Direct Digital Control of HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning)

摘要

Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are now under going the most significant change in control technology in the past 100 years. This change is the introduction of direct digital control (DDC) to HVAC systems. Computer control has been introduced to many things over the past few years, from automobile engines to home appliances to most industrial processes, but only recently have small computer control systems been introduced into the space conditioning industry. To understand the implications of this new HVAC control technology, it is necessary to consider several questions: (1) What is DDC and what are its capabilities: (2) Under what conditions is DDC a cost effective alternative to conventional control. (3) What constitutes good system design and installation practice. This report addresses these questions by presenting information which describes DDC, presents its advantages and disadvantages, and gives applications guidance.