential pressure changes.

Without proper measurements, such systems suffer from uneven heat distribution, poor energy inefficiency and are very difficult to commission.

To avoid these issues Pressure Independent balancing and Control Valves (PICV) provide the best and simplest solution.

By adding an actuator, the valves function as flow-limited control valves, automatically balancing the system and providing the best possible indoor comfort and energy efficiency. The commissioning of the system is a lot easier, all valves only need to be set to the design flow before the actuators are mounted.

Danfoss offers a broad range of pressure-independent balancing and control valves and matching actuators.

Features and benefits

  • Stable room temperature

    Eliminating the overflow situations at partial load conditions has a significant effect on the stability of the room temperature

  • Improved indoor comfort

    With the stable room temperature, the indoor comfort increases. Required temperatures are accurately met, increasing the productivity of office employees or benefitting the experience of hotel guests.

  • Energy savings

    The perfectly balanced system, under all conditions, increases the energy efficiency and leads to savings on energy costs.

  • Reduced maintenance costs

    As the pressure-independent valves ensure perfect working conditions, the actuators mounted on them require fewer movements to keep the temperature stable. This increases the lifetime value of the actuators and reduces the maintenance costs.

AB-QM 4.0: We created PICVs - now we redefine the value

NEW: AB-QM 4.0

Get ready for the next level value of your PICV designs.

Product range

Danfoss AB-QM 4.0 pressure-independent control valve (PICV) for hydronic balancing
AB-QM 4.0 Pressure Independent Control Valves (PICV) DN15 - DN32

AB-QM 4.0 Pressure Independent Control Valves (PICVs) are the successor of Danfoss AB-QM. They offer best-in-class specifications and easy installation. The scaling- and clogging resistant design secures and outstanding reliability and long lifetime. The required design flow can easily be established by turning the setting wheel on top of the valve to a presetting between 10-100% of the nominal flow. A wide variety of on/off, modulating and digital actuators is available to accurately control the flow through the valves.

AB-QM- Danfoss
AB-QM Pressure Independent Control Valves (PICV) DN15 - DN250

AB-QM Pressure Independent balancing and Control Valves (PICV) provide both a control functionality and dynamic balancing solution for HVAC heating and cooling systems. PICVs are designed for various types of terminal units, Air Handling Units (AHU), chillers and provide high indoor comfort and energy efficiency in public and commercial buildings.

Documents

Promotional and Technical Documents

Type Name Language Valid for Updated Download File type
Data sheet AB-QM 4.0 / AB-QM Pressure Independent Control Valves (PICV) English Multiple 24 Nov, 2025 3.4 MB .pdf
Brochure AB-QM Actuator Selection Infographic - UK English United Kingdom 14 Jan, 2021 8.6 MB .pdf
Brochure Energy saving solutions for renovation of heating and cooling systems English Multiple 09 Sep, 2014 5.9 MB .pdf
Application guide HVAC Application guide English Multiple 25 Oct, 2020 19.4 MB .pdf
Brochure Hydronic Balancing & Control product overview English Multiple 11 Dec, 2016 1.1 MB .pdf
Brochure Hydronic Balancing & Control product overview English United Kingdom 10 Nov, 2014 7.1 MB .pdf
Brochure Infographic - Actuator selection for AB-QM PICVs English Multiple 17 Sep, 2024 3.4 MB .pdf
Brochure Infographic AB-QM 4.0 compared to AB-QM English Multiple 07 Nov, 2022 2.3 MB .pdf

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Documents

Type Name Language Valid for Updated Download File type
Product Environmental Information - BI EPD AB-QM 4.0 DN 15-32 & NovoconS English Multiple 27 Jan, 2023 4.1 MB .pdf
Product Environmental Information - BI EPD AB-QM 4.0 DN 15-32 with AME 110 English Multiple 27 Jan, 2023 3.7 MB .pdf
Product Environmental Information - BI EPD AB-QM DN 40 -100 with AME 435 actuator English Multiple 27 Nov, 2023 2.5 MB .pdf
Product Environmental Information - BI EPD AB-QM DN 40 -100 with NovoCon M actuator English Multiple 27 Nov, 2023 2.7 MB .pdf

3D models and drawings

BIM library for MEP designs

Get your 3D BIM objects and start design HVAC 4.0 for smart buildings.

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Software

Danfoss SET 365 software

Our advanced Danfoss SET 365 3D design software will help you to design and calculate HVAC systems with Danfoss products. A 1-year subscription is FREE available for students, designers and other interested professionals.

Danfoss SET 365 software
Danfoss set 365 software

Related products

NovoCon® S and M Digital Actuators - Danfoss
NovoCon® Digital Actuator

With NovoCon® Danfoss revolutionizes the way hydronic balancing and HVAC control work together. The first of its kind digital HVAC actuators are directly connected with a Building Management System (BMS). This enables System Integrators to design state-of-art, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.

Actuators for PICVs- Danfoss
Actuators for PICVs

To take advantage of the combined balancing and control features of Danfoss AB-QM it has to be equipped with actuators controlled by room thermostats or a Building Management System. Danfoss offers a broad range of actuators varying from thermal on-off to digital step motor actuators with bus communication.

