WorldWideScience

Sample records for thermostatically controlled buildings

  1. Energy, Carbon-emission and Financial Savings from Thermostat Control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blasing, T J [ORNL; Schroeder, Dana [University of Georgia, Athens, GA

    2013-08-01

    Among the easiest approaches to energy, and cost, savings for most people is the adjustment of thermostats to save energy. Here we estimate savings of energy, carbon, and money in the United States of America (USA) that would result from adjusting thermostats in residential and commercial buildings by about half a degree Celsius downward during the heating season and upward during the cooling season. To obtain as small a unit as possible, and therefore the least likely to be noticeable by most people, we selected an adjustment of one degree Fahrenheit (0.56 degree Celsius) which is the gradation used almost exclusively on thermostats in the USA and is the smallest unit of temperature that has been used historically. Heating and/or cooling of interior building space for personal comfort is sometimes referred to as space conditioning, a term we will use for convenience throughout this work without consideration of humidity. Thermostat adjustment, as we use the term here, applies to thermostats that control the indoor temperature, and not to other thermostats such as those on water heaters. We track emissions of carbon only, rather than of carbon dioxide, because carbon atoms change atomic partners as they move through the carbon cycle, from atmosphere to biosphere or ocean and, on longer time scales, through the rock cycle. To convert a mass of carbon to an equivalent mass of carbon dioxide (thereby including the mass of the 2 oxygen atoms in each molecule) simply multiply by 3.67.

  2. Room Thermostat with Servo Controlled by PIC Microcontroller

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Skapa

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the design of room thermostat with Microchip PIC microcontroller. Thermostat is designated for two-pipe heating system. The microprocessor controls thermostatic valve via electric actuator with mechanical gear unit. The room thermostat uses for its activity measurements of air temperature in the room and calorimetric measurement of heat, which is served to the radiator. These features predestinate it mainly for underfloor heating regulation. The thermostat is designed to work in a network. Communication with heating system's central control unit is proceeded via RS485 bus with proprietary communication protocol. If the communication failure occurs the thermostat is able to work separately. The system uses its own real time clock circuit and memory with heating programs. These programs are able to cover the whole heating season. The method of position discontinuous PSD control is used in this equipment.

  3. Model predictive control for a thermostatic controlled system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shafiei, Seyed Ehsan; Rasmussen, Henrik; Stoustrup, Jakob

    2013-01-01

    This paper proposes a model predictive control scheme to provide temperature set-points to thermostatic controlled cooling units in refrigeration systems. The control problem is formulated as a convex programming problem to minimize the overall operating cost of the system. The foodstuff temperat......This paper proposes a model predictive control scheme to provide temperature set-points to thermostatic controlled cooling units in refrigeration systems. The control problem is formulated as a convex programming problem to minimize the overall operating cost of the system. The foodstuff...

  4. Optimal daily operation of a smart-household under dynamic pricing considering thermostatically and non-thermostatically controllable appliances

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Paterakis, N.G.; Medeiros, M.F.; Catalao, J.P.S.; Siaraka, A.; Bakirtzis, A.G.; Erdinc, O.

    2015-01-01

    In this study, a home energy management system structure is developed in order to determine the optimal commitment of a smart-household. Two types of loads are explicitly modeled: non-thermostatically controllable (electric vehicle, shiftable appliances) and thermostatically controllable loads (air

  5. Testing the effect of defaults on the thermostat settings of OECD employees

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, Zachary; Johnstone, Nick; Haščič, Ivan; Vong, Laura; Barascud, Francis

    2013-01-01

    We describe a randomized controlled experiment in which the default settings on office thermostats in an OECD office building were manipulated during the winter heating season, and employees' chosen thermostat setting observed over a 6-week period. Using difference-in-differences, panel, and censored regression models (to control for maximum allowable thermostat settings), we find that a 1 °C decrease in the default caused a reduction in the chosen setting by 0.38 °C, on average. Sixty-five percent of this effect could be attributed to office occupant behavior (p-value = 0.044). The difference-in-differences models show that small decreases in the default (1°) led to a greater reduction in chosen settings than large decreases (2°). We also find that office occupants who were more apt to adjust their thermostats prior to the intervention were less susceptible to the default. We conclude that this kind of intervention can increase building-level energy efficiency, and discuss potential explanations and broader policy implications of our findings. - Highlights: • We conduct a randomized controlled trial to test if thermostat defaults affect agent behavior. • Two treatments (schedules of default settings) were tested against a control for 6 weeks at OECD. • Small changes in defaults had a greater effect on chosen settings than larger changes in defaults. • Occupants who frequently changed their thermostats in baseline were less affected by defaults. • Thermostat defaults in office environments can be manipulated to increase energy efficiency

  6. Thermostatic Radiator Valve Evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dentz, Jordan [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative, New York, NY (United States); Ansanelli, Eric [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative, New York, NY (United States)

    2015-01-01

    A large stock of multifamily buildings in the Northeast and Midwest are heated by steam distribution systems. Losses from these systems are typically high and a significant number of apartments are overheated much of the time. Thermostatically controlled radiator valves (TRVs) are one potential strategy to combat this problem, but have not been widely accepted by the residential retrofit market.

  7. Thermostat Interface and Usability: A Survey

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meier, Alan; Peffer, Therese; Pritoni, Marco; Aragon, Cecilia

    2010-09-04

    This report investigates the history of thermostats to better understand the context and legacy regarding the development of this important tool, as well as thermostats' relationships to heating, cooling, and other environmental controls. We analyze the architecture, interfaces, and modes of interaction used by different types of thermostats. For over sixty years, home thermostats have translated occupants' temperature preferences into heating and cooling system operations. In this position of an intermediary, the millions of residential thermostats control almost half of household energy use, which corresponds to about 10percent of the nation's total energy use. Thermostats are currently undergoing rapid development in response to emerging technologies, new consumer and utility demands, and declining manufacturing costs. Energy-efficient homes require more careful balancing of comfort, energy consumption, and health. At the same time, new capabilities will be added to thermostats, including scheduling, control of humidity and ventilation, responsiveness to dynamic electricity prices, and the ability to join communication networks inside homes. Recent studies have found that as many as 50percent of residential programmable thermostats are in permanent"hold" status. Other evaluations found that homes with programmable thermostats consumed more energy than those relying on manual thermostats. Occupants find thermostats cryptic and baffling to operate because manufacturers often rely on obscure, and sometimes even contradictory, terms, symbols, procedures, and icons. It appears that many people are unable to fully exploit even the basic features in today's programmable thermostats, such as setting heating and cooling schedules. It is important that people can easily, reliably, and confidently operate thermostats in their homes so as to remain comfortable while minimizing energy use.

  8. Design and Implementation of Frequency-responsive Thermostat Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nyeng, Preben; Østergaard, Jacob; Togeby, Mikael

    2010-01-01

    properties and needs of each application, and on the other hand the requirements of the system operator. The control algorithms are implemented on a microcontroller unit that is interfaced with existing thermostats for each application. To validate the control algorithms and overall system design, a series...

  9. Thermostatic Radiator Valve Evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dentz, J. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative (ARIES), New York, NY (United States); Ansanelli, E. [Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative (ARIES), New York, NY (United States)

    2015-01-01

    A large stock of multifamily buildings in the Northeast and Midwest are heated by steam distribution systems. Losses from these systems are typically high and a significant number of apartments are overheated much of the time. Thermostatically controlled radiator valves (TRVs) are one potential strategy to combat this problem, but have not been widely accepted by the residential retrofit market. In this project, the ARIES team sought to better understand the current usage of TRVs by key market players in steam and hot water heating and to conduct limited experiments on the effectiveness of new and old TRVs as a means of controlling space temperatures and reducing heating fuel consumption. The project included a survey of industry professionals, a field experiment comparing old and new TRVs, and cost-benefit modeling analysis using BEopt™ (Building Energy Optimization software).

  10. RESIDENTIAL THERMOSTATS: COMFORT CONTROLS IN CALIFORNIA HOMES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meier, Alan K.; Walker, Iain

    2008-03-02

    This report summarizes results of a literature review, a workshop, and many meetings with demand response and thermostat researchers and implementers. The information obtained from these resources was used to identify key issues of thermostat performance from both energy savings and peak demand perspectives. A research plan was developed to address these issues and activities have already begun to pursue the research agenda.

  11. Load management: Model-based control of aggregate power for populations of thermostatically controlled loads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perfumo, Cristian; Kofman, Ernesto; Braslavsky, Julio H.; Ward, John K.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Characterisation of power response of a population of air conditioners. ► Implementation of demand side management on a group of air conditioners. ► Design of a controller for the power output of a group of air conditioners. ► Quantification of comfort impact of demand side management. - Abstract: Large groups of electrical loads can be controlled as a single entity to reduce their aggregate power demand in the electricity network. This approach, known as load management (LM) or demand response, offers an alternative to the traditional paradigm in the electricity market, where matching supply and demand is achieved solely by regulating how much generation is dispatched. Thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs), such as air conditioners (ACs) and fridges, are particularly suitable for LM, which can be implemented using feedback control techniques to regulate their aggregate power. To achieve high performance, such feedback control techniques require an accurate mathematical model of the TCL aggregate dynamics. Although such models have been developed, they appear too complex to be effectively used in control design. In this paper we develop a mathematical model aimed at the design of a model-based feedback control strategy. The proposed model analytically characterises the aggregate power response of a population of ACs to a simultaneous step change in temperature set points. Based on this model, we then derive, and completely parametrise in terms of the ACs ensemble properties, a reduced-order mathematical model to design an internal-model controller that regulates aggregate power by broadcasting temperature set-point offset changes. The proposed controller achieves high LM performance provided the ACs are equipped with high resolution thermostats. With coarser resolution thermostats, which are typical in present commercial and residential ACs, performance deteriorates significantly. This limitation is overcome by subdividing the population

  12. An Inductive Water Thermostat Using On‐Off Triac Control and Platinum Sensing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Diamond, Joseph M.

    1971-01-01

    An on‐off thermostat is described using novel means for heating, sensing, and triac control. Heating is performed by sending the water through a coil of silver tubing which forms the short‐circuited secondary winding of a transformer. This arrangement permits extremely good insulation, which...... was essential in the medical application (a dialysis water thermostat) for which it was designed; its quick response also contributes to the excellent regulation achieved with simple on‐off control. Sensing is provided by a very low resistance platinum coil in direct contact with the water, thus providing quick...

  13. Introducing the ecobee smart thermostat

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2009-07-01

    This pamphlet described a thermostat system designed to help households conserve energy and reduce the environmental impacts related to home heating. Features of the ecobee smart thermostat include a weather button that provides the latest forecast for the specific region and a quick save button designed to automatically set the thermostat into an energy conservation mode. A details button provides customer access to all customized heating and cooling settings interfaced in list format. A programming feature assists customers in basic and advanced programming. A vacation setting is also provided to allow customers to save energy while on vacation. The ecobee system uses advanced furnace fan control, ventilator control, and automatic setback calculations. The thermostat system includes a full colour display and integrated web portal designed to allow remote access and provide tools for easily adapting to changing rate structures. Optional broadband connectivity allows real time delivery to customers. The pamphlet also included technical specifications. 1 tab., 9 figs.

  14. Design and Modelling of Thermostatically Controlled Loads as Frequency Controlled Reserve

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Zhao; Østergaard, Jacob; Togeby, Mikael

    2007-01-01

    Using demand as frequency controlled reserve (DFR) is beneficial to power systems in many aspects. To study the impacts of this technology on power system operation, control logics and simulation models of relevant loads should be carefully developed. Two advanced control logics for using demand...... frequency, is developed. The developed simulation model is able to represent a variety of aggregated thermostatically controlled loads, such as heaters or refrigerators. Uncertainties including customer behaviours and ambient temperature variation are also modelled. Preliminary simulation results...

  15. Thermostatic system of sensor in NIR spectrometer based on PID control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhihong; Qiao, Liwei; Ji, Xufei

    2016-11-01

    Aiming at the shortcomings of the primary sensor thermostatic control system in the near infrared (NIR) spectrometer, a novel thermostatic control system based on proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control technology was developed to improve the detection precision of the NIR spectrometer. There were five parts including bridge amplifier circuit, analog-digital conversion (ADC) circuit, microcontroller, digital-analog conversion (DAC) circuit and drive circuit in the system. The five parts formed a closed-loop control system based on PID algorithm that was used to control the error between the temperature calculated by the sampling data of ADC and the designed temperature to ensure the stability of the spectrometer's sensor. The experimental results show that, when the operating temperature of sensor is -11°, compared with the original system, the temperature control precision of the new control system is improved from ±0.64° to ±0.04° and the spectrum signal to noise ratio (SNR) is improved from 4891 to 5967.

  16. Smart Thermostats: An Experimental Facility to Test Their Capabilities and Savings Potential

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Bustamante

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The European Commission has explained how heating and cooling in buildings and industry account for half of the energy consumption of the EU. Several studies explain how to achieve an energy saving at home, and the use of smart thermostats will help to reduce energy consumption while increasing the efficiency of households. In this article, a comparative evaluation was carried out between four smart thermostats that are now on the market, whose characteristics vary in terms of price, precision of measurements and set temperature, algorithms, etc. A thermal test chamber was designed and constructed from a refrigerator, a thermal blanket, a Raspberry Pi and the necessary electronic components for its control and data collection. From the tests carried out in the thermal chamber, data on the operation of the four thermostats such as the maintenance and the anticipation of the setpoint temperature, were obtained. It was necessary to run the system enough times for each thermostat to memorize the housing characteristics, such as its inertia and its thermal insulation. This would also allow for the generation of a better algorithm to regulate the temperature, which would create a lower oscillation with respect to the setpoint temperature. The learning of the thermostats was not demonstrated and for the anticipation mode it was seen that the thermostats failed to improve or learn in this aspect, as they did not improve the start-up times of the heating system, with the consequent increase in energy consumption.

  17. Field Evaluation of Programmable Thermostats

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sachs, O.; Tiefenbeck, V.; Duvier, C.; Qin, A.; Cheney, K.; Akers, C.; Roth, K.

    2012-12-01

    Prior research suggests that poor programmable thermostats usability may prevent their effective use to save energy. We hypothesized that home occupants with a high-usability thermostats would be more likely to use them to save energy than people with a basic thermostat. We randomly installed a high-usability thermostat in half the 77 apartments of an affordable housing complex, installing a basic thermostat in the other half. During the heating season, we collected space temperature and furnace on-off data to evaluate occupant interaction with the thermostats, foremost nighttime setbacks. We found that thermostat usability did not influence energy-saving behaviors, finding no significant difference in temperature maintained among apartments with high- and low-usability thermostats.

  18. Modeling heterogeneous populations of thermostatically controlled loads using diffusion-advection PDEs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moura, Scott; Ruiz, Victor; Bendtsen, Jan Dimon

    2013-01-01

    This paper focuses on developing a partial differential equation (PDE)-based model and parameter identification scheme for heterogeneous populations of thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs). First, a coupled two-state hyperbolic PDE model for homogenous TCL populations is derived. This model i...

  19. Field Evaluation of Programmable Thermostats

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sachs, O. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Cambridge, MA (United States); Tiefenbeck, V. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Cambridge, MA (United States); Duvier, C. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Cambridge, MA (United States); Qin, A. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Cambridge, MA (United States); Cheney, K. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Cambridge, MA (United States); Akers, C. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Cambridge, MA (United States); Roth, K. [Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE), Cambridge, MA (United States)

    2012-12-01

    Prior research suggests that poor programmable thermostats usability may prevent their effective use to save energy. The Fraunhofer team hypothesized that home occupants with high-usability thermostats would be more likely to use them to save energy than people with a basic thermostats. In this report, the team discusses results of a project in which the team monitored and compared programmable thermostats with basic thermostats in an affordable housing apartment complex.

  20. Building Energy Modeling and Control Methods for Optimization and Renewables Integration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burger, Eric M.

    This dissertation presents techniques for the numerical modeling and control of building systems, with an emphasis on thermostatically controlled loads. The primary objective of this work is to address technical challenges related to the management of energy use in commercial and residential buildings. This work is motivated by the need to enhance the performance of building systems and by the potential for aggregated loads to perform load following and regulation ancillary services, thereby enabling the further adoption of intermittent renewable energy generation technologies. To increase the generalizability of the techniques, an emphasis is placed on recursive and adaptive methods which minimize the need for customization to specific buildings and applications. The techniques presented in this dissertation can be divided into two general categories: modeling and control. Modeling techniques encompass the processing of data streams from sensors and the training of numerical models. These models enable us to predict the energy use of a building and of sub-systems, such as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit. Specifically, we first present an ensemble learning method for the short-term forecasting of total electricity demand in buildings. As the deployment of intermittent renewable energy resources continues to rise, the generation of accurate building-level electricity demand forecasts will be valuable to both grid operators and building energy management systems. Second, we present a recursive parameter estimation technique for identifying a thermostatically controlled load (TCL) model that is non-linear in the parameters. For TCLs to perform demand response services in real-time markets, online methods for parameter estimation are needed. Third, we develop a piecewise linear thermal model of a residential building and train the model using data collected from a custom-built thermostat. This model is capable of approximating unmodeled

  1. Control characteristics and heating performance analysis of automatic thermostatic valves for radiant slab heating system in residential apartments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahn, Byung-Cheon [Department of Building Equipment System Engineering, Kyungwon University, Seongnam City (Korea); Song, Jae-Yeob [Graduate School, Building Equipment System Engineering, Kyungwon University, Seongnam City (Korea)

    2010-04-15

    Computer simulations and experiments are carried out to research the control characteristics and heating performances for a radiant slab heating system with automatic thermostatic valves in residential apartments. An electrical equivalent R-C circuit is applied to analyze the unsteady heat transfer in the house. In addition, the radiant heat transfer between slabs, ceilings and walls in the room is evaluated by enclosure analysis method. Results of heating performance and control characteristics were determined from control methods such as automatic thermostatic valves, room air temperature-sensing method, water-temperature-sensing method, proportional control method, and On-Off control method. (author)

  2. Development of modular thermostatic vapour-cooled current leads for cryogenic service

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blessing, H.; Lebrun, P.

    1983-01-01

    Cryogenic current leads cooled by helium vapour have been developed, built and tested. Their construction, based on standard electrolytic copper braids crimped at the ends, is such as to provide flexible cold terminations and make possible a modular design. The warm terminations combine electrical insulation, leak-tightness and integrated thermostatic valves controlling lead temperature and avoiding thermal run-away or ice build-up. After giving a detailed description of their construction, this report presents results of performance and reliability tests made on prototype units. (orig.)

  3. Demand Response on domestic thermostatically controlled loads

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lakshmanan, Venkatachalam

    . For a safe and reliable operation of electric power systems, the balance between electricity generation and consumption has to be maintained. The conventional fossil fuel based power generation achieves this balance by adjusting the generation to follow the consumption. In the electric power system......Electricity has become an inevitable part of human life in present day world. In the past two centuries, the electric power system has undergone a lot of changes. Due to the awareness about the adverse impact of the fossil fuels, the power industry is adopting green and sustainable energy sources....... In general, the electricity consumers are classified as industrial, commercial and domestic. In this dissertation, only the thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) in the domestic segment are considered for the demand response study. The study is funded by Danish Council for Strategic Research (DCSR...

  4. Texas traffic thermostat software tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-01

    The traffic thermostat decision tool is built to help guide the user through a logical, step-wise, process of examining potential changes to their Manage Lane/toll facility. : **NOTE: Project Title: Application of the Traffic Thermostat Framework. Ap...

  5. Texas traffic thermostat marketing package.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-01

    The traffic thermostat decision tool is built to help guide the user through a logical, step-wise, process of examining potential changes to their Manage Lane/toll facility. : **NOTE: Project Title: Application of the Traffic Thermostat Framework. Ap...

  6. Large Scale Demand Response of Thermostatic Loads

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Totu, Luminita Cristiana

    This study is concerned with large populations of residential thermostatic loads (e.g. refrigerators, air conditioning or heat pumps). The purpose is to gain control over the aggregate power consumption in order to provide balancing services for the electrical grid. Without affecting the temperat......This study is concerned with large populations of residential thermostatic loads (e.g. refrigerators, air conditioning or heat pumps). The purpose is to gain control over the aggregate power consumption in order to provide balancing services for the electrical grid. Without affecting....... The control architecture is defined by parsimonious communication requirements that also have a high level data privacy, and it furthermore guarantees a robust and secure local operation. Mathematical models are put forward, and the effectiveness is shown by numerical simulations. A case study of 10000...

  7. Economic MPC based on LPV model for thermostatically controlled loads

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zemtsov, Nikita; Hlava, Jaroslav; Frantsuzova, Galina

    2017-01-01

    Rapid increase of the renewable energy share in electricity production requires optimization and flexibility of the power consumption side. Thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) have a large potential for regulation service provision. Economic model predictive control (MPC) is an advanced...... control method which can be used to syncronize the power consumption with undispatchable renewable electricity production. Thermal behavior of TCLs can be described by linear models based on energy balance of the system. In some cases, parameters of the model may be time-varying. In this work, we present...... a modified economic MPC based on linear parameter-varying model. In particular, we provide an exact transformation from a standard economic MPC formulation to a linear program. We assume that the variables influencing the model parameters are known (predictable) for the prediction horizon of the controller...

  8. How People Actually Use Thermostats

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meier, Alan; Aragon, Cecilia; Hurwitz, Becky; Mujumdar, Dhawal; Peffer, Therese; Perry, Daniel; Pritoni, Marco

    2010-08-15

    Residential thermostats have been a key element in controlling heating and cooling systems for over sixty years. However, today's modern programmable thermostats (PTs) are complicated and difficult for users to understand, leading to errors in operation and wasted energy. Four separate tests of usability were conducted in preparation for a larger study. These tests included personal interviews, an on-line survey, photographing actual thermostat settings, and measurements of ability to accomplish four tasks related to effective use of a PT. The interviews revealed that many occupants used the PT as an on-off switch and most demonstrated little knowledge of how to operate it. The on-line survey found that 89% of the respondents rarely or never used the PT to set a weekday or weekend program. The photographic survey (in low income homes) found that only 30% of the PTs were actually programmed. In the usability test, we found that we could quantify the difference in usability of two PTs as measured in time to accomplish tasks. Users accomplished the tasks in consistently shorter times with the touchscreen unit than with buttons. None of these studies are representative of the entire population of users but, together, they illustrate the importance of improving user interfaces in PTs.

  9. Cesium heat-pipe thermostat

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, F.; Song, D.; Sheng, K.; Wu, J. [Changcheng Institute of Metrology and Measurement, 100095, Beijing (China); Yi, X. [China National South Aviation industry CO., LTD., 412002, Hunan (China); Yu, Z. [Dalian Jinzhou Institute of Measurement and Testing, 116100, Liaoning (China)

    2013-09-11

    In this paper the authors report a newly developed Cesium Heat-Pipe Thermostat (Cs HPT) with the operation range of 400 °C to 800 °C. The working medium is cesium (Cs) of 99.98% purity and contains no radioisotope. A Cs filing device is developed which can prevent Cs being in contact with air. The structural material is stainless steel. A 5000 h test has been made to confirm the compatibility between cesium and stainless steel. The Cs HPT has several thermometer wells of 220mm depth with different diameters for different sizes of thermometers. The temperature uniformity of the Cs HPT is 0.06 °C to 0.20 °C. A precise temperature controller is used to ensure the temperature fluctuation within ±0.03 °C. The size of Cs HPT is 380mm×320mm×280mm with foot wheels for easy moving. The thermostat has been successfully used for the calibration of industrial platinum resistance thermometers and thermocouples.

  10. Efficient stochastic thermostatting of path integral molecular dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ceriotti, Michele; Parrinello, Michele; Markland, Thomas E; Manolopoulos, David E

    2010-09-28

    The path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) method provides a convenient way to compute the quantum mechanical structural and thermodynamic properties of condensed phase systems at the expense of introducing an additional set of high frequency normal modes on top of the physical vibrations of the system. Efficiently sampling such a wide range of frequencies provides a considerable thermostatting challenge. Here we introduce a simple stochastic path integral Langevin equation (PILE) thermostat which exploits an analytic knowledge of the free path integral normal mode frequencies. We also apply a recently developed colored noise thermostat based on a generalized Langevin equation (GLE), which automatically achieves a similar, frequency-optimized sampling. The sampling efficiencies of these thermostats are compared with that of the more conventional Nosé-Hoover chain (NHC) thermostat for a number of physically relevant properties of the liquid water and hydrogen-in-palladium systems. In nearly every case, the new PILE thermostat is found to perform just as well as the NHC thermostat while allowing for a computationally more efficient implementation. The GLE thermostat also proves to be very robust delivering a near-optimum sampling efficiency in all of the cases considered. We suspect that these simple stochastic thermostats will therefore find useful application in many future PIMD simulations.

  11. Deterministic time-reversible thermostats: chaos, ergodicity, and the zeroth law of thermodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patra, Puneet Kumar; Sprott, Julien Clinton; Hoover, William Graham; Griswold Hoover, Carol

    2015-09-01

    The relative stability and ergodicity of deterministic time-reversible thermostats, both singly and in coupled pairs, are assessed through their Lyapunov spectra. Five types of thermostat are coupled to one another through a single Hooke's-law harmonic spring. The resulting dynamics shows that three specific thermostat types, Hoover-Holian, Ju-Bulgac, and Martyna-Klein-Tuckerman, have very similar Lyapunov spectra in their equilibrium four-dimensional phase spaces and when coupled in equilibrium or nonequilibrium pairs. All three of these oscillator-based thermostats are shown to be ergodic, with smooth analytic Gaussian distributions in their extended phase spaces (coordinate, momentum, and two control variables). Evidently these three ergodic and time-reversible thermostat types are particularly useful as statistical-mechanical thermometers and thermostats. Each of them generates Gibbs' universal canonical distribution internally as well as for systems to which they are coupled. Thus they obey the zeroth law of thermodynamics, as a good heat bath should. They also provide dissipative heat flow with relatively small nonlinearity when two or more such temperature baths interact and provide useful deterministic replacements for the stochastic Langevin equation.

  12. Building America Case Study: The Impact of Thermostat Placement in Low-Load Homes in Sunny Climates, Denver, Colorado

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2016-02-01

    Modern, energy-efficient homes conforming to the Zero Energy Ready Home standard face the challenge of meeting high customer expectations for comfort. Traditional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) sizing and control strategies may be insufficient to adequately condition each zone due to unique load patterns in each room caused by a number of factors. These factors include solar heat gains, occupant-related gains, and gains associated with appliances and electronics. Because of shrinking shell loads, these intermittent factors are having an increasingly significant impact on the thermal load in each zone. Consequently, occupant comfort can be compromised. To evaluate the impact of climate and house geometry, as well as HVAC system and control strategies on comfort conditions, IBACOS analyzed the results of 99 TRNSYS multiple-zone simulations. The results of this analysis indicate that for simple-geometry and single-story plans, a single zone and thermostat can adequately condition the entire house. Demanding house geometry and houses with multiple stories require the consideration of multiple thermostats and multiple zones.

  13. Architecture and performance of neural networks for efficient A/C control in buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahmoud, Mohamed A.; Ben-Nakhi, Abdullatif E.

    2003-01-01

    The feasibility of using neural networks (NNs) for optimizing air conditioning (AC) setback scheduling in public buildings was investigated. The main focus is on optimizing the network architecture in order to achieve best performance. To save energy, the temperature inside public buildings is allowed to rise after business hours by setting back the thermostat. The objective is to predict the time of the end of thermostat setback (EoS) such that the design temperature inside the building is restored in time for the start of business hours. State of the art building simulation software, ESP-r, was used to generate a database that covered the years 1995-1999. The software was used to calculate the EoS for two office buildings using the climate records in Kuwait. The EoS data for 1995 and 1996 were used for training and testing the NNs. The robustness of the trained NN was tested by applying them to a 'production' data set (1997-1999), which the networks have never 'seen' before. For each of the six different NN architectures evaluated, parametric studies were performed to determine the network parameters that best predict the EoS. External hourly temperature readings were used as network inputs, and the thermostat end of setback (EoS) is the output. The NN predictions were improved by developing a neural control scheme (NC). This scheme is based on using the temperature readings as they become available. For each NN architecture considered, six NNs were designed and trained for this purpose. The performance of the NN analysis was evaluated using a statistical indicator (the coefficient of multiple determination) and by statistical analysis of the error patterns, including ANOVA (analysis of variance). The results show that the NC, when used with a properly designed NN, is a powerful instrument for optimizing AC setback scheduling based only on external temperature records

  14. Demand management through centralized control system using power line communication for existing buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Mulla, A.; ElSherbini, A.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A pilot system was developed for demand management of equipment in buildings. • The networking was based on LonWorks platform and power line communication. • Demand strategies led to load reductions up to 74% and energy savings up to 25%. • The peak load reduction is expected to reach 3.44 GW by the year 2030. - Abstract: Managing peak demand efficiently is vital for maintaining uninterrupted supply of electrical power by utility providers. In this work, a pilot system was developed for managing and controlling the demand of major power consuming equipment in buildings from a central server, while relying mostly on existing infrastructure and maintaining consumer comfort. The system was successfully demonstrated on a selected group of buildings using the LonWorks networking platform. At the building level, the system utilized power line and twisted pair communication to control the thermostats of air-conditioning (A/C) units. The higher level communication was executed through extensible markup language (XML) and simple object access protocol (SOAP). The system provided control capabilities based on A/C unit priority, thermostat temperature, building type and geographic location. The development and execution of demand management strategies for selected buildings led to peak load reductions up to 74%, in addition to energy savings up to 25%. Implementing such a system at a national level in Kuwait is estimated to reduce peak demand by 3.44 GW, amounting to capital savings of $4.13 billion. The use of existing infrastructure reduced the cost and installation time of the system. Based on the successful testing of this pilot system, a larger-scale system is being developed

  15. Energy management systems in buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lush, D. M.

    1979-07-01

    An investigation is made of the range of possibilities available from three types of systems (automatic control devices, building envelope, and the occupants) in buildings. The following subjects are discussed: general (buildings, design and personnel); new buildings (envelope, designers, energy and load calculations, plant design, general design parameters); existing buildings (conservation measures, general energy management, air conditioned buildings, industrial buildings); man and motivation (general, energy management and documentation, maintenance, motivation); automatic energy management systems (thermostatic controls, optimized plant start up, air conditioned and industrial buildings, building automatic systems). (MCW)

  16. A Microwave Thermostatic Reactor for Processing Liquid Materials Based on a Heat-Exchanger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Yongqiang; Zhang, Chun; Xie, Tian; Hong, Tao; Zhu, Huacheng; Yang, Yang; Liu, Changjun; Huang, Kama

    2017-10-08

    Microwaves have been widely used in the treatment of different materials. However, the existing adjustable power thermostatic reactors cannot be used to analyze materials characteristics under microwave effects. In this paper, a microwave thermostatic chemical reactor for processing liquid materials is proposed, by controlling the velocity of coolant based on PLC (programmable logic controller) in different liquid under different constant electric field intensity. A nonpolar coolant (Polydimethylsiloxane), which is completely microwave transparent, is employed to cool the liquid materials. Experiments are performed to measure the liquid temperature using optical fibers, the results show that the precision of temperature control is at the range of ±0.5 °C. Compared with the adjustable power thermostatic control system, the effect of electric field changes on material properties are avoided and it also can be used to detect the properties of liquid materials and special microwave effects.

  17. Building envelope regulations on thermal comfort in glass facade buildings and energy-saving potential for PMV-based comfort control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwang, Ruey-Lung; Shu, Shiu-Ya [Department of Architecture, National United University, 1, Lien-Da, Kung-Ching Li, Miaoli, 36003 (China)

    2011-04-15

    This paper presents an investigation of the effect of building envelope regulation on thermal comfort and on the energy-saving potential for PMV-based comfort control in glass facade buildings. Occurrences and severity of overheating, based on the PMV-PPD model contained in ISO 7730, were used for the thermal comfort assessment. Parametric study simulations for an actual building with a large glass facade were carried out to predict the changes in thermal comfort levels in a space due to different glazing types, depths of overhang and glazing areas, which are the key parameters of the building envelope regulation index, named ENVLOAD, in Taiwan. The result demonstrates that the ENVLOAD has significant effect on thermal comfort. Additionally, comparative simulations between PMV-based comfort control and conventional thermostatic control were performed to investigate the changes in the energy-saving potential of a thermal comfort-controlled space due to changes of its ENVLOAD. The results demonstrate that the energy-saving potential in a PMV-based controlled space increases with low ENVLOAD conditions. (author)

  18. Innovation in the U.S. building sector: An assessment of patent citations in building energy control technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Altwies, Joy E.; Nemet, Gregory F.

