TRAV - a new HVAC concept

This series of articles will focus on new approaches the HVAC industry should consider to develop buildings able to meet the challenges of occupant expectations that are likely to occur in the next century. This first article considers a new HVAC concept called terminal regulated air volume (TRAV). TRAV is possible today because of the emerging developments in full-functioning DDC energy management systems. TRAV is similar to variable air volume (VAV) systems in that the volume of air flow is regulated to provide comfort. But TRAV is new because the static pressure regulation characteristics of VAV are replaced with regulation of the central fan directly by the terminal units. Simply stated, TRAV uses advanced applications control software to control the central supply fan based on real-time terminal box air flow requirements rather than to meet a duct static pressure set point.