Penumatic & Hydraulic

Control Principles

Dr. Ir. M. Sabri, MT. IPM. ASEAN Eng.

 Control System History
• Early control of the level of comfort was
done manually

• Example- adding fuel to the fire or letting

the fire burn out
 Control System History
• Electricity became readily available in the early
1900’s

– Adapted to provide automatic building environment

control

– Early electric controls were large, bulky, unreliable,

and inaccurate by modern standards

– They were also dangerous because of early electrical

power quality and distribution were poor
 Control System History
• Pneumatic Control System

• Came into use in the 1rst quarter of the

21rst century
 Control System History
• Direct Current (DC)

– Came into common use in the 1960’s

– Was adapted for use in the HVAC control of

commercial applications
 Self Contained Systems
• Control system that does not require an external power
source

• Widely used basic control system

• Power is supplied by a sealed, fluid-filled ( may be gas

liquid or both) element (bulb) which is attached to the
pipe containing water or refrigerant

• Is a closed loop system – feedback occurs between the

sensor, controller and the controlled device
 Self Contained Systems
Most common applications:
• Thermostatic expansion valve (refrigerant flow)
• Building space temperature control in steam or hot water heating
systems

Advantages
– No external power source
– The system is unaffected by fluctuations or loss of power to the control
system – example loss of transformer doesn’t mean loss of control

Disadvantages
• Cannot be expanded to provide sophisticated control sequences
because of only one adjustment
• Poor accuracy
• No diagnostic means available
 Electric Control Systems
• Control system in which power supply is either line or low
voltage

• Line voltage is rarely used because of the danger of

occupants coming into contact, and fire and explosion in
an area where flammables are present

• Commonly use a mechanical device to control the flow of

electricity

• Most common control systems used today

 Electric Control Systems
• Advantages
– Provide adequate control of temperature in
building spaces
– Small wires used for eases of installation in
walls
– Safer because of low voltages
– Relatively inexpensive
– Easy to install and service
 Electric Control Systems
• Disadvantages
– Cannot be used in explosive areas without
proper precautions
– Difficult to modify
– Often unable to perform complex control
sequences
– Not often used for proportional control
– Not easily configured to allow central
reporting or alarms
 Pneumatic Control Systems
• Were developed because electric control
systems could not perform the flexibility and
control necessary for commercial buildings

Separated into four main groups

• Air Compressor stations
• Transmitters and Controllers
• Auxiliary devices
• Controlled devices
 Pneumatic Control Systems
• Air compressor stations
– Power source is compressed air
– Does not function without clean, dry, oil free
air
– Dryers, filters, and regulators help ensure
these qualities of air
 Pneumatic Control Systems
• Transmitters and controllers
– Sense and control the temperature, pressure,
or humidity in a building space
– Are connected to the main air supply
– Change the pressure to the controlled devices
which regulate flow of the heating or cooling
medium
 Pneumatic Control Systems
• Auxiliary Devices
– Normally located between the transmitters
and controllers and the controlled devices
– Change or reroute the air supply from the
controller or transmitter before it reaches the
controlled device
 Pneumatic Control Systems
Controlled devices:
• Dampers
• Valves
• Actuators
• Switches
 Pneumatic Control Systems
Pneumatic Control System Applications:
– Most common in large commercial applications such
as schools & hospitals
– Central air handler units
– Boilers
– Chillers
– Cooling tower systems
Often changed out and replaced either on a partial or
total basis when buildings are renovated.
 Pneumatic Control Systems
Advantages of Pneumatic Control Systems:
• Easily provide analog or proportional control
• No shock hazard
• Relatively inexpensive
• Rugged
• Most are fairly accurate
• Can be easily expanded
• Can provide many different control sequences
 Pneumatic Control Systems
Disadvantages of Pneumatic Control Systems:
– Air stations require routine maintenance
– May require specialized tools for set-up and
calibration
– Technician has to be onsite to check the
system.
 Electronic Control Systems
• Electronic control systems are control systems
that operate on 24 VDC or less.
• Are analog control system
• Were originally developed as a replacement for
pneumatic control systems
• Often use solid state components
• Common supply voltages are 10, 12, or 18 VDC
• Uses transformer to drop the voltage to what is
required
• Sensor is wired to a resistive bridge circuit
(contains four arms and four resistors
 Electronic Control System Applications

• Can be used in any HVAC application

• Package units such as heat pumps or

split systems

• Easily expanded for different control

applications
Disadvantages of Electronic Control Systems

– May require special diagnostic tools and

procedure
– Actuators are normally expensive and
complex
– May become obsolete quickly
– Are not as powerful or flexible as automated
control systems
 Automated Control Systems
• Uses solid state devices

• Uses on/off (binary -1/0) signals which represent numbers, set-points, and control
sequences

• Have become increasingly popular because of their increased reliability and increase
in the power of PC’s

• Use the same power supply of the electronic control systems

• Use step-down transformers and rectifiers to reduce the power to system voltage

• Intelligent controllers are connected to equipment for control which are independent
controllers

• Parameters are set in the programming of each controller and can be modified

• Used in many large commercial buildings

 Advantages of Automated
Control Systems
• Extremely accurate if they are set-up
correctly
• Can be set-up for remote data
acquisition and monitoring
• Can be integrated with fire and security
systems and most are.
• Are very versatile
• Can be easily re-programmed by
qualified personnel.
 Disadvantages of Automated
Control Systems
• Programming may be complex

• Require specialized software knowledge

• May need to be upgraded for new features

• Can become obsolete rapidly

• Service can be expensive

 System-Powered Control
Systems
• Uses duct pressure from the fan system for a power
supply

• Used sparingly

• Developed to avoid installation cost pneumatic piping

• Uses bi-metallic thermostats

• Bellows inflate and deflate for control of flow

• Generally used in VAV terminal boxes

Advantages of System Powered
Control Systems
– Reduce installation time

– Controls are factory mounted to terminal boxes

– Come pre-calibrated

– Flexibility of zoning in a building

– Relatively inexpensive

– No external power supply

 Disadvantages of System
Powered Control Systems
• Control system fails if the system air is dirty or wrong pressure

• Air leaks cause improper operation

• Little flexibility in application

• Cannot be adapted to other control systems

• No remote monitoring

• Relatively inaccurate

• No alarm monitoring capabilities

 Hybrid Control Systems
• Uses multiple technologies

• Transducers often used as an interface between

control systems

• May be require different power supplies

• The most common application is partial

replacement of pneumatic control system to a
automated control system
 Advantages of Hybrid Control
System
• Take advantage of the best characteristics of
each control system

• Reduce cost by using existing equipment

• Accuracy can be increased by using modern

control system components

• Remote troubleshooting and alarms are

achievable
Disadvantages of Hybrid Control
Systems
• Additional knowledge is needed to
service the control system

• Troubleshooting may be more difficult

because of system complexity

• Failure of one of the control system may

cause the failure of the entire system