Single-Duct Variable Air Volume (VAV) Terminal Unit

Single-duct VAV terminal units regulate airflow to a zone according to that zones temperature settings.
Typically, the simplest unit includes the following components: casing, control cabinet, duct inlet, airflow
sensor, controller, actuator, and damper.

Damper

Casing

Control cabinet with

actuator and
controller inside
Duct Inlet

Airflow
Sensor
*Image from Titus

*Image from Titus

Casing

The casing houses the damper and is thermally insulated which also reduces noise.

Control
Cabinet

The control cabinet contains the controller and the actuator and is mounted to the
casing.

Duct Inlet

The duct inlet connects the casing to the ductwork and houses the airflow sensor.

Airflow
Sensor

The airflow sensor collects information about the airflow velocity as the air passes
over it.

The controller is the computer inside the control cabinet. Basically, its the brains of
the VAV terminal unit. Depending on the information it receives from the airflow
Controller
sensor and the thermostat, the controller will tell the actuator to adjust the
dampers accordingly. (and reheat valve, if applicable)
Actuator

The actuator is also inside the control cabinet and has a motor to move the
damper.

Damper

The damper is the piece of metal used to modulate the airflow into a space by
blocking a portion or all of the airflow.

HOW SINGLE-DUCT VAV TERMINAL UNITS WORK

Setpoint Scenario: (animation)
Lets imagine that you walk into a conference room with the set desired temperature, or setpoint, at 72
F. Eight people enter the conference room for a meeting. With the added body heat, the space
temperature increases to 74 F.
The controller reads this difference between the space temperature and the desired temperature. Then
the actuator adjusts the damper to allow more airflow. The airflow sensor reads the actual airflow and
sends that information back to the controller. When the conference room reaches the setpoint
temperature of 72 F, the actuator adjusts the damper to allow less airflow to the space.
Comfort Level Scenario: (animation)
Lets say you go into a conference room, and it feels stuffy. So, you mosey over to the thermostat, and
see that its set at 72 F. This is too warm for you, so you crank it down to 68 F.
The controller reads this difference between the space temperature and the desired temperature. Then
the actuator adjusts the damper to allow more airflow. The airflow sensor reads the actual airflow and
sends that information back to the controller. When the conference room reaches the setpoint
temperature of 68 F, the actuator adjusts the damper to allow less airflow to the space.

SINGLE-DUCT VAV TERMINAL UNIT ACCESSORIES

Airflow Sensor:
Most of the newer single-duct VAV terminal units have multiple point airflow sensors as opposed to the
older single point sensors (Pitot tubes). The multiple point airflow sensors detect and then calculate the
average of pressure readings from a number of sensors (anywhere from 4 to 24) and send this
information to the controller.
Two of the more common types of multiple point sensors are center (sometimes called cross) and ring.
One difference between the center sensor and the ring sensor is the shape. The center type is shaped
like an X and the ring sensor is shaped like an O. When properly installed in in VAV units with long
straight ductwork leading up to the VAV unit, both center and ring sensors preform comparably. In
instances where there are shorter lengths of straight ductwork before the inlet, center sensors readings
are more accurate.
The center sensor allows for more accurate airflow calculations because it samples the airflow from a
variety of points across the airflow, instead of just around the perimeter of the airflow (an animation
might help explain this).
With many VAV terminal units, the sensor is removable for periodic cleaning. Dust and lint can get
trapped around the sensor and cause inaccurate readings.

Access Door:
Some single-duct VAV terminal units are equipped with access doors. These access doors can make
maintenance and troubleshooting much easier by allowing easy access to the damper and the airflow
sensor inside the VAV unit.
Liners:
Liners help insulate the VAV terminal unit from heat and sound transfer. The single-duct VAV terminal
unit can be insulated with dual density fiberglass, engineered polymer foam, foil faced duct board, solid
or perforated metal over fiberglass, or even recycled denim or cotton liners. Another option is double
wall construction, which consists of adding a solid metal liner to completely isolate the fiberglass liner.
Different types of liners have different applications and costs.
For example, the engineered polymer foam is often used in hospitals, because there are no fiberglass
shards that could get into the airstream. Another benefit to the polymer foam is that it doesnt absorb
water. This makes cleaning easier, because you can just wipe it off. The downside is that its more
expensive than some of the other options.

Reheat Coils:
Since the air handling unit (AHU) supplies the same temperature (usually 55 F -60 F) air to all the VAV
units, most single-duct VAV terminal units also have a reheat coil. Adding a reheat coil to a VAV unit
allows for more flexibility because you can better control the temperature in individual zones.

Single-duct VAV terminal unit with hot

water reheat box. *image from ControlPix

Single-duct VAV terminal unit with

electric reheat box. *image from ControlPix

Two of the most common types of reheat options are hot water or electric. The hot water reheat system
works by pumping hot water through the coils and heats the air as it passes through them. Since water
is being pumped through the coils, there is a possibility of leaks. Leaks can often be found by a simple
visual inspection of the ceiling.
The electric reheat system works by using electricity to warm the coils (much like the heating element in
a toaster) and then heats the air as it passes through them. One consideration of the electric reheat coil
is that there must be three feet of clearance in front of the integral control panel to allow easy access.
Another consideration, is that anytime the electric heat coil is on, there has to be airflow over the coils;
otherwise they can burnout. Typically, the fan has to be on before the electric heat coils will turn on.