    2013-01-01

    Buildings are crucial to addressing energy problems because they are large consumers of end-use energy, and potential exists to dramatically improve their efficiencies. However, the pace of innovation in buildings is generally characterized as inadequate, despite the implementation of an array of policy instruments aimed at promoting efficiency. The literature on innovation in the building industry provides several explanations including: fragmented decision-making, principal agent problems, inadequate information, and limited learning across heterogeneous projects. We investigate the innovation process for buildings in the U.S. with a case study of patenting in energy management control systems (EMCS) for commercial buildings and programmable thermostats (PT) for residential buildings. Using U.S. patent data, we find that: (1) patenting activity peaked around 1980, subsequently declined, and then increased considerably in the past decade; (2) commercial, rather than residential, buildings account for the recent increase; and (3) building control technologies have benefitted from inventions originating outside the industry, notably from electronics and computers, with a shift toward the latter in recent years. - Highlights: ► We investigate the innovation process for buildings in the U.S. using patents. ► We use commercial and residential building controls technology as a case study. ► Patenting peaked around 1980, declined, and then increased in the past decade. ► Commercial building control patents account for most of the recent increase. ► Inventions in electronics and computers have led to innovation in building controls.

  19. Energy-Efficient and Comfortable Buildings through Multivariate Integrated Control (ECoMIC)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Birru, Dagnachew [Philips Electronics North America Corporation, Andover, MA (United States); Wen, Yao-Jung [Philips Electronics North America Corporation, Andover, MA (United States); Rubinstein, Francis M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Clear, Robert D. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2013-10-28

    This project aims to develop an integrated control solution for enhanced energy efficiency and user comfort in commercial buildings. The developed technology is a zone-based control framework that minimizes energy usage while maintaining occupants’ visual and thermal comfort through control of electric lights, motorized venetian blinds and thermostats. The control framework is designed following a modular, scalable and flexible architecture to facilitate easy integration with exiting building management systems. The control framework contains two key algorithms: 1) the lighting load balancing algorithm and 2) the thermostat control algorithm. The lighting load balancing algorithm adopts a model-based closed-loop control approach to determine the optimal electric light and venetian blind settings. It is formulated into an optimization problem with minimizing lighting-related energy consumptions as the objective and delivering adequate task light and preventing daylight glare as the constraints. The thermostat control algorithm is based on a well-established thermal comfort model and formulated as a root-finding problem to dynamically determine the optimal thermostat setpoint for both energy savings and improved thermal comfort. To address building-wide scalability, a system architecture was developed for the zone-based control technology. Three levels of services are defined in the architecture: external services, facility level services and zone level services. The zone-level service includes the control algorithms described above as well as the corresponding interfaces, profiles, sensors and actuators to realize the zone controller. The facility level services connect to the zones through a backbone network, handle supervisory level information and controls, and thus facilitate building-wide scalability. The external services provide communication capability to entities outside of the building for grid interaction and remote access. Various aspects of the

  20. Generation Following with Thermostatically Controlled Loads via Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers Sharing Algorithm

    OpenAIRE

    Burger, Eric M.; Moura, Scott J.

    2015-01-01

    A fundamental requirement of the electric power system is to maintain a continuous and instantaneous balance between generation and load. The intermittency and uncertainty introduced by renewable energy generation requires the expansion of ancillary power system services to maintain such a balance. In this paper, we examine the potential of thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs), such as refrigerators and electric water heaters, to provide generation following services in real-time energy m...

  1. Thermostat Controlled Loads Flexibility Assessment for Enabling Load Shifting – An Experimental Proof in a Low Voltage Grid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lakshmanan, Venkatachalam; Marinelli, Mattia; Kosek, Anna M.

    2017-01-01

    This paper investigates the usability of thermostat controlled domestic appliances for load shift in LV distribution grids. The proposed method uses refrigerators for the demonstration of adaptive load prediction to estimate its flexibility and perform scheduling based on load threshold limit. Tw...

  2. Investigation of a chaotic thermostat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales, G. J.

    2018-03-01

    A numerical study is presented of a free particle interacting with a deterministic thermostat in which the usual friction force is supplemented with a fluctuating force that depends on the self-consistent damping coefficient associated with coupling to the heat bath. It is found that this addition results in a chaotic environment in which a particle self-heats from rest and moves in positive and negative directions, exhibiting a characteristic diffusive behavior. The frequency power spectrum of the dynamical quantities displays the exponential frequency dependence ubiquitous to chaotic dynamics. The velocity distribution function approximates a Maxwellian distribution, but it does show departures from perfect thermal equilibrium, while the distribution function for the damping coefficient shows a closer fit. The behavior for the classic Nosé-Hoover (NH) thermostat is compared to that of the enlarged Martyna-Klein-Tuckerman (MKT) model. Over a narrow amplitude range, the application of a constant external force results quantitatively in the Einstein relation for the NH thermostat, and for the MKT model it differs by a factor of 2.

  3. Thermostatted delta f

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krommes, J.A.

    2000-01-01

    The delta f simulation method is revisited. Statistical coarse-graining is used to rigorously derive the equation for the fluctuation delta f in the particle distribution. It is argued that completely collisionless simulation is incompatible with the achievement of true statistically steady states with nonzero turbulent fluxes because the variance of the particle weights w grows with time. To ensure such steady states, it is shown that for dynamically collisionless situations a generalized thermostat or W-stat may be used in lieu of a full collision operator to absorb the flow of entropy to unresolved fine scales in velocity space. The simplest W-stat can be implemented as a self-consistently determined, time-dependent damping applied to w. A precise kinematic analogy to thermostatted nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) is pointed out, and the justification of W-stats for simulations of turbulence is discussed. An extrapolation procedure is proposed such that the long-time, steady-state, collisionless flux can be deduced from several short W-statted runs with large effective collisionality, and a numerical demonstration is given

  4. Control for large scale demand response of thermostatic loads

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Totu, Luminita Cristiana; Leth, John; Wisniewski, Rafal

    2013-01-01

    appliances with on/off operation. The objective is to reduce the consumption peak of a group of loads composed of both flexible and inflexible units. The power flexible units are the thermostat-based appliances. We discuss a centralized, model predictive approach and a distributed structure with a randomized......Demand response is an important Smart Grid concept that aims at facilitating the integration of volatile energy resources into the electricity grid. This paper considers a residential demand response scenario and specifically looks into the problem of managing a large number thermostatbased...

  5. Building-Related Symptoms, Energy, and Thermal Control in the Workplace: Personal and Open Plan Offices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sally S. Shahzad

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available This study compared building-related symptoms in personal and open plan offices, where high and low levels of control over the thermal environment were provided, respectively. The individualized approach in Norway provided every user with a personal office, where they had control over an openable window, door, blinds, and thermostat. In contrast, the open plan case studies in the United Kingdom provided control over openable windows and blinds only for limited occupants seated around the perimeter of the building, with users seated away from the windows having no means of environmental control. Air conditioning was deployed in the Norwegian case study buildings, while displacement ventilation and natural ventilation were utilized in the British examples. Field studies of thermal comfort were applied with questionnaires, environmental measurements, and interviews. Users’ health was better in the Norwegian model (28%, while the British model was much more energy efficient (up to 10 times. The follow-up interviews confirmed the effect of lack of thermal control on users’ health. A balanced appraisal was made of energy performance and users’ health between the two buildings.

  6. ENERGY STAR Certified Smart Thermostats

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Certified models meet all ENERGY STAR requirements as listed in the Version 1.0 ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Connected Thermostats that are effective as of...

  7. Danfos: Thermostatic Radiator Valves

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gregersen, Niels; Oliver, James; Hjorth, Poul G.

    2000-01-01

    This problem deals with modelling the flow through a typical Danfoss thermostatic radiator valve.Danfoss is able to employ Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in calculations of the capacity of valves, but an experienced engineer can often by rules of thumb "guess" the capacity, with a precision...

  8. Experiments and Data for Building Energy Performance Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bacher, Peder; Madsen, Henrik

    are during the experiments, from conditions optimized for modelling toward more common living conditions, i.e. from high variation of the indoor temperature, toward thermostatic temperature control and human activities in the building. In total five experiments have been successfully carried out, two...

  9. Small Business Demand Response with Communicating Thermostats: SMUD's Summer Solutions Research Pilot

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herter, Karen; Wayland, Seth; Rasin, Josh

    2009-09-25

    This report documents a field study of 78 small commercial customers in the Sacramento Municipal Utility District service territory who volunteered for an integrated energy-efficiency/demand-response (EE-DR) program in the summer of 2008. The original objective for the pilot was to provide a better understanding of demand response issues in the small commercial sector. Early findings justified a focus on offering small businesses (1) help with the energy efficiency of their buildings in exchange for occasional load shed, and (2) a portfolio of options to meet the needs of a diverse customer sector. To meet these expressed needs, the research pilot provided on-site energy efficiency advice and offered participants several program options, including the choice of either a dynamic rate or monthly payment for air-conditioning setpoint control. An analysis of hourly load data indicates that the offices and retail stores in our sample provided significant demand response, while the restaurants did not. Thermostat data provides further evidence that restaurants attempted to precool and reduce AC service during event hours, but were unable to because their air-conditioning units were undersized. On a 100 F reference day, load impacts of all participants during events averaged 14%, while load impacts of office and retail buildings (excluding restaurants) reached 20%. Overall, pilot participants including restaurants had 2007-2008 summer energy savings of 20% and bill savings of 30%. About 80% of participants said that the program met or surpassed their expectations, and three-quarters said they would probably or definitely participate again without the $120 participation incentive. These results provide evidence that energy efficiency programs, dynamic rates and load control programs can be used concurrently and effectively in the small business sector, and that communicating thermostats are a reliable tool for providing air-conditioning load shed and enhancing the ability

  10. Dynamic energy performance analysis: Case study for energy efficiency retrofits of hospital buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buonomano, Annamaria; Calise, Francesco; Ferruzzi, Gabriele; Palombo, Adolfo

    2014-01-01

    This paper investigates several actions for the energy refurbishment of some buildings of the University Hospital Federico II of Naples. The analysis focuses on a specific lot of 4 buildings, representative of the whole district hospital. For those structures, sustainable energy savings actions are investigated. They regard the installation of: i) roofs thermal insulation; ii) a substation climatic 3-way valve; iii) radiators thermostatic valves; iv) AHU (air handling unit) time-programmable regulation. This paper aims at presenting an investigation methodology, useful for designers and other stakeholders involved in hospital energy refurbishments, based on an integrated approach which combines dynamic energy performance simulations and experimental campaigns. In order to measure all the simulations' missing input parameters, a suitable experimental analysis, including measurements of temperature, humidity, flow rate and density of construction materials, is performed. A thermographic investigation is also performed for investigating the building envelope performance. This analysis showed that significant savings can be achieved especially by adopting radiators thermostatic valves and AHU regulations. Coherently, the installation of a 3-way valve in the substation does not determine significant additional savings when radiators thermostatic valves are already installed. For high-rise buildings, roofs insulation returns only marginal reductions of space heating and cooling demands. - Highlights: • Energy saving measures applied to the largest hospital of South Italy are analyzed. • A new approach combining dynamic simulations and measurements is implemented. • Thermography, temperature and flow measurements are performed. • High savings are achieved by adopting thermostatic valves and AHU control systems. • The simplest energy saving actions resulted to be the most profitable ones

  11. Impact of thermostatically controlled loads' demand response activation on aggregated power: A field experiment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lakshmanan, Venkatachalam; Marinelli, Mattia; Kosek, Anna Magdalena

    2015-01-01

    activation. The outcome of this experimental study quantifies the actual flexibility of household TCLs and the consequence for the different parties with respect to power behaviour. Each DR activation method adopts different scenarios to meet the power reduction, and has different impacts on the parameters......This paper describes the impacts of different types of DR (demand response) activation on TCLs' (thermostatically controlled loads) aggregated power. The different parties: power system operators, DR service providers (or aggregators) and consumers, have different objectives in relation to DR....... The experiments are conducted with real domestic refrigerators representing TCL. Activating refrigerators for DR with a delay reduces the ISE (integral square error) in power limitation by 28.46%, overshoot by 7.69%. The delay in refrigerator activation causes reduction in power ramp down rate by 39.90%, ramp up...

  12. Deterministic thermostats, theories of nonequilibrium systems and parallels with the ergodic condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jepps, Owen G; Rondoni, Lamberto

    2010-01-01

    Deterministic 'thermostats' are mathematical tools used to model nonequilibrium steady states of fluids. The resulting dynamical systems correctly represent the transport properties of these fluids and are easily simulated on modern computers. More recently, the connection between such thermostats and entropy production has been exploited in the development of nonequilibrium fluid theories. The purpose and limitations of deterministic thermostats are discussed in the context of irreversible thermodynamics and the development of theories of nonequilibrium phenomena. We draw parallels between the development of such nonequilibrium theories and the development of notions of ergodicity in equilibrium theories. (topical review)

  13. Building Energy Management Open Source Software

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2017-06-20

    This is the repository for Building Energy Management Open Source Software (BEMOSS), which is an open source operating system that is engineered to improve sensing and control of equipment in small- and medium-sized commercial buildings. BEMOSS offers the following key features: (1) Open source, open architecture – BEMOSS is an open source operating system that is built upon VOLTTRON – a distributed agent platform developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). BEMOSS was designed to make it easy for hardware manufacturers to seamlessly interface their devices with BEMOSS. Software developers can also contribute to adding additional BEMOSS functionalities and applications. (2) Plug & play – BEMOSS was designed to automatically discover supported load controllers (including smart thermostats, VAV/RTUs, lighting load controllers and plug load controllers) in commercial buildings. (3) Interoperability – BEMOSS was designed to work with load control devices form different manufacturers that operate on different communication technologies and data exchange protocols. (4) Cost effectiveness – Implementation of BEMOSS deemed to be cost-effective as it was built upon a robust open source platform that can operate on a low-cost single-board computer, such as Odroid. This feature could contribute to its rapid deployment in small- or medium-sized commercial buildings. (5) Scalability and ease of deployment – With its multi-node architecture, BEMOSS provides a distributed architecture where load controllers in a multi-floor and high occupancy building could be monitored and controlled by multiple single-board computers hosting BEMOSS. This makes it possible for a building engineer to deploy BEMOSS in one zone of a building, be comfortable with its operation, and later on expand the deployment to the entire building to make it more energy efficient. (6) Ability to provide local and remote monitoring – BEMOSS provides both local and remote monitoring

  14. A unified thermostat scheme for efficient configurational sampling for classical/quantum canonical ensembles via molecular dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhijun; Liu, Xinzijian; Chen, Zifei; Zheng, Haifeng; Yan, Kangyu; Liu, Jian

    2017-07-01

    We show a unified second-order scheme for constructing simple, robust, and accurate algorithms for typical thermostats for configurational sampling for the canonical ensemble. When Langevin dynamics is used, the scheme leads to the BAOAB algorithm that has been recently investigated. We show that the scheme is also useful for other types of thermostats, such as the Andersen thermostat and Nosé-Hoover chain, regardless of whether the thermostat is deterministic or stochastic. In addition to analytical analysis, two 1-dimensional models and three typical real molecular systems that range from the gas phase, clusters, to the condensed phase are used in numerical examples for demonstration. Accuracy may be increased by an order of magnitude for estimating coordinate-dependent properties in molecular dynamics (when the same time interval is used), irrespective of which type of thermostat is applied. The scheme is especially useful for path integral molecular dynamics because it consistently improves the efficiency for evaluating all thermodynamic properties for any type of thermostat.

  15. Hydronic Heating Retrofits for Low-Rise Multifamily Buildings: Boiler Control Replacement and Monitoring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dentz, J.; Henderson, H.; Varshney, K.

    2014-09-01

    The ARIES Collaborative, a U.S. Department of Energy Building America research team, partnered with NeighborWorks America affiliate Homeowners' Rehab Inc. (HRI) of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to study improvements to the central hydronic heating system in one of the nonprofit's housing developments. The heating controls in the three-building, 42-unit Columbia Cambridge Alliance for Spanish Tenants housing development were upgraded. Fuel use in the development was excessive compared to similar properties. A poorly insulated thermal envelope contributed to high energy bills, but adding wall insulation was not cost-effective or practical. The more cost-effective option was improving heating system efficiency. Efficient operation of the heating system faced several obstacles, including inflexible boiler controls and failed thermostatic radiator valves. Boiler controls were replaced with systems that offer temperature setbacks and one that controls heat based on apartment temperature in addition to outdoor temperature. Utility bill analysis shows that post-retrofit weather-normalized heating energy use was reduced by 10%-31% (average of 19%). Indoor temperature cutoff reduced boiler runtime (and therefore heating fuel consumption) by 28% in the one building in which it was implemented. Nearly all savings were obtained during night which had a lower indoor temperature cut off (68 degrees F) than day (73 degrees F). This implies that the outdoor reset curve was appropriately adjusted for this building for daytime operation. Nighttime setback of heating system supply water temperature had no discernable impact on boiler runtime or gas bills.

  16. Construction and Start-up of a Large-Volume Thermostat for Dielectric-Constant Gas Thermometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merlone, A.; Moro, F.; Zandt, T.; Gaiser, C.; Fellmuth, B.

    2010-07-01

    A liquid-bath thermostat with a volume of about 800 L was designed to provide a suitable thermal environment for a dielectric-constant gas thermometer (DCGT) in the range from the triple point of mercury to the melting point of gallium. In the article, results obtained with the unique, huge thermostat without the DCGT measuring chamber are reported to demonstrate the capability of controlling the temperature of very large systems at a metrological level. First tests showed that the bath together with its temperature controller provide a temperature variation of less than ±0.5mK peak-to-peak. This temperature instability could be maintained over a period of several days. In the central working volume (diameter—500mm, height—650mm), in which the vacuum chamber containing the measuring system of the DCGT will be placed later, the temperature inhomogeneity has been demonstrated to be also well below 1mK.

  17. Determination of the mechanical thermostat electrical contacts switching quality with sound and vibration analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rejc, Jure; Munih, Marko [University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana (Slovenia)

    2017-05-15

    A mechanical thermostat is a device that switches heating or cooling appliances on or off based on temperature. For this kind of use, electronic or mechanical switching concepts are applied. During the production of electrical contacts, several irregularities can occur leading to improper switching events of the thermostat electrical contacts. This paper presents a non-obstructive method based on the fact that when the switching event occurs it can be heard and felt by human senses. We performed several laboratory tests with two different methods. The first method includes thermostat switch sound signal analysis during the switching event. The second method is based on sampling of the accelerometer signal during the switching event. The results show that the sound analysis approach has great potential. The approach enables an accurate determination of the switching event even if the sampled signal carries also the switching event of the neighbour thermostat.

  18. Equivalent electricity storage capacity of domestic thermostatically controlled loads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sossan, Fabrizio

    2017-01-01

    A method to quantify the equivalent storage capacity inherent the operation of thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) is developed. Equivalent storage capacity is defined as the amount of power and electricity consumption which can be deferred or anticipated in time with respect to the baseline consumption (i.e. when no demand side event occurs) without violating temperature limits. The analysis is carried out for 4 common domestic TCLs: an electric space heating system, freezer, fridge, and electric water heater. They are simulated by applying grey-box thermal models identified from measurements. They describe the heat transfer of the considered TCLs as a function of the electric power consumption and environment conditions. To represent typical TCLs operating conditions, Monte Carlo simulations are developed, where models inputs and parameters are sampled from relevant statistical distributions. The analysis provides a way to compare flexible demand against competitive storage technologies. It is intended as a tool for system planners to assess the TCLs potential to support electrical grid operation. In the paper, a comparison of the storage capacity per unit of capital investment cost is performed considering the selected TCLs and two grid-connected battery storage systems (a 720 kVA/500 kWh lithium-ion unit and 15 kVA/120 kWh Vanadium flow redox) is performed. - Highlights: • The equivalent storage capacity of domestic TCLs is quantified • A comparison with battery-based storage technologies is performed • We derive metrics for system planners to plan storage in power system networks • Rule-of-thumb cost indicators for flexible demand and battery-based storage

  19. Safe protocols for generating power pulses with heterogeneous populations of thermostatically controlled loads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sinitsyn, Nikolai A.; Kundu, Soumya; Backhaus, Scott

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Algorithms to produce useful load response from a heterogeneous group of TCLs. ► Generation of sharp power pulses without initiating any unwanted oscillation. ► Open-loop methods, not requiring any detailed system modeling. ► One-way, utility-to-consumer, communication. ► Potential use in secondary frequency regulation, generation-load balancing, etc. - Abstract: We explore methods to use thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs), such as water heaters and air conditioners, to provide ancillary services by assisting in balancing generation and load. We show that by adding simple imbedded instructions and a small amount of memory to temperature controllers of TCLs, it is possible to design open-loop control algorithms capable of creating short-term pulses of demand response without unwanted power oscillations associated with temporary synchronization of the TCL dynamics. By moving a small amount of intelligence to each of the end point TCL devices, we are able to leverage our knowledge of the time dynamics of TCLs to shape the demand response pulses for different power system applications. A significant benefit of our open-loop method is the reduction from two-way to one-way broadcast communication which also eliminates many basic consumer privacy issues. In this work, we focus on developing the algorithms to generate a set of fundamental pulse shapes that can subsequently be used to create demand response with arbitrary profiles. Demand response control methods, such as the one developed here, open the door to fast, nonperturbative control of large aggregations of TCLs

  20. Time step MOTA thermostat simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guthrie, G.L.

    1978-09-01

    The report details the logic, program layout, and operating procedures for the time-step MOTA (Materials Open Test Assembly) thermostat simulation program known as GYRD. It will enable prospective users to understand the operation of the program, run it, and interpret the results. The time-step simulation analysis was the approach chosen to determine the maximum value gain that could be used to minimize steady temperature offset without risking undamped thermal oscillations. The advantage of the GYRD program is that it directly shows hunting, ringing phenomenon, and similar events. Programs BITT and CYLB are faster, but do not directly show ringing time

  1. Software-Defined Solutions for Managing Energy Use in Small to Medium Sized Commercial Buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peffer, Therese [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE), Portland, ME (United States); Blumstein, Carl [Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE), Portland, ME (United States); Culler, David [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS); Modera, Mark [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States). Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC); Meier, Alan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2015-09-10

    The Project uses state-of-the-art computer science to extend the benefits of Building Automation Systems (BAS) typically found in large buildings (>100,000 square foot) to medium-sized commercial buildings (<50,000 sq ft). The BAS developed in this project, termed OpenBAS, uses an open-source and open software architecture platform, user interface, and plug-and-play control devices to facilitate adoption of energy efficiency strategies in the commercial building sector throughout the United States. At the heart of this “turn key” BAS is the platform with three types of controllers—thermostat, lighting controller, and general controller—that are easily “discovered” by the platform in a plug-and-play fashion. The user interface showcases the platform and provides the control system set-up, system status display and means of automatically mapping the control points in the system.

  2. Predicted and actual indoor environmental quality: Verification of occupants' behaviour models in residential buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Rune Korsholm; Fabi, Valentina; Corgnati, Stefano P.

    2016-01-01

    with the building controls (windows, thermostats, solar shading etc.). During the last decade, studies about stochastic models of occupants' behaviour in relation to control of the indoor environment have been published. Often the overall aim of these models is to enable more reliable predictions of building...... performance using building energy performance simulations (BEPS). However, the validity of these models has only been sparsely tested. In this paper, stochastic models of occupants' behaviour from literature were tested against measurements in five apartments. In a monitoring campaign, measurements of indoor....... However, comparisons of the average stochastic predictions with the measured temperatures, relative humidity and CO2 concentrations revealed that the models did not predict the actual indoor environmental conditions well....

  3. End users heat energy savings using thermostat regulation valves radiators, v. 16(64)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jakimovska, Emilija Misheva; Potsev, Eftim

    2008-01-01

    Billing the used heat energy offers the opportunity to motivate end users to use the heat energy rationally and to save the energy. Installing the thermostat valves on the radiators it is possible frequently to regulate the room temperature and to use the heat gains, obtaining comfortable climate in the apartments and saving the energy. Thermostat valves give the possibility to use the heat energy rationally and save the energy, and these way and users can regulate the heat energy consumption according to their own level of thermal comfort. (Author)

  4. End users heat energy savings using thermostat regulation valves radiators, v. 16(63)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jakimovska, Emilija Misheva; Potsev, Eftim

    2008-01-01

    Billing the used heat energy offers the opportunity to motivate end users to use the heat energy rationally and to save the energy. Installing the thermostat valves on the radiators it is possible frequently to regulate the room temperature and to use the heat gains, obtaining comfortable climate in the apartments and saving the energy. Thermostat valves give the possibility to use the heat energy rationally and save the energy, and these way and users can regulate the heat energy consumption according to their own level of thermal comfort. (Author)

  5. Emergency building temperature restrictions. Final evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1980-11-01

    On July 5, 1979, DOE promulgated final regulations of the Emergency Building Temperature Restrictions program, placing emergency restrictions on thermostat settings for space heating, space cooling, and hot water in commercial, industrial, and nonresidential public buildings. The final regulations restricted space heating to a maximum of 65/sup 0/F, hot water temperature to a maximum of 105/sup 0/F, and cooling temperature to a minimum of 78/sup 0/F. A comprehensive evaluation of the entire EBTF program for a nine-month period from July 16, 1979 is presented. In Chapter 1, an estimate of the population of buildings covered by EBTR is presented. In Chapter 2, EBTR compliance by building type and region is reported. Exemptions are also discussed. In Chapter 3, the simulations of building energy use are explained and the relative impact of various building characteristics and effectiveness of different control strategies are estimated. Finally, in Chapter 4, the methodology for scaling the individual building energy savings to the national level is described, and estimated national energy savings are presented.

  6. A thermostatted kinetic theory model for event-driven pedestrian dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianca, Carlo; Mogno, Caterina

    2018-06-01

    This paper is devoted to the modeling of the pedestrian dynamics by means of the thermostatted kinetic theory. Specifically the microscopic interactions among pedestrians and an external force field are modeled for simulating the evacuation of pedestrians from a metro station. The fundamentals of the stochastic game theory and the thermostatted kinetic theory are coupled for the derivation of a specific mathematical model which depicts the time evolution of the distribution of pedestrians at different exits of a metro station. The perturbation theory is employed in order to establish the stability analysis of the nonequilibrium stationary states in the case of a metro station consisting of two exits. A general sensitivity analysis on the initial conditions, the magnitude of the external force field and the number of exits is presented by means of numerical simulations which, in particular, show how the asymptotic distribution and the convergence time are affected by the presence of an external force field. The results show how, in evacuation conditions, the interaction dynamics among pedestrians can be negligible with respect to the external force. The important role of the thermostat term in allowing the reaching of the nonequilibrium stationary state is stressed out. Research perspectives are underlined at the end of paper, in particular for what concerns the derivation of frameworks that take into account the definition of local external actions and the introduction of the space and velocity dynamics.

  7. Learning Agent for a Heat-Pump Thermostat with a Set-Back Strategy Using Model-Free Reinforcement Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frederik Ruelens

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The conventional control paradigm for a heat pump with a less efficient auxiliary heating element is to keep its temperature set point constant during the day. This constant temperature set point ensures that the heat pump operates in its more efficient heat-pump mode and minimizes the risk of activating the less efficient auxiliary heating element. As an alternative to a constant set-point strategy, this paper proposes a learning agent for a thermostat with a set-back strategy. This set-back strategy relaxes the set-point temperature during convenient moments, e.g., when the occupants are not at home. Finding an optimal set-back strategy requires solving a sequential decision-making process under uncertainty, which presents two challenges. The first challenge is that for most residential buildings, a description of the thermal characteristics of the building is unavailable and challenging to obtain. The second challenge is that the relevant information on the state, i.e., the building envelope, cannot be measured by the learning agent. In order to overcome these two challenges, our paper proposes an auto-encoder coupled with a batch reinforcement learning technique. The proposed approach is validated for two building types with different thermal characteristics for heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. The simulation results indicate that the proposed learning agent can reduce the energy consumption by 4%–9% during 100 winter days and by 9%–11% during 80 summer days compared to the conventional constant set-point strategy.

  8. Experimental analysis of flexibility change with different levels of power reduction by demand response activation on thermostat controlled loads

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lakshmanan, Venkatachalam; Marinelli, Mattia; Hu, Junjie

    2017-01-01

    This paper studies the flexibility available with thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) to provide power system services by demand response (DR) activation. Although the DR activation on TCLs can provide power system ancillary services, it is important to know how long such services can...... be provided for when different levels of power reduction are imposed. The flexibility change with different levels of power reduction is tested experimentally with domestic fridges used by real customers with unknown user interaction. The investigation quantifies the flexibility of household fridges...... and the impact of DR activation in terms of deviation in the average temperature. The maximum possible power reduction with the cluster of refrigerators is 67% and the available flexibility with the cluster of refrigerators is 10%. The resulting deviation in the average temperature is 14%....

  9. Modeling Populations of Thermostatic Loads with Switching Rate Actuation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Totu, Luminita Cristiana; Wisniewski, Rafal; Leth, John-Josef

    2015-01-01

    We model thermostatic devices using a stochastic hybrid description, and introduce an external actuation mechanism that creates random switch events in the discrete dynamics. We then conjecture the form of the Fokker-Planck equation and successfully verify it numerically using Monte Carlo...... simulations. The actuation mechanism and subsequent modeling result are relevant for power system operation....

  10. Evaluating functions of positive-definite matrices using colored-noise thermostats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nava, Marco; Ceriotti, Michele; Dryzun, Chaim; Parrinello, Michele

    2014-02-01

    Many applications in computational science require computing the elements of a function of a large matrix. A commonly used approach is based on the the evaluation of the eigenvalue decomposition, a task that, in general, involves a computing time that scales with the cube of the size of the matrix. We present here a method that can be used to evaluate the elements of a function of a positive-definite matrix with a scaling that is linear for sparse matrices and quadratic in the general case. This methodology is based on the properties of the dynamics of a multidimensional harmonic potential coupled with colored-noise, generalized Langevin equation thermostats. This "f-thermostat" approach allows us to calculate directly elements of functions of a positive-definite matrix by carefully tailoring the properties of the stochastic dynamics. We demonstrate the scaling and the accuracy of this approach for both dense and sparse problems and compare the results with other established methodologies.

  11. Capillary Tube and Thermostatic Expansion Valve Comparative Analysis in Water Chiller Air Conditioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wijaya Sunu, Putu; Made Rasta, I.; Anakottapary, Daud Simon; Made Suarta, I.; Cipta Santosa, I. D. M.

    2018-01-01

    The aims of this study to compares the performance characteristics of a water chiller air conditioning simulation equipped with thermostatic expansion valve (TEV) with those of a capillary tube. Water chiller system filled with the same charge of refrigerant. Comparative analyses were performed based on coefficient of performance (COP) and performance parameter of the refrigeration system, carried out at medium cooling load level with the ambient temperature of 29-31°C, constant compressor speed and fixed chilled water volume flowrate at 15 lpm. It was shown that the TEV system showed better energy consumption compared to that of capillary tube. From the coefficient of performance perspective, the thermostatic expansion valve system showed higher COP (± 21.4%) compared to that of capillary tube system.

  12. Modelica Library for Building Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wetter, Michael

    2009-06-17

    This paper presents a freely available Modelica library for building heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The library is based on the Modelica.Fluid library. It has been developed to support research and development of integrated building energy and control systems. The primary applications are controls design, energy analysis and model-based operation. The library contains dynamic and steady-state component models that are applicable for analyzing fast transients when designing control algorithms and for conducting annual simulations when assessing energy performance. For most models, dimensional analysis is used to compute the performance for operating points that differ from nominal conditions. This allows parameterizing models in the absence of detailed geometrical information which is often impractical to obtain during the conceptual design phase of building systems. In the first part of this paper, the library architecture and the main classes are described. In the second part, an example is presented in which we implemented a model of a hydronic heating system with thermostatic radiator valves and thermal energy storage.

