CRANE BS&U supporting the Building Services Industry

Andy Lucas
Technical Development Manager CRANE BS&U

Crane Co founded in 1855 by Richard Teller Crane who made the following resolution -

I am resolved to conduct my business in the strictest honesty and fairness; to avoid all deception and trickery; to deal fairly with both customers and competitors; to be liberal and just towards employees; and to put my whole mind upon the business
Crane Limited founded in Ipswich in 1919
Crane Building Services & Utilities created 2009

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PROPORTIONAL BALANCING

Written by
Andy Lucas
Technical Development Manager CRANE BS&U

Title

PROPORTIONAL BALANCING

Objective

To give an overview of Proportional Balancing within the commission process This process applies to both constant & variable flow heating and chilled water systems

Commissioning

Definition: The advancement of an installation from the state of static completion to full working order to specified requirements.

CIBSE Commissioning Code W

Commissioning

Why commission?

Requirement L1 of Part L of the Building Regulations in England and Wales requires that reasonable provision shall be made for the conservation of fuel and power in buildings by
providing and commissioning energy efficient fixed building services with effective controls

Commissioning Why Balance?

Waters lazy will take shortest route! nearest terminal hottest furthest terminal coldest Balancing forces design flow rates to all areas

Commissioning Preparation for Commissioning

Installation must be Installed in accordance with specification successfully pressure tested

flushed & cleaned

filled, treated & vented safe & ready to set to work

all valves fully open

Commissioning Pump shut-off (closed) head test

measure closed head
check against pump curve draw parallel curve pressure at full flow check against graph if flow and pressure co-inside with graph pump performance OK
Flow Rate Pressure

closed head from manufacturer

measured closed head corrected pump curve pump curve

Commissioning Preliminary flow rate check

measure flow - all valves open if less than 100% - will result in final balance being less than 100% variable flow systems may have diversity designed in

set to 110% pump design flow rate

Commissioning Full system scan

measure all flow rates highlights problems

Proportional Balancing

What is it?

The systematic process of bringing the fluid flow rates throughout a distribution system into balance with one another, in their correct proportions and within tolerances specified by the designer.

CIBSE Commissioning Code W

Proportional Balancing Constant volume flow systems

fixed speed pumps no energy saving for part load constant volume of water is pumped around the system 3 or 4 port control valve diverts water through by-pass commissioned by proportional balancing or by the use of constant flow regulators ABV (Automatic Balancing Valves)

Proportional Balancing Variable volume flow systems

variable speed pumps energy saving for part load
variable volume of water to match demand 2 port control valve commissioned by combination of; proportional balancing DPCV Differential Pressure Control Valves PICV Pressure Independent Combination Valve

Proportional Balancing Terms

%DFR Percentage Design Flow Rate Least Favoured/Index Circuit Reference Circuit

Proportional Balancing Terms

%DFR Percentage Design Flow Rate
%DFR = eg %DFR = measured flow design flow 0.07kg/s 0.10kg/s x 100 = 70% x 100

Proportional Balancing Terms - Least Favoured & Index circuit

A? B? C?

Least favoured & index circuit are same the least favoured/index circuit is the circuit, when system is unbalanced, having the highest pressure drop relative to all other circuits ie lowest %DFR

Proportional Balancing Terms - Reference circuit

A? B? C?

Reference

add resistance

The reference circuit is the circuit, when system is unbalanced, that all other circuits will be balanced against For proportional balancing, the furthest circuit or terminal unit must be the reference. If this is not the same as the least favoured, it must be made into the least favoured by adding resistance, ie closing double regulating valve

Proportional Balancing
Regulate

Flow measurement valve

Low Signal - p (differential High pressure) is measured Net system pressure loss water

orifice

Proportional Balancing
To allow us to measure p generally we use 1 of 2 instruments

U tube manometer fluorocarbon mercury electronic equipment up to 250kPa

0 - 4.6kPa 0 - 65kPa

Proportional Balancing

high low

p measurement U tube manometer

zero p (differential pressure)
measure p signal equate to flow rate Q = Kvs p 36 from graph 2

Kvs
p

p
1

0
0 1 2 3 Flow rate 4 5

Proportional Balancing p measurement - electronic

Electronic flow measurement meters are pre-programmed with valve data, therefore, directly display differential pressure flow rate

%DFR

Proportional Balancing Procedure follows 4 stages

1. Measure (scan) each unregulated terminal to establish least favoured & reference 2. Proportional Balance 3. Regulate flow

4. Complete test sheet

Proportional balancing Proportional Balancing STAGE 1 Measure each terminal Measure each terminal
Adjust to 110%DFR

Design (kg/s) Actual (kg/s) %DFR

0.10 0.160 0.16 160%

0.10 0.13 130%

0.10 0.04 0.10 40% 100%

0.10 0.10 0.04 100% 40%

least favoured/index Identify least favoured/index

Proportional balancing Proportional Balancing Make furthest Measure each terminal equal to least favoured
add resistance to make furthest (the reference) equal to least favoured if total flow rate drops bring back to 110%

made least favoured by regulating, ie adding resistance 0.04 if furthest is reference/index then %DFR 40% regulating valve always fully open Always remains index 40%

Proportional Balancing
reference

STAGE 2 Proportional Balance

Design (kg/s) Actual (kg/s) %DFR

0.10

0.10

0.10 0.091 0.092 91% 92%

0.10 0.09 0.091 0.092 90% 91% 92%

0.092
92%

0.092
92%

Each terminal is Proportionally Balanced against each other working towards pump

Proportional Balancing STAGE 3 Regulate flow

Design (kg/s) Actual (kg/s) %DFR

0.10 0.92 0.10 92% 100%

0.10 0.92 0.10 92% 100%

0.10 0.92 0.10 92% 100%

0.10 0.92 0.10 92% 100%

Adjust circuit commissioning valve to obtain 100%

Proportional Balancing
Larger circuit
2 floors each with commissioning valve divided into 2 subcircuits each with commissioning valve sub-circuit divided into 4 terminal branches each with commissioning valve

Proportional Balancing
Looking at each floor
proportional balance each sub-circuit to reference, ie same %DFR sub-circuits can be balanced in any order proportionally balance each sub-circuit to reference sub-circuit, ie same %DFR reference

Proportional Balancing
Having proportionally balanced the floor sub-circuits Proportionally Balance floors to reference floor, ie same %DFR Regulate flow to 100% at pump constant flow by regulation variable flow by pump speed

Proportional Balancing

L001 D931

15

lower 0.110

2.2

3.24

4.4 0.128 116 3.28 0.111 101

3.2

valve data

design data

initial scan

%DFRmeasured results

Sample from BSRIA Commissioning Water Systems applications guide

Proportional Balancing Steps to Proportional Balancing

no scan - %DFR identify index

add resistance

same as reference? yes

proportional balance complete test sheet

regulate flow

Variable flow CPD

understanding variable flow systems commissioning variable flow systems proportional balancing adjusting DPCV

setting PICV

PROPORTIONAL BALANCING

Andy Lucas
Technical Development Manager CRANE BS&U