Development of a Fan Airflow Station for Airflow Control in VAV Systems

A fan airflow station has been developed by the authors. This station is used to determine fan airflow using fan speed and fan head as inputs. These inputs can be measured accurately in variable air volume (VAV) systems, so they can be used as a cost-effective control monitoring method for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Theoretical models have been developed for the flow station using both second and third order relationships between the airflow and the inputs. The theoretical model has been experimentally tested and excellent agreement between the model and the experimental values was found. The second order model was within 1.71% of the experimental values, and the third order model was within 1.52%. The second order model, which is much simpler, is considered adequate for use in buildings.