  13. Modelling and control of refrigerant circuits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gruhle, W D; Isermann, R

    1987-01-01

    Conventional evaporator control systems involving a thermostatic expansion valve often to not work satisfactorily in terms of stability and evaporator utilization. To improve this, the author first studies the cause of this behaviour by means of theoretic modelling which is greatly determined by processes occurring within the evaporator and by structural combinations. After verification of the simulated model by means of measurements performed on a pilot plant, the results obtained are used to build up a new control system. Various experiments reveal a clearly improved evaporator utilization at greater control stability. (orig.).

  14. Peltier battery thermostat for semiconductor detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caini, V.

    1980-01-01

    The description is given of a Peltier battery cooling thermostat for semiconductor detectors, whose sensing element is the detector itself. A signal proportional to the leakage current is amplified and compared with a chosen reference voltage. The difference, amplified and sensed, regulates the cooling current to the Peltier battery. Special mechanical devices speed up measurement-taking. The leakage current proved to be reducible to as little as 1/1000 of that at ambient temperature and the stabilization obtained is between +-5 nA (although between +-1 nA is also feasible). Hence it is possible to use very high load resistance preamplifiers to reduce noise and to improve stability and pulse height resolution in α spectroscopy, even with a detector unsuitable for work at very low temperatures. Other applications can be foreseen. (orig.)

  15. Open Automated Demand Response for Small Commerical Buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dudley, June Han; Piette, Mary Ann; Koch, Ed; Hennage, Dan

    2009-05-01

    This report characterizes small commercial buildings by market segments, systems and end-uses; develops a framework for identifying demand response (DR) enabling technologies and communication means; and reports on the design and development of a low-cost OpenADR enabling technology that delivers demand reductions as a percentage of the total predicted building peak electric demand. The results show that small offices, restaurants and retail buildings are the major contributors making up over one third of the small commercial peak demand. The majority of the small commercial buildings in California are located in southern inland areas and the central valley. Single-zone packaged units with manual and programmable thermostat controls make up the majority of heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for small commercial buildings with less than 200 kW peak electric demand. Fluorescent tubes with magnetic ballast and manual controls dominate this customer group's lighting systems. There are various ways, each with its pros and cons for a particular application, to communicate with these systems and three methods to enable automated DR in small commercial buildings using the Open Automated Demand Response (or OpenADR) communications infrastructure. Development of DR strategies must consider building characteristics, such as weather sensitivity and load variability, as well as system design (i.e. under-sizing, under-lighting, over-sizing, etc). Finally, field tests show that requesting demand reductions as a percentage of the total building predicted peak electric demand is feasible using the OpenADR infrastructure.

  16. Development of Fault Models for Hybrid Fault Detection and Diagnostics Algorithm: October 1, 2014 -- May 5, 2015

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cheung, Howard [Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States); Braun, James E. [Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)

    2015-12-31

    This report describes models of building faults created for OpenStudio to support the ongoing development of fault detection and diagnostic (FDD) algorithms at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Building faults are operating abnormalities that degrade building performance, such as using more energy than normal operation, failing to maintain building temperatures according to the thermostat set points, etc. Models of building faults in OpenStudio can be used to estimate fault impacts on building performance and to develop and evaluate FDD algorithms. The aim of the project is to develop fault models of typical heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment in the United States, and the fault models in this report are grouped as control faults, sensor faults, packaged and split air conditioner faults, water-cooled chiller faults, and other uncategorized faults. The control fault models simulate impacts of inappropriate thermostat control schemes such as an incorrect thermostat set point in unoccupied hours and manual changes of thermostat set point due to extreme outside temperature. Sensor fault models focus on the modeling of sensor biases including economizer relative humidity sensor bias, supply air temperature sensor bias, and water circuit temperature sensor bias. Packaged and split air conditioner fault models simulate refrigerant undercharging, condenser fouling, condenser fan motor efficiency degradation, non-condensable entrainment in refrigerant, and liquid line restriction. Other fault models that are uncategorized include duct fouling, excessive infiltration into the building, and blower and pump motor degradation.

  17. Investigation of charges for thermostatic expansion valves containing condensable and non condensable gas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Langmaack, Lasse Nicolai; Knudsen, Hans-Jørgen Høgaard

    2006-01-01

    The bulb of a thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) is basically a temperature-pressure converter. It senses the temperature at the outlet of the evaporator, and the substance in the bulb (charge) generates the corresponding saturation pressure inside the bulb. The aim of the work presented in this ...

  18. Mechatronic thermostatic water mixer for building automation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefano Mauro

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The use of sanitary water is a main aspect of comfort and healthiness within a house or a public environment as gyms or beauty farms. At the same time, water waste should be limited to a minimum in order to preserve both water and the energy required to warm it. To obtain these results, it is necessary to rule quickly and in a precise way the temperature. It is also necessary to check the presence of possible contemporary flow requested by different users in order to optimize distribution in the house network. This work describes a mechatronic water mixer that was developed to ensure fast and precise control of flow and temperature of delivered water. The flow control is based on modulating digital valves driven in pulse code modulation and on a microcontroller board. The electronic unit is designed to interface with a domotic network for remote control and total consumption monitoring and optimization.

  19. Implementing Occupant Behaviour in the Simulation of Building Energy Performance and Energy Flexibility: Development of Co-Simulation Framework and Case Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Rongling; Wei, Feng; Zhao, Yang

    2017-01-01

    Occupant behaviour has a substantial impact on the prediction of building energy performance. To capture this impact, co-simulation is considered an effective approach. It is still a new method in need of more development. In this study, a co-simulation framework is established to couple Energy......Plus with Java via Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) using the EnergyPlusToFMU software package. This method is applied to a case study of a single occupant office with control of lighting, plug load and thermostat. Two control scenarios are studied. These are occupancy and occupant behaviour based control (OC...

  20. Dynamic simulation of space heating systems with radiators controlled by TRVs in buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Baoping; Fu, Lin; Di, Hongfa [Department of Building Science, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2008-07-01

    The objective of this paper is to develop a model for simulating the thermal and hydraulic behavior of space heating systems with radiators controlled by thermostat valves (TRVs) in multi-family buildings. This is done by treating the building and the heating system as a complete entity. Sub-models for rooms, radiators, TRVs, and the hydraulic network are derived. Then the suggested sub-models are combined to form an integrated model by considering interactions between them. The proposed model takes into account the heat transfer between neighboring rooms, the transport delay in the radiator, the self-adjusting function of the TRV, and the consumer's regulation behavior, as well as the hydraulic interactions between consumers. To test the model, two space heating systems in Beijing and Tianjin were investigated, and the model was validated under three operation modes. There was good agreement between the measured and simulated values for room temperature, return water temperature, and flow rate. A modeling analysis case was given based on an existing building and heating system. It was found that when the set value of the TRVs were kept on 2-3, about 12.4% reduction of heat consumption could be gained, compared with the situation in which the TRVs were kept fully open. The water flow rate was an important index that truly reflected the heat load change. It was also noted that if the flow rate or supply water temperature changed much during the transport delay time in the radiator, ignoring the transport delay would introduce an obvious deviation of the simulation results. Additionally, when an apartment stopped using the heating system during a heating season, the heat consumption of its neighboring apartments would be increased about 6-14%. (author)

  1. Electrodeposition of nickel onto steel, using a thermostatic cell and movable anode by a variable current

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vega G, J.D.

    1994-01-01

    In this work, metallic coatings of nickel was made over carbon steel using two different electrolytic solutions: The Watts's bath and the nickel sulfamate bath, using a pulse variable current. The method use was the traditional method, its means a thermostatic cell and one movable anode, which is a few know technique nowadays, it allow realize depositions away from any laboratory or special workshop, it has the advantage to be a portable dispositive. At last of all the electro depositions the coatings quality was valuable by them physical properties like: adhesion, hardness, wrinkled and thickness. The best results was obtain by the Nickel sulfamate bath and movable anode, less in the thickness, which has higher on the thermostatic cell. The variable current was obtain by a Pulse Generator and a Cathodic galvanometer. (Author)

  2. Demand Response of Thermostatic Loads by Optimized Switching-Fraction Broadcast

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Totu, Luminita Cristiana; Wisniewski, Rafal

    2014-01-01

    Demand response is an important Smart Grid concept that aims at facilitating the integration of volatile energy resources into the electricity grid. This paper considers the problem of managing large populations of thermostat-based devices with on/off operation. The objective is to enable demand...... Method is used to spatially discretize these equations. Next, a broadcast strategy with two switching-fraction signals is proposed for actuating the population. This is applied in an open-loop scenario for tracking a power reference by running an optimization with a multilinear objective....

  3. From the Conception to the Marketing of a New Automatic Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Peter V.; Kildegaard, Erik; Boel, Jan

    1985-01-01

    From a historical viewpoint, product technology has developed via radiator thermostats, return thermostats and selfacting automatic temperature and pressure controls towards more integrated automatic control systems also including weather compensators, which offer benefits in the form of energy...

  4. Design and Development of Autonomous High Voltage Driving System for DEAP Actuator in Radiator Thermostat

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huang, Lina; Zhang, Zhe; Andersen, Michael A. E.

    2014-01-01

    In radiator thermostat applications, DEAP (Dielectric Electro Active Polymer) actuator tends to be a good candidate to replace the conventional self-actuating or step motor based actuator due to its intrinsic advantages. The capacitive property and high voltage (HV) driving demand of DEAP actuator...

  5. Dynamic principle for ensemble control tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samoletov, A; Vasiev, B

    2017-11-28

    Dynamical equations describing physical systems in contact with a thermal bath are commonly extended by mathematical tools called "thermostats." These tools are designed for sampling ensembles in statistical mechanics. Here we propose a dynamic principle underlying a range of thermostats which is derived using fundamental laws of statistical physics and ensures invariance of the canonical measure. The principle covers both stochastic and deterministic thermostat schemes. Our method has a clear advantage over a range of proposed and widely used thermostat schemes that are based on formal mathematical reasoning. Following the derivation of the proposed principle, we show its generality and illustrate its applications including design of temperature control tools that differ from the Nosé-Hoover-Langevin scheme.

  6. Method for reducing excess heat supply experienced in typical Chinese district heating systems by achieving hydraulic balance and improving indoor air temperature control at the building level

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Lipeng; Gudmundsson, Oddgeir; Thorsen, Jan Eric

    2016-01-01

    A common problem with Chinese district heating systems is that they supply more heat than the actual heat demand. The reason for this excess heat supply is the general failure to use control devices to adjust the indoor temperature and flow in the building heating systems in accordance with the a......A common problem with Chinese district heating systems is that they supply more heat than the actual heat demand. The reason for this excess heat supply is the general failure to use control devices to adjust the indoor temperature and flow in the building heating systems in accordance...... with the actual heat demand. This results in 15-30% of the total supplied heat being lost. This paper proposes an integrated approach that aims to reduce the excess heat loss by introducing pre-set thermostatic radiator valves combined with automatic balancing valves. Those devices establish hydraulic balance...... that once the hydraulic balance is achieved and indoor temperatures are controlled with this integrated approach, 17% heat savings and 42.8% pump electricity savings can be achieved. The energy savings will also have a positive environmental effect with seasonal reductions of 11 kg CO2, 0.1 kg SO2, and 0...

  7. Development and analysis of a variable position thermostat for smart cooling system of a light duty diesel vehicles and engine emissions assessment during NEDC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohamed, Eid S.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A new concept of the variable position electromagnetic thermostat in MCS is proposed. • A series of experiments were conducted on a light duty diesel vehicle operated over the NEDC test. • A comparative study was done on emission characteristics of the MCS and the conventional cooling system. • Engine cold start and steady-state coolant flow rate and emissions are presented. • The effect of MCS on engine accumulation FC and emissions over NEDC are evaluated. - Graphical Abstract: Display Omitted - Abstract: Smart cooling control systems for IC engines can better regulate the combustion process and heat, a variable position thermostat and electric coolant pumps (EWP) for IC engines are under development by a number of researchers. However, the aim of this study is to assess the performance of a variable position electromagnetic thermostat (VPEMT) to provide more flexible control of the engine temperature and coolant mass flow rate of modification cooling system (MCS). The measurement procedure was applied to two phases under new European drive cycle (NEDC) on a chassis dynamometer, with conventional cooling system (baseline engine) and MCS of a light duty diesel engine. The experimental results revealed that MCS using a VPEMT and EWP contributed to a reduction of engine warm-up period. As a consequence, important reduces in coolant flow rate and most exhaust emission compounds (THC, CO_2, CO and smoke opacity) were obtained. In contrast, NOx emission was observed to increase in these conditions. Comparative results are given for various engine speeds during a cold start and engine fully warm-up tests when the engine was equipped by conventional cooling system and MCS operation under NEDC, revealing the effect of MCS on engine fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.

  8. The presence and growth of Legionella species in thermostatic shower mixer taps: an exploratory field study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Joost van Hoof; P.W.J.J. van der Wielen; E. van der Blom; O.W.W. Nuijten; L. Hornstra

    2014-01-01

    Legislation in the Netherlands requires routine analysis of drinking water samples for cultivable Legionella species from high-priority installations. A field study was conducted to investigate the presence of Legionella species in thermostatic shower mixer taps. Water samples and the interior of

  9. Small causes, big effects. For environment and sales: Check of thermostat valves in the internet; Kleine Ursache, grosse Wirkung. Zugunsten Umwelt und Umsatz: Thermostatventil-Check jetzt im Internet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    2008-04-15

    Fifty percent of all installed thermostat valves are assumed to be lacking in energy efficiency, according to the ''Optimus'' research report. Industry has reacted to this by developing a ThermostatCheck, which can be accessed in the internet by builder-owners and fitters. (orig.)

  10. MEMS CHIP CO2 SENSOR FOR BUILDING SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anton Carl Greenwald

    2005-09-14

    The objective of this research was to develop an affordable, reliable sensor to enable demand controlled ventilation (DCV). A significant portion of total energy consumption in the United States is used for heating or air conditioning (HVAC) buildings. To assure occupant safety and fresh air levels in large buildings, and especially those with sealed windows, HVAC systems are frequently run in excess of true requirements as automated systems cannot now tell the occupancy level of interior spaces. If such a sensor (e.g. thermostat sized device) were available, it would reduce energy use between 10 and 20% in such buildings. A quantitative measure of ''fresh air'' is the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) present. An inert gas, CO{sub 2} is not easily detected by chemical sensors and is usually measured by infrared spectroscopy. Ion Optics research developed a complete infrared sensor package on a single MEMS chip. It contains the infrared (IR) source, IR detector and IR filter. The device resulting from this DOE sponsored research has sufficient sensitivity, lifetime, and drift rate to meet the specifications of commercial instrument manufacturers who are now testing the device for use in their building systems.

  11. Intelligent demand side management of residential building energy systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Maruti N.

    Advent of modern sensing technologies, data processing capabilities and rising cost of energy are driving the implementation of intelligent systems in buildings and houses which constitute 41% of total energy consumption. The primary motivation has been to provide a framework for demand-side management and to improve overall reliability. The entire formulation is to be implemented on NILM (Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring System), a smart meter. This is going to play a vital role in the future of demand side management. Utilities have started deploying smart meters throughout the world which will essentially help to establish communication between utility and consumers. This research is focused on investigation of a suitable thermal model of residential house, building up control system and developing diagnostic and energy usage forecast tool. The present work has considered measurement based approach to pursue. Identification of building thermal parameters is the very first step towards developing performance measurement and controls. The proposed identification technique is PEM (Prediction Error Method) based, discrete state-space model. The two different models have been devised. First model is focused toward energy usage forecast and diagnostics. Here one of the novel idea has been investigated which takes integral of thermal capacity to identify thermal model of house. The purpose of second identification is to build up a model for control strategy. The controller should be able to take into account the weather forecast information, deal with the operating point constraints and at the same time minimize the energy consumption. To design an optimal controller, MPC (Model Predictive Control) scheme has been implemented instead of present thermostatic/hysteretic control. This is a receding horizon approach. Capability of the proposed schemes has also been investigated.

  12. Nuclear quantum effects in solids using a colored-noise thermostat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ceriotti, Michele; Bussi, Giovanni; Parrinello, Michele

    2009-07-17

    We present a method, based on a non-Markovian Langevin equation, to include quantum corrections to the classical dynamics of ions in a quasiharmonic system. By properly fitting the correlation function of the noise, one can vary the fluctuations in positions and momenta as a function of the vibrational frequency, and fit them so as to reproduce the quantum-mechanical behavior, with minimal a priori knowledge of the details of the system. We discuss the application of the thermostat to diamond and to ice Ih. We find that results in agreement with path-integral methods can be obtained using only a fraction of the computational effort.

  13. Application of a New Dynamic Heating System Model Using a Range of Common Control Strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshua Fong

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This research investigates the overall heating energy consumptions using various control strategies, secondary heat emitters, and primary plant for a building. Previous research has successfully demonstrated that a dynamic distributed heat emitter model embedded within a simplified third-order lumped parameter building model is capable of achieving improved results when compared to other commercially available modelling tools. With the enhanced ability to capture transient effects of emitter thermal capacity, this research studies the influence of control strategies and primary plant configurations on the rate of energy consumption of a heating system. Four alternative control strategies are investigated: zone feedback; weather-compensated; a combination of both of these methods; and thermostatic control. The plant alternative configurations consist of conventional boilers, biomass boilers, and heat pumps supporting radiator heating and underfloor heating. The performance of the model is tested on a primary school building and can be applied to any residential or commercial building with a heating system. Results show that the new methods reported offer greater detail and rigor in the conduct of building energy modelling.

  14. Thermal response of a Fermi-Pasta-Ulam chain with Andersen thermostats

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Ambrosio, Federico; Baiesi, Marco

    2017-11-01

    The linear response to temperature variations is well characterised for equilibrium systems but a similar theory is not available, for example, for inertial heat conducting systems, whose paradigm is the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam (FPU) model driven by two different boundary temperatures. For models of inertial systems out of equilibrium, including relaxing systems, we show that Andersen thermostats are a natural tool for studying the thermal response. We derive a fluctuation-response relation that allows to predict thermal expansion coefficients or the heat capacitance in nonequilibrium regimes. Simulations of the FPU chain of oscillators suggest that estimates of susceptibilities obtained with our relation are better than those obtained via a small perturbation.

  15. Advances on development of suction and temperature controlled oedometer cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ye Weimin; Zhang Yawei; Chen Bao; Wang Min

    2010-01-01

    Oedometer cells for unsaturated soils can be classified into two types, that is, conventional unsaturated oedometer cells (high-suction unsaturated oedometer cell, high-suction and high-pressure unsaturated oedometer cell) and temperature controlled unsaturated oedometer cells. Among them, the osmotic, vapor equilibrium and axis translation techniques are often employed for suction control. The thermostat bath method and thermostatically controlled heater method are commonly used for temperature control. The lever loading system, hydraulic loading system and air pressure loading system are commonly means used for vertical pressure. Combination of osmotic (or axis translation) technique with vapor equilibrium method employed for the full range suction control, thermostatically liquid temperature control method, and the hydraulic loading system, could be used for suction, temperature and loading control in the design for unsaturated oedometer cells in the future, which can be used for study of buffer/backfill materials under high-temperature, high pressure and full range suction conditions. (authors)

  16. Operation and Management of Thermostatically Controlled Loads for Providing Regulation Services to Power Grids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanouni, Maziar

    The notion of demand-side participation in power systems operation and control is on the verge of realization because of the advancement in the required technologies an tools like communications, smart meters, sensor networks, large data management techniques, large scale optimization method, etc. Therefore, demand-response (DR) programs can be one of the prosperous solutions to accommodate part of the increasing demand for load balancing services which is brought about by the high penetration of intermittent renewable energies in power systems. This dissertation studies different aspects of the DR programs that utilized the thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) to provide load balancing services. The importance of TCLs among the other loads lie on their flexibility in power consumption pattern while the customer/end-user comfort is not (or minimally) impacted. Chapter 2 discussed a previously presented direct load control (DLC) to control the power consumption of aggregated TCLs. The DLC method performs a power tracking control and based on central approach where a central controller broadcasts the control command to the dispersed TCLs to toggle them on/off. The central controller receives measurement feedback from the TCLs once per couple of minutes to run a successful forecast process. The performance evaluation criteria to evaluate the load balancing service provided by the TCLs are presented. The results are discussed under different scenarios and situation. The numerical results show the proper performance of the DLC method. This DLC method is used as the control method in all the studies in this dissertation. Chapter 3 presents performance improvements for the original method in Chapter 2 by communicating two more pieces of information called forecast parameters (FPs). Communicating improves the forecast process in the DLC and hence, both performance accuracy and the amount of tear-and-wear imposed on the TCLs. Chapter 4 formulates a stochastic

  17. Hierarchical Control of Thermostatically Controller Loads for Primary Frequency Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhao, Haoran; Wu, Qiuwei; Huang, Shaojun

    2016-01-01

    reserve references. At the middle level, distribution substations estimate the available power of TCLs based on the aggregated bin model, and dispatch control signals to individual TCLs. At the local level, a supplementary frequency control loop is implemented at the local controller, which makes TCLs...... respond to the frequency event autonomously. Case studies show that the proposed controller can efficiently respond to frequency events and fulfill the requirement specified by the system operator. The users’ comforts are not compromised and the short cycling of TCLs is largely reduced. Due...... to the autonomous control, the communication requirement is minimized....

  18. Energy Saving Alignment Strategy: Achieving energy efficiency in urban buildings by matching occupant temperature preferences with a building’s indoor thermal environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Xiaoqi; Culligan, Patricia J.; Taylor, John E.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A novel strategy for energy savings in multi-family buildings is presented. • A household’s thermal preferences are matched with a unit’s thermal environment. • Potential energy savings are examined using public housing as a test case. • 2.1–42.0% primary energy savings are shown, depending on climate location. - Abstract: Existing strategies for residential energy savings through physical renovation or motivating occupant energy conservation behavior can be costly and/or have transitory effects. Focusing on multi-family dwellings, an important subset of the urban residential sector, we propose an Energy Saving Alignment Strategy (ESAS) that has advantageous cost-effectiveness and a long-lasting influence. By aligning the distribution of residents’ thermostat preferences with the indoor temperature, ESAS aims to maximize thermal comfort and, accordingly, energy savings in multi-family buildings where indoor temperatures vary between apartments as a function of apartment orientation and floor level. Using a case study of a 1084-apartment public housing complex in New York, we classify both occupants’ thermostat preferences and apartments’ operative temperatures into five groups, and optimize energy efficiency by assigning each group of occupants to the group of apartments that best aligns with their thermostat preference. We test ESAS in eight cities representing all four U.S. census regions and six climate zones. Simulation results reveal 2.1–42.0% in energy savings compared to random apartment assignments depending on geographic location, with the highest energy reductions occurring in cities with mild climates, where the range of occupant thermostat preferences coincides with the natural indoor temperature range. We conclude by providing suggested guidelines on how ESAS might work in practice, and recommendations for extending ESAS research

  19. Reimagining Building Sensing and Control (Presentation)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Polese, L.

    2014-06-01

    Buildings are responsible for 40% of US energy consumption, and sensing and control technologies are an important element in creating a truly sustainable built environment. Motion-based occupancy sensors are often part of these control systems, but are usually altered or disabled in response to occupants' complaints, at the expense of energy savings. Can we leverage commodity hardware developed for other sectors and embedded software to produce more capable sensors for robust building controls? The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) 'Image Processing Occupancy Sensor (IPOS)' is one example of leveraging embedded systems to create smarter, more reliable, multi-function sensors that open the door to new control strategies for building heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting control. In this keynote, we will discuss how cost-effective embedded systems are changing the state-of-the-art of building sensing and control.

  20. Bad seeds sprout perilous dynamics: stochastic thermostat induced trajectory synchronization in biomolecules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voter, A. F.; Sindhikara, Daniel J.; Kim, Seonah; Roitberg, Adrian E.

    2009-01-01

    Molecular dynamics simulations starting from different initial conditions are commonly used to mimic the behavior of an experimental ensemble. We show in this article that when a Langevin thermostat is used to maintain constant temperature during such simulations, extreme care must be taken when choosing the random number seeds used in order to prevent statistical correlation among the MD trajectories. While recent studies have shown that stochastically thermostatted trajectories evolving within a single potential basin with identical random number seeds tend to synchronize, we show that there is a synchronization effect even for complex, biologically relevant systems. We demonstrate this effect in simulations of Alanine trimer and pentamer and in a simulation of a temperature-jump experiment for peptide folding of a 14-residue peptide. Even in replica-exchange simulations, in which the trajectories are at different temperatures, we find partial synchronization occurring when the same random number seed is employed. We explain this by extending the recent derivation of the synchronization effect for two trajectories in a harmonic well to the case in which the trajectories are at two different temperatures. Our results suggest several ways in which mishandling selection of a pseudo random number generator initial seed can lead to corruption of simulation data. Simulators can fall into this trap in simple situations such as neglecting to specifically indicate different random seeds in either parallel or sequential restart simulations, utilizing a simulation package with a weak pseudorandom number generator, or using an advanced simulation algorithm that hasn't been programmed to distribute initial seeds

  1. Bad Seeds Sprout Perilous Dynamics: Stochastic Thermostat Induced Trajectory Synchronization in Biomolecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sindhikara, Daniel J; Kim, Seonah; Voter, Arthur F; Roitberg, Adrian E

    2009-06-09

    Molecular dynamics simulations starting from different initial conditions are commonly used to mimic the behavior of an experimental ensemble. We show in this article that when a Langevin thermostat is used to maintain constant temperature during such simulations, extreme care must be taken when choosing the random number seeds to prevent statistical correlation among the MD trajectories. While recent studies have shown that stochastically thermostatted trajectories evolving within a single potential basin with identical random number seeds tend to synchronize, we show that there is a synchronization effect even for complex, biologically relevant systems. We demonstrate this effect in simulations of alanine trimer and pentamer and in a simulation of a temperature-jump experiment for peptide folding of a 14-residue peptide. Even in replica-exchange simulations, in which the trajectories are at different temperatures, we find partial synchronization occurring when the same random number seed is employed. We explain this by extending the recent derivation of the synchronization effect for two trajectories in a harmonic well to the case in which the trajectories are at two different temperatures. Our results suggest several ways in which mishandling selection of a pseudorandom number generator initial seed can lead to corruption of simulation data. Simulators can fall into this trap in simple situations such as neglecting to specifically indicate different random seeds in either parallel or sequential restart simulations, utilizing a simulation package with a weak pseudorandom number generator, or using an advanced simulation algorithm that has not been programmed to distribute initial seeds.

  2. Measured energy savings from using night temperature setback

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szydlowski, R.F.; Wrench, L.E.; O'Neill, P.J.

    1993-01-01

    The measured energy savings resulting from using night temperature setback in typical light-construction wooden office buildings was determined. Researchers installed monitoring equipment in a six-building sample of two-story wooden buildings at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. Data obtained during both single-setting and night-setback operating modes were used to develop models of each building's heat consumption as a function of the difference between inside and outside temperature. These models were used to estimate seasonal savings that could be obtained from the use of night-setback thermostat control. The measured savings in heating energy from using night temperature setback for the six Fort Devens buildings ranged from 14% to 25%; the mean savings was 19.2%. Based on an energy cost of $0.65/therm of natural gas, the estimated average cost savings of using automatic setback thermostats in these buildings is $780 per year per building

  3. Quantum Oscillator in the Thermostat as a Model in the Thermodynamics of Open Quantum Systems

    OpenAIRE

    Sukhanov, Aleksander

    2005-01-01

    The quantum oscillator in the thermostat is considered as the model of an open quantum system. Our analysis will be heavily founded on the use of the Schroedinger generalized uncertainties relations (SUR). Our first aim is to demonstrate that for the quantum oscillator the state of thermal equilibrium belongs to the correlated coherent states (CCS), which imply the saturation of SUR at any temperature. The obtained results open the perspective for the search of some statistical theory, which ...

  4. Overview of Existing and Future Residential Use Cases for Connected Thermostats

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rotondo, Julia [Energetics Inc., Washington, DC (United States); Johnson, Robert [Energetics Inc., Washington, DC (United States); Gonzalez, Nancy [Energetics Inc., Washington, DC (United States); Waranowski, Alexandra [Energetics Inc., Washington, DC (United States); Badger, Chris [Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, Burlington, VT (United States); Lange, Nick [Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, Burlington, VT (United States); Goldman, Ethan [Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, Burlington, VT (United States); Foster, Rebecca [Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, Burlington, VT (United States)

    2017-03-01

    This paper is intended to help inform future technology deployment opportunities for connected thermostats (CTs), based on investigation and review of the U.S. residential housing and CT markets, as well as existing, emerging, and future use cases for CT hardware and CT-generated data. The CT market has experienced tremendous growth over the last 5 years—both in terms of the number of units sold and the number of firms offering competing products—and can be characterized by its rapid pace of technological innovation. Despite many assuming CTs would become powerful tools for increasing comfort while saving energy, there remains a great deal of uncertainty about the actual energy and cost savings that are likely to be realized from deployment of CTs, particularly under different conditions.

  5. How the Invisible Hand is Supposed to Adjust the Natural Thermostat: A Guide for the Perplexed

    OpenAIRE

    Storm, Servaas

    2016-01-01

    Mainstream climate economics takes global warming seriously, but perplexingly concludes that the optimal economic policy is to almost do nothing about it. This conclusion can be traced to just a few “normative” assumptions, over which there exists fundamental disagreement amongst economists. This paper explores two axes of this disagreement. The first axis (“market vs. regulation”) measures faith in the invisible hand to adjust the natural thermostat. The second axis expresses differences in ...

  6. Transactive Control of Commercial Buildings for Demand Response

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hao, He; Corbin, Charles D.; Kalsi, Karanjit; Pratt, Robert G.

    2017-01-01

    Transactive control is a type of distributed control strategy that uses market mechanism to engage self-interested responsive loads to achieve power balance in the electrical power grid. In this paper, we propose a transactive control approach of commercial building Heating, Ventilation, and Air- Conditioning (HVAC) systems for demand response. We first describe the system models, and identify their model parameters using data collected from Systems Engineering Building (SEB) located on our Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) campus. We next present a transactive control market structure for commercial building HVAC system, and describe its agent bidding and market clearing strategies. Several case studies are performed in a simulation environment using Building Control Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB) and calibrated SEB EnergyPlus model. We show that the proposed transactive control approach is very effective at peak clipping, load shifting, and strategic conservation for commercial building HVAC systems.

  7. Overview of Existing and Future Residential Use Cases for Connected Thermostats

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rotondo, Julia [Energetics Inc., Washington, DC (United States); Johnson, Robert [Energetics Inc., Washington, DC (United States); Gonzales, Nancy [Energetics Inc., Washington, DC (United States); Waranowski, Alexandra [Energetics Inc., Washington, DC (United States); Badger, Chris [Vermont Energy Investment Corp., Burlington, VT (United States); Lange, Nack [Vermont Energy Investment Corp., Burlington, VT (United States); Goldman, Ethan [Vermont Energy Investment Corp., Burlington, VT (United States); Foster, Rebecca [Vermont Energy Investment Corp., Burlington, VT (United States)

    2016-12-01

    This paper is intended to help inform future technology deployment opportunities for connected thermostats (CTs), based on investigation and review of the U.S. residential housing and CT markets, as well as existing, emerging, and future use cases for CT hardware and CT-generated data. The CT market has experienced tremendous growth over the last five years — both in terms of the number of units sold and the number of firms offering competing products — and can be characterized by its rapid pace of technological innovation. Despite many assuming CTs would become powerful tools for increasing comfort while saving energy, there remains a great deal of uncertainty about the actual energy and cost savings that are likely to be realized from deployment of CTs, particularly under different conditions.