3 feet of clearance in
front of electric coil
reheat control box

*Image from Johnson Controls

Reheat Scenario: (animation)

Now, you walk into a different zone that has a single-duct VAV unit with hot water reheat. The AHU is
supplying 55 F air to the VAV unit. The space temperature is a chilly 64 F. You set the thermostat to
68 F.
The controller reads the new setpoint and modulates the reheat valve open. This allows the maximum
amount of hot water to run through the coils. The space temperature is now at 66 F. To reheat more
air, the controller tells the actuator to open the damper more. Now, the space temperature reaches 68
F, and the reheat valve starts to modulate close.

DESIGN CONSIDERATION
Preventative Maintenance:
Its vital to calibrate the VAV terminal annually to ensure proper functioning. To calibrate a VAV terminal
unit:
1) Use a calibrated airflow hood to measure the airflow from each supply grille the terminal unit
serves.
2) Look at the Building Automated System (BAS) and check what the airflow sensor inside the VAV
terminal unit is reading.
3) If the measured airflow from the flow hood does not match the airflow value shown on the BAS,
adjust the K-factor until the BAS airflow value shows the same value as the measured airflow
from the flow hood.

An Example of an Airflow Hood

Location:
One important design consideration is the location of the VAV unit. They should be placed in hallways
and other public places for ease of access. If a VAV unit is located in a patients room or the CEOs office,
it might be more difficult to get access to the unit. Ideally, VAV units should be placed in public areas,
but not in the middle of busy hallways where it might be dangerous to work on them.

Size:
Another design consideration is the size of the VAV unit. VAV unit manufacturers list the minimum and
maximum recommended airflow based on the inlet size. The minimum recommended airflow is the
smallest amount of air that can be measured by the airflow sensor.
If the VAV terminal unit is too large, low air velocity can be a problem causing the air flow sensors to
have difficulty reading the airflow velocity accurately. The VAV terminal unit would have trouble
maintaining setpoints. If the VAV unit is too small, it will starve the space of air. One indicator of this is
that the damper is always at 100% open and still not meeting the airflow setpoint.

Specifications:
a. The ductwork leading to the inlet needs to be a straight stretch, preferably three times
the width of the duct. Any shorter of a straight stretch can cause poor inlet conditions
like turbulent airflow hitting the sensor and causing it to not read properly.
b. The casing is made out of galvanized steel to prevent corrosion.
c. The lining must meet all standards including, UL 181 and NFPA 90-A and bacteria
standard ASTM C665. This is to ensure proper heat and sound insulation.
d. The damper is also made out of galvanized steel to prevent corrosion.
e. Hot water coils are made of copper tubes and aluminum fins. Copper is an excellent
heat conductor.
f. Electric coils are made of nickel-chrome, which is corrosion-resistant and helps extend
the life of the coil.
g. The airflow sensor has sensors facing out of the VAV box and sensors that face into the
box. The sensors that face outward detect total pressure. The sensors that face into the
box detect static pressure.

TROUBLESHOOTING
As a general rule, moving parts tend to require more maintenance than stationary parts. A single-duct
VAV terminal unit with reheat is no exception. Its usually the dampers and the reheat valves that
require the most troubleshooting.

See the attached screenshots of common problems associated with VAV terminal units. Then learn how
to troubleshoot them with their corresponding flow charts.

VAV SYSTEM
Single-duct VAV terminal units are part of a larger VAV system, which includes the VAV terminal unit, an
air handling unit, high pressure ductwork, and low pressure ductwork. The VAV system supplies a
constant temperature to multiple zones but changes the air volume at each zone to maintain setpoints
and comfort levels. Varying the air volume instead of the temperature is where VAV (variable air
volume) systems get their names. VAV systems are common in larger buildings with varying occupancy
and loads, like hospitals and universities. The main advantage of the VAV system is that it offers
individual zone control without heating and cooling at the same time.
If the VAV system meets all standards and recommendations, there are very few disadvantages. If the
system was poorly designed or implemented, then there could be problems. For example, say you have
one terminal serving multiple rooms with varying loads, the temperature would be difficult to regulate
and the occupants would be uncomfortable.

DUAL- DUCT VAV TERMINAL UNIT

Dual-duct units differ from the single-duct because they have an extra supply air duct. This extra duct is
typically used for bringing heated air into the terminal. One advantage to this is that unlike a unit with
reheat, this warm air has been filtered through the AHU.
There are two types of dual-duct terminal units, non-mixing and mixing. Non-mixing dual-ducts are
basically two single-duct VAV terminal units put together. They do not have a space for the two
airstreams to mix. To prevent uneven heating or cooling, the non-mixing units are usually programed to
have the damper for the cold air inlet closed while the damper for the warm air inlet is open and vice
versa.