SBIR-STTR Award

Garico proposes to conduct the research necessary to develop a comprehensive System Functioinal Specification which will provide the detailed design to implement specific application programs for use with Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) nteworks for control of Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) facilities. The effort will be accomplished by Garico engineers working at our facility in Dallas, TX. The Phase I effort will be conducted in a manner that will allow for maximum continuity into a Phase II effort, which will produce the specific application programs. Commercial application of the HVAC programs developed is virtually assured because of the extremely large installed base of PLCs in government and private sector facilities. Commercial application will also be faciliteated by the rapid growth of the PLC market through 1998.

Keywords:
Programmable Logic Controller Application Program Local Area Network Supervisory Energy Management

Garico proposes to develop Programmable Logic Controller Energy Management Programs for Optimum Start-Stop, Scheduled Start-Stop, Night Setback and Demand Limiting applicaitons. Additionally, Standard HVAC control programs will be adapted for use on PLCs. The standards-based open system design developed in Phase I will be enforced in Phase II so that vendor independence is achieved. Phase I System Functional Specifications will be updated, as necessary, throughout Phase II. A prototype system will be staged in Garico's facility and all developed programs tested and demonstrated. Benefits to end users will inlcude: lower initial purchase price, portability of application programs to other hardware platforms, lower life-cycle-system cost, and the entire myriad of benefits from having a standard, open system rather than a proprietary system.

Keywords:
Programmable Logic Controller Application Program Local Area Network Supervisory Energy Management