  8. Control buildings for blast resistance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, G.A.

    1982-08-01

    Offers advice on interior design for blast-resistant control buildings. Suggests that for the comfort and safety of occupants, special attention must be paid to internal finishes and color schemes. Considers external treatment (e.g. panels, cladding fixings, thermal insulation), air intakes and exhausts, internal finishes (e.g. stud lining method), and internal walls and partitions. Presents diagrams showing construction method for a control building; elimination of ''cold bridge'' at eaves level; staggering door openings to minimize blast effects; and flexure of concrete walls without affecting the inner lining.

  9. Methods for a Smart Thermostat to Estimate the Characteristics of a House Based on Sensor Data with Varying Extent of Completeness

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Ham, Wim; Klein, Michel; Tabatabaei, Seyed Amin; Thilakarathne, Dilhan; Treur, Jan

    Smart thermostats can play an important role in achieving more economic energy usage in domestic situations. This paper focuses on the energy used for natural gas-based heating, and monitoring of gas usages versus indoor and outdoor temperatures over time. Two methods are presented that enable the

  10. Constraints of using thermostatic expansion valves to operate air-cooled chillers at lower condensing temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, F.W.; Chan, K.T.; Chu, H.Y.

    2006-01-01

    Thermostatic expansion valves (TXVs) have long been used in air-cooled chillers to implement head pressure control under which the condensing temperature is kept high at around 50 o C by staging condenser fans as few as possible. This paper considers how TXVs prevent the chillers from operating with an increased COP at lower condensing temperatures when the chiller load or outdoor temperature drops. An analysis on an existing air-cooled reciprocating chiller showed that the range of differential pressures across TXVs restricts the maximum heat rejection airflow required to increase the chiller COP, though the set point of condensing temperature is reduced to 22 o C from a high level of 45 o C. It is possible to use electronic expansion valves to meet the differential pressure requirements for maximum chiller COP. There is a maximum of 28.7% increase in the chiller COP when the heat rejection airflow is able to be maximized in various operating conditions. The results of this paper emphasize criteria for lowering the condensing temperature to enhance the performance of air-cooled chillers

  11. Climate control in cultural heritage buildings in Denmark

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Larsen, Poul Klenz [The National Museum, Copenhagen (Denmark). Dept. of Conservation; Brostroem, Tor [Gotland Univ., Visby (Sweden)

    2011-07-01

    Conservation heating has been used for decades to control the RH in cultural heritage buildings. But if the building is not used for living or working, heating is not needed for human comfort. The chemical decay of organic materials depends mainly on temperature, so it is better for preservation to reduce heating. The air exchange rate is related to the design of the building envelope. With rising energy prices humidity control by dehumidification may be an attractive alternative. The potential for energy efficient RH control was examined for a generic building exposed to the monthly average outside temperature and RH in Denmark. The indoor temperature was allowed to follow the outside average, whereas the indoor RH was controlled to 40 % 50 % 60 % or 70 %. Dehumidification was implemented in three different buildings: A recent museum store, a medieval church, and an 18th century country mansion. The energy consumption depends on the RH set point, the air exchange rate and the source of liquid moisture to the building. The air exchange rate related to the design of the building envelope. Single glazed windows and doors are the most important sources of leakage to buildings. Lack of maintenance may lead to poor performance of the dehumidifier and waste energy. (orig.)

  12. PID temperature controller in pig nursery: improvements in performance, thermal comfort, and electricity use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Souza Granja Barros, Juliana; Rossi, Luiz Antonio; Sartor, Karina

    2016-08-01

    The use of smarter temperature control technologies in heating systems can optimize the use of electric power and performance of piglets. Two control technologies of a resistive heating system were assessed in a pig nursery: a PID (proportional, integral, and derivative) controller and a thermostat. The systems were evaluated regarding thermal environment, piglet performance, and use of electric power for 99 days. The heating system with PID controller improved the thermal environment conditions and was significantly (P PID-controlled heating system is more efficient in electricity use and provides better conditions for thermal comfort and animal performance than heating with thermostat.

  13. Predictive Solar-Integrated Commercial Building Load Control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glasgow, Nathan [EdgePower Inc., Aspen, CO (United States)

    2017-01-31

    This report is the final technical report for the Department of Energy SunShot award number EE0007180 to EdgePower Inc., for the project entitled “Predictive Solar-Integrated Commercial Building Load Control.” The goal of this project was to successfully prove that the integration of solar forecasting and building load control can reduce demand charge costs for commercial building owners with solar PV. This proof of concept Tier 0 project demonstrated its value through a pilot project at a commercial building. This final report contains a summary of the work completed through he duration of the project. Clean Power Research was a sub-recipient on the award.

  14. Development of predictive control strategies for building climate control

    OpenAIRE

    NAGPAL, HIMANSHU

    2018-01-01

    APPROVED The rapid growth in energy usage and CO2 emissions has become a critical issue for the whole world. It is noteworthy that buildings are a major contributor to global primary energy consumption. Among building services, use of energy in heating-ventilation-air-conditioning (HVAC) system is particularly significant (about 50\\% of the total building energy consumption). Therefore, the development and implementation of effective control strategies to optimize the operation of HVAC sys...

  15. Method for simulating predictive control of building systems operation in the early stages of building design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Steffen; Svendsen, Svend

    2011-01-01

    A method for simulating predictive control of building systems operation in the early stages of building design is presented. The method uses building simulation based on weather forecasts to predict whether there is a future heating or cooling requirement. This information enables the thermal...... control systems of the building to respond proactively to keep the operational temperature within the thermal comfort range with the minimum use of energy. The method is implemented in an existing building simulation tool designed to inform decisions in the early stages of building design through...... parametric analysis. This enables building designers to predict the performance of the method and include it as a part of the solution space. The method furthermore facilitates the task of configuring appropriate building systems control schemes in the tool, and it eliminates time consuming manual...

  16. Climate control in historic buildings in Denmark

    OpenAIRE

    Klenz Larsen, Poul; Broström, Tor

    2011-01-01

    In many historic buildings, conservation heating has been used to control the RH in winter. Heat pumps are much more energy efficient than direct electric heating, so this technology may be adapted for climate control. Dehumidification has not been regarded as appropriate for historic buildings due to poor regulation, but recent development in electronic hygrostats makes this technology an attractive alternative. The annual energy consumption for both control strategies was calculated from st...

  17. Controlling the temperature in Canadian homes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dewis, G.

    2008-01-01

    Programmable thermostats can be used to optimize the operation of heating and cooling systems by reducing system usage when occupants are asleep or when dwellings are unoccupied. This paper used the results of a 2006 households and the environment survey to examine how programmable thermostats are currently being used in Canadian households. The demographic factors associated with thermostat use were discussed, as well as how their usage varied in different areas of Canada. The study showed that most Canadian households set their temperature at between 20 to 22 degrees C during times when they are home and awake. Home temperatures were reduced to between 16 and 18 degrees C when household members were away or asleep. Only 4 out of 10 households used programmable thermostats. Of those who used programmable thermostats, only 7 in 10 programmed the thermostat to lower the temperature when occupants were asleep. Senior citizens and people with lower levels of education were less likely to use programmable thermostats. It was concluded that incentive programs and the distribution of free programmable thermostats will increase their use in households. Assistance in programming during the installation process should also be provided. Factor analyses must also be conducted to examine the influence of age, education, and income and the decisions made by households in relation to temperature regulation. 7 tabs

  18. Automated Deployment of Advanced Controls and Analytics in Buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pritoni, Marco

    Buildings use 40% of primary energy in the US. Recent studies show that developing energy analytics and enhancing control strategies can significantly improve their energy performance. However, the deployment of advanced control software applications has been mostly limited to academic studies. Larger-scale implementations are prevented by the significant engineering time and customization required, due to significant differences among buildings. This study demonstrates how physics-inspired data-driven models can be used to develop portable analytics and control applications for buildings. Specifically, I demonstrate application of these models in all phases of the deployment of advanced controls and analytics in buildings: in the first phase, "Site Preparation and Interface with Legacy Systems" I used models to discover or map relationships among building components, automatically gathering metadata (information about data points) necessary to run the applications. During the second phase: "Application Deployment and Commissioning", models automatically learn system parameters, used for advanced controls and analytics. In the third phase: "Continuous Monitoring and Verification" I utilized models to automatically measure the energy performance of a building that has implemented advanced control strategies. In the conclusions, I discuss future challenges and suggest potential strategies for these innovative control systems to be widely deployed in the market. This dissertation provides useful new tools in terms of procedures, algorithms, and models to facilitate the automation of deployment of advanced controls and analytics and accelerate their wide adoption in buildings.

  19. Innovations in building regulation and control for advancing sustainability in buildings (I)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meacham, B.; Visscher, H.J.; Meijer, F.M.; Chan, C.; Chan, E.; Laubscher, J.; Neng Kwei Sung, J.; Dodds, B.; Serra, J.; Tenorio, J.A.; Echeverria, J.B.; Sanches-Ostiz, A.

    2014-01-01

    This session brings together policy-makers, government officials, researchers and others to present perspectives on how innovation in building regulation and control, such as performancebased approaches, are currently being used to advance sustainability concepts in buildings, and where and how we

  20. Energy consumption, energy savings, and emission analysis in Malaysian office buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saidur, R.

    2009-01-01

    This paper is concerned with the estimation of energy use in office buildings in Malaysia and with the energy use of major equipment. Energy intensity (EI) - a measure of a building's energy performance - is estimated for Malaysia and compared with a number of selected countries. Air conditioners are shown to be the major energy users (57%) in office buildings, followed by lighting (19%), lifts and pumps (18%) and other equipment (6%). It is estimated that 77,569 MWh of energy can be saved and a huge reduction of emissions achieved through the application of advance glazing, compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), insulation, housekeeping, and by raising thermostat set point temperature of air conditioners, and reducing EI. It is also estimated that a very substantial amount of energy can be saved by making use of energy-efficient motors in building systems with different motor loading percentages. Finally, it can be shown that the use of variable speed drives (VSDs) and energy-efficient motors leads to substantial energy savings and an enormous reduction in emissions.

  1. Homeostasis control of building environment using sensor agent robot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagahama, Eri; Mita, Akira

    2012-04-01

    A human centered system for building is demanded to meet variety of needs due to the diversification and maturation of society. Smart buildings and smart houses have been studied to satisfy this demand. However, it is difficult for such systems to respond flexibly to unexpected events and needs that are caused by aging and complicate emotion changes. With this regards, we suggest "Biofied Buildings". The goal for this research is to realize buildings that are safer, more comfortable and more energy-efficient by embedding adaptive functions of life into buildings. In this paper, we propose a new control system for building environments, focused on physiological adaptation, particularly homeostasis, endocrine system and immune system. Residents are used as living sensors and controllers in the control loop. A sensor agent robot is used to acquire resident's discomfort feeling, and to output hormone-like signals to activate devices to control the environments. The proposed system could control many devices without establishing complicated scenarios. Results obtained from some simulations and the demonstration experiments using an LED lighting system showed that the proposed system were able to achieve robust and stable control of environments without complicated scenarios.

  2. Decentralized Networked Control of Building Structures

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bakule, Lubomír; Rehák, Branislav; Papík, Martin

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 31, č. 11 (2016), s. 871-886 ISSN 1093-9687 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-02149S Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : decentralized control * networked control * building structures Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory Impact factor: 5.786, year: 2016

  3. Advanced, Integrated Control for Building Operations to Achieve 40% Energy Saving

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, Yan; Song, Zhen; Loftness, Vivian; Ji, Kun; Zheng, Sam; Lasternas, Bertrand; Marion, Flore; Yuebin, Yu

    2012-10-15

    We developed and demonstrated a software based integrated advanced building control platform called Smart Energy Box (SEB), which can coordinate building subsystem controls, integrate variety of energy optimization algorithms and provide proactive and collaborative energy management and control for building operations using weather and occupancy information. The integrated control system is a low cost solution and also features: Scalable component based architecture allows to build a solution for different building control system configurations with needed components; Open Architecture with a central data repository for data exchange among runtime components; Extendible to accommodate variety of communication protocols. Optimal building control for central loads, distributed loads and onsite energy resource; uses web server as a loosely coupled way to engage both building operators and building occupants in collaboration for energy conservation. Based on the open platform of SEB, we have investigated and evaluated a variety of operation and energy saving control strategies on Carnegie Mellon University Intelligent Work place which is equipped with alternative cooling/heating/ventilation/lighting methods, including radiant mullions, radiant cooling/heating ceiling panels, cool waves, dedicated ventilation unit, motorized window and blinds, and external louvers. Based on the validation results of these control strategies, they were integrated in SEB in a collaborative and dynamic way. This advanced control system was programmed and computer tested with a model of the Intelligent Workplace's northern section (IWn). The advanced control program was then installed in the IWn control system; the performance was measured and compared with that of the state of the art control system to verify the overall energy savings great than 40%. In addition advanced human machine interfaces (HMI's) were developed to communicate both with building

  4. Transaction-Based Controls for Building-Grid Integration: VOLTTRON™

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akyol, Bora A.; Haack, Jereme N.; Hernandez, George; Katipamula, Srinivas; Widergren, Steven E.

    2015-07-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Building Technologies Office (BTO) is supporting the development of a “transactional network” concept that supports energy, operational, and financial transactions between building systems (e.g., rooftop units -- RTUs), and the electric power grid using applications, or 'agents', that reside either on the equipment, on local building controllers, or in the Cloud. The transactional network vision is delivered using a real-time, scalable reference platform called VOLTTRON that supports the needs of the changing energy system. VOLTTRON is an agent execution and an innovative distributed control and sensing software platform that supports modern control strategies, including agent-based and transaction-based controls. It enables mobile and stationary software agents to perform information gathering, processing, and control actions.

  5. SUPERVISORY CONTROL FOR PEAK REDUCTION IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS WHILE MAINTAINING COMFORT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nutaro, James J [ORNL; Olama, Mohammed M [ORNL; Kuruganti, Teja [ORNL

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes a supervisory control strategy for limiting peak power demand by small and medium commercial buildings while still meeting the business needs of the occupants. This control strategy has two features that make it relevant to new and existing buildings. First, it is designed to operate with building equipment, such as air conditioning and refrigeration systems, as they are presently installed in most small and medium commercial buildings. Because of this, the supervisory control could be realized as a software-only retrofit to existing building management systems. Second, the proposed control acts as a supervisory management layer over existing control systems, rather than replacing them outright. The primary idea of this approach is that the controls for individual building equipment request energy resources for a control action and the supervisory control examines the requests and decides which control actions to allow while satisfying a limit on peak power demand.

  6. Method for reducing excess heat supply experienced in typical Chinese district heating systems by achieving hydraulic balance and improving indoor air temperature control at the building level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Lipeng; Gudmundsson, Oddgeir; Thorsen, Jan Eric; Li, Hongwei; Li, Xiaopeng; Svendsen, Svend

    2016-01-01

    A common problem with Chinese district heating systems is that they supply more heat than the actual heat demand. The reason for this excess heat supply is the general failure to use control devices to adjust the indoor temperature and flow in the building heating systems in accordance with the actual heat demand. This results in 15–30% of the total supplied heat being lost. This paper proposes an integrated approach that aims to reduce the excess heat loss by introducing pre-set thermostatic radiator valves combined with automatic balancing valves. Those devices establish hydraulic balance, and stabilize indoor temperatures. The feasibility and the energy consumption reduction of this approach were verified by means of simulation and a field test. By moving the system from centrally planned heat delivery to demand-driven heat delivery, excess heat loss can be significantly reduced. Results show that once the hydraulic balance is achieved and indoor temperatures are controlled with this integrated approach, 17% heat savings and 42.8% pump electricity savings can be achieved. The energy savings will also have a positive environmental effect with seasonal reductions of 11 kg CO_2, 0.1 kg SO_2, and 0.03 kg NO_x per heating square meter for a typical case in Harbin. - Highlights: • Two real cases reflect the temperature and flow control situation of heating systems in China. • Pre-set radiator valves with automatic balancing valves create dynamic hydraulic balance. • IDA-ICE simulation shows 17% heat saving and 48% pump electricity saving. • This approach can improve the comfort level of multi-storey/high-rise residential buildings. • This approach can reduce excess heat supply and bring out positive environmental impacts.

  7. Run-time coupling advanced control software with building simulation environment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yahiaoui, A.; Hensen, J.L.M.; Soethout, L.L.; Hensen, J.L.M.; Lain, M.

    2004-01-01

    The use of advanced control technologies and intelligence in buildings and infrastructure could make the current high performance system much more efficient and reliable. The integration of advanced control strategies into the building will certainly produce significant results for better building

  8. 饱和蒸汽压式波纹管疏水阀热动元件实验研究%Experimental study on the saturated vapor pressure type thermostatic bellows for steam traps

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    李树勋; 徐登伟; 把桥环

    2011-01-01

    针对液体膨胀式波纹管蒸汽疏水阀排量不稳定、漏汽率高等问题,分析波纹管热动元件的热工特性.基于Riedel蒸汽压方程和气液平衡方程,建立饱和蒸汽压式波纹管热动元件的热力学模型,设计相应实验系统,进行不同参数下的实验研究.结果表明,饱和蒸汽压式波纹管热动元件伸长量是相变温度的单值函数,近似呈指数关系;采用不同混合比、刚度及填充方式,可调节疏水阀的排水过冷度.%In view of the instabilities of displacement and high steam leakage rate for the liquid-expansion type ther-mostatic bellows steam traps, thermodynamic characteristical of thermostatic bellows was analyzed. Based on the Riedel equation and the vapor-liquid equilibrium equation, thermodynamic model of the saturated vapor pressure type thermostatic bellows was set up, corresponding experimental system was designed, and experimental studies with different parameters was carried out. The experimental results agree well with the theoretical analysis. The results show that the elongation A/I of the saturated vapor pressure type thermostatic bellows is monodrome function of phase transition temperature T, and relationship between the elongation A/I and the phase change temperature t is an exponential function. The subcooled temperature of steam trap can be adjusted by using different mixture ratio, different bellows' stiffness and different sufficient attire method. This paper establishes theoretical and experimental foundation for improving the performance of thermostatic bellows steam traps.

  9. Distributed dynamic simulations of networked control and building performance applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yahiaoui, Azzedine

    2018-01-01

    The use of computer-based automation and control systems for smart sustainable buildings, often so-called Automated Buildings (ABs), has become an effective way to automatically control, optimize, and supervise a wide range of building performance applications over a network while achieving the

  10. A Learning Framework for Control-Oriented Modeling of Buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rubio-Herrero, Javier; Chandan, Vikas; Siegel, Charles M.; Vishnu, Abhinav; Vrabie, Draguna L.

    2018-01-18

    Buildings consume a significant amount of energy worldwide. Several building optimization and control use cases require models of energy consumption which are control oriented, have high predictive capability, imposes minimal data pre-processing requirements, and have the ability to be adapted continuously to account for changing conditions as new data becomes available. Data driven modeling techniques, that have been investigated so far, while promising in the context of buildings, have been unable to simultaneously satisfy all the requirements mentioned above. In this context, deep learning techniques such as Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) hold promise, empowered by advanced computational capabilities and big data opportunities. In this paper, we propose a deep learning based methodology for the development of control oriented models for building energy management and test in on data from a real building. Results show that the proposed methodology outperforms other data driven modeling techniques significantly. We perform a detailed analysis of the proposed methodology along dimensions such as topology, sensitivity, and downsampling. Lastly, we conclude by envisioning a building analytics suite empowered by the proposed deep framework, that can drive several use cases related to building energy management.

  11. Intelligent Controls for Net-Zero Energy Buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Haorong; Cho, Yong; Peng, Dongming

    2011-10-30

    The goal of this project is to develop and demonstrate enabling technologies that can empower homeowners to convert their homes into net-zero energy buildings in a cost-effective manner. The project objectives and expected outcomes are as follows: • To develop rapid and scalable building information collection and modeling technologies that can obtain and process “as-built” building information in an automated or semiautomated manner. • To identify low-cost measurements and develop low-cost virtual sensors that can monitor building operations in a plug-n-play and low-cost manner. • To integrate and demonstrate low-cost building information modeling (BIM) technologies. • To develop decision support tools which can empower building owners to perform energy auditing and retrofit analysis. • To develop and demonstrate low-cost automated diagnostics and optimal control technologies which can improve building energy efficiency in a continual manner.

  12. Reinforcement learning for optimal control of low exergy buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Lei; Nagy, Zoltan; Goffin, Philippe; Schlueter, Arno

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Implementation of reinforcement learning control for LowEx Building systems. • Learning allows adaptation to local environment without prior knowledge. • Presentation of reinforcement learning control for real-life applications. • Discussion of the applicability for real-life situations. - Abstract: Over a third of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions stem from cooling and heating buildings, due to their fossil fuel based operation. Low exergy building systems are a promising approach to reduce energy consumption as well as GHG emissions. They consists of renewable energy technologies, such as PV, PV/T and heat pumps. Since careful tuning of parameters is required, a manual setup may result in sub-optimal operation. A model predictive control approach is unnecessarily complex due to the required model identification. Therefore, in this work we present a reinforcement learning control (RLC) approach. The studied building consists of a PV/T array for solar heat and electricity generation, as well as geothermal heat pumps. We present RLC for the PV/T array, and the full building model. Two methods, Tabular Q-learning and Batch Q-learning with Memory Replay, are implemented with real building settings and actual weather conditions in a Matlab/Simulink framework. The performance is evaluated against standard rule-based control (RBC). We investigated different neural network structures and find that some outperformed RBC already during the learning phase. Overall, every RLC strategy for PV/T outperformed RBC by over 10% after the third year. Likewise, for the full building, RLC outperforms RBC in terms of meeting the heating demand, maintaining the optimal operation temperature and compensating more effectively for ground heat. This allows to reduce engineering costs associated with the setup of these systems, as well as decrease the return-of-invest period, both of which are necessary to create a sustainable, zero-emission building

  13. Transaction-Based Building Controls Framework, Volume 1: Reference Guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Somasundaram, Sriram [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Pratt, Robert G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Akyol, Bora A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Fernandez, Nicholas [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Foster, Nikolas AF [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Katipamula, Srinivas [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Mayhorn, Ebony T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Somani, Abhishek [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Steckley, Andrew C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Taylor, Zachary T. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2014-12-01

    This document proposes a framework concept to achieve the objectives of raising buildings’ efficiency and energy savings potential benefitting building owners and operators. We call it a transaction-based framework, wherein mutually-beneficial and cost-effective market-based transactions can be enabled between multiple players across different domains. Transaction-based building controls are one part of the transactional energy framework. While these controls realize benefits by enabling automatic, market-based intra-building efficiency optimizations, the transactional energy framework provides similar benefits using the same market -based structure, yet on a larger scale and beyond just buildings, to the society at large.

  14. Comfort and performance impact of personal control over thermal environment in summer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boerstra, Atze C.; te Kulve, Marije; Toftum, Jørn

    2015-01-01

    Field studies suggest that the availability of adjustable thermostats, operable windows and other controls has a positive impact on comfort, the incidence of building related symptoms and productivity. This laboratory study was designed to further investigate how having or not having control over...... the thermal environment affects human responses to the indoor environment.The study was conducted in summer in a field laboratory that was kept at 28°C. A total of 23 subjects were exposed twice for about 2.5h. During the first session (A) subjects were able to fine-tune their local thermal environment at any...... recorded during the first session. Thus, each subject was exposed to two customized conditions with identical exposure, only different from a psychological point of view.During the two sessions identical questionnaires and performance tests were used to evaluate subjects' comfort, SBS symptom incidence...

  15. Chaotic Phenomena in Technical Control Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mosekilde, Erik

    1997-01-01

    The paper discusses a number of examples of technical control systems that can exhibit deterministic chaos and other forms of complex nonlinear behavior. These examples include thermostatically regulated radiators, closely placed refrigirators, and industrial cooling compressors. The paper contin...

  16. Recent Developments of the Modelica"Buildings" Library for Building Energy and Control Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wetter, Michael; Zuo, Wangda; Nouidui, Thierry Stephane

    2011-04-01

    At the Modelica 2009 conference, we introduced the Buildings library, a freely available Modelica library for building energy and control systems. This paper reports the updates of the library and presents example applications for a range of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Over the past two years, the library has been further developed. The number of HVAC components models has been doubled and various components have been revised to increase numerical robustness.The paper starts with an overview of the library architecture and a description of the main packages. To demonstrate the features of the Buildings library, applications that include multizone airflow simulation as well as supervisory and local loop control of a variable air volume (VAV) system are briefly described. The paper closes with a discussion of the current development.

  17. TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION MONITORING AND ANALYSES AT DIFFERENT HEATING CONTROL PRINCIPLES

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simone, Angela; Rode, Carsten; Olesen, Bjarne W.

    2010-01-01

    under different control strategies of the heating system (Pseudo Random Binary Sequence signal controlling all the heaters (PRBS) or thermostatic control of the heaters (THERM)). A comparison of the measured temperatures within the room, for the five series of experiments, shows a better correlation...

  18. Distributed dynamic simulations of networked control and building performance applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yahiaoui, Azzedine

    2018-02-01

    The use of computer-based automation and control systems for smart sustainable buildings, often so-called Automated Buildings (ABs), has become an effective way to automatically control, optimize, and supervise a wide range of building performance applications over a network while achieving the minimum energy consumption possible, and in doing so generally refers to Building Automation and Control Systems (BACS) architecture. Instead of costly and time-consuming experiments, this paper focuses on using distributed dynamic simulations to analyze the real-time performance of network-based building control systems in ABs and improve the functions of the BACS technology. The paper also presents the development and design of a distributed dynamic simulation environment with the capability of representing the BACS architecture in simulation by run-time coupling two or more different software tools over a network. The application and capability of this new dynamic simulation environment are demonstrated by an experimental design in this paper.

  19. Extending the Internet to make demand management e-smart

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nelson, M. D. [emWare Inc., Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

    2001-06-01

    A new cost-effective solution to managing peak power demand by utility companies is described. The system was developed by Carrier Corporation, in conjunction with Silicon Energy, AT and T and emWare Inc. The program is known as 'ComfortChoice'. The heart of the system is a new generation of energy management interface (Emi) thermostat which is Internet-enabled. These thermostats allow the utility company to adjust the customer's temperature set point during peak energy time to reduce energy usage, while giving the customer complete freedom to override the utility company's settings and to control the thermostat remotely via a Web browser interface on a PC. The device-networking system runs on the EMIT software package, developed by emWare Inc, which is ideal for electronic devices with 8- or 16-bit micro-controllers, like thermostats and other everyday devices, and enable bringing the Internet into homes in a cost-effective platform. It is particularly well-suited to controlling power and resource management, heating and cooling systems, building and home automation, telemedicine and health services to network-enable new and existing products, making them e-smart. In addition to being enabled to monitor, diagnose, upgrade and control these devices over the Internet, the embedded micro internet-working technology (EMIT) also offers improved service, greater convenience, and increased cost savings. Productivity and safety are also claimed to be enhanced.

  20. Building HVAC control knowledge data schema – Towards a unified representation of control system knowledge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Yan; Treado, Stephen J.; Messner, John I.

    2016-12-01

    Building control systems for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) play a key role in realizing the functionality and operation of building systems and components. Building Control Knowledge (BCK) is the logic and algorithms embedded throughout building control system. There are different methods to represent the BCK. These methods differ in the selection of BCK representing elements and the format of those elements. There is a lack of standard data schema, for storing, retrieving, and reusing structured BCK. In this study, a modular data schema is created for BCK representation. The data schema contains eleven representing elements, i.e., control module name, operation mode, system schematic, control flow diagram, data point, alarm, parameter, control sequence, function, and programming code. Each element is defined with specific attributes. This data schema is evaluated through a case study demonstration. The demonstration shows a new way to represent the BCK with standard formats.

  1. Large-scale building energy efficiency retrofit: Concept, model and control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Zhou; Wang, Bo; Xia, Xiaohua

    2016-01-01

    BEER (Building energy efficiency retrofit) projects are initiated in many nations and regions over the world. Existing studies of BEER focus on modeling and planning based on one building and one year period of retrofitting, which cannot be applied to certain large BEER projects with multiple buildings and multi-year retrofit. In this paper, the large-scale BEER problem is defined in a general TBT (time-building-technology) framework, which fits essential requirements of real-world projects. The large-scale BEER is newly studied in the control approach rather than the optimization approach commonly used before. Optimal control is proposed to design optimal retrofitting strategy in terms of maximal energy savings and maximal NPV (net present value). The designed strategy is dynamically changing on dimensions of time, building and technology. The TBT framework and the optimal control approach are verified in a large BEER project, and results indicate that promising performance of energy and cost savings can be achieved in the general TBT framework. - Highlights: • Energy efficiency retrofit of many buildings is studied. • A TBT (time-building-technology) framework is proposed. • The control system of the large-scale BEER is modeled. • The optimal retrofitting strategy is obtained.

  2. Temperature control in molecular dynamic simulations of non-equilibrium processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toton, Dawid; Lorenz, Christian D; Rompotis, Nikolaos; Martsinovich, Natalia; Kantorovich, Lev

    2010-01-01

    Thermostats are often used in various condensed matter problems, e.g. when a biological molecule undergoes a transformation in a solution, a crystal surface is irradiated with energetic particles, a crack propagates in a solid upon applied stress, two surfaces slide with respect to each other, an excited local phonon dissipates its energy into a crystal bulk, and so on. In all of these problems, as well as in many others, there is an energy transfer between different local parts of the entire system kept at a constant temperature. Very often, when modelling such processes using molecular dynamics simulations, thermostatting is done using strictly equilibrium approaches serving to describe the NVT ensemble. In this paper we critically discuss the applicability of such approaches to non-equilibrium problems, including those mentioned above, and stress that the correct temperature control can only be achieved if the method is based on the generalized Langevin equation (GLE). Specifically, we emphasize that a meaningful compromise between computational efficiency and a physically appropriate implementation of the NVT thermostat can be achieved, at least for solid state and surface problems, if the so-called stochastic boundary conditions (SBC), recently derived from the GLE (Kantorovich and Rompotis 2008 Phys. Rev. B 78 094305), are used. For SBC, the Langevin thermostat is only applied to the outer part of the simulated fragment of the entire system which borders the surrounding environment (not considered explicitly) serving as a heat bath. This point is illustrated by comparing the performance of the SBC and some of the equilibrium thermostats in two problems: (i) irradiation of the Si(001) surface with an energetic CaF 2 molecule using an ab initio density functional theory based method, and (ii) the tribology of two amorphous SiO 2 surfaces coated with self-assembled monolayers of methyl-terminated hydrocarbon alkoxylsilane molecules using a classical atomistic

  3. Implementation of Energy Code Controls Requirements in New Commercial Buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosenberg, Michael I. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hart, Philip R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hatten, Mike [Solarc Energy Group, LLC, Seattle, WA (United States); Jones, Dennis [Group 14 Engineering, Inc., Denver, CO (United States); Cooper, Matthew [Group 14 Engineering, Inc., Denver, CO (United States)

    2017-03-24

    Most state energy codes in the United States are based on one of two national model codes; ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1 (Standard 90.1) or the International Code Council (ICC) International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Since 2004, covering the last four cycles of Standard 90.1 updates, about 30% of all new requirements have been related to building controls. These requirements can be difficult to implement and verification is beyond the expertise of most building code officials, yet the assumption in studies that measure the savings from energy codes is that they are implemented and working correctly. The objective of the current research is to evaluate the degree to which high impact controls requirements included in commercial energy codes are properly designed, commissioned and implemented in new buildings. This study also evaluates the degree to which these control requirements are realizing their savings potential. This was done using a three-step process. The first step involved interviewing commissioning agents to get a better understanding of their activities as they relate to energy code required controls measures. The second involved field audits of a sample of commercial buildings to determine whether the code required control measures are being designed, commissioned and correctly implemented and functioning in new buildings. The third step includes compilation and analysis of the information gather during the first two steps. Information gathered during these activities could be valuable to code developers, energy planners, designers, building owners, and building officials.

