The Basic concept of BMS

 

 In a nutshell, BMS-System otherwise called as BAS or building automation is computer-based control system which reduces the workforce, automate the system, and saving the energy consumption in buildings by monitoring and controlling the mechanical and electrical equipment in modern-day buildings or any industrial plants. Not only that but BMS helps to

• Increasing productivity.
• Increase the equipment lifetime and better performance.
• Identify the systems faults earliest.
• Manag the hotel tenants in an effective manner.

 Nowadays any modern-day buildings built with BMS to support facilities management to accomplish the maintenance and save the energy in the building from one place of computers.   

Essential Features of BMS software

• monitoring and controlling connected equipment in the building. 
• The alarm should be a popup in operator workstation for any critical faults in the system. 
• Any types of equipment on, off status and alarm should be logged or stored in PC to retrieve later.
• Schedule the equipment to on and off automatically by preset time. 
• User interface graphics should be available to visualise the field equipment to monitor for BMS operator easily. 

List of Equipment controlled by BMS or BAS in buildings

• HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air-conditioning or all supply and exhaust fans, ACs etc.). 
• Lighting control system. 
• Fire alarm system. 
• Firefighting system. 
• Security control system. 
• CCTV system.
• Lift control system. 
• Pumping system. 
• Water tanks level. 
• Irrigation system. 
• Electrical meters.
• Water Leak detection system.
• Split units. 
• VFD-Variable frequency drives. 
• VRF/VRV-Variable refrigerant flow or volume (both are same but each term copyrighted by a different vendor) 
• And any other system which has provision for BMS to control and monitor. 

Main components of the BMS System

1. Hardware
   • DDC-Direct digital controller
   • Sensors
   • Actuators
   • Cables to connect sensors, actuators to DDC.
   • HMI display-Human machine interface.
   • PC Workstation
   • Server to save the extensive database.
2. Software
   • Programming or configuration tools.
   • Graphics or User interface.
3. Networking protocols
   • TCP/IP– Transfer control protocols/Internet Protocol.
   • BACnet– Building automation controller network-ASHRAE
   • Modbus
   • LonWorks
   • CANbus
   • and numerous protocols available.

Don’t worry about the various protocols, this all protocol doing the same task to transfer data from one device to another device. anyhow we will discuss these each protocol in an upcoming post  

By: Eng Hamza Ansari