blockFreezeProtection

Freeze protection sequence for single zone air handling unit

Information

Freeze protection sequence for single zone AHU system. It is developed based on Section 5.18.11 of ASHRAE Guideline 36, May 2020.

  1. If the supply air temperature TAirSup drops below 4 °C (40 °F) for 5 minutes, send two (or more, as required to ensure that heating plant is active, minHotWatReq) heating hot-water plant requests, override the outdoor air damper to the minimum position, and modulate the heating coil to maintain a suppy air temperature of at least 6 °C (42 °F). Disable this function when supply air temperature rises above 7 °C (45 °F) for 5 minutes.
  2. If the supply air temperature TAirSup drops below 3 °C (38 °F) for 5 minutes, fully close both the economizer damper and the minimum outdoor air damper for 1 hour and set a Level 3 alarm noting that minimum ventilation was interrupted. After 1 hour, the unit shall resume minimum outdoor air ventilation and enter the previous stage of freeze protection.
    • If it is warm enough that the supply air temperature rises above 7 °C (45 °F) with minimum ventilation, the unit will remain in Stage 1 freeze protection for 5 minutes then resume normal operation.
  3. Upon signal from the freeze-stat (if installed), or if supply air temperature drops below 3 °C (38 °F) for 15 minutes or below 1 °C (34 °F) for 5 minutes, shut down supply and return (or relief) fan(s), close outdoor air damper, open the cooling-coil valve to 100%, and energize the CHW pump system. Also send two (or more, as required to ensure that heating plant is active, minHotWatReq) heating hot-water plant requests, modulate the heating coil to maintain the higher of the supply air temperature or the mixed air temperature at 27 °C (80 °F), and set a Level 2 alarm indicating the unit is shut down by freeze protection.
    • If a freeze-protection shutdown is triggered by a low air temperature sensor reading, it shall remain in effect until it is reset by a software switch from the operator's workstation. (If a freeze-stat with a physical reset switch is used instead, there shall be no software reset switch.)

Parameters

TypeNameDefaultDescription
Booleanhave_freProtrueTrue: enable freeze protection
Buildings.Controls.OBC.ASHRAE.G36.Types.PressureControlbuiPreConBuildings.Controls.OBC.ASHRAE.G36.Types.PressureControl.ReliefDamperType of building pressure control system
Buildings.Controls.OBC.ASHRAE.G36.Types.FreezeStatfreStaBuildings.Controls.OBC.ASHRAE.G36.Types.FreezeStat.No_freeze_statType of freeze stat
Buildings.Controls.OBC.ASHRAE.G36.Types.HeatingCoilheaCoiBuildings.Controls.OBC.ASHRAE.G36.Types.HeatingCoil.WaterBasedHeating coil type
IntegerminHotWatReq2Minimum heating hot-water plant request to active the heating plant
Heating coil controller
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Types.SimpleControllerheaCoiConBuildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Types.SimpleController.PIHeating coil controller
Realk1Gain of coil controller
RealTi0.5Time constant of integrator block
RealTd0.1Time constant of derivative block
RealyMax1Upper limit of output
RealyMin0Lower limit of output
Advanced
RealTHys0.25Hysteresis for checking temperature difference

Connectors

TypeNameDefaultDescription
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealInputuOutDamPosMinMinimum economizer damper position limit as returned by the damper position limits sequence
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealInputuOutDamEconomizer outdoor air damper commanded position
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealInputuHeaCoiHeating coil valve commanded position
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealInputuRetDamEconomizer return air damper commanded position
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealInputTAirSupMeasured supply air temperature
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.BooleanInputu1FreStaFreeze protection stat signal. The stat is normally close (the input is normally true), when enabling freeze protection, the input becomes false
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.BooleanInputu1SofSwiResFreeze protection reset signal from software switch
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.BooleanInputu1SupFanSupply fan commanded on
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealInputuSupFanSupply fan commanded speed
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.BooleanInputu1RetFanReturn fan commanded on
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealInputuRetFanReturn fan commanded speed
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.BooleanInputu1RelFanRelief fan commanded on
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealInputuRelFanRelief fan commanded speed
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealInputuCooCoiCooling coil valve commanded position
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealInputTAirMixMeasured mixed air temperature
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.IntegerOutputyFreProStaFreeze protection stage index
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.BooleanOutputy1EneCHWPumEnergize chilled water pump
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealOutputyRetDamReturn air damper commanded position
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealOutputyOutDamOutdoor air damper commanded position
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.BooleanOutputy1SupFanSupply fan commanded on
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealOutputySupFanSupply fan commanded speed
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.BooleanOutputy1RetFanReturn fan commanded on
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealOutputyRetFanReturn fan commanded speed
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.BooleanOutputy1RelFanRelief fan commanded on
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealOutputyRelFanRelief fan commanded speed
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealOutputyCooCoiCooling coil valve commanded position
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.RealOutputyHeaCoiHeating coil valve commanded position
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.IntegerOutputyHotWatPlaReqRequest to heating hot-water plant
Buildings.Controls.OBC.CDL.Interfaces.IntegerOutputyAlaAlarm level

Revisions

  • September 26, 2025, by Jianjun Hu:
    Renamed the parameter Thys to THys.
    This is for issue 4374.
  • March 1, 2023, by Michael Wetter:
    Changed constants from 0 to 0.0 and 1 to 1.0.
    This is for #3267.
  • December 22, 2022, by Jianjun Hu:
    Added flag to disable freeze protection.
    This is for issue 3139.
  • July 15, 2021, by Jianjun Hu:
    First implementation.