  4. Development and Evaluation of Algorithms to Improve Small- and Medium-Size Commercial Building Operations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Woohyun [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Katipamula, Srinivas [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lutes, Robert G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Underhill, Ronald M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2016-10-31

    Small- and medium-sized (<100,000 sf) commercial buildings (SMBs) represent over 95% of the U.S. commercial building stock and consume over 60% of total site energy consumption. Many of these buildings use rudimentary controls that are mostly manual, with limited scheduling capability, no monitoring or failure management. Therefore, many of these buildings are operated inefficiently and consume excess energy. SMBs typically utilize packaged rooftop units (RTUs) that are controlled by an individual thermostat. There is increased urgency to improve the operating efficiency of existing commercial building stock in the U.S. for many reasons, chief among them is to mitigate the climate change impacts. Studies have shown that managing set points and schedules of the RTUs will result in up to 20% energy and cost savings. Another problem associated with RTUs is short-cycling, where an RTU goes through ON and OFF cycles too frequently. Excessive cycling can lead to excessive wear and lead to premature failure of the compressor or its components. The short cycling can result in a significantly decreased average efficiency (up to 10%), even if there are no physical failures in the equipment. Also, SMBs use a time-of-day scheduling is to start the RTUs before the building will be occupied and shut it off when unoccupied. Ensuring correct use of the zone set points and eliminating frequent cycling of RTUs thereby leading to persistent building operations can significantly increase the operational efficiency of the SMBs. A growing trend is to use low-cost control infrastructure that can enable scalable and cost-effective intelligent building operations. The work reported in this report describes three algorithms for detecting the zone set point temperature, RTU cycling rate and occupancy schedule detection that can be deployed on the low-cost infrastructure. These algorithms only require the zone temperature data for detection. The algorithms have been tested and validated using

  5. Transactive Control of Commercial Building HVAC Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Corbin, Charles D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Makhmalbaf, Atefe [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Huang, Sen [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Mendon, Vrushali V. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Zhao, Mingjie [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Somasundaram, Sriram [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Liu, Guopeng [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Ngo, Hung [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Katipamula, Srinivas [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2016-12-30

    This document details the development and testing of market-based transactive controls for building heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. These controls are intended to serve the purposes of reducing electricity use through conservation, reducing peak building electric demand, and providing demand flexibility to assist with power system operations. This report is the summary of the first year of work conducted under Phase 1 of the Clean Energy and Transactive Campus Project. The methods and techniques described here were first investigated in simulation, and then subsequently deployed to a physical testbed on the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) campus for validation. In this report, we describe the models and control algorithms we have developed, testing of the control algorithms in simulation, and deployment to a physical testbed. Results from physical experiments support previous simulation findings, and provide insights for further improvement.

  6. Co-Simulation of Building Energy and Control Systems with the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wetter, Michael

    2010-08-22

    This article describes the implementation of the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB). The BCVTB is a software environment that allows connecting different simulation programs to exchange data during the time integration, and that allows conducting hardware in the loop simulation. The software architecture is a modular design based on Ptolemy II, a software environment for design and analysis of heterogeneous systems. Ptolemy II provides a graphical model building environment, synchronizes the exchanged data and visualizes the system evolution during run-time. The BCVTB provides additions to Ptolemy II that allow the run-time coupling of different simulation programs for data exchange, including EnergyPlus, MATLAB, Simulink and the Modelica modelling and simulation environment Dymola. The additions also allow executing system commands, such as a script that executes a Radiance simulation. In this article, the software architecture is presented and the mathematical model used to implement the co-simulation is discussed. The simulation program interface that the BCVTB provides is explained. The article concludes by presenting applications in which different state of the art simulation programs are linked for run-time data exchange. This link allows the use of the simulation program that is best suited for the particular problem to model building heat transfer, HVAC system dynamics and control algorithms, and to compute a solution to the coupled problem using co-simulation.

  7. Small- and Medium-Sized Commercial Building Monitoring and Controls Needs: A Scoping Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katipamula, Srinivas; Underhill, Ronald M.; Goddard, James K.; Taasevigen, Danny J.; Piette, M. A.; Granderson, J.; Brown, Rich E.; Lanzisera, Steven M.; Kuruganti, T.

    2012-10-31

    Buildings consume over 40% of the total energy consumption in the U.S. A significant portion of the energy consumed in buildings is wasted because of the lack of controls or the inability to use existing building automation systems (BASs) properly. Much of the waste occurs because of our inability to manage and controls buildings efficiently. Over 90% of the buildings are either small-size (<5,000 sf) or medium-size (between 5,000 sf and 50,000 sf); these buildings currently do not use BASs to monitor and control their building systems from a central location. According to Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), about 10% of the buildings in the U.S. use BASs or central controls to manage their building system operations. Buildings that use BASs are typically large (>100,000 sf). Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) were asked by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Building Technologies Program (BTP) to identify monitoring and control needs for small- and medium-sized commercial buildings and recommend possible solutions. This study documents the needs and solutions for small- and medium-sized buildings.

  8. BACnet the global standard for building automation and control networks

    CERN Document Server

    Newman, Michael

    2013-01-01

    BACnet is a data communication protocol for building automation and control systems, developed within ASHRAE in cooperation with ANSI, CEN, and the ISO. This new book, by the original chairman of the BACnet committee, explains how the BACnet protocol manages all basic building functions in a seamless, integrated way. The book explains how BACnet works with all major control systems-including those provided by Honeywell, Siemens, and Johnson Controls, among many others-to manage everything from heating to ventilation to lighting to fire control and alarm systems. BACnet is used today throughout the world for commercial and institutional buildings with complex mechanical and electrical systems. Contractors, architects, building systems engineers, and facilities managers must all be cognizant of BACnet and its applications. With a real "seat at the table," you'll find it easier to understand the intent and use of each of the data sharing techniques, controller requirements, and opportunities for interoperability...

  9. CONTROL OF INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS VIA THE REGULATION OF BUILDING ENVELOPES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mitja Košir

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The design of comfortable, healthy and stimulating indoor environments in buildings has a direct impact on the users and on energy consumption, as well as on the wider soci-economic environment of society.The indoor environment of buildings is defined with the formulation of the building envelope, which functions as an interface between the internal and external environments and its users. A properly designed, flexible and adequately controlled building envelope is a starting point in the formulation of a high-quality indoor environment. The systematic treatment of the indoor environment and building envelope from a user’s point of view represents an engineering approach that enables the holistic treatment of buildings, as well as integrated components and systems. The presented division of indoor environment in terms of visual, thermal, olfactory, acoustic and ergonomic sub-environments enables the classification and selection of crucial factors influencing design. This selection and classification can be implemented in the design, as well as in control applications of the building envelope. The implementation of the approach described is demonstrated with an example of an automated control system for the internal environment of an office in the building of the Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering.

  10. How the Invisible Hand is Supposed to Adjust the Natural Thermostat: A Guide for the Perplexed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storm, Servaas

    2017-10-01

    Mainstream climate economics takes global warming seriously, but perplexingly concludes that the optimal economic policy is to almost do nothing about it. This conclusion can be traced to just a few "normative" assumptions, over which there exists fundamental disagreement amongst economists. This paper explores two axes of this disagreement. The first axis ("market vs. regulation") measures faith in the invisible hand to adjust the natural thermostat. The second axis expresses differences in views on the efficiency and equity implications of climate action. The two axes combined lead to a classification of conflicting approaches in climate economics. The variety of approaches does not imply a post-modern "anything goes", as the contradictions between climate and capitalism cannot be wished away.

  11. Caring buildings: user based indoor climate control

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zeiler, W.; Houten, van M.A.

    2007-01-01

    Global warming, caused largely by energy consumption, has become a major problem. In comfort control strategy there is an exciting development based on inclusive design: the user's preferences and their behaviour have become central in the building services control strategy. Synergy between end-user

  12. Using billing and weather data to separate thermostat from insulation effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fels, M F; Goldberg, M L

    1984-05-01

    A simple methodology, which uses aggregate utility sales data to measure and decompose residential conservation trends, is demonstrated. The data base is the aggregate natural gas consumption of the nearly one million houses in New Jersey which use gas for heating. The conservation index resulting from the analysis is normalized annual consumption, which adjusts per-household consumption to typical weather conditions. To smooth erratic year-to-year changes, four-year composite analyses are moved forward in time over the period 1970-82. Dramatic decreases in consumption, totaling 26% since the oil embargo, are evident. A decomposition of the results for the four years following the embargo suggests that over half of this conservation effect is due to changes in interior temperatures, with the policy implication that thermostat setbacks have played a far greater conservation role than have either structural change through retrofitting or modifications in appliance usage. In more recent years, for which the overall reduction in energy usage is lower, the dominant conservation role appears to have shifted to reductions in temperature-independent, base-level consumption by water heaters and appliances, while the effects of retrofitting remain relatively small.

  13. Controllability and stability of primary frequency control from thermostatic loads with delays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ziras, Charalampos; Vrettos, Evangelos; You, Shi

    2017-01-01

    There is an increasing interest in exploiting the flexibility of loads to provide ancillary services to the grid. In this paper we study how response delays and lockout constraints affect the controllability of an aggregation of refrigerators offering primary frequency control (PFC). First we...... examine the effect of delays in PFC provision from an aggregation of refrigerators, using a two-area power system. We propose a framework to systematically address frequency measurement and response delays and we determine safe values for the total delays via simulations. We introduce a controllability...... index to evaluate PFC provision under lockout constraints of refrigerators compressors. We conduct extensive simulations to study the effects of measurement delay, ramping times, lockout durations and rotational inertia on the controllability of the aggregation and system stability. Finally, we discuss...

  14. Energy savings potential from improved building controls for the US commercial building sector

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fernandez, Nick; Katipamula, Srinivas; Wang, Weimin; Xie, Yulong; Zhao, Mingjie

    2017-09-27

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Building Technologies Office (BTO) sponsored a study to determine the potential national savings achievable in the commercial building sector through widespread deployment of best practice controls, elimination of system and component faults, and use of better sensing. Detailed characterization of potential savings was one source of input to set research, development, and deployment (RD&D) goals in the field of building sensors and controls. DOE’s building energy simulation software, EnergyPlus, was employed to estimate the potential savings from 34 measures in 9 building types and across 16 climates representing almost 57% of commercial building sector energy consumption. In addition to estimating savings from individual measures, three packages of measures were created to estimate savings from the packages. These packages represented an 1) efficient building, 2) typical building, and 3) inefficient building. To scale the results from individual measures or a package to the national scale, building weights by building type and climate locations from the Energy Information Administration’s 2012 Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) were used. The results showed significant potential for energy savings across all building types and climates. The total site potential savings from individual measures by building type and climate location ranged between 0% and 25%. The total site potential savings by building type aggregated across all climates (using the CBECS building weights) for each measure varied between 0% and 16%. The total site potential savings aggregated across all building types and climates for each measure varied between 0% and 11%. Some individual measures had negative savings because correcting underlying operational problems (e.g., inadequate ventilation) resulted in increased energy consumption. When combined into packages, the overall national savings potential is estimated to be 29

  15. Management Model for efficient quality control in new buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. E. Rodríguez-Jiménez

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The management of the quality control of each building process is usually set up in Spain from different levels of demand. This work tries to obtain a model of reference, to compare the quality control of the building process of a specific product (building, and to be able to evaluate its warranty level. In the quest of this purpose, we take credit of specialized sources and 153 real cases of Quality Control were carefully revised using a multi-judgment method. Applying different techniques to get a specific valuation (impartial of the input parameters through Delphi’s method (17 experts query, whose matrix treatment with the Fuzzy-QFD tool condenses numerical references through a weighted distribution of the selected functions and their corresponding conditioning factors. The model thus obtained (M153 is useful in order to have a quality control reference to meet the expectations of the quality.

  16. Fuzzy multivariable control of domestic heat pumps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Underwood, C.P.

    2015-01-01

    Poor control has been identified as one of the reasons why recent field trials of domestic heat pumps in the UK have produced disappointing results. Most of the technology in use today uses a thermostatically-controlled fixed speed compressor with a mechanical expansion device. This article investigates improved control of these heat pumps through the design and evaluation of a new multivariable fuzzy logic control system utilising a variable speed compressor drive with capacity control linked through to evaporator superheat control. A new dynamic thermal model of a domestic heat pump validated using experimental data forms the basis of the work. The proposed control system is evaluated using median and extreme daily heating demand profiles for a typical UK house compared with a basic thermostatically-controlled alternative. Results show good tracking of the heating temperature and superheat control variables, reduced cycling and an improvement in performance averaging 20%. - Highlights: • A new dynamic model of a domestic heat pump is developed and validated. • A new multivariable fuzzy logic heat pump control system is developed/reported. • The fuzzy controller regulates both plant capacity and evaporator superheat degree. • Thermal buffer storage is also considered as well as compressor cycling. • The new controller shows good variable tracking and a reduction in energy of 20%.

  17. Test report - 241-AN-274 Caustic Pump Control Building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paintner, G.P.

    1995-05-01

    This Acceptance Test Report documents the test results of test procedure WHC-SD-WM-ATP-135 'Acceptance Test Procedure for the 241-AN- 274 Caustic Pump Control Building.' The objective of the test was to verify that the 241-AN-274 Caustic Pump Control Building functions properly based on design specifications per applicable H-2-85573 drawings and associated ECN's. The objective of the test was met

  18. Passive hygrothermal control of a museum storage building in Vejle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Jørgen Erik; Janssen, Hans

    2010-01-01

    and maintenance costs are currently motivating a paradigm change toward passive control. Passive control, via the thermal and hygric inertia of the building, is gaining a foothold in the museum conservation and building physical community. In this report we document the hygrothermal performance optimisation...... of a museum storage building, related to an existing storage centre in Vejle (Denmark). The current building design already incorporates passive control concepts: thermal inertia is provided by the thick walls, the ground floor and its underlying soil volume, while hygric inertia is provided by the thick...... with the thermal inertia of the ground and thus a higher temperature variation; For those reasons, more heavily insulated walls and roofs could be considered. Their effects on the interior climate and dehumidification load are however not that large. For the floor, no insulation should be added, and it could...

  19. Automatic Energy Control And Monitoring System For Building

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hnin Nu Thaung

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The use of smart home technology in the home or building offers significant potential for energy savings. In this paper an energy management system based on wireless sensor networks. The proposed system is composed of two main components a wireless sensor network and monitoring terminal. Wireless sensors are used for sensing and transmitting electricity data and remote monitoring and control of appliances are provided to users through computer. The system enables users to save energy by monitoring and controlling appliances through terminal. This paper gives an overview of sensor technology and wireless networks in the development of an intelligent energy management system for buildings. This technology has ample potential to change the way live and work. ZigBee is used as a communication medium in building intelligent energy management system in this paper. From the prototype setup it is shown that ZigBee is a suitable technology to be adopted as the communication infrastructure in energy management system for buildings .The proposed system can be installed and maintained in residential environments with ease.

  20. Comparison of sensorless dimming control based on building modeling and solar power generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Naeun; Kim, Jonghun; Jang, Cheolyong; Sung, Yoondong; Jeong, Hakgeun

    2015-01-01

    Artificial lighting in office buildings accounts for about 30% of the total building energy consumption. Lighting energy is important to reduce building energy consumption since artificial lighting typically has a relatively large energy conversion factor. Therefore, previous studies have proposed a dimming control using daylight. When applied dimming control, method based on building modeling does not need illuminance sensors. Thus, it can be applied to existing buildings that do not have illuminance sensors. However, this method does not accurately reflect real-time weather conditions. On the other hand, solar power generation from a PV (photovoltaic) panel reflects real-time weather conditions. The PV panel as the sensor improves the accuracy of dimming control by reflecting disturbance. Therefore, we compared and analyzed two types of sensorless dimming controls: those based on the building modeling and those that based on solar power generation using PV panels. In terms of energy savings, we found that a dimming control based on building modeling is more effective than that based on solar power generation by about 6%. However, dimming control based on solar power generation minimizes the inconvenience to occupants and can also react to changes in solar radiation entering the building caused by dirty window. - Highlights: • We conducted sensorless dimming control based on solar power generation. • Dimming controls using building modeling and solar power generation were compared. • The real time weather conditions can be considered by using solar power generation. • Dimming control using solar power generation minimizes inconvenience to occupants

  1. Energy efficient model based algorithm for control of building HVAC systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirubakaran, V; Sahu, Chinmay; Radhakrishnan, T K; Sivakumaran, N

    2015-11-01

    Energy efficient designs are receiving increasing attention in various fields of engineering. Heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) control system designs involve improved energy usage with an acceptable relaxation in thermal comfort. In this paper, real time data from a building HVAC system provided by BuildingLAB is considered. A resistor-capacitor (RC) framework for representing thermal dynamics of the building is estimated using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. With objective costs as thermal comfort (deviation of room temperature from required temperature) and energy measure (Ecm) explicit MPC design for this building model is executed based on its state space representation of the supply water temperature (input)/room temperature (output) dynamics. The controllers are subjected to servo tracking and external disturbance (ambient temperature) is provided from the real time data during closed loop control. The control strategies are ported on a PIC32mx series microcontroller platform. The building model is implemented in MATLAB and hardware in loop (HIL) testing of the strategies is executed over a USB port. Results indicate that compared to traditional proportional integral (PI) controllers, the explicit MPC's improve both energy efficiency and thermal comfort significantly. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Elimination of Oscillations in a Central Heating System using Pump Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Palle; Pedersen, Tom Søndergaard; Stoustrup, Jakob

    2000-01-01

    In central heating systems with thermostatic valve temperature control it is a well known fact that room temperature oscillations may occur when the heat demand becomes low due to the non-linear behavior of the control loop. This is not only discomforting but it also increases the energy cost...... of heating the room. Using the pump speed as an active part in control is it shown that the room temperature may be stabilized in a wider interval of heat demand. The idea is to control the pump speed in a way that keeps the thermostatic valve within a suitable operating area using an estimate of the valve...... position. The position is estimated from the pump terminals, using the pump flow and the pump differential pressure. The concept is tested on a small central heating test bench. The results show that it is possible to stabilize the room temperature even at part load conditions...

  3. Optically controlled three-dimensional assembly of microfabricated building blocks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rodrigo, Peter John; Kelemen, Lorand; Palima, Darwin

    2009-01-01

    We demonstrate a system for constructing reconfigurable microstructures using multiple, real-time configurable counterpropagating-beam traps. We optically assemble geometrically complementary microstructures with complex three-dimensional (3D) topologies produced by two-photon polymerization....... This demonstrates utilization of controllable 3D optical traps for building hierarchical structures from microfabricated building blocks. Optical microassembly with translational and tip-tilt control in 3D achieved by dynamic multiple CB traps can potentially facilitate the construction of functional microdevices...... and may also lead to the future realization of optically actuated micromachines. Fabricating morphologically complex microstructures and then optically manipulating these archetypal building blocks can also be used to construct reconfigurable microenvironments that can aid in understanding cellular...

  4. Building new hospitals: a UK infection control perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stockley, J M; Constantine, C E; Orr, K E

    2006-03-01

    Infection control input is vital throughout the planning, design and building stages of a new hospital project, and must continue through the commissioning (and decommissioning) process, evaluation and putting the facility into full clinical service. Many hospitals continue to experience problems months or years after occupying the new premises; some of these could have been avoided by infection control involvement earlier in the project. The importance of infection control must be recognized by the chief executive of the hospital trust and project teams overseeing the development. Clinical user groups and contractors must also be made aware of infection control issues. It is vital that good working relationships are built up between the infection control team (ICT) and all these parties. ICTs need the authority to influence the process. This may require their specific recognition by the Private Finance Initiative National Unit, the Department of Health or other relevant authorities. ICTs need training in how to read design plans, how to write effective specifications, and in other areas with which they may be unfamiliar. The importance of documentation and record keeping is paramount. External or independent validation of processes should be available, particularly in commissioning processes. Building design in relation to infection control needs stricter national regulations, allowing ICTs to focus on more local usage issues. Further research is needed to provide evidence regarding the relationship between building design and the prevalence of infection.

  5. Network Based Building Lighting Design and Fuzzy Logic via Remote Control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cemal YILMAZ

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a network based building lighting system is implemented. Profibus-DP network structure is used in the design and Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC is used on control of the building lighting. Informations received from sensors which measures level of the building illumination is used on FLC and they are transferred to the system by Profibus-DP network. Control of lighting luminaries are made via Profibus-DP network. The illuminance inside the bulding is fitted required level. Energy saving and healthy lighting facilities have been obtained by the design.

  6. Modeling, Estimation and Control of Indoor Climate in Livestock Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Zhuang

    The main objective of this research is to design an efficient control system for the indoor climate of a large-scale partition-less livestock building, in order to maintain a healthy, comfortable and economically energy consuming indoor environment for the agricultural animals and farmers. In thi...... scale livestock buildings, and could be considered as an alternative solution to the current used decentralized PID controller.......The main objective of this research is to design an efficient control system for the indoor climate of a large-scale partition-less livestock building, in order to maintain a healthy, comfortable and economically energy consuming indoor environment for the agricultural animals and farmers....... With necessary assumptions and simplifications, the dominant air flow distributions are investigated and the phenomenon of horizontal variations is well depicted. The designed entire control system consists of an outer feedback closed-loop dynamic controller and an inner feed-forward redundancy optimization...

  7. Robust design method and thermostatic experiment for multiple piezoelectric vibration absorber system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nambu, Yohsuke; Takashima, Toshihide; Inagaki, Akiya

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines the effects of connecting multiplexing shunt circuits composed of inductors and resistors to piezoelectric transducers so as to improve the robustness of a piezoelectric vibration absorber (PVA). PVAs are well known to be effective at suppressing the vibration of an adaptive structure; their weakness is low robustness to changes in the dynamic parameters of the system, including the main structure and the absorber. In the application to space structures, the temperature-dependency of capacitance of piezoelectric ceramics is the factor that causes performance reduction. To improve robustness to the temperature-dependency of the capacitance, this paper proposes a multiple-PVA system that is composed of distributed piezoelectric transducers and several shunt circuits. The optimization problems that determine both the frequencies and the damping ratios of the PVAs are multi-objective problems, which are solved using a real-coded genetic algorithm in this paper. A clamped aluminum beam with four groups of piezoelectric ceramics attached was considered in simulations and experiments. Numerical simulations revealed that the PVA systems designed using the proposed method had tolerance to changes in the capacitances. Furthermore, experiments using a thermostatic bath were conducted to reveal the effectiveness and robustness of the PVA systems. The maximum peaks of the transfer functions of the beam with the open circuit, the single-PVA system, the double-PVA system, and the quadruple-PVA system at 20 °C were 14.3 dB, −6.91 dB, −7.47 dB, and −8.51 dB, respectively. The experimental results also showed that the multiple-PVA system is more robust than a single PVA in a variable temperature environment from −10 °C to 50 °C. In conclusion, the use of multiple PVAs results in an effective, robust vibration control method for adaptive structures. (paper)

  8. Switched Control Strategies of Aggregated Commercial HVAC Systems for Demand Response in Smart Grids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kai Ma

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available This work proposes three switched control strategies for aggregated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC systems in commercial buildings to track the automatic generation control (AGC signal in smart grid. The existing control strategies include the direct load control strategy and the setpoint regulation strategy. The direct load control strategy cannot track the AGC signal when the state of charge (SOC of the aggregated thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs exceeds their regulation capacity, while the setpoint regulation strategy provides flexible regulation capacity, but causes larger tracking errors. To improve the tracking performance, we took the advantages of the two control modes and developed three switched control strategies. The control strategies switch between the direct load control mode and the setpoint regulation mode according to different switching indices. Specifically, we design a discrete-time controller and optimize the controller parameter for the setpoint regulation strategy using the Fibonacci optimization algorithm, enabling us to propose two switched control strategies across multiple time steps. Furthermore, we extend the switched control strategies by introducing a two-stage regulation in a single time step. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed switched control strategies can reduce the tracking errors for frequency regulation.

  9. Building control. Technical building systems: Automation and management; Building Control. Technische Gebaeudesysteme: Automation und Bewirtschaftung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kranz, H.R.; Baenninger, M.; Bieler, P.; Brettschneider, J.P.; Damnig, A.; Fassbender, H.W.; Friedrichs, K.; Gauchel, J.; Hegewald, B.; Kaelin, W.; Lezius, A.; Markert, H.; Oehler, A.; Otto, J.; Puettmer, M. Jr.; Rohrbacher, H.; Schuerdt, K.; Vogt, D.; Wittling, J.

    1995-12-31

    Cost-optimised management and maintenance of buildings can no longer be carried out without electronic data processing. The present anthology gives a comprehensive overview of the planning and operation of building automation systems. The following topics are discussed: ecological cooling and facade concepts, facility management, jeopardy alarm technology, building automation, communication technology, open communication and networks, building system technology, norms and directives, building right and law. A special abstract has been prepared for each of the 23 chapters. (BWI). 260 figs., 161 refs. [Deutsch] Kostenoptimiertes Management, Bewirtschaftung und Instandhaltung von Gebaeuden sind ohne EDV nicht mehr denkbar. Das vorliegende Buch gibt einen umfassenden Ueberblick ueber Planung und Betrieb von Gebaeudeautomationssystemen. Es wird dabei auf folgende Themenkomplexe eingegangen: Oekologische Kuehl- und Fassadenkonzepte; Facility Management, Gefahrenmeldetechnik, Gebaeudeautomation; Kommunikationstechnik, offenen Kommunikation und Netzwerke; Gebaeudesystemtechnik und Installationsbus; Energiemanagement; Betreibererfahrungen; Normen und Richtlinien; Baurecht und Gesetz. Fuer alle 23 Einzelkapitel wurde eine gesonderte inhaltliche Erschliessung durchgefuehrt. (BWI)

  10. Building control automation for retirement homes :a therapeutic opportunity for the elderly

    OpenAIRE

    Avila, Melinda Plaza

    1993-01-01

    The therapeutic opportunity for the elderly due to building control automation use in a retirement home was investigated. Previous research suggests that a basic understanding of elderly functional needs and building control automation capabilities is required Ifn order to secure the opportunity for maintaining existing elderly functional abilities. This study explores the extent to which building control automation can be applied in retirement homes. The research questions gen...

  11. Reserve-building activities in multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls: a descriptive study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, Carolyn E; Ayandeh, Armon; Ramanathan, Murali; Benedict, Ralph; Dwyer, Michael G; Weinstock-Guttman, Bianca; Zivadinov, Robert

    2015-08-12

    Cognitive reserve has been implicated as a possible protective factor in multiple sclerosis (MS) but to date no study has compared reserve-building activities across disease course or to healthy controls. This study aims to describe differences in reserve-building activities across the MS disease course and healthy controls. Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional cohort study that included 276 healthy controls, and subjects with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS; n = 67), relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS; n = 358) and secondary progressive MS (PMS; n = 109). Past reserve-building activities were operationalized as occupational attainment and education. Current activities comprised 6 strenuous and 6 non-strenuous activities, including 5 reserve-building activities and television-watching. Multivariate Analysis of Variance models examined group differences in past and current activities, after adjusting for covariates. There were group differences in past and current reserve-building activities. SPMS patients had lower past reserve-building activities than healthy controls. All forms of MS engaged in fewer strenuous current reserve-building pursuits than healthy controls. RRMS read less than healthy controls. SPMS engaged in fewer job-related non-strenuous activities. All MS groups watched more television than healthy controls. MS patients show significantly fewer past and present reserve-building activities. Although it is difficult to establish causality without future prospective studies, lifestyle-modifying interventions should prioritize expanding MS patients' repertoire of strenuous and non-strenuous activities.

  12. Fuzzy logic control of air-conditioning system in residential buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdel-Hamid Attia

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available There has been a rising concern in reducing the energy consumption in building. Heating ventilation and air condition system is the biggest consumer of energy in building. In this study, fuzzy logic control of the air conditioning system of building for efficient energy operation and comfortable environment is investigated. A theoretical model of the fan coil unit (FCU and the heat transfer between air and coolant fluid is derived. The controlled variables are the room temperature and relative humidity and control consequents are the percentage of chilled and hot water flow rates at summer and the percentage of hot water and steam injected flow rates at winter. A computer simulation has been conducted and fuzzy control results are compared with that of conventional Proportional-Integral-Derivative control. It was found that the proposed control strategy satisfies the space load and at the same time to achieve the comfort zone, as defined by the ASHRAE code. Meanwhile PID control fails to adjust the room temperature at part-load operations. It has been demonstrated that fuzzy controller operation is more efficient and consumes less energy than PID control.

  13. Economic analysis of the daylight-linked lighting control system in office buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, In-Ho; Nam, Eun-Ji [Department of Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, Dongguk University, 26-3, Pil-dong, Chung-gu, Seoul 100-715 (Korea)

    2010-08-15

    The objective of this study is to perform an economic analysis of the daylight-linked automatic on/off lighting control system installed for the purpose of energy savings in office buildings. For this, a building was chosen as a typical example, and the energy cost was calculated by using the daylight and building energy analysis simulation. When the lighting control was utilized, an economic analysis was performed using a payback period that was calculated by comparing the initial cost of installing the lighting control system with the annual energy cost which was reduced thanks to the application of the lighting control. The results showed that the lighting energy consumption, when the lighting control was applied, was reduced by an average of 30.5% compared with the case that there was not lighting control applied. Also, the result for total energy consumption showed that, when lighting control was applied, this was reduced by 8.5% when the glazing ratio was 100%, 8.2% for 80%, and 7.6% for 60% when compared to non-application. The payback period was analyzed in terms of the number of floors in a building; 10 floors, 20 floors, 30 floors, and 40 floors. Hence, the building with 40 floors and glazing ratio 100% resulted in the shortest payback period of 8.8 years, the building with 10 floors and glazing ratio 60% resulted in the longest period of 12.7 years. In other words, the larger the glazing ratio and the number of building floors are, the shorter the payback period is. (author)

  14. Transaction Costs (TCs) in Building Regulations and Control for Green Buildings : Case Study of Hong Kong

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fan, Ke; Qian, K.; Chan, EHW; Kähkönen, Kalle; Keinänen, Marko

    2016-01-01

    About 40% of global energy consumption and nearly one-third of global CO2 emissions are on account of buildings. In Hong Kong, buildings consume up to 90% of electricity during construction and operation, where all the design and construction of private developments is subject to control under the

  15. Tailored high-resolution numerical weather forecasts for energy efficient predictive building control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stauch, V. J.; Gwerder, M.; Gyalistras, D.; Oldewurtel, F.; Schubiger, F.; Steiner, P.

    2010-09-01

    The high proportion of the total primary energy consumption by buildings has increased the public interest in the optimisation of buildings' operation and is also driving the development of novel control approaches for the indoor climate. In this context, the use of weather forecasts presents an interesting and - thanks to advances in information and predictive control technologies and the continuous improvement of numerical weather prediction (NWP) models - an increasingly attractive option for improved building control. Within the research project OptiControl (www.opticontrol.ethz.ch) predictive control strategies for a wide range of buildings, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and representative locations in Europe are being investigated with the aid of newly developed modelling and simulation tools. Grid point predictions for radiation, temperature and humidity of the high-resolution limited area NWP model COSMO-7 (see www.cosmo-model.org) and local measurements are used as disturbances and inputs into the building system. The control task considered consists in minimizing energy consumption whilst maintaining occupant comfort. In this presentation, we use the simulation-based OptiControl methodology to investigate the impact of COSMO-7 forecasts on the performance of predictive building control and the resulting energy savings. For this, we have selected building cases that were shown to benefit from a prediction horizon of up to 3 days and therefore, are particularly suitable for the use of numerical weather forecasts. We show that the controller performance is sensitive to the quality of the weather predictions, most importantly of the incident radiation on differently oriented façades. However, radiation is characterised by a high temporal and spatial variability in part caused by small scale and fast changing cloud formation and dissolution processes being only partially represented in the COSMO-7 grid point predictions. On the

  16. Linear feedback controls the essentials

    CERN Document Server

    Haidekker, Mark A

    2013-01-01

    The design of control systems is at the very core of engineering. Feedback controls are ubiquitous, ranging from simple room thermostats to airplane engine control. Helping to make sense of this wide-ranging field, this book provides a new approach by keeping a tight focus on the essentials with a limited, yet consistent set of examples. Analysis and design methods are explained in terms of theory and practice. The book covers classical, linear feedback controls, and linear approximations are used when needed. In parallel, the book covers time-discrete (digital) control systems and juxtapos

  17. Synthesis of vibration control and health monitoring of building structures under unknown excitation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Jia; Huang, Qin; Xu, You-Lin

    2014-01-01

    The vibration control and health monitoring of building structures have been actively investigated in recent years but often treated separately according to the primary objective pursued. In this study, a time-domain integrated vibration control and health monitoring approach is proposed based on the extended Kalman filter (EKF) for identifying the physical parameters of the controlled building structures without the knowledge of the external excitation. The physical parameters and state vectors of the building structure are then estimated and used for the determination of the control force for the purpose of the vibration attenuation. The interaction between the health monitoring and vibration control is revealed and assessed. The feasibility and reliability of the proposed approach is numerically demonstrated via a five-story shear building structure equipped with magneto-rheological (MR) dampers. Two types of excitations are considered: (1) the EI-Centro ground excitation underneath of the building and (2) a swept-frequency excitation applied on the top floor of the building. Results show that the structural parameters as well as the unknown dynamic loadings could be identified accurately; and, at the same time, the structural vibration is significantly reduced in the building structure. (paper)

  18. Data on the interaction between thermal comfort and building control research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, June Young; Nagy, Zoltan

    2018-04-01

    This dataset contains bibliography information regarding thermal comfort and building control research. In addition, the instruction of a data-driven literature survey method guides readers to reproduce their own literature survey on related bibliography datasets. Based on specific search terms, all relevant bibliographic datasets are downloaded. We explain the keyword co-occurrences of historical developments and recent trends, and the citation network which represents the interaction between thermal comfort and building control research. Results and discussions are described in the research article entitled "Comprehensive analysis of the relationship between thermal comfort and building control research - A data-driven literature review" (Park and Nagy, 2018).

