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