Carrier has added new i-Vu Smart Valves to the suite of components available for the i-Vu building automation system, making it even easier to maintain occupant comfort, optimize energy usage and resolve problems faster.
The Smart Valves provide operators access to valve performance data from anywhere at any time, as well as quick error detection with integrated fault detection and diagnostics.
Carrier said the new i-Vu Smart Valves were designed in collaboration with Belimo, a leader in the development and production of actuator solutions. They integrate seamlessly with the i-Vu building automation system, which automatically notifies operators if a valve has failed, becomes stuck, or is cycling or leaking.
Carrier controls business manager, Mark Jones, described the valves as cutting-edge technology.
“Customers will benefit from a single point of access into all of their building assets, from HVAC equipment and controls, to sensors and valves,” he said. “This real-time visibility will help them improve operational efficiency and keep occupants comfortable.”
The i-Vu Smart Valves are available for both pressure dependent and pressure independent applications. They feature a compact design for easy installation and the valve bodies snap directly to the actuator.
This allows operators and technicians to install Valves quickly, easily, and without the use of tools, helping to reduce labour costs, and it also makes retrofitting traditional Valves a snap.
The valve actuator is capable of providing fail open, fail close, or fail in the last position to meet project requirements.
The Valves are also easy to commission. Up to two Valves can be connected to the actuator sub-network on each Carrier terminal unit controller. Each valve is pre-addressed and supports local or remote access through the i-Vu system.
A field-adjustable maximum flow capacity setting helps technicians ensure that necessary design requirements are met.
The new Smart Valves are more energy efficient than typical Valves. They feature a patented, brushless DC motor that runs at only 0.3 W, maximizing energy savings.
The actuator also uses 95% less energy than classic digital output actuators that require constant power while a ball valve design with zero leakage also eliminates energy loss.