Outdoor Air Economizer (OAE) Diagnostic Module
The Outdoor Air Economizer (OAE) diagnostic module monitors the performance of air-handling units and can detect over 20 different basic operation problems with outside-air control and economizer operation. The system uses color coding to alert the building operator when problems occur and then provides assistance in identifying the causes of problems and correcting them. The module also provides explanations of each diagnosis. The OAE supports many common types of economizers and air-handling units used in today's buildings. The OAE requires some basic setup data to characterize the air-handling unit, and then uses periodically metered data to diagnose building operation.
Key features of the OAE include:
- Identifies over 20 common problems with ventilation and economizer system operation
- Identifies potential causes of problems
- Graphically displays failure trends
- Suggests actions to further understand problems and correct them
- Future enhancements will include variable-air-volume (VAV) systems with outdoor-air compensation
The current version of the OAE diagnostic module supports diagnosis of the following types of systems and controls:
Economizers- Integrated economizer operation where simultaneous operation of the economizer and mechanical cooling is permitted
- Packaged units with multiple stages or central units
- Differential dry-bulb temperature-based economizer control
- Differential enthalpy-based economizer control
- High-limit dry-bulb temperature-based economizer control
- High-limit enthalpy-based economizer control
- Constant-air-volume systems
- Variable-air-volume (VAV) systems with no volume compensation (outside-air intake is a constant fraction of the supply-air flow rate)