  19. Solar shading control strategy for office buildings in cold climate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Røseth Karlsen, Line; Heiselberg, Per Kvols; Bryn, Ida

    2016-01-01

    Highlights •Solar shading control strategy for office buildings in cold climate is developed. •Satisfying energy and indoor environmental performance is confirmed. •Importance of integrated evaluations when selecting shading strategy is illustrated.......Highlights •Solar shading control strategy for office buildings in cold climate is developed. •Satisfying energy and indoor environmental performance is confirmed. •Importance of integrated evaluations when selecting shading strategy is illustrated....

  20. A neural network controller for hydronic heating systems of solar buildings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Argiriou, Athanassios A; Bellas-Velidis, Ioannis; Kummert, Michaël; André, Philippe

    2004-04-01

    An artificial neural network (ANN)-based controller for hydronic heating plants of buildings is presented. The controller has forecasting capabilities: it includes a meteorological module, forecasting the ambient temperature and solar irradiance, an indoor temperature predictor module, a supply temperature predictor module and an optimizing module for the water supply temperature. All ANN modules are based on the Feed Forward Back Propagation (FFBP) model. The operation of the controller has been tested experimentally, on a real-scale office building during real operating conditions. The operation results were compared to those of a conventional controller. The performance was also assessed via numerical simulation. The detailed thermal simulation tool for solar systems and buildings TRNSYS was used. Both experimental and numerical results showed that the expected percentage of energy savings with respect to a conventional controller is of about 15% under North European weather conditions.

  1. Optimal control and performance of photovoltachromic switchable glazing for building integration in temperate climates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Favoino, Fabio; Fiorito, Francesco; Cannavale, Alessandro; Ranzi, Gianluca; Overend, Mauro

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • The features and properties of photovoltachromic switchable glazing are presented. • The different possible control strategies for the switchable glazing are presented. • Thermal and daylight performance are co-simulated for rule-based and optimal control. • A novel building performance simulation framework is developed for this aim. • Switchable glazing performance is compared for different controls and climates. - Abstract: The development of adaptive building envelope technologies, and particularly of switchable glazing, can make significant contributions to decarbonisation targets. It is therefore essential to quantify their effect on building energy use and indoor environmental quality when integrated into buildings. The evaluation of their performance presents new challenges when compared to conventional “static” building envelope systems, as they require design and control aspects to be evaluated together, which are also mutually interrelated across thermal and visual physical domains. This paper addresses these challenges by presenting a novel simulation framework for the performance evaluation of responsive building envelope technologies and, particularly, of switchable glazing. This is achieved by integrating a building energy simulation tool and a lighting simulation one, in a control optimisation framework to simulate advanced control of adaptive building envelopes. The performance of a photovoltachromic glazing is evaluated according to building energy use, Useful Daylight Illuminance, glare risk and load profile matching indicators for a sun oriented office building in different temperate climates. The original architecture of photovoltachromic cell provides an automatic control of its transparency as a function of incoming solar irradiance. However, to fully explore the building integration potential of photovoltachromic technology, different control strategies are evaluated, from passive and simple rule based controls, to

  2. A review on control system algorithm for building automation systems

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Noubissie-Tientcheu, SI

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The building with its components such as Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) and lighting constitute a bigger part of energy consumption in Southern Africa. Control system in a building reduced the energy consumption, according to different...

  3. Quasi-adaptive fuzzy heating control of solar buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gouda, M.M. [Faculty of Industrial Education, Cairo (Egypt); Danaher, S. [University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne, (United Kingdom). School of Engineering; Underwood, C.P. [University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne (United Kingdom). School of Built Environment and Sustainable Cities Research Institute

    2006-12-15

    Significant progress has been made on maximising passive solar heat gains to building spaces in winter. Control of the space heating in these applications is complicated due to the lagging influence of the useful solar heat gain coupled with the wide range of construction materials and heating system choices. Additionally, and in common with most building control applications, there is a need to develop control solutions that permit simple and transparent set-up and commissioning procedures. This paper addresses the development and testing of a quasi-adaptive fuzzy logic control method that addresses these issues. The controller is developed in two steps. A feed-forward neural network is used to predict the internal air temperature, in which a singular value decomposition (SVD) algorithm is used to remove the highly correlated data from the inputs of the neural network to reduce the network structure. The fuzzy controller is then designed to have two inputs: the first input being the error between the set-point temperature and the internal air temperature and the second the predicted future internal air temperature. The controller was implemented in real-time using a test cell with controlled ventilation and a modulating electric heating system. Results, compared with validated simulations of conventionally controlled heating, confirm that the proposed controller achieves superior tracking and reduced overheating when compared with the conventional method of control. (author)

  4. Nonlinear Economic Model Predictive Control Strategy for Active Smart Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Santos, Rui Mirra; Zong, Yi; Sousa, Joao M. C.

    2016-01-01

    Nowadays, the development of advanced and innovative intelligent control techniques for energy management in buildings is a key issue within the smart grid topic. A nonlinear economic model predictive control (EMPC) scheme, based on the branch-and-bound tree search used as optimization algorithm ...... controller is shown very reliable keeping the comfort levels in the two considered seasons and shifting the load away from peak hours in order to achieve the desired flexible electricity consumption.......Nowadays, the development of advanced and innovative intelligent control techniques for energy management in buildings is a key issue within the smart grid topic. A nonlinear economic model predictive control (EMPC) scheme, based on the branch-and-bound tree search used as optimization algorithm...

  5. Design of model based LQG control for integrated building systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yahiaoui, A.; Hensen, J.L.M.; Soethout, L.L.; Paassen, van A.H.C.

    2006-01-01

    The automation of the operation of integrated building systems requires using modern control techniques to enhance the quality of the building indoor environments. This paper describes the theatrical base and practical application of an optimal dynamic regulator using modelbased Linear Quadratic

  6. Energy Efficiency of Distributed Environmental Control Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khalifa, H. Ezzat; Isik, Can; Dannenhoffer, John F. III

    2011-02-23

    In this report, we present an analytical evaluation of the potential of occupant-regulated distributed environmental control systems (DECS) to enhance individual occupant thermal comfort in an office building with no increase, and possibly even a decrease in annual energy consumption. To this end we developed and applied several analytical models that allowed us to optimize comfort and energy consumption in partitioned office buildings equipped with either conventional central HVAC systems or occupant-regulated DECS. Our approach involved the following interrelated components: 1. Development of a simplified lumped-parameter thermal circuit model to compute the annual energy consumption. This was necessitated by the need to perform tens of thousands of optimization calculations involving different US climatic regions, and different occupant thermal preferences of a population of ~50 office occupants. Yearly transient simulations using TRNSYS, a time-dependent building energy modeling program, were run to determine the robustness of the simplified approach against time-dependent simulations. The simplified model predicts yearly energy consumption within approximately 0.6% of an equivalent transient simulation. Simulations of building energy usage were run for a wide variety of climatic regions and control scenarios, including traditional “one-size-fits-all” (OSFA) control; providing a uniform temperature to the entire building, and occupant-selected “have-it-your-way” (HIYW) control with a thermostat at each workstation. The thermal model shows that, un-optimized, DECS would lead to an increase in building energy consumption between 3-16% compared to the conventional approach depending on the climate regional and personal preferences of building occupants. Variations in building shape had little impact in the relative energy usage. 2. Development of a gradient-based optimization method to minimize energy consumption of DECS while keeping each occupant

  7. An Adaptive Intelligent Integrated Lighting Control Approach for High-Performance Office Buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karizi, Nasim

    An acute and crucial societal problem is the energy consumed in existing commercial buildings. There are 1.5 million commercial buildings in the U.S. with only about 3% being built each year. Hence, existing buildings need to be properly operated and maintained for several decades. Application of integrated centralized control systems in buildings could lead to more than 50% energy savings. This research work demonstrates an innovative adaptive integrated lighting control approach which could achieve significant energy savings and increase indoor comfort in high performance office buildings. In the first phase of the study, a predictive algorithm was developed and validated through experiments in an actual test room. The objective was to regulate daylight on a specified work plane by controlling the blind slat angles. Furthermore, a sensor-based integrated adaptive lighting controller was designed in Simulink which included an innovative sensor optimization approach based on genetic algorithm to minimize the number of sensors and efficiently place them in the office. The controller was designed based on simple integral controllers. The objective of developed control algorithm was to improve the illuminance situation in the office through controlling the daylight and electrical lighting. To evaluate the performance of the system, the controller was applied on experimental office model in Lee et al.'s research study in 1998. The result of the developed control approach indicate a significantly improvement in lighting situation and 1-23% and 50-78% monthly electrical energy savings in the office model, compared to two static strategies when the blinds were left open and closed during the whole year respectively.

  8. Predictive Optimal Control of Active and Passive Building Thermal Storage Inventory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gregor P. Henze; Moncef Krarti

    2005-09-30

    Cooling of commercial buildings contributes significantly to the peak demand placed on an electrical utility grid. Time-of-use electricity rates encourage shifting of electrical loads to off-peak periods at night and weekends. Buildings can respond to these pricing signals by shifting cooling-related thermal loads either by precooling the building's massive structure or the use of active thermal energy storage systems such as ice storage. While these two thermal batteries have been engaged separately in the past, this project investigated the merits of harnessing both storage media concurrently in the context of predictive optimal control. To pursue the analysis, modeling, and simulation research of Phase 1, two separate simulation environments were developed. Based on the new dynamic building simulation program EnergyPlus, a utility rate module, two thermal energy storage models were added. Also, a sequential optimization approach to the cost minimization problem using direct search, gradient-based, and dynamic programming methods was incorporated. The objective function was the total utility bill including the cost of reheat and a time-of-use electricity rate either with or without demand charges. An alternative simulation environment based on TRNSYS and Matlab was developed to allow for comparison and cross-validation with EnergyPlus. The initial evaluation of the theoretical potential of the combined optimal control assumed perfect weather prediction and match between the building model and the actual building counterpart. The analysis showed that the combined utilization leads to cost savings that is significantly greater than either storage but less than the sum of the individual savings. The findings reveal that the cooling-related on-peak electrical demand of commercial buildings can be considerably reduced. A subsequent analysis of the impact of forecasting uncertainty in the required short-term weather forecasts determined that it takes only very

  9. An Investigation Into Why Lighting Controls Fail in Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernard Doyle

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available The project began as a post-occupancy evaluation of lighting controls installed in a range of buildings, including a public office building, a shopping centre and a primary school. Actual controlled lighting consumption was to be compared against past billing or simulated energy consumption. However, when the research began it was found that the controls had been removed from two out of the three buildings. Further research proved that it was not unusual for lighting controls to be disconnected following installation. This raised a much bigger research question- why were the controls disconnected and what were the factors governing success or failure of these systems? To answer this new question a new methodology to that first envisaged had to be established. Investigating the reasons for disconnection could only be achieved by discussion with those involved. To find out what people know, or think, it is necessary to ask them. Interviewing was used to address the new research question. It was found that little research exists on long-term performance analysis of lighting controls. A framework was created to determine if there is correlation between past findings and the reasons for failure in the case studies. It should be noted that there were minimal findings into the failure of lighting controls systems in buildings in Ireland, which prompted possible additional reasons for the failure of these systems, e.g. differing usage patterns, availability of useful daylight. The research that followed posed many challenges requiring the use of qualitative data in an engineering environment. In order to answer the research question, a clearly-defined and wellstructured methodology was required. It was concluded from the research that the conceptual framework used was appropriate and that the methods were fit for purpose.Some of the findings included: • Maintenance costs are comparitively high • Misinterpretation of commissioning processes

  10. A new Dutch building control system : Lessons to be learned from neighbours?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meijer, F.M.; Visscher, H.J.

    2016-01-01

    Traditionally quality control of construction work in Europe was a governmental responsibility. In most European countries local authority building control were responsible for the issuing of planning or building permits and carried out plan approval, site-inspections and checks on completion of

  11. DYNAMIC LIGHTING CONTROL INSIDE OF BUILDINGS OVER THE PROFIBUSDP NETWORK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cemal YILMAZ

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, dynamic lighting control inside of buildings has been implemented over the Profibus-DP network. Automatically adjustable luminaries were used to adjust lighting level to desired values. The data received from sensors measuring illuminance levels inside building are transferred to central control unit over the Profibus-DP network. These data are evaluated in the control unit and then control signals related to evaluation results are sent to the luminaries over the Profibus-DP network. As a reason of this design, optimum energy usage has been supplied by controlling the lighting remotely. Moreover, a healthy lighting environment has been obtained by means of adjusting the illuminance level related to lighting variations occurred in the various hours of a day.

  12. Mobile Interfaces for Building Control Surveyors

    OpenAIRE

    Chmielewski , Jacek; Walczak , Krzysztof; Wiza , Wojciech

    2010-01-01

    International audience; The problem of integrating heterogeneous back-end platforms used in public administration has been widely addressed in a number of research and development projects. In such a complex and heterogeneous environment, application of the SOA paradigm can be particularly beneficial. However, in some application domains - such as the Building Control Administration - there is an additional requirement: integration of heterogeneous front-end platforms - including access throu...

  13. CONVERGING REDUNDANT SENSOR NETWORK INFORMATION FOR IMPROVED BUILDING CONTROL

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dale K. Tiller; Gregor P. Henze

    2004-11-01

    Knowing how many people occupy a building, and where they are located, is a key component of building energy management and security. Commercial, industrial and residential buildings often incorporate systems used to determine occupancy, however, current sensor technology and control algorithms limit the effectiveness of both energy management and security systems. This topical report describes results from the first phase of a project to design, implement, validate, and prototype new technologies to monitor occupancy, control indoor environment services, and promote security in buildings. Phase I of the project focused on instrumentation and data collection. In this project phase a new occupancy detection system was developed, commissioned and installed in a sample of private offices and open-plan office workstations. Data acquisition systems were developed and deployed to collect data on space occupancy profiles. Analysis tools based on Bayesian probability theory were applied to the occupancy data generated by the sensor network. The inference of primary importance is a probability distribution over the number of occupants and their locations in a building, given past and present sensor measurements. Inferences were computed for occupancy and its temporal persistence in individual offices as well as the persistence of sensor status. The raw sensor data were also used to calibrate the sensor belief network, including the occupancy transition matrix used in the Markov model, sensor sensitivity, and sensor failure models. This study shows that the belief network framework can be applied to the analysis of data streams from sensor networks, offering significant benefits to building operation compared to current practice.

  14. XACML to build access control policies for Internet of Things

    OpenAIRE

    Atlam, Hany F.; Alassafi, Madini, Obad; Alenezi, Ahmed; Walters, Robert; Wills, Gary

    2018-01-01

    Although the Internet of things (IoT) brought unlimited benefits, it also brought many security issues. The access control is one of the main elements to address these issues. It provides the access to system resources only to authorized users and ensures that they behave in an authorized manner during their access sessions. One of the significant components of any access control model is access policies. They are used to build the criteria to permit or deny any access request. Building an ef...

  15. Domestic appliances energy optimization with model predictive control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodrigues, E.M.G.; Godina, R.; Pouresmaeil, E.; Ferreira, J.R.; Catalão, J.P.S.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • An alternative power management control for home appliances that require thermal regulation is presented. • A Model Predictive Control scheme is assessed and its performance studied and compared to the thermostat. • Problem formulation is explored through tuning weights with the aim of reducing energetic consumption and cost. • A modulation scheme of a two-level Model Predictive Control signal as an interface block is presented. • The implementation costs in home appliances with thermal regulation requirements are reduced. - Abstract: A vital element in making a sustainable world is correctly managing the energy in the domestic sector. Thus, this sector evidently stands as a key one for to be addressed in terms of climate change goals. Increasingly, people are aware of electricity savings by turning off the equipment that is not been used, or connect electrical loads just outside the on-peak hours. However, these few efforts are not enough to reduce the global energy consumption, which is increasing. Much of the reduction was due to technological improvements, however with the advancing of the years new types of control arise. Domestic appliances with the purpose of heating and cooling rely on thermostatic regulation technique. The study in this paper is focused on the subject of an alternative power management control for home appliances that require thermal regulation. In this paper a Model Predictive Control scheme is assessed and its performance studied and compared to the thermostat with the aim of minimizing the cooling energy consumption through the minimization of the energy cost while satisfying the adequate temperature range for the human comfort. In addition, the Model Predictive Control problem formulation is explored through tuning weights with the aim of reducing energetic consumption and cost. For this purpose, the typical consumption of a 24 h period of a summer day was simulated a three-level tariff scheme was used. The new

  16. Economic Model Predictive Control for Building Climate Control in a Smart Grid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Halvgaard, Rasmus; Poulsen, Niels Kjølstad; Madsen, Henrik

    2012-01-01

    Model Predictive Control (MPC) can be used to control a system of energy producers and consumers in a Smart Grid. In this paper, we use heat pumps for heating residential buildings with a floor heating system. We use the thermal capacity of the building to shift the electricity consumptions...... to periods with low energy prices. In this way the heating system of the house becomes a flexible power consumer in the Smart Grid. This scenario is relevant for systems with a significant share of stochastic energy producers, e.g. wind turbines, where the ability to shift power consumption according...... and electricity price. Simulation studies demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed model and algorithm. Compared to traditional operation of heat pumps with constant electricity prices, the optimized operating strategy saves 25-33% of the electricity cost....

  17. Stochastic Control of Energy Efficient Buildings: A Semidefinite Programming Approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, Xiao [ORNL; Dong, Jin [ORNL; Djouadi, Seddik M [ORNL; Nutaro, James J [ORNL; Kuruganti, Teja [ORNL

    2015-01-01

    The key goal in energy efficient buildings is to reduce energy consumption of Heating, Ventilation, and Air- Conditioning (HVAC) systems while maintaining a comfortable temperature and humidity in the building. This paper proposes a novel stochastic control approach for achieving joint performance and power control of HVAC. We employ a constrained Stochastic Linear Quadratic Control (cSLQC) by minimizing a quadratic cost function with a disturbance assumed to be Gaussian. The problem is formulated to minimize the expected cost subject to a linear constraint and a probabilistic constraint. By using cSLQC, the problem is reduced to a semidefinite optimization problem, where the optimal control can be computed efficiently by Semidefinite programming (SDP). Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and power efficiency by utilizing the proposed control approach.

  18. Considerations on safety against seismic excitations in the project of reactor auxiliary building and control building in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, S.H.C.; Castro Monteiro, I. de

    1986-01-01

    The seismic requests to be considered in the project of main buildings of a nuclear power plant are discussed. The models for global seismic analysis of nuclear power plant structures, as well as models for global strength distribution are presented. The models for analysing reactor auxiliary building and control building, which together with the reactor building and turbine building form the main energy generation complex in a nuclear power plant, are described. (M.C.K.) [pt

  19. An Analysis of Electrical Consumption at Representative Army Installations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-05-01

    can be done by analyzing and optimizing HVAC system and building operation. For example, if the minimum hourly usage (demand) of a typical bachelor...equipment. (Major candidates for scheduling are air-handler motors, chillers , air compressors, exhaust fans, exterior lights, hot water heaters, and hot...location: Thermostats Setpoint Measured Limiters Setback Area Temperature Temperature Yes No Yes No Are night setback thermostats recommended? Yes _ No

  20. Effect of nonlinearity of connecting dampers on vibration control of connected building structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masatoshi eKasagi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The connection of two building structures with dampers is one of effective vibration control systems. In this vibration control system, both buildings have to possess different vibration properties in order to provide a higher vibration reduction performance. In addition to such condition of different vibration properties of both buildings, the connecting dampers also play an important role in the vibration control mechanism. In this paper, the effect of nonlinearity of connecting dampers on the vibration control of connected building structures is investigated in detail. A high-damping rubber damper and an oil damper with and without relief mechanism are treated. It is shown that, while the high-damping rubber damper is effective in a rather small deformation level, the linear oil damper is effective in a relatively large deformation level. It is further shown that, while the oil dampers reduce the response in the same phase as the case without dampers, the high-damping rubber dampers change the phase. The merit is that the high-damping rubber can reduce the damper deformation and keep the sufficient space between both buildings. This can mitigate the risk of building pounding.

  1. Impacts of Commercial Building Controls on Energy Savings and Peak Load Reduction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fernandez, Nicholas E.P. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Katipamula, Srinivas [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Wang, Weimin [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Xie, YuLong [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Zhao, Mingjie [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Corbin, Charles D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2017-05-30

    Commercial buildings in the United States use about 18 Quadrillion British thermal units (Quads) of primary energy annually . Studies have shown that as much as 30% of building energy consumption can be avoided by using more accurate sensing, using existing controls better, and deploying advanced controls; hence, the motivation for the work described in this report. Studies also have shown that 10% to 20% of the commercial building peak load can be temporarily managed/curtailed to provide grid services. Although many studies have indicated significant potential for reducing the energy consumption in commercial buildings, very few have documented the actual savings. The studies that did so only provided savings at the whole building level, which makes it difficult to assess the savings potential of each individual measure deployed.

  2. Power Admission Control with Predictive Thermal Management in Smart Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yao, Jianguo; Costanzo, Giuseppe Tommaso; Zhu, Guchuan

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a control scheme for thermal management in smart buildings based on predictive power admission control. This approach combines model predictive control with budget-schedulability analysis in order to reduce peak power consumption as well as ensure thermal comfort. First...

  3. Multi-agent control system with information fusion based comfort model for smart buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Zhu; Wang, Lingfeng; Dounis, Anastasios I.; Yang, Rui

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Proposed a model to manage indoor energy and comfort for smart buildings. ► Developed a control system to maximize comfort with minimum energy consumption. ► Information fusion with ordered weighted averaging aggregation is used. ► Multi-agent technology and heuristic intelligent optimization are deployed in developing the control system. -- Abstract: From the perspective of system control, a smart and green building is a large-scale dynamic system with high complexity and a huge amount of information. Proper combination of the available information and effective control of the overall building system turns out to be a big challenge. In this study, we proposed a building indoor energy and comfort management model based on information fusion using ordered weighted averaging (OWA) aggregation. A multi-agent control system with heuristic intelligent optimization is developed to achieve a high level of comfort with the minimum power consumption. Case studies and simulation results are presented and discussed in this paper.

  4. Proactive control for solar energy exploitation: A german high-inertia building case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michailidis, Iakovos T.; Baldi, Simone; Pichler, Martin F.; Kosmatopoulos, Elias B.; Santiago, Juan R.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Solar gains exploitation by utilizing large glass facades and concrete core thermal energy storing capacity. • Efficient Building Energy Management in a well-insulated modern building construction. • Energy consumption reduction by maintaining user comfort. • High inertia large scale office building test case, located in Germany. - Abstract: Energy efficient passive designs and constructions have been extensively studied in the last decades as a way to improve the ability of a building to store thermal energy, increase its thermal mass, increase passive insulation and reduce heat losses. However, many studies show that passive thermal designs alone are not enough to fully exploit the potential for energy efficiency in buildings: in fact, harmonizing the active elements for indoor thermal comfort with the passive design of the building can lead to further improvements in both energy efficiency and comfort. These improvements can be achieved via the design of appropriate Building Optimization and Control (BOC) systems, a task which is more complex in high-inertia buildings than in conventional ones. This is because high thermal mass implies a high memory, so that wrong control decisions will have negative repercussions over long time horizons. The design of proactive control strategies with the capability of acting in advance of a future situation, rather than just reacting to current conditions, is of crucial importance for a full exploitation of the capabilities of a high-inertia building. This paper applies a simulation-assisted control methodology to a high-inertia building in Kassel, Germany. A simulation model of the building is used to proactively optimize, using both current and future information about the external weather condition and the building state, a combined criterion composed of the energy consumption and the thermal comfort index. Both extensive simulation as well as real-life experiments performed during the unstable German

  5. Model-based and model-free “plug-and-play” building energy efficient control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baldi, Simone; Michailidis, Iakovos; Ravanis, Christos; Kosmatopoulos, Elias B.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • “Plug-and-play” Building Optimization and Control (BOC) driven by building data. • Ability to handle the large-scale and complex nature of the BOC problem. • Adaptation to learn the optimal BOC policy when no building model is available. • Comparisons with rule-based and advanced BOC strategies. • Simulation and real-life experiments in a ten-office building. - Abstract: Considerable research efforts in Building Optimization and Control (BOC) have been directed toward the development of “plug-and-play” BOC systems that can achieve energy efficiency without compromising thermal comfort and without the need of qualified personnel engaged in a tedious and time-consuming manual fine-tuning phase. In this paper, we report on how a recently introduced Parametrized Cognitive Adaptive Optimization – abbreviated as PCAO – can be used toward the design of both model-based and model-free “plug-and-play” BOC systems, with minimum human effort required to accomplish the design. In the model-based case, PCAO assesses the performance of its control strategy via a simulation model of the building dynamics; in the model-free case, PCAO optimizes its control strategy without relying on any model of the building dynamics. Extensive simulation and real-life experiments performed on a 10-office building demonstrate the effectiveness of the PCAO–BOC system in providing significant energy efficiency and improved thermal comfort. The mechanisms embedded within PCAO render it capable of automatically and quickly learning an efficient BOC strategy either in the presence of complex nonlinear simulation models of the building dynamics (model-based) or when no model for the building dynamics is available (model-free). Comparative studies with alternative state-of-the-art BOC systems show the effectiveness of the PCAO–BOC solution

  6. Suggestions for inclulsion of radon exhalation control target in building materials radioactivity standards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Fudong; Liu Senlin; Pan Ziqiang; Zhang Yonggui

    2010-01-01

    The specific-activity and radon exhalation rate from 26 building material samples from different areas were measured with high pure germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometer and activated carbon cartridge. It is shown that the radium content is not completely relevant to radon exhalation rate from some building material. The existing national standards on 'The Limit of Radionuclides in Building Materials' (GB 6566-2001) only present internal exposure index as control target but not for radon exhalation rate; in fact, the radon exhalation rate from building materials is closely nearly related to indoor radon concentration. So we suggest that the radon exhalation control target should be included in the national standards on 'The Limit of Radionuclides in Building Materials'. (authors)

  7. Integrated smart control of heating, cooling, ventilation, daylighting and electrical lighting in buildings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakker, L.G.; Brouwer, A.H.M.; Babuska, R.

    1998-01-01

    The present energy consumption of European Buildings is higher than necessary, given the developments in control engineering. Optimization and integration of smart control into building systems can save substantial quantities of energy on a European scale while improving the standards for indoor

  8. Advanced Sensors and Controls for Building Applications: Market Assessment and Potential R&D Pathways

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brambley, M. R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Haves, P. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); McDonald, S. C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Torcellini, P. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Hansen, D. [U.S. Dept. of Energy, Washington, D.C. (United States); Holmberg, D. R. [National Institute of Science and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD (United States); Roth, K. W. [TIAX, LLC, Cambridge, MA (United States)

    2005-04-01

    This document provides a market assessment of existing building sensors and controls and presents a range of technology pathways (R&D options) for pursuing advanced sensors and building control strategies.

  9. Mass Alarms in Main Control Room Caused Condensate on the Instrumentation and Control Cards in Turbine Building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goo, Cheol-Soo

    2015-01-01

    A bunch of alarms and trouble lights on the main control room simultaneously turned on during inspection and exchange of the coolers of the turbine building at pressurized water reactor of the Hanbit nuclear power plant No. 6. The main cause was condensate on instrumentation cards of plant control system (PCS) installed at enclosures in the turbine building which have MUX cabinets to transmit signals between the main control room and local equipment. To control the temperature and humidity of the MUX cabinets, two coolers of the plant chilled water system supply air to the compact enclosures at turbine building where temperature and humidity is high in the summer. It is an unusual experience that mass alarms abnormally were occurred in the main control room during normal plant operation phases. Spurious signals with unknown cause at control and instrumentation system occasionally may have an unnecessary actuation of monitoring equipment and a plant scram even. One of the main causes is humidity by a rapid temperature change of the control and instrumentation cards. Dew on the instrumentation cards could form an abnormal short circuit in printed circuit board with the compact circuits and make any malfunction of the related system. Instrumentation and control cards with integrated circuits are vulnerable to high humidity and temperature where the system is enclosed in a small housing or enclosure surrounding with hash environment such as a turbine building. It was found that there was no functional degradation of the safety systems and no outsides releases of radioactive materials by this occurrence. (author)

  10. A Building Model Framework for a Genetic Algorithm Multi-objective Model Predictive Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arendt, Krzysztof; Ionesi, Ana; Jradi, Muhyiddine

    2016-01-01

    Model Predictive Control (MPC) of building systems is a promising approach to optimize building energy performance. In contrast to traditional control strategies which are reactive in nature, MPC optimizes the utilization of resources based on the predicted effects. It has been shown that energy ...

  11. Dynamic Behaviour of a Population of Controlled-by-price Demand Side Resources

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sossan, Fabrizio; Han, Xue; Bindner, Henrik W.

    2014-01-01

    It is described that controlling or shedding by price the power consumption of a population of thermostatic loads introduces in the aggregate consumption dynamic effects th at cannot be disregarded if electrical flexible demand is meant to supply power system services. It is shown that inducing...

  12. Vibration control of buildings by using partial floor loads as multiple tuned mass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tharwat A. Sakr

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Tuned mass dampers (TMDs are considered as the most common control devices used for protecting high-rise buildings from vibrations. Because of their simplicity and efficiency, they have found wide practical applications in high-rise buildings around the world. This paper proposes an innovative technique for using partial floor loads as multiple TMDs at limited number of floors. This technique eliminates complications resulting from the addition of huge masses required for response control and maintains the mass of the original structure without any added loads. The effects of using partial loads of limited floors starting from the top as TMDs on the vibration response of buildings to wind and earthquakes are investigated. The effects of applying the proposed technique to buildings with different heights and characteristics are also investigated. A parametric study is carried out to illustrate how the behavior of a building is affected by the number of stories and the portion of the floor utilized as TMDs. Results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed control technique in enhancing the drift, acceleration, and force response of buildings to wind and earthquakes. The response of buildings to wind and earthquakes was observed to be more enhanced by increasing the story-mass ratios and the number of floor utilized as TMDs.

  13. Smart building temperature control using occupant feedback

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Santosh K.

