An HVAC zone is a group of rooms that functions as a unit for the purpose of HVAC system control in the context of the ApacheHVAC (ApHVAC) system methodology.
‘HVAC Zones and Zone Groups’ is a special grouping scheme which groups rooms into HVAC zones and adds tier a tier to the browser tree for assigning those zones to zone groups.
When the grouping scheme is set to ‘HVAC Zones and Zone Groups’ rooms are assigned to zones by dragging their symbols into the appropriate HVAC zone on the browser.
A single grouping scheme applies to HVAC zone grouping. It is created with two zone groups named ‘AHU 1’ (air handling unit 1) and ‘No ApacheHVAC System’. More zone groups may be created using the facility ‘Create and Edit HVAC Zones and Zone Groups’, which takes the place of ‘Create and edit space groups’ in this context and is accessed via the same icon.
An HVAC zone named ‘Unzoned’ is created automatically in the zone group ‘No ApacheHVAC System’. This serves as a repository for any rooms which have not yet been assigned to other HVAC zones.
Return air and supply air plenums are listed beneath the HVAC zones with which they are associated. Associations are created automatically between plenums and rooms which have the ApHVAC methodology, and may be edited using facilities in Apache View and other thermal views.
One of the rooms assigned to each HVAC zone is designated the zone’s master room. Conditions in this room (as sensed by ApacheHVAC control sensors placed in the zone’s air outflow) may be used to control conditions in all rooms in the zone. The master room for each HVAC zone is identified with a red ‘M’ on the browser.
