All systems go

With an increasing demand for Building Management Systems, particularly in large commercial buildings, Glynn Williams, Director of Sales – Commercial Building Services for Grundfos explains why the company felt the time had come to make system integration easier and cheaper.

A Building Management System (BMS) is an integrated data network and control system for automation, monitoring and control of HVAC, lighting and other functions in a building. By connecting HVAC equipment, such as sensors, controllers, pumps and fans to a BMS, an individual building’s indoor climate can be controlled by special software.

Over time BMS systems have continued to become much more complex, with for example the incorporation of changes to set points e.g. temperature or timer programmes, the communication also improved with the capability of their being controllable from a dedicated PC workstation. This development meant that the PC could monitor the status of the connected components to gain an overview of the building’s indoor climate.

These systems are capable of sending e-mail or SMS alarms if a set value is exceeded or if operation stops. Other functions such as lighting can also be switched on or off by timers, and light sensors can decrease/increase a room’s interior lighting relative to the amount of daylight.

The benefits of linking HVAC components and lighting systems to a BMS does mean they can offer a huge range of possibilities relating to system control, and any required changes to control strategies can be implemented by reprogramming the control software.

On the go

Today, the increasing demand for intelligent Building Management Systems and an on-going need to make systems integration simpler has meant this technology has taken another leap forward with a new kid on the BMS block – the Grundfos GO.

Put simply this tool is the market’s most comprehensive platform for mobile pump control, as it allows intuitive, handheld assistance and access to online tools as well as saving time in terms of accessing reports and collecting data.

So what makes it different? The Grundfos GO is more than a simple remote control. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be a separate device, like the packaged iPod Touch solution on screen. With the purchase of the correct mobile interface, you can also use Grundfos GO on a smartphone such as an iPhone or Android device. The Grundfos GO app with all current functionalities is available to download for free from the App Store or Android Market.

Once interfaced with a smartphone and connected to the pump the Grundfos GO application can be used both with new and existing pumps via a wireless or infra-red link.

User friendly dashboard design

The product dashboard has been designed to offer a quick overview of pump operation. Here you are able to see the most important settings and status of the pump at a glance. Tab onto your pumps image and you will instantly see detailed product information for your pump.

You can access live data from the pump directly onto your screen, including information relating to duty point, power consumption, speed, temperature and other measured values. When used with products such as the Grundfos MAGNA3 pump, the data is automatically updated on the screen.

If more in-depth information or assistance is required, this is only a touch away, via the context aware help function, and here you get instant, intuitive assistance for more complicated operations. The user-friendly interface makes adjusting the settings in the pump simple, just drag and set the new set point directly from the pump curve, and that is it. In addition you get descriptive alarm logs, so you no longer need a data booklet to translate error codes in order to understand what the problem actually is.

Go large

In larger system the GO offers the ability to group pumps or even add names and descriptions for particular pumps to help identify pumps in an installation.

You get access to our online replacement tools on the go and quick-links to all the documentation you could ever need, including detailed information on every pump in the system, datasheets, catalogues and so on. Another plus is that the read/write profile allows a pumps configuration to be copied from one product to another, which can mean a significant time saving.

System benefits

The real benefits come to light when interacting with the new generation of intelligent interactive pumps such as the Grundfos MAGNA3 family. With this new generation it is no longer necessary to connect the pumps to a CIU box. This is because you can now simply specify the pump with accessory CIM modules that support all commonly used fieldbus standards. This means that the pump is Building Management Systems ready – straight from the box.

Go towards the future

Because of the added features, the Grundfos GO will help you immensely when the time comes to optimise performance or replace the pump as it can read data and present the findings in a simple and intuitive way. This means it can even analyse the operational data and suggest the right replacement pump, based on the actual needs within the system.

We have no doubt that Building Management Systems will continue to play an increasingly pivotal role in commercial building services and tools like the Grundfos GO will play a key role in ensuring these opportunities.