Case stories
4* resort increases guest ratings and saves on heat pump energy costs

Building: Hotel/resort 
Application: Heat pump system for comfort cooling via fan coil units 
Challenge: Increase guest comfort and save on energy costs 
Solution: The hydronic HVAC system for cooling was equipped with AB-QM 4.0 PICV valves for dynamic hydronic balancing and control via TWA-Q thermal actuators 

EDGE Amsterdam West - healthy & smart office
HVAC flexibility & Energy monitoring in EDGE Amsterdam West multi-tenant healthy & smart office

Building: Office
Application: Hydronic balancing and remote control of 4-pipe heating/cooling change-over system.
Challenge: Gaining BREEAM credits for energy monitoring and ensure fast, fail free installation.
Solution: Digital NovoCon S actuator combined with AB-QM 4.0 PICVs and ChangeOver6 Energy. The combination balances the system hydronically, allow remote access via a BMS and provides actual energy consumption data per climate panel during both heating and cooling operation.
Outstanding HVAC flexibility after high-end office building renovation

Building: Office
Application: Hydronic balancing and remote control of 4-pipe heating/cooling change-over system
Challenge: Ensure a flexible to use HVAC system with DGNB sustainability certification
Solution: Digital NovoCon actuator combined with AB-QM control valves and NovoCon CO6 combined with ChangeOver6 as a combination balance the system hydronically, allow remote access via a BMS and control the room temperatures during both heating and cooling operation.

Danfoss contributes to smart HVAC control solution for I-tower at WTC Amsterdam
Smart HVAC control solution for the I-tower at WTC Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Building: Office
Application: Climate panels with a four-pipe change-over system for Heating and Cooling
Challenge: Establish a modern, innovative HVAC control system optimized for flexibility in (changing) usage of office space
Solution: Integration of Danfoss field devices with the Building Management System via BACnet bus-communication

Waldorf Astoria, Amsterdam
High-end climate solutions in Waldorf Astoria by Hilton, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Building: Hotel
Application: Hydronic balancing and control for radiator heating and fan coil cooling
Challenge: Establish top level comfort and minimum energy consumption for heating and cooling
Solution: Fan-coil units for cooling; 8 heating risers and radiators equipped with Danfoss products.

Katowice business centre, Poland
HVAC control at Katowice business centre, Poland

Katowice Business Centre is a modern office building where Danfoss hydronic balancing solutions are used; AB-QM balancing and control valves in combination with revolutionary NovoCon® actuators.

Explore more

News

Tender texts

AB-QM 4.0 – Pressure Independent balancing and Control Valve (PICV)

The pressure independent balancing and control valve means that the control characteristic is independent from the available pressure. The precise flow control performance of the AB-QM 4.0 with a Danfoss actuator provides increased comfort and superior Total Cost of Ownership. The AB-QM 4.0 ensures and control the required flow on every terminal unit and maintains Hydronic balance in the system.

AB-QM 4.0 has following features:

Automatic flow limitation function
Modulating below 1% of set flow, regardless of the setting
Authority of 1 at all settings
Able to close against 16 bar of differential pressure
Polymer (PPSU) components of differential pressure controller and control valve cone
Linear control characteristic
Linear setting
Scale in percentage of flow
Minimum setting is 10%
Setting of flow percentage is visible with actuator mounted
Control ratio 1:1000
Pressure stage PN25
All inner brass parts from DZR (CW602N)
Available in the range from DN 15 – 32 for design flows from 20 – 6,000 l/h from one supplier
Available with external thread acc. ISO 228/1 and internal thread acc. ISO 7/1
Available with test plugs for pump optimization and flow measurements (dpcv)
Flow measurements accuracy according to BS7350:1990
Characteristic can be changed from linear to equal percentage characteristic at all sizes by adjusting actuator settings
Filling and flushing is possible in flow and counter-flow direction
Starting pressure of 16 kPa for DN 15 – DN 20 and 20 kPa for DN 25 – DN 32
Starting pressure of 32 kPa for DN 15 – DN 32 HF versions
Leakage rate of no visible leakage for DN 15 - DN 32 in combination with recommended actuator (IEC 60534-4:2007 Class IV)

AB-QM – Pressure Independent balancing and Control Valve (PICV)

The pressure independent balancing and control valve means that the control characteristic is independent from the available pressure. The precise flow control performance of the AB-QM with a Danfoss actuator provides increased comfort and superior Total Cost of Ownership. The AB-QM ensures and control the required flow on every terminal unit and maintains Hydronic balance in the system.

AB-QM has following features:

Flow limitation function
Modulating below 1% of set flow, regardless of the setting
Authority of 1 at all settings
Able to close against 16 bar of differential pressure
Linear control characteristic
Scale in percentage of flow
Control ratio 1:1000
Test plugs for pump optimization and flow verification for DN 10-250
Available in the range from DN 10 – 250 from one supplier.

Characteristic changed from linear to equal percentage characteristic at all sizes by adjusting actuator settings
Lockable setting
Starting pressure of 16 kPa for DN 10 – DN 20
Starting pressure of 20 kPa for DN 25 – DN 32
Starting pressure of 30 kPa for DN 40 – DN 250
Leakage rate of no visible leakage for DN 10 - DN 20 in combination with recommended actuator
Leakage of 0.05 % of the Qnom for DN 25 - DN 100 in combination with recommended actuator
Leakage of 0.01 % of the Qnom for DN 125 - DN 250 in combination with recommended actuator

Need design support?

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