Close - Modelling and simulation context

Key concepts

engineering context;
general simulation context;
CABD context;
IT context;
environmental engineering context.

Lecture structure:

engineering context

modelling & simulation vs. traditional

general simulation context

coupling of simulation systems
testing "in-the-loop"

CABD context (IIBDS)
IT context

World-Wide-Web Self-Learning

Environmental Engineering context

buildings for the future

IBPSA
esp-r
. . . . '97

You can access more information under a variety of topics:

Course material (initial):

Modelling and simulation/ Engineering Context

In most of the industrialised and developing countries nearly half of the national energy consumption is in buildings. For example, some 56% of the total British annual energy consumption is used in buildings(Bunn, 1990). On the other hand, the UK department of Energy estimates that the better design of new buildings could produce energy consumption reductions of 50% and that appropriate design intervention in the existing stock of buildings could result in a 25% reduction in energy consumption (Clarke and Maver, 1991). Therefore, there is significant potential for energy conservation in buildings.

To achieve energy management and resource conservation in this area requires effective retrofit and innovatory design measures. Both Modelling and simulation are techniques that can assist in promoting the effective but frugal use of energy resources in buildings.

Energy flow paths

Traditional energy performance and evaluation methods are based on simple empirical expressions, rules-of-thumb or graphically. However, these methods are by nature limited in scope, and are unable to accurately deal with the complex dynamic behaviour of buildings.

Various internal and external flowpaths interact in a dynamic fashion to dictate comfort levels and energy demands. In principle, each flowpath can be modelled and calculated by a simplified method. These energy flowpaths include:

transient conduction
surface convection
inter-surface longwave radiation
external surface longwave radiation
shortware radiation
shading and insolation
fluid flow
casual gains
plant
moisture

Energy Modelling Techniques

steady state
simple dunamic
response function
numerical
electrical analogue

As the level of sophisication of the method falls, many of the active flowpaths are ignored and the method becomes indicative rather than deterministic.

Current simulation systems are based on responce function but primarity on numerical technique in finite difference form.`