[EnergyPlus_Support] scheduling outside air

["sonjamike" <kingsley@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I would like to apply an hourly schedule to the outside air requirements for each zone.  The outside air is required as makeup air for process exhaust in the zones.  My system type is VAV (compact HVAC).  

I have tried applying the system level Minimum Outdoor Air Schedule, but it is a fractional schedule and related to the current supply air volume rather than some fixed quantity (e.g., design supply air rate or design outside air rate).  As a result, this doesn't seem to meet my needs (a known hourly outside air rate).

I also tried to apply the outside air Flow/Person model at the zone level, where I made the zone occupancy 1 person, outside air flow rate equal to the maximum requirement for the zone, and then applied a zone people schedule that accomplished the hourly outside air flow rate.  The problem I found was that the Flow/Person outside air requirement did not override the minimum supply air flow rate required to meet space air conditioning requirements.

In both cases I could never get the outside air to exceed the minimum supply air volume, which I had set at the system level to equal 6 air changes per hour of supply air (this is a lab).  I set the system maximum supply air rate to meet the peak makeup air requirement (more than the 6 ACH number).

Can anyone find flaws with my approaches or suggest another way to schedule the outside air?

Thanks in advance!

Mike Kingsley



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