A new control solution for chiller plants claims to make additional energy savings of 15%-30%.
Armstrong Fluid Technology has launched the Opti-Visor system, which controls the key components of a chiller plant, and provides the optimal operating settings for equipment such as water-cooled variable speed chillers, as well as variable flow cooling towers and variable speed pumps on the chilled water and tower water circuits.
Opti-Visor offers a web-based user interface, and local touch screen user interface with menus for swift assessment key performance and systems indicators including BMS/BAS compliance, plant performance and status, and BMS communication. It also offers ‘plug and play installation’, requiring only minor modification to the existing BAS plant automation module to ensure that the BAS recognizes the control signals from the Opti-Visor and will make available the input data points necessary.
Armstrong say that Opti-Visor works on digital era principals that operates the plant as one integrated solution, and contends that the majority of chiller plants use technology from the analog era, and operate using independent control loops with PID feedback control. Opti-Visor has a system-wide approach which enables faster response, better stability, the optimization of thermodynamic effects at the equipment level, and reduced cycling stress on system components.
Compared to typical BMS offerings, Armstrong claims the Opti-Visor provides more in-depth analysis and tuning of chiller plant operations. It also monitors and adjusts component operation to adjust for changes as individual components age.