To those who are interested in going deeply into one of the most important topics in HVAC design and construction work.
HVAC systems commonly used 2-way control valves with commissioning sets, but challenges arose due to pressure fluctuations, causing control valve authority to drop below 50% during part-load conditions. Many studies found that this set was often inefficient in part-load situations, leading to either excess flow rates through the control valve or, conversely, a risk of valve starvation.
The inefficiency in part-load conditions was attributed to the pressure-dependent nature of the 2-way control valve and commissioning set. Without delving into detailed explanations, these studies revealed that the system struggled to maintain optimal performance under varying loads. Specifically, during part-load scenarios, the flow rates through the control valve tended to deviate from the desired levels, creating operational challenges.
To address this, some opted for Differential Pressure Control Valves (DPCVs) to make the system partially or fully pressure-independent. As shown in the figure below CIBSE recommended limiting DPCV settings to 150% of the differential pressure across the index terminal unit sub-circuit at design flow rate with a maximum of 12 terminal units per sub-circuit. (A 50% increase in differential pressure with the DPCV set at 150% results in a 22% higher flow rate which could be acceptable).
While effective, installing DPCVs in each terminal circuit will convert it to be fully pressure-independent but also very expensive. As a solution, Pressure Independent Control Valves (PICVs) emerged. PICVs offer a more cost-effective and efficient way to maintain stable performance under varying conditions, making them a preferred choice in modern HVAC design which gives a valve authority almost 1 in all part load cases and if it works at the minimum pressure required for its functionality.