    This work was motivated by the problem of computing optimal commonly-agreeable thermal settings in spaces with multiple occupants. In this work we propose algorithms that take into account each occupant's preferences along with the thermal correlations between different zones in a building, to arrive at optimal thermal settings for all zones of the building in a coordinated manner. In the first part of this work we incorporate active occupant feedback to minimize aggregate user discomfort and total energy cost. User feedback is used to estimate the users comfort range, taking into account possible inaccuracies in the feedback. The control algorithm takes the energy cost into account, trading it off optimally with the aggregate user discomfort. A lumped heat transfer model based on thermal resistance and capacitance is used to model a multi-zone building. We provide a stability analysis and establish convergence of the proposed solution to a desired temperature that minimizes the sum of energy cost and aggregate user discomfort. However, for convergence to the optimal, sufficient separation between the user feedback frequency and the dynamics of the system is necessary; otherwise, the user feedback provided do not correctly reflect the effect of current control input value on user discomfort. The algorithm is further extended using singular perturbation theory to determine the minimum time between successive user feedback solicitations. Under sufficient time scale separation, we establish convergence of the proposed solution. Simulation study and experimental runs on the Watervliet based test facility demonstrates performance of the algorithm. In the second part we develop a consensus algorithm for attaining a common temperature set-point that is agreeable to all occupants of a zone in a typical multi-occupant space. The information on the comfort range functions is indeed held privately by each occupant. Using occupant differentiated dynamically adjusted prices as

  14. Electrodeposition of nickel onto steel, using a thermostatic cell and movable anode by a variable current.; Electrodeposicion de niquel sobre acero al carbon, empleando una celda termostatizada y un anodo movil, por medio de una corriente pulsada rectangular.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vega G, J D

    1994-12-31

    In this work, metallic coatings of nickel was made over carbon steel using two different electrolytic solutions: The Watts`s bath and the nickel sulfamate bath, using a pulse variable current. The method use was the traditional method, its means a thermostatic cell and one movable anode, which is a few know technique nowadays, it allow realize depositions away from any laboratory or special workshop, it has the advantage to be a portable dispositive. At last of all the electro depositions the coatings quality was valuable by them physical properties like: adhesion, hardness, wrinkled and thickness. The best results was obtain by the Nickel sulfamate bath and movable anode, less in the thickness, which has higher on the thermostatic cell. The variable current was obtain by a Pulse Generator and a Cathodic galvanometer. (Author).

  15. Energy performance and optimal control of air-conditioned buildings with envelopes enhanced by phase change materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Na; Wang Shengwei; Ma Zhenjun; Sun Yongjun

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Impact of PCM on the energy consumption and peak load demand as well as electricity cost of air-conditioned buildings. → Impact of load shifting control on energy consumption, peak load and electricity cost of air-conditioned PCM buildings. → Impact of demand limiting control on energy consumption, peak load and electricity cost of air-conditioned PCM buildings. → Energy/cost effects of different control strategies and use of PCM in energy-plus-demand-based pricing policy. → Energy/cost effects of different control strategies and use of PCM in time-based pricing policy. - Abstract: Studies are conducted to investigate the impacts of shape-stabilized phase change material (SSPCM) and different control strategies on the energy consumption and peak load demand as well as electricity cost of building air-conditioning systems at typical summer conditions in two climates (subtropical and dry continental climates). An office building using a typical variable air volume (VAV) air-conditioning system was selected and simulated as the reference building in this study. Its envelopes were enhanced by integrating the SSPCM layers into its walls while the air-conditioning system and other configurations of the building remained unchanged. The building system was tested under two typical weather conditions and two typical electricity pricing policies (i.e. time-based pricing and energy-plus-demand-based pricing). Test results show that the use of SSPCM in the building could reduce the building electricity cost significantly (over 11% in electricity cost reduction and over 20% in peak load reduction), under two pricing policies by using load shifting control and demand limiting control respectively. This paper presents the test results and the evaluation on the energy performance and the optimal control strategies of air-conditioned commercial buildings with envelopes enhanced by SSPCM.

  16. Demand Controlled Economizer Cycles: A Direct Digital Control Scheme for Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Systems,

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-05-01

    Control Ignored any error of 1/10th degree or less. This was done by setting the error term E and the integral sum PREINT to zero If then absolute value of...signs of two errors jeq tdiff if equal, jump clr @preint else zero integal sum tdiff mov @diff,rl fetch absolute value of OAT-RAT ci rl,25 is...includes a heating coil and thermostatic control to maintain the air in this path at an elevated temperature, typically around 80 degrees Farenheit (80 F

  17. Control of energy flow in residential buildings; Energieflussregelung in Wohngebaeuden

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weiss, Martin

    2011-07-01

    Energy systems in residential buildings are changing from monovalent, combustion based systems to multivalent systems containing technologies such as solar collectors, pellet boilers, heat pumps, CHP and multiple storages. Multivalent heat and electricity generation and additional storages raise the number of possible control signals in the system. This creates additional degrees of freedom regarding the choice of the energy converter and the instant of time for energy conversion. New functionality of controllers such as prioritisation of energy producers, optimization of electric self consumption and control of storages and energy feed-in are required. Within the scope of this thesis, new approaches for demand-driven optimal control of energy flows in multivalent building energy systems are developed and evaluated. The approaches are evaluated by means of system energy costs and operating emissions. For parametrisation of the controllers an easily understandable operating concept is developed. The energy flow controllers are implemented as a multi agent system (MAS) and a nonlinear model predictive controller (MPC). Proper functionality and stability are demonstrated in simulations of two example energy systems. In both example systems the MPC controller achieves less energy costs and operating emissions due to system wide global optimization and the more detailed system model within the controller. The multi agent approach turns out to perform better for systems with a huge number of components, e.g. in home automation and energy management systems. Due to the good performance of the reference control strategies, a significant reduction of energy costs and operating emissions is only possible with limitations. Systems for heat generation show only an especially low potential for optimization because of marginal variation ins heat production costs. The adaptation of the operation mode to user priorities, changing utilization characteristics and dynamic energy

  18. Energy Conservation in an Office Building Using an Enhanced Blind System Control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edorta Carrascal-Lekunberri

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The two spaces office module is usually considered as a representative case-study to analyse the energetic improvement in office buildings. In this kind of buildings, the use of a model predictive control (MPC scheme for the climate system control provides energy savings over 15% in comparison to classic control policies. This paper focuses on the influence of solar radiation on the climate control of the office module under Belgian weather conditions. Considering MPC as main climate control, it proposes a novel distributed enhanced control for the blind system (BS that takes into account part of the predictive information of the MPC. In addition to the savings that are usually achieved by MPC, it adds a potential 15% improvement in global energy use with respect to the usually proposed BS hysteresis control. Moreover, from the simulation results it can be concluded that the thermal comfort is also improved. The proposed BS scheme increases the energy use ratio between the thermally activated building system (TABS and air-handling unit (AHU; therefore increasing the use of TABS and allowing economic savings, due to the use of more cost-effective thermal equipment.

  19. The School Building Principal and Inventory Control: A Case for Computerization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stronge, James

    1987-01-01

    General and special purpose database programs are appropriate for inventory control at the school building level. A fixed asset equipment inventory example illustrates the feasibility of computerized inventory control. (MLF)

  20. Development of Temperature Control Solutions for Non-Instrumented Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NINAAT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamás Pardy

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Non-instrumented nucleic acid amplification tests (NINAAT are a novel paradigm in portable molecular diagnostics. They offer the high detection accuracy characteristic of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT in a self-contained device, without the need for any external instrumentation. These Point-of-Care tests typically employ a Lab-on-a-Chip for liquid handling functionality, and perform isothermal nucleic acid amplification protocols that require low power but high accuracy temperature control in a single well-defined temperature range. We propose temperature control solutions based on commercially available heating elements capable of meeting these challenges, as well as demonstrate the process by which such elements can be fitted to a NINAAT system. Self-regulated and thermostat-controlled resistive heating elements were evaluated through experimental characterization as well as thermal analysis using the finite element method (FEM. We demonstrate that the proposed solutions can support various NAAT protocols, as well as demonstrate an optimal solution for the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP protocol. Furthermore, we present an Arduino-compatible open-source thermostat developed for NINAAT applications.

  1. Predictive control techniques for energy and indoor environmental quality management in buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kolokotsa, D. [Technological Educational Institute of Crete, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, 3, Romanou str., 73133, Hania, Crete (Greece); Pouliezos, A. [Technical University of Crete, Department of Production Engineering and Management, University Campus, Kounoupidiana, 73100 Hania (Greece); Stavrakakis, G.; Lazos, C. [Technical University of Crete, Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering, University Campus, Kounoupidiana, 73100 Hania (Greece)

    2009-09-15

    The aim of the present paper is to present a model-based predictive controller, combined with a Building Energy Management System (BEMS). The overall system predicts the indoor environmental conditions of a specific building and selects the most appropriate actions so as to reach the set points and contribute to the indoor environmental quality by minimizing energy costs. The controller is tested using a BEMS installation in Hania, Crete, Greece. (author)

  2. Smart buildings: Energy efficient conditioning of building occupants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zeiler, W.; Houten, van M.A.; Boxem, G.; Vehler, R.; Verhoeven, M.; Fremouw, M.

    2009-01-01

    To further optimize energy performance of buildings, intelligent building control offers new possibilities. Intelligent Software Agents (ISA) can be implemented at different levels of building automation. Individual agents for individual climate control for each user of the building in combination

  3. Building control for nuclear materials R and D facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hart, O.

    1979-01-01

    The new plutonium research and development facility at LASL was the first facility to be completed in the United States under the new environmental requirements. To insure that these new requirements are met, a redundant computer system is used to monitor and control the building. This paper describes the supervisory control and data acquisition system that was implemented to perform that function

  4. FRF-based structural damage detection of controlled buildings with podium structures: Experimental investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Y. L.; Huang, Q.; Zhan, S.; Su, Z. Q.; Liu, H. J.

    2014-06-01

    How to use control devices to enhance system identification and damage detection in relation to a structure that requires both vibration control and structural health monitoring is an interesting yet practical topic. In this study, the possibility of using the added stiffness provided by control devices and frequency response functions (FRFs) to detect damage in a building complex was explored experimentally. Scale models of a 12-storey main building and a 3-storey podium structure were built to represent a building complex. Given that the connection between the main building and the podium structure is most susceptible to damage, damage to the building complex was experimentally simulated by changing the connection stiffness. To simulate the added stiffness provided by a semi-active friction damper, a steel circular ring was designed and used to add the related stiffness to the building complex. By varying the connection stiffness using an eccentric wheel excitation system and by adding or not adding the circular ring, eight cases were investigated and eight sets of FRFs were measured. The experimental results were used to detect damage (changes in connection stiffness) using a recently proposed FRF-based damage detection method. The experimental results showed that the FRF-based damage detection method could satisfactorily locate and quantify damage.

  5. Integration of control and building performance simulation software by run-time coupling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yahiaoui, A.; Hensen, J.L.M.; Soethout, L.L.

    2003-01-01

    This paper presents the background, approach and initial results of a project, which aims to achieve better integrated building and systems control modeling in building performance simulation by runtime coupling of distributed computer programs. This paper focuses on one of the essential steps

  6. Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation of multiple environmental factors for swine building assessment and control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Qiuju; Ni, Ji-Qin; Su, Zhongbin

    2017-10-15

    In confined swine buildings, temperature, humidity, and air quality are all important for animal health and productivity. However, the current swine building environmental control is only based on temperature; and evaluation and control methods based on multiple environmental factors are needed. In this paper, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) theory was adopted for multi-factor assessment of environmental quality in two commercial swine buildings using real measurement data. An assessment index system and membership functions were established; and predetermined weights were given using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) combined with knowledge of experts. The results show that multi-factors such as temperature, humidity, and concentrations of ammonia (NH 3 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) can be successfully integrated in FCE for swine building environment assessment. The FCE method has a high correlation coefficient of 0.737 compared with the method of single-factor evaluation (SFE). The FCE method can significantly increase the sensitivity and perform an effective and integrative assessment. It can be used as part of environmental controlling and warning systems for swine building environment management to improve swine production and welfare. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. LQG Control of Along-Wind Response of a Tall Building with an ATMD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ki-Pyo You

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Modern tall buildings use lighter construction materials that have high strength and less stiffness and are more flexible. Although this results in the improvement of structural safety, excessive wind-induced excitations could lead to occupant discomfort. The optimal control law of a linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG controller with an active tuned mass damper (ATMD is used for reducing the along-wind response of a tall building. ATMD consists of a second mass with optimum parameters for tuning frequency and damping ratio of the tuned mass damper (TMD, under the stationary random load, was used. A fluctuating along-wind load, acting on a tall building, was treated as a stationary Gaussian white noise and was simulated numerically, in the time domain, using the along-wind load spectra proposed by G. Solari in 1993. Using this simulated wind load, it was possible to calculate the along-wind responses of a tall building (with and without the ATMD, using an LQG controller. Comparing the RMS (root mean square response revealed that the numerically simulated along-wind responses, without ATMD, are a good approximation to the closed form response, and that the reduced responses with ATMD and LQG controller were estimated by varying the values of control design parameters.

  8. Recent progress and development of building vibration control systems in Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Izumi, Masanori

    1989-01-01

    Japan is on a seismically active zone. The people are frequently shaken, and there is good reason to develop vibration control systems. Ministries and major construction companies have contributed to the progress of the technology. An example is the Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) Research project, which may be equipped with a base-isolation system. Rubber bearings will be standardized and base-isolated buildings will be designed and constructed easily on good ground in the near future. But one needs time to realize a building with an active control system, which is effective in potentially destructive earthquakes

  9. Smart energy control systems for sustainable buildings

    CERN Document Server

    Spataru, Catalina; Howlett, Robert; Jain, Lakhmi

    2017-01-01

    There is widespread interest in the way that smart energy control systems, such as assessment and monitoring techniques for low carbon, nearly-zero energy and net positive buildings can contribute to a Sustainable future, for current and future generations. There is a turning point on the horizon for the supply of energy from finite resources such as natural gas and oil become less reliable in economic terms and extraction become more challenging, and more unacceptable socially, such as adverse public reaction to ‘fracking’. Thus, in 2016 these challenges are having a major influence on the design, optimisation, performance measurements, operation and preservation of: buildings, neighbourhoods, cities, regions, countries and continents. The source and nature of energy, the security of supply and the equity of distribution, the environmental impact of its supply and utilization, are all crucial matters to be addressed by suppliers, consumers, governments, industry, academia, and financial institutions. Thi...

  10. Smoke control in buildings: An overview

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Twilt, L.; Oerle, N.J. van; Leur, P.H.E. van de

    1996-01-01

    Smoke poses a major hazard to people in a building involved in fire, being directly responsible for the majority of all deaths in building fires. Whereas the fire itself generally spreads through the building at a relatively slow rate, smoke takes only minutes to fill the building, if no actions are

  11. BARRIER DESIGN STRATEGIES TO CONTROL NOISE INGRESS INTO DOMESTIC BUILDINGS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina E. Mediastika

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Noise source for buildings adjacent to streets is traffic-generated predominantly. Where people are mostly spend their time indoors, it is important for buildings to have screening or blocking to control noise intrusion into living spaces. But this blocking should also permit airflow. This is important for middle to low-cost domestic buildings, which do not employ conditioned ventilation. A common feature of Indonesian buildings, fence, is studied to perform noise barrier. The fence -a barrier to be- should obey three factors: position, dimension, and material. All these three factors were studied to seek compromised design for acoustic performance and natural ventilation purpose. Domestic building situated in the urban area of Yogyakarta was studying to see the most possible design of the barrier to be. There are two calculation methods employed to investigate the proposed design. The study shows that it is possible to gain minimum of 10 dB noise reduction by placing windows within the shadow effect of approximately 1.5 height fence-barrier.

  12. IEA Project on Indoor Air Quality Design and Control in Low Energy Residential Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rode, Carsten; Abadie, Marc; Qin, Menghao

    2016-01-01

    with heat recovery systems, one of the next focal points to limiting energy consumption for thermally conditioning the indoor environment will be to possibly reducing the ventilation rate, or to make it in a new way demand controlled. However, this must be done such that it has no have adverse effects...... on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Annex 68, Indoor Air Quality Design and Control in Low Energy Residential Buildings, is a project under IEA’s Energy Conservation in Buildings and Communities Program (EBC), which will endeavor to investigate how future residential buildings are able to have very high energy...... performance whilst providing comfortable and healthy indoor environments. New paradigms for demand control of ventilation will be investigated, which consider the pollution loads and occupancy in buildings. The thermal and moisture conditions of such will be considered because of interactions between...

  13. Peak load shifting control using different cold thermal energy storage facilities in commercial buildings: A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Yongjun; Wang, Shengwei; Xiao, Fu; Gao, Diance

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Little study reviews the load shifting control using different facilities. • This study reviews load shifting control using building thermal mass. • This study reviews load shifting control using thermal energy storage systems. • This study reviews load shifting control using phase change material. • Efforts for developing more applicable load shifting control are addressed. - Abstract: For decades, load shifting control, one of most effective peak demand management methods, has attracted increasing attentions from both researchers and engineers. Different load shifting control strategies have been developed when diverse cold thermal energy storage facilities are used in commercial buildings. The facilities include building thermal mass (BTM), thermal energy storage system (TES) and phase change material (PCM). Little study has systematically reviewed these load shifting control strategies and therefore this study presents a comprehensive review of peak load shifting control strategies using these thermal energy storage facilities in commercial buildings. The research and applications of the load shifting control strategies are presented and discussed. The further efforts needed for developing more applicable load shifting control strategies using the facilities are also addressed

  14. Energy efficient HVAC control in historical buildings : a case study for the Amsterdam Museum

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kompatscher, K.; Seuren, S.; Kramer, R.P.; Van Schijndel, J.A.W.M.; Schellen, H.L.

    2017-01-01

    Museums are often located in historical buildings. To provide suitable housing in a historical building for a museum, these buildings are usually adapted to suit the need for object preservation through HVAC control. Maintaining a strict indoor climate and limiting short fluctuations in indoor

  15. Converging Redundant Sensor Network Information for Improved Building Control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dale Tiller; D. Phil; Gregor Henze; Xin Guo

    2007-09-30

    This project investigated the development and application of sensor networks to enhance building energy management and security. Commercial, industrial and residential buildings often incorporate systems used to determine occupancy, but current sensor technology and control algorithms limit the effectiveness of these systems. For example, most of these systems rely on single monitoring points to detect occupancy, when more than one monitoring point could improve system performance. Phase I of the project focused on instrumentation and data collection. During the initial project phase, a new occupancy detection system was developed, commissioned and installed in a sample of private offices and open-plan office workstations. Data acquisition systems were developed and deployed to collect data on space occupancy profiles. Phase II of the project demonstrated that a network of several sensors provides a more accurate measure of occupancy than is possible using systems based on single monitoring points. This phase also established that analysis algorithms could be applied to the sensor network data stream to improve the accuracy of system performance in energy management and security applications. In Phase III of the project, the sensor network from Phase I was complemented by a control strategy developed based on the results from the first two project phases: this controller was implemented in a small sample of work areas, and applied to lighting control. Two additional technologies were developed in the course of completing the project. A prototype web-based display that portrays the current status of each detector in a sensor network monitoring building occupancy was designed and implemented. A new capability that enables occupancy sensors in a sensor network to dynamically set the 'time delay' interval based on ongoing occupant behavior in the space was also designed and implemented.

  16. Vibration control of a cluster of buildings through the Vibrating Barrier

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tombari, A.; Garcia Espinosa, M.; Alexander, N. A.; Cacciola, P.

    2018-02-01

    A novel device, called Vibrating Barrier (ViBa), that aims to reduce the vibrations of adjacent structures subjected to ground motion waves has been recently proposed. The ViBa is a structure buried in the soil and detached from surrounding buildings that is able to absorb a significant portion of the dynamic energy arising from the ground motion. The working principle exploits the dynamic interaction among vibrating structures due to the propagation of waves through the soil, namely the structure-soil-structure interaction. In this paper the efficiency of the ViBa is investigated to control the vibrations of a cluster of buildings. To this aim, a discrete model of structures-site interaction involving multiple buildings and the ViBa is developed where the effects of the soil on the structures, i.e. the soil-structure interaction (SSI), the structure-soil-structure interaction (SSSI) as well as the ViBa-soil-structures interaction are taken into account by means of linear elastic springs. Closed-form solutions are derived to design the ViBa in the case of harmonic excitation from the analysis of the discrete model. Advanced finite element numerical simulations are performed in order to assess the efficiency of the ViBa for protecting more than a single building. Parametric studies are also conducted to identify beneficial/adverse effects in the use of the proposed vibration control strategy to protect cluster of buildings. Finally, experimental shake table tests are performed to a prototype of a cluster of two buildings protected by the ViBa device for validating the proposed numerical models.

  17. Power system security enhancement through direct non-disruptive load control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramanathan, Badri Narayanan

    The transition to a competitive market structure raises significant concerns regarding reliability of the power grid. A need to build tools for security assessment that produce operating limit boundaries for both static and dynamic contingencies is recognized. Besides, an increase in overall uncertainty in operating conditions makes corrective actions at times ineffective leaving the system vulnerable to instability. The tools that are in place for stability enhancement are mostly corrective and suffer from lack of robustness to operating condition changes. They often pose serious coordination challenges. With deregulation, there have also been ownership and responsibility issues associated with stability controls. However, the changing utility business model and the developments in enabling technologies such as two-way communication, metering, and control open up several new possibilities for power system security enhancement. This research proposes preventive modulation of selected loads through direct control for power system security enhancement. Two main contributions of this research are the following: development of an analysis framework and two conceptually different analysis approaches for load modulation to enhance oscillatory stability, and the development and study of algorithms for real-time modulation of thermostatic loads. The underlying analysis framework is based on the Structured Singular Value (SSV or mu) theory. Based on the above framework, two fundamentally different approaches towards analysis of the amount of load modulation for desired stability performance have been developed. Both the approaches have been tested on two different test systems: CIGRE Nordic test system and an equivalent of the Western Electric Coordinating Council test system. This research also develops algorithms for real-time modulation of thermostatic loads that use the results of the analysis. In line with some recent load management programs executed by utilities, two

  18. Building Integrated Active Flow Control: Improving the Aerodynamic Performance of Tall Buildings Using Fluid-Based Aerodynamic Modification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menicovich, David

    By 2050 an estimated 9 billion people will inhabit planet earth and almost all the growth in the next 40 years will be in urban areas putting tremendous pressure on creating sustainable cities. The rapid increase in population, rise in land value and decrease in plot sizes in cities around the world positions tall or more importantly slender buildings as the best suited building typology to address the increasingly critical demand for space in this pressing urbanization trend. However, the majority of new tall building urban developments have not followed principles of environmental and/or sustainable design and incentives to innovate, both technological and economic, are urgently required. The biggest climatic challenge to the design, construction and performance of tall buildings is wind sensitivity. This challenge is further emphasized seeing two market driven trends: on one hand as urban population grows, land value rises while plot sizes decrease; on the other, more cost effective modular construction techniques are introducing much lighter tall building structures. The combination of the two suggests a potential increase in the slenderness ratio of tall buildings (typically less than 6:1 but stretching to 20:1 in the near future) where not-so-tall but much lighter buildings will be the bulk of new construction in densely populated cities, providing affordable housing in the face of fast urbanization but also introducing wind sensitivity which was previously the problem of a very limited number of super tall buildings to a much larger number of buildings and communities. The proposed research aims to investigate a novel approach to the interaction between tall buildings and their environment. Through this approach the research proposes a new relationship between buildings and the flows around, through and inside them, where buildings could adapt to better control and manage the air flow around them, and consequently produce significant opportunities to reduce

  19. Adaptive semi-active control of buildings under seismic solicitations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roberti, V.; Jezequel, L.

    1993-01-01

    This paper describes an adaptive semi-active control method whereby nonlinear distributed systems are identified by their dynamical response. Approximate procedures are proposed which take into account the nonlinear behavior of the dynamic system considered. It is shown that only slight knowledge of nonlinearities is needed to apply feedback and feedforward control laws. The method is implemented to a simple example of a building with three degrees of freedom and the numerical results are analyzed

  20. Designing, Building and Controlling of Home Appliances Unit Using PC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saleh Ben Safar

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Smart home is a residential building that is usually new or modern equipped with necessary tools and wiring that enable its occupants to control a number of electrical devices and several household appliances through a suitable software. Recently, the development of home automation systems is accelerating rapidly as a result of the rapid intersection of modern technologies. Here we are talking about systems for home communication networks as well as entertainment, security, convenience, etc. These systems are controlled by sending signals through wires distributed throughout the house or Through wireless means to programmable keys or devices so that they understand these commands and deal with them as desired. In this paper, I will discuss how to design the circuit with appropriate components, build it in Printed Circuit Board and connect it to a personal computer by using programmable language in order to control all home appliances by just one click. 

  1. Bridging the gap between the linear and nonlinear predictive control: Adaptations fo refficient building climate control

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pčolka, M.; Žáčeková, E.; Robinett, R.; Čelikovský, Sergej; Šebek, M.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 53, č. 1 (2016), s. 124-138 ISSN 0967-0661 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-20433S Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : Model predictive control * Identification for control * Building climatecontrol Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory Impact factor: 2.602, year: 2016 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2016/TR/celikovsky-0460306.pdf

  2. Task-Oriented and Relationship-Building Communications between Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inwon Kang

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available By questioning the lopsided attention on task-oriented factors in air traffic controller-pilot communication, the current study places an equal weighting on both task-oriented and relationship-building communications, and investigates how each type of communication influences sustainable performance in airline operation team. Results show that both task-oriented and relationship-building communications in terms of sustainability of team process predicted greater communication satisfaction at work. Also, both task interdependence and shared leadership influenced both types of air traffic controller-pilot communication. However, only relationship-building communication had a direct influence on perceived work performance whereas task-oriented communication had not. Along with task-oriented factors, this study raises the relationship-oriented factors as important resources for the sustainable team performance in airline industry.

  3. A control-oriented model for combined building climate comfort and aquifer thermal energy storage system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rostampour Samarin, Vahab; Bloemendal, J.M.; Jaxa-Rozen, M.; Keviczky, T.

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a control-oriented model for combined building climate comfort and aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system. In particular, we first provide a description of building operational systems together with control framework variables. We then focus on the derivation of an

  4. Energy conservation in refrigerating machines by combining of thermo-static expansion valve and interior heat transfer material; Energieeinsparung in Kaelteanlagen durch Kombination von thermostatischem Expansionsventil und innerem Waermeuebertrager

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tambovtsev, Alexander

    2007-12-15

    The invention of the refrigerating machine enables to generate cold energy in any needed amount and at any desired temperature. However, cold energy generation requires driving energy. The target of this dissertation is to reduce the energy consumption of refrigerating plants considerably by means of an intelligent combination of the thermo-static expansion valve and the interior heat transfer medium. This combination should not deteriorate the reliability nor incur additional costs. Until today the two known components thermo-static expansion valve and interior heat transfer medium are considered as incompatible, because the simple connection of both components leads to an unstable control behaviour. After a detailed analysis of the causes for this instability the hypothesis is made, a stable working area can be found by means of a deliberate ''deterioration'' of the internal heat transfer medium. This ''deterioration'' can be e.g. a bypass of a part of the high-pressure flow or a parallel flow arrangement of the flows in the heat transfer medium. This hypothesis was primarily proved by experiments, but also by simulation calculations. A test stand was set-up for this purpose, which was used to test various configurations and control strategies. A considerable reduction of the energy consumption compared to conventional arrangements was achieved. (orig.) [German] Die Erfindung der Kaeltemaschine macht es moeglich, dass heute zu beliebiger Zeit Kaelte in benoetigter Menge und gewuenschter Temperatur erzeugt werden kann. Aber fuer die Kaelteerzeugung braucht man Antriebsenergie. Das Ziel dieser Doktorarbeit besteht darin, mit einer intelligenten Kombination von thermostatischem Expansionsventil (TEV) und innerem Waermeuebertrager (IWUe) den Energieverbrauch von Kaelteanlagen deutlich zu verringern, ohne dass dies zu einer Verschlechterung der Zuverlaessigkeit oder wesentlichen Mehrkosten fuehrt. Bis heute gelten die beiden

  5. A Distributed Multi-agent Control System for Power Consumption in Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kosek, Anna Magdalena; Gehrke, Oliver

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a distributed controller for adjusting the electrical consumption of a residential building in response to an external power setpoint in Watts. The controller is based on a multi-agent system and has been implemented in JCSP. It is modularly built, capable of self-configuratio...

  6. Intelligent buildings, automatic fire alarm and fire-protection control system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Deyuan

    1999-01-01

    The author describes in brief the intelligent buildings, and the automatic fire alarm and fire-protection control system. On the basis of the four-bus, three-bus and two-bus, a new transfer technique was developed

  7. Transportable Payload Operations Control Center reusable software: Building blocks for quality ground data systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahmot, Ron; Koslosky, John T.; Beach, Edward; Schwarz, Barbara

    1994-01-01

    The Mission Operations Division (MOD) at Goddard Space Flight Center builds Mission Operations Centers which are used by Flight Operations Teams to monitor and control satellites. Reducing system life cycle costs through software reuse has always been a priority of the MOD. The MOD's Transportable Payload Operations Control Center development team established an extensive library of 14 subsystems with over 100,000 delivered source instructions of reusable, generic software components. Nine TPOCC-based control centers to date support 11 satellites and achieved an average software reuse level of more than 75 percent. This paper shares experiences of how the TPOCC building blocks were developed and how building block developer's, mission development teams, and users are all part of the process.

  8. Shape Control of Responsive Building Envelopes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Foged, Isak Worre; Kirkegaard, Poul Henning; Christensen, Jesper Thøger

    2010-01-01

    The present paper considers shape control of adaptive architectural structures for improvement of structural performance by recognizing changes in their environments and loads, adapting to meet goals, and using past events to improve future performance or maintain serviceability. The general scop...... environmental system to a primary structural system joint into a collective behavioral system equipment with an actuator system is presented....... alternatives. The adaptive structure is a proposal for a responsive building envelope which is an idea of a first level operational framework for present and future investigations towards performance based responsive architectures through a set of responsive typologies. A mock-up concept of a secondary...

  9. Advanced Sensors and Controls for Building Applications: Market Assessment and Potential R&D Pathways

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brambley, Michael R.; Haves, Philip; McDonald, Sean C.; Torcellini, Paul; Hansen, David G.; Holmberg, David; Roth, Kurt

    2005-04-13

    Significant energy savings can be achieved in commercial building operation, along with increased comfort and control for occupants, through the implementation of advanced technologies. This document provides a market assessment of existing building sensors and controls and presents a range of technology pathways (R&D options) for pursuing advanced sensors and building control strategies. This paper is actually a synthesis of five other white papers: the first describes the market assessment including estimates of market potential and energy savings for sensors and control strategies currently on the market as well as a discussion of market barriers to these technologies. The other four cover technology pathways: (1) current applications and strategies for new applications, (2) sensors and controls, (3) networking, security, and protocols and standards, and (4) automated diagnostics, performance monitoring, commissioning, optimal control and tools. Each technology pathway chapter gives an overview of the technology or application. This is followed by a discussion of needs and the current status of the technology. Finally, a series of research topics is proposed.

  10. Hierarchical fuzzy control of low-energy building systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Zhen; Dexter, Arthur [Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PJ (United Kingdom)

    2010-04-15

    A hierarchical fuzzy supervisory controller is described that is capable of optimizing the operation of a low-energy building, which uses solar energy to heat and cool its interior spaces. The highest level fuzzy rules choose the most appropriate set of lower level rules according to the weather and occupancy information; the second level fuzzy rules determine an optimal energy profile and the overall modes of operation of the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system (HVAC); the third level fuzzy rules select the mode of operation of specific equipment, and assign schedules to the local controllers so that the optimal energy profile can be achieved in the most efficient way. Computer simulation is used to compare the hierarchical fuzzy control scheme with a supervisory control scheme based on expert rules. The performance is evaluated by comparing the energy consumption and thermal comfort. (author)

  11. Predictive models of energy consumption in multi-family housing in College Station, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Hikmat Hummad

    , construction material, summer thermostat setting, heating, slope, and base load, as well as a relationship between cooling slope and the combined variables of share wall, floor level, summer thermostat setting, external wall, and American household. In addition, there is a significant relationship between heating slope and the combined variables of winter thermostat setting, market value, student, and rent. The results also indicate there is a relationship between base load and the combined variables of floor area, market value, age of the building, marital status, student, and summer thermostat setting.

  12. Moisture Control Guidance for Commercial and Public Buildings (EPA 402-F-13053)

    Science.gov (United States)

    This document provides guidance to designers, construction mangers, and building operation/maintenance managers to improve IEQ and reduce risks of encountering IEQ problems due to insufficient moisture control. EPA will be producing a document entitled "Moisture Control Guida...

