Ability adds latest Matrix software to more FCUs
Ability Projects has applied the third generation of its Matrix controls strategy to its Trojan 270, Atlas 235 and Slimline fan-coil units as a further step to incorporating Matrix into its entire product range. The main benefit of Matrix is its ability to remotely monitor and adjust any aspect of the fan coil — including water flow rates. The Matrix system continues to feature ‘self-setting’ air volumes and now also includes self-setting and self-correcting water flow rates.
Controlling the air side of an fan-coil unit is relatively easy, it generally being small and self contained.
However, the hydraulic side is much more complex, since each Matrix PICC (pressure-independent control valve) is part of the building’s entire hydronic system.
Variations in water flow caused by, say, a bypass elsewhere in the system being left open, can be addressed by the Matrix system. Its self-correcting capability includes a software routine that monitors the performance of the FCU and temporarily adjusts the water flow upwards or downwards as required. This feature can also compensate for the varying water-supply temperatures that occur in a large system.
Established benefits of Matrix include making it easier to respond to fit-out changes, revisions in design parameters and assisting ‘soft-landing’ commissioning carried out over a period of time rather than on a fixed date. The key to such capabilities is the remote setting of PICC valves compared with manual setting.
