Analysis of Supply Airflow Control by a Stratified Thermal Model in a VAV System

The present study concerns the numerical simulation of a supply airflow control in a variable air volume (VAY) system. A stratified thermal model (multi-zone model) is suggested to predict a local thermal response of an air-conditioned space. The effects of various thermal parameters such as the cooling system capacity, the thermal mass of an air-conditioned space, the time delay of thermal effect, and the building envelope heat transmission are investigated. Further, the influence of control parameters such as the supply air temperature, the PI control factor and the thermostat location on a VAV system is quantitatively delineated. The results obtained show that the previous homogeneous lumped thermal model (single zone model) may overestimate the time taken to the set point temperature. It is also found that there exist the appropriate ranges of the control parameters for the optimal airflow control of the VAV system.