  13. Design of a distributed simulation environment for building control applications based on systems engineering methodology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yahiaoui, Azzedine

    2018-01-01

    The analysis of innovative designs that distributes control to buildings over a network is currently a challenging task as exciting building performance simulation tools do not offer sufficient capabilities and the flexibility to fully respond to the full complexity of Automated Buildings (ABs). For

  14. Portable Microplate Analyzer with a Thermostatic Chamber Based on a Smartphone for On-site Rapid Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Zijian; Zhong, Longjie; Pan, Yuxiang; Li, Hongbo; Zou, Quchao; Su, Kaiqi; Wang, Ping

    2017-01-01

    A microplate method provides an efficient way to use modern detection technology. However, there are some difficulties concerning on-site detection, such as being non-portable and time-consuming. In this work, a novel portable microplate analyzer with a thermostatic chamber based on a smartphone was designed for rapid on-site detection. An analyzer with a wide-angle lens and an optical filter provides a proper environment for the microplate. A smartphone app-iPlate Monitor was used for RGB analyze of image. After a consistency experiment with a microtiter plate reader (MTPR), the normalized calibration curves were y = 0.7276x + 0.0243 (R 2 = 0.9906) and y = 0.3207x + 0.0094 (R 2 = 0.9917) with a BCA protein kit as well as y = 0.182x + 0.0134 (R 2 = 0.994) and y = 0.0674x + 0.0003 (R 2 = 0.9988) with a glucose kit. The times for obtaining the detection requirement were 15 and 10 min for the BCA protein kit and the glucose kit at 37°C; in contrast, it required more than 30 and 20 min at ambient temperature. Meanwhile, it also showed good repeatability for detections.

  15. An International Project on Indoor Air Quality Design and Control in Low Energy Residential Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rode, Carsten; Abadie, Marc; Qin, Menghao

    2016-01-01

    focal points to limiting energy consumption for thermally conditioning the indoor environment will be to possibly reducing the ventilation rate, or making it in a new way demand controlled. However, this must be done such that it does not have adverse effects on indoor air quality (IAQ). Annex 68......In order to achieve nearly net zero energy use, both new and energy refurbished existing buildings will in the future need to be still more efficient and optimized. Since such buildings can be expected to be already well insulated, airtight, and have heat recovery systems installed, one of the next......, Indoor Air Quality Design and Control in Low Energy Residential Buildings, is a project under IEA’s Energy Conservation in Buildings and Communities Program (EBC), which will endeavor to investigate how future residential buildings are able to have very high energy performance whilst providing...

  16. Eden Mills Community Hall energy audit prepared for Eden Mills going carbon neutral

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lay, R.; Aussant, C. [Enermodal Engineering Ltd., Kitchener, ON (Canada)

    2009-04-22

    This paper described an energy audit conducted as part of the Eden Mills going carbon neutral project during the spring and summer of 2008. The audit included an inspection of the Eden Mills community hall with a special focus on the building's mechanical system and building envelope. A blower door test was performed to depressurize the building and to measure the airtightness of the building envelope. An energy simulation model was then used to estimate energy use according to the buildings functions and components. Recommendations included the addition of wall insulation, the replacement of some windows, and improved return air ducting and warm air distribution systems. Various new thermostat control systems were also recommended, as well as the use of wood pellets in one of the hall's 2 furnaces. 20 tabs., 28 figs.

  17. Coordination and Control of Flexible Building Loads for Renewable Integration; Demonstrations using VOLTTRON

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hao, He [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Liu, Guopeng [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Huang, Sen [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Katipamula, Srinivas [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2016-10-31

    Renewable energy resources such as wind and solar power have a high degree of uncertainty. Large-scale integration of these variable generation sources into the grid is a big challenge for power system operators. Buildings, in which we live and work, consume about 75% of the total electricity in the United States. They also have a large capacity of power flexibility due to their massive thermal capacitance. Therefore, they present a great opportunity to help the grid to manage power balance. In this report, we study coordination and control of flexible building loads for renewable integration. We first present the motivation and background, and conduct a literature review on building-to-grid integration. We also compile a catalog of flexible building loads that have great potential for renewable integration, and discuss their characteristics. We next collect solar generation data from a photovoltaic panel on Pacific Northwest National Laboratory campus, and conduct data analysis to study their characteristics. We find that solar generation output has a strong uncertainty, and the uncertainty occurs at almost all time scales. Additional data from other sources are also used to verify our study. We propose two transactive coordination strategies to manage flexible building loads for renewable integration. We prove the theories that support the two transactive coordination strategies and discuss their pros and cons. In this report, we select three types of flexible building loads—air-handling unit, rooftop unit, and a population of WHs—for which we demonstrate control of the flexible load to track a dispatch signal (e.g., renewable generation fluctuation) using experiment, simulation, or hardware-in-the-loop study. More specifically, we present the system description, model identification, controller design, test bed setup, and experiment results for each demonstration. We show that coordination and control of flexible loads has a great potential to integrate

  18. Applied Distributed Model Predictive Control for Energy Efficient Buildings and Ramp Metering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koehler, Sarah Muraoka

    suited for nonlinear optimization problems. The parallel computation of the algorithm exploits iterative linear algebra methods for the main linear algebra computations in the algorithm. We show that the splitting of the algorithm is flexible and can thus be applied to various distributed platform configurations. The two proposed algorithms are applied to two main energy and transportation control problems. The first application is energy efficient building control. Buildings represent 40% of energy consumption in the United States. Thus, it is significant to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. The goal is to minimize energy consumption subject to the physics of the building (e.g. heat transfer laws), the constraints of the actuators as well as the desired operating constraints (thermal comfort of the occupants), and heat load on the system. In this thesis, we describe the control systems of forced air building systems in practice. We discuss the "Trim and Respond" algorithm which is a distributed control algorithm that is used in practice, and show that it performs similarly to a one-step explicit DMPC algorithm. Then, we apply the novel distributed primal-dual active-set method and provide extensive numerical results for the building MPC problem. The second main application is the control of ramp metering signals to optimize traffic flow through a freeway system. This application is particularly important since urban congestion has more than doubled in the past few decades. The ramp metering problem is to maximize freeway throughput subject to freeway dynamics (derived from mass conservation), actuation constraints, freeway capacity constraints, and predicted traffic demand. In this thesis, we develop a hybrid model predictive controller for ramp metering that is guaranteed to be persistently feasible and stable. This contrasts to previous work on MPC for ramp metering where such guarantees are absent. We apply a smoothing method to the hybrid model predictive

  19. Fuzzy logic-based advanced on–off control for thermal comfort in residential buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Chang-Soon; Hyun, Chang-Ho; Park, Mignon

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Fuzzy logic-based advanced on–off control is proposed. • An anticipative control mechanism is implemented by using fuzzy theory. • Novel thermal analysis program including solar irradiation as a factor is developed. • The proposed controller solves over-heating and under-heating thermal problems. • Solar energy compensation method is applied to compensate for the solar energy. - Abstract: In this paper, an advanced on–off control method based on fuzzy logic is proposed for maintaining thermal comfort in residential buildings. Due to the time-lag of the control systems and the late building thermal response, an anticipative control mechanism is required to reduce energy loss and thermal discomfort. The proposed controller is implemented based on an on–off controller combined with a fuzzy algorithm. On–off control was chosen over other conventional control methods because of its structural simplicity. However, because conventional on–off control has a fixed operating range and a limited ability for improvements in control performance, fuzzy theory can be applied to overcome these limitations. Furthermore, a fuzzy-based solar energy compensation algorithm can be applied to the proposed controller to compensate for the energy gained from solar radiation according to the time of day. Simulations were conducted to compare the proposed controller with a conventional on–off controller under identical external conditions such as outdoor temperature and solar energy; these simulations were carried out by using a previously reported thermal analysis program that was modified to consider such external conditions. In addition, experiments were conducted in a residential building called Green Home Plus, in which hydronic radiant floor heating is used; in these experiments, the proposed system performed better than a system employing conventional on–off control methods

  20. Energy Performance and Optimal Control of Air-conditioned Buildings Integrated with Phase Change Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Na

    This thesis presents an overview of the previous research work on dynamic characteristics and energy performance of buildings due to the integration of PCMs. The research work on dynamic characteristics and energy performance of buildings using PCMs both with and without air-conditioning is reviewed. Since the particular interest in using PCMs for free cooling and peak load shifting, specific research efforts on both subjects are reviewed separately. A simplified physical dynamic model of building structures integrated with SSPCM (shaped-stabilized phase change material) is developed and validated in this study. The simplified physical model represents the wall by 3 resistances and 2 capacitances and the PCM layer by 4 resistances and 2 capacitances respectively while the key issue is the parameter identification of the model. This thesis also presents the studies on the thermodynamic characteristics of buildings enhanced by PCM and on the investigation of the impacts of PCM on the building cooling load and peak cooling demand at different climates and seasons as well as the optimal operation and control strategies to reduce the energy consumption and energy cost by reducing the air-conditioning energy consumption and peak load. An office building floor with typical variable air volume (VAV) air-conditioning system is used and simulated as the reference building in the comparison study. The envelopes of the studied building are further enhanced by integrating the PCM layers. The building system is tested in two selected cities of typical climates in China including Hong Kong and Beijing. The cold charge and discharge processes, the operation and control strategies of night ventilation and the air temperature set-point reset strategy for minimizing the energy consumption and electricity cost are studied. This thesis presents the simulation test platform, the test results on the cold storage and discharge processes, the air-conditioning energy consumption and demand

  1. Transaction-based building controls framework, Volume 2: Platform descriptive model and requirements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akyol, Bora A. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Haack, Jereme N. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Carpenter, Brandon J. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Katipamula, Srinivas [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lutes, Robert G. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hernandez, George [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2015-07-31

    Transaction-based Building Controls (TBC) offer a control systems platform that provides an agent execution environment that meets the growing requirements for security, resource utilization, and reliability. This report outlines the requirements for a platform to meet these needs and describes an illustrative/exemplary implementation.

  2. Hybrid Control System for Greater Resilience Using Multiple Isolation and Building Connection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masaki Taniguchi

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available An innovative hybrid control building system of multiple isolation and connection is proposed and investigated using both time-history and input energy responses for various types of ground motions together with transfer functions. It is concerned that the seismic displacement response at the base-isolation layer of the existing base-isolated buildings may extremely increase under long-period and long-duration ground motions which are getting great attention recently. In order to enhance the seismic performance of those base-isolated buildings, a novel hybrid system of multiple isolation and building-connection is proposed and compared with other structural systems such as an independent multiple isolation system, a hybrid system of base-isolation and building-connection. Furthermore, the robustness of seismic responses of the proposed hybrid system for various types of ground motion is discussed through the comparison of various structural systems including non-hybrid systems. Finally the optimal connection damper location is investigated using a sensitivity-type optimization approach.

  3. Net-zero Building Cluster Simulations and On-line Energy Forecasting for Adaptive and Real-Time Control and Decisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiwang

    Buildings consume about 41.1% of primary energy and 74% of the electricity in the U.S. Moreover, it is estimated by the National Energy Technology Laboratory that more than 1/4 of the 713 GW of U.S. electricity demand in 2010 could be dispatchable if only buildings could respond to that dispatch through advanced building energy control and operation strategies and smart grid infrastructure. In this study, it is envisioned that neighboring buildings will have the tendency to form a cluster, an open cyber-physical system to exploit the economic opportunities provided by a smart grid, distributed power generation, and storage devices. Through optimized demand management, these building clusters will then reduce overall primary energy consumption and peak time electricity consumption, and be more resilient to power disruptions. Therefore, this project seeks to develop a Net-zero building cluster simulation testbed and high fidelity energy forecasting models for adaptive and real-time control and decision making strategy development that can be used in a Net-zero building cluster. The following research activities are summarized in this thesis: 1) Development of a building cluster emulator for building cluster control and operation strategy assessment. 2) Development of a novel building energy forecasting methodology using active system identification and data fusion techniques. In this methodology, a systematic approach for building energy system characteristic evaluation, system excitation and model adaptation is included. The developed methodology is compared with other literature-reported building energy forecasting methods; 3) Development of the high fidelity on-line building cluster energy forecasting models, which includes energy forecasting models for buildings, PV panels, batteries and ice tank thermal storage systems 4) Small scale real building validation study to verify the performance of the developed building energy forecasting methodology. The outcomes of

  4. An Embedded Based Digital Controller for Thermal Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Lakshmi Sangeetha

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a low cost virtual instrumentation (VI system to monitor and control the electrically heated water bath temperature. The PIC16F877 based digital microcontroller is used as thermostat which controls and monitors the temperature. The digital controller also allows the user to modify the sensor (PT100 calibration data values if necessary. The developed programmable on/off control function provides on-line display of measuring temperature, set point as well as the control function output plots through the parallel port. This bus interaction is realized in Visual Basic/Assembly Language and uses a 16 bit, 10 ms sampling analog-to-digital converter (ADS 7805 for monitoring and controlling the parameters of the temperature local digital controller.

  5. Quantifying demand flexibility of power-to-heat and thermal energy storage in the control of building heating systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Finck, Christian; Li, Rongling; Kramer, Rick

    2018-01-01

    restricted by power-to-heat conversion such as heat pumps and thermal energy storage possibilities of a building. To quantify building demand flexibility, it is essential to capture the dynamic response of the building energy system with thermal energy storage. To identify the maximum flexibility a building......’s energy system can provide, optimal control is required. In this paper, optimal control serves to determine in detail demand flexibility of an office building equipped with heat pump, electric heater, and thermal energy storage tanks. The demand flexibility is quantified using different performance...... of TES and power-to-heat in any case of charging, discharging or idle mode. A simulation case study is performed showing that a water tank, a phase change material tank, and a thermochemical material tank integrated with building heating system can be designed to provide flexibility with optimal control....

  6. Solar heating system installed at Telex Communications, Inc. , Blue Earth, Minnesota. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McEver, William S.

    1979-10-26

    The final results are summarized of a contract for space heating a 97,000 square foot building which houses administrative offices, assembly areas and warehouse space. Information is also provided on system description, test data, major problems and resolutions, performance, operation and maintenance manual, manufacturer's literature, and as-built drawings. The system began delivering space heating in February 1978. The Telex solar system is composed of four main subsystems; they are the solar collectors, controls, thermal storage and heat distribution. The ITC/Solar Mark III collector was used. The collector array consists of 10 rows of 36 collectors each. The control subsystem controls the operation of the system pumps and control valves. Thermal storage for the system is provided by a 20,000 gallon water storage tank located inside the building. Heating is accomplished by water-to-air heat exchangers and controlled by thermostats.

  7. Economic Model Predictive Control for Hot Water Based Heating Systems in Smart Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Awadelrahman, M. A. Ahmed; Zong, Yi; Li, Hongwei

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a study to optimize the heating energy costs in a residential building with varying electricity price signals based on an Economic Model Predictive Controller (EMPC). The investigated heating system consists of an air source heat pump (ASHP) incorporated with a hot water tank...... as active Thermal Energy Storage (TES), where two optimization problems are integrated together to optimize both the ASHP electricity consumption and the building heating consumption utilizing a heat dynamic model of the building. The results show that the proposed EMPC can save the energy cost by load...

  8. Active Control of Thermostatic Loads for Economic and Technical Support to Distribution Grids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bhattarai, Bishnu Prasad; Mendaza, Iker Diaz de Cerio; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte

    2016-01-01

    Active control of electric water heaters (EWHs) is presented in this paper as a means of exploiting demand flexibility for supporting low-voltage (LV) distribution grids. A single-node model of an EWH is implemented in DIgSILENT PowerFactory using a thermal energy balancing equation and three...... decentralized control schemes are designed to ensure consumer comfort, economic benefit to the consumer, and technical support to LV grids. First, a price-based control that adaptively adjusts an allowable energy band per electricity price is implemented to ensure economic benefit. Next, an adaptive update...... of the energy band is done based on feeder loading to respect thermal grid constraints. Finally, a voltage-based control is implemented to provide real-time voltage support to the LV grids. Simulation results demonstrate the capability of the presented method to realize both economic and technical advantages...

  9. Nuclear power stations. Information paper no. 1. Controls on the building and running of nuclear power stations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1981-09-01

    Controls and constraints which govern the development and running of nuclear power stations are briefly examined. Government policy, permission to build, authority to start building, site acquisition building, running and public opinion are briefly discussed.

  10. Building Automation and Control Systems and Electrical Distribution Grids: A Study on the Effects of Loads Control Logics on Power Losses and Peaks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salvatore Favuzza

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Growing home comfort is causing increasing energy consumption in residential buildings and a consequent stress in urban medium and low voltage distribution networks. Therefore, distribution system operators are obliged to manage problems related to the reliability of the electricity system and, above all, they must consider investments for enhancing the electrical infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is to assess how the reduction of building electricity consumption and the modification of the building load profile, due to load automation, combined with suitable load control programs, can improve network reliability and distribution efficiency. This paper proposes an extensive study on this issue, considering various operating scenarios with four load control programs with different purposes, the presence/absence of local generation connected to the buildings and different external thermal conditions. The study also highlights how different climatic conditions can influence the effects of the load control logics.

  11. Compliance with building energy regulations for new-build dwellings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan, Wei; Garmston, Helen

    2012-01-01

    Despite increasingly stringent building energy regulations worldwide, non-compliance exists in practice. This paper examines the profile of compliance with building energy regulations for new-build dwellings. In total 404 new-build dwellings completed in the UK from 2006 to 2009 were investigated. Only a third of these dwellings were evidenced as being compliant with Building Regulations Part L (England and Wales). Such low compliance casts a serious concern over the achievability of the UK Government's target for all new-build homes to be ‘zero carbon’ from 2016. Clearly evidenced was a lack of knowledge of Part L and its compliance requirements among the supply and building control sides of new-build dwellings. The results also indicate that the compliance profile was influenced by factors including Standard Assessment Procedure (UK Government's methodology for energy efficiency) calculation submissions, learning and experience of builders and building controls with Part L, use of Part L1A checklist, the introduction of energy performance certificate (EPC), build method, dwelling type, and project size. Better compliance was associated with flats over houses and timber frame over masonry. The use of EPC and Part L1A checklist should be encouraged. Key to addressing the lack of compliance with building energy regulations is training. -- Highlights: ► There exists a lack of compliance, worldwide, with building energy regulations. ► The implementation of England and Wales building energy regulations is problematic. ► Training, learning and experience of builders and building control are critical. ► Energy performance certificate and Part L 2006 checklist helped achieve compliance. ► Flats achieved better compliance over houses; and timber frame over masonry.

  12. Bamboo fiberboards and attapulgite : does it lead to an improvement of humidity control in buildings?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, D. M.; Grillet, A. C.; Goldin, T.; Hanh Diep, T. M.; Woloszyn, M.

    2018-04-01

    In order to save energy used to heat or cool buildings and to improve the inhabitants comfort, control of humidity inside buildings must be improved. This can be done by using buffering materials able to absorb and release moisture when necessary. Natural fibers and mineral absorbent are good candidates to manufacture such materials. The aim of this research is to mix bamboo fibers with attapulgite to evaluate the influence of this mineral absorbent on the hygric behavior of the fiberboards. The hygric properties are slightly improved by the attapulgite and thus bamboo fiberboards can be used as building insulation materials able to participate to the indoor moisture control.

  13. Information and Communications Systems for Control-by-Price of Distributed Energy Resources and Flexible Demand

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nyeng, Preben; Østergaard, Jacob

    2011-01-01

    infrastructure and subsystem design and secondly focus on the design and implementation of the end-user price-responsive controller, interfaces, and communications. The design and its applicability on existing devices is verified through laboratory tests with two cases: electric space heating thermostat control...... and a small combined heat and power unit. The results show that the price-responsive controller reduces the end user’s electricity cost, or increases his income respectively, by about 7%. At the same time, the price-responsive controller provides an interface for the transmission system operator to utilize...

  14. 'Radiators with an IP address'. Intelligent house; 'Heizkoerper mit IP-Adresse'. Intelligentes Haus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Crocoll, N.; Homburg, D. [Redaktionsbuero Stutensee (Germany)

    2008-08-15

    Buildings are the biggest energy consumers in Germany. Much energy can be saved by simple measures, but who indeed is careful enough to shut off all standby appliances, set their heating thermostats to antifreeze while ventilating or shut off the light if the sun shines for brief periods on a cloudy day? Intelligent building management has an enormous market potential here. Smart homes will be the buildings of the future. (orig.)

  15. Efforts to control radiation build-up in Ringhals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Egner, K.; Aronsson, P.O.; Erixon, O. [Vattenfall AB, Vaeroebacka (Sweden)

    1995-03-01

    It is well known that good control of the primary chemistry in a PWR is essential in order to minimize material problems and fuel damages. It has also been well established that the water chemistry has a great influence on accumulation of corrosion products on the fuel and the radiation build-up on primary system surfaces. Ringhals was one of the pioneers to increase operating pH in order to reduce radiation build-up and has now been operating for ten years with pH at 7.4 or (in later years) 7.2. Our experience is favourable and includes low radiation levels in the new (1989) steam generators of Ringhals 2. Ringhals 4 has operated almost its whole life at pH 7.2 or higher and it remains one of the cleanest PWRs of its vintage. In addition to strict adherence to a stable operating chemistry, Ringhals is now working on a program with the aim to find optimum shut-down and start-up chemistry to reduce activity levels in the primary systems. A particular goal is to use the shut-down and start-up chemistry at the 1994 outage in Ringhals 3 in order to reduce doserates in preparation for the planned steam generator replacement in 1995. The paper summarizes the experience to date of the established operating chemistry, on-going tests with modified shut-down and start-up chemistry and other measures to limit or reduce the activity build-up.

  16. Efforts to control radiation build-up in Ringhals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egner, K.; Aronsson, P.O.; Erixon, O.

    1995-01-01

    It is well known that good control of the primary chemistry in a PWR is essential in order to minimize material problems and fuel damages. It has also been well established that the water chemistry has a great influence on accumulation of corrosion products on the fuel and the radiation build-up on primary system surfaces. Ringhals was one of the pioneers to increase operating pH in order to reduce radiation build-up and has now been operating for ten years with pH at 7.4 or (in later years) 7.2. Our experience is favourable and includes low radiation levels in the new (1989) steam generators of Ringhals 2. Ringhals 4 has operated almost its whole life at pH 7.2 or higher and it remains one of the cleanest PWRs of its vintage. In addition to strict adherence to a stable operating chemistry, Ringhals is now working on a program with the aim to find optimum shut-down and start-up chemistry to reduce activity levels in the primary systems. A particular goal is to use the shut-down and start-up chemistry at the 1994 outage in Ringhals 3 in order to reduce doserates in preparation for the planned steam generator replacement in 1995. The paper summarizes the experience to date of the established operating chemistry, on-going tests with modified shut-down and start-up chemistry and other measures to limit or reduce the activity build-up

  17. Comparing Whole Building Energy Implications of Sidelighting Systems with Alternate Manual Blind Control Algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher Dyke

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Currently, there is no manual blind control guideline used consistently throughout the energy modeling community. This paper identifies and compares five manual blind control algorithms with unique control patterns and reports blind occlusion, rate of change data, and annual building energy consumption. The blind control schemes detailed here represent five reasonable candidates for use in lighting and energy simulation based on difference driving factors. This study was performed on a medium-sized office building using EnergyPlus with the internal daylight harvesting engine. Results show that applying manual blind control algorithms affects the total annual consumption of the building by as much as 12.5% and 11.5% for interior and exterior blinds respectively, compared to the Always Retracted blinds algorithm. Peak demand was also compared showing blind algorithms affected zone load sizing by as much as 9.8%. The alternate algorithms were tested for their impact on American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE Guideline 14 calibration metrics and all models were found to differ from the original calibrated baseline by more than the recommended ±15% for coefficient of variance of the mean square error (CVRMSE and ±5% for normalized mean bias error (NMBE. The paper recommends that energy modelers use one or more manual blind control algorithms during design stages when making decisions about energy efficiency and other design alternatives.

  18. Tobacco Control and Health Advocacy in the European Union: Understanding Effective Coalition-Building.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weishaar, Heide; Collin, Jeff; Amos, Amanda

    2016-02-01

    Coalitions of supporters of comprehensive tobacco control policy have been crucial in achieving policy success nationally and internationally, but the dynamics of such alliances are not well understood. Qualitative semi-structured, narrative interviews with 35 stakeholders involved in developing the European Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments. These were thematically analyzed to examine the dynamics of coalition-building, collaboration and leadership in the alliance of organizations which successfully called for the development of comprehensive European Union (EU) smoke-free policy. An alliance of tobacco control and public health advocacy organizations, scientific institutions, professional bodies, pharmaceutical companies, and other actors shared the goal of fighting the harms caused by second-hand smoke. Alliance members jointly called for comprehensive EU smoke-free policy and the protection of the political debates from tobacco industry interference. The alliance's success was enabled by a core group of national and European actors with long-standing experience in tobacco control, who facilitated consensus-building, mobilized allies and synchronized the actions of policy supporters. Representatives of Brussels-based organizations emerged as crucial strategic leaders. The insights gained and identification of key enablers of successful tobacco control advocacy highlight the strategic importance of investing into tobacco control at European level. Those interested in effective health policy can apply lessons learned from EU smoke-free policy to build effective alliances in tobacco control and other areas of public health. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.

  19. Building Adjustable Pre-storm Reservoir Flood-control Release Rules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Shun-Nien; Chang, Li-Chiu; Chang, Fi-John; Hsieh, Cheng-Daw

    2017-04-01

    Typhoons hit Taiwan several times every year, which could cause serious flood disasters. Because mountainous terrains and steep landforms can rapidly accelerate the speed of flood flow during typhoon events, rivers cannot be a stable source of water supply. Reservoirs become the most effective floodwater storage facilities for alleviating flood damages in Taiwan. The pre-storm flood-control release can significantly increase reservoir storage capacity available to store floodwaters for reducing downstream flood damage, while the uncertainties of total forecasted rainfalls are very high in different stages of an oncoming typhoon, which may cause the risk of water shortage in the future. This study proposes adjustable pre-storm reservoir flood-control release rules in three designed operating stages with various hydrological conditions in the Feitsui Reservoir, a pivot reservoir for water supply to Taipei metropolitan in Taiwan, not only to reduce the risk of reservoir flood control and downstream flooding but also to consider water supply. The three operating stages before an oncoming typhoon are defined upon the timings when: (1) typhoon news is issued (3-7days before typhoon hit); (2) the sea warning is issued (2-4 days before typhoon hit); and (3) the land warning is issued (1-2 days before typhoon hit). We simulate 95 historical typhoon events with 3000 initial water levels and build some pre-storm flood-control release rules to adjust the amount of pre-release based on the total forecasted rainfalls at different operating stages. A great number of simulations (68.4 millions) are conducted to extract their major consequences and then build the adjustable pre-storm reservoir flood-control release rules. Accordingly, given a total forecasted rainfall and a water level, reservoir decision makers can easily identify the corresponding rule to tell the amount of pre-release in any stage. The results show that the proposed adjustable pre-release rules can effectively

  20. Fresh-air cooling ceilings in an administration building; Frischluft-Kuehldecken in einem Verwaltungsgebaeude

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Radtke, W

    1995-06-01

    In the construction of the new building of the Deutsche Innenbau GmbH in Muelheim much importance was attached to aesthetics and functionality. If the employees are enthusiastic after one year of operation this is mainly due to the ideal climatic conditions: Glazings with insulating glass (k=1,4 W/m{sup 2}k), high-quality thermal insulation of the breasts shading system with motor-driven screen at the outside, radiators with thermostatic valves and a fresh air cooling ceiling. The article describes the course of construction of the total air-conditioning and ventilation technique. (orig.) [Deutsch] Beim Neubau der DIG Deutsche Innenbau GmbH in Muelheim an der Ruhr legte man grossen Wert auf Aesthetik und Funktionalitaet. Wenn die Mitarbeiter nach einem Jahr Betrieb begeistert sind, so liegt dies grossenteils an idealen klimatechnischen Voraussetzungen: Verglasung mit Waermeschutzglas (K=1,4 W/m{sup 2}K), hochwertige Waermedaemmung der Bruestungen, aussenliegender Sonnenschutz mit motorbetaetigten Raffstoren, Radiatoren mit Thermostatventilen und einem Frischluft-Kuehldecken-System. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt die Vorgehensweise beim Bau der gesamten Klima- und Lueftungstechnik. (orig.)

  1. Investigation on Smoke Movement and Smoke Control for Atrium in Green and Sustainable Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fang, Lui; Nielsen, Peter V.; Brohus, Henrik

    The concepts of green buildings and sustainable buildings are promoted actively in the developed countries. Targets are on protecting the environment, using less energy through natural ventilation provisions and daylight utilization, developing better waste management and taking resource...... design in the green or sustainable buildings with an atrium. Since the physics of air entrainment is not yet clearly understood, most of the fire plume expressions reported in the literature was derived empirically. Experiments and CFD simulation were used to study the different types of thermal plumes...... conservation into account. Architectural and building design, electrical and mechanical systems, and building management have to be upgraded. However, there are problems in dealing with fire safety, especially in complying with the existing prescriptive fire codes. A hot argument is that smoke control system...

  2. BUSICO 3D: building simulation and control in unity 3D

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fürst, Jonathan; Fierro, Gabe; Bonnet, Philippe

    2014-01-01

    In this demonstration, we present a novel system of building control and simulation focused on the integration of the physical and virtual worlds. Actuations and schedules can be manifested either in a physical space or in a virtualization of that space, allowing for more natural interactions...

  3. Numerical prediction of energy consumption in buildings with controlled interior temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jarošová, P.; Št’astník, S. [Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering, 602 00 Brno, Veveří 95, Czech Republic, e-mail jarosova.p@fce.vutbr.cz, stastnik.s@fce.vutbr.cz (Czech Republic)

    2015-03-10

    New European directives bring strong requirement to the energy consumption of building objects, supporting the renewable energy sources. Whereas in the case of family and similar houses this can lead up to absurd consequences, for building objects with controlled interior temperature the optimization of energy demand is really needed. The paper demonstrates the system approach to the modelling of thermal insulation and accumulation abilities of such objetcs, incorporating the significant influence of additional physical processes, as surface heat radiation and moisture-driven deterioration of insulation layers. An illustrative example shows the numerical prediction of energy consumption of a freezing plant in one Central European climatic year.

  4. Fuzzy logic applied to the control of the energy consumption in intelligent buildings; Logica fuzzy aplicada ao controle do consumo de energia eletrica em edificios inteligentes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Costa, Herbert R. do N.

    1998-02-01

    This work shows a study on the using of fuzzy control algorithms for the energy optimization of a standard building. The simulation of this type of control was performed using a central conditioned air model and the fuzzy control architecture already used in various control projects. This situation allowed a comparative study among the the control algorithms normally used in conditioned air installations, and the control performed through the building automation system, using an algorithm based on fuzzy logic.

  5. Assessing thermal comfort and energy efficiency in buildings by statistical quality control for autocorrelated data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbeito, Inés; Zaragoza, Sonia; Tarrío-Saavedra, Javier; Naya, Salvador

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Intelligent web platform development for energy efficiency management in buildings. • Controlling and supervising thermal comfort and energy consumption in buildings. • Statistical quality control procedure to deal with autocorrelated data. • Open source alternative using R software. - Abstract: In this paper, a case study of performing a reliable statistical procedure to evaluate the quality of HVAC systems in buildings using data retrieved from an ad hoc big data web energy platform is presented. The proposed methodology based on statistical quality control (SQC) is used to analyze the real state of thermal comfort and energy efficiency of the offices of the company FRIDAMA (Spain) in a reliable way. Non-conformities or alarms, and the actual assignable causes of these out of control states are detected. The capability to meet specification requirements is also analyzed. Tools and packages implemented in the open-source R software are employed to apply the different procedures. First, this study proposes to fit ARIMA time series models to CTQ variables. Then, the application of Shewhart and EWMA control charts to the time series residuals is proposed to control and monitor thermal comfort and energy consumption in buildings. Once thermal comfort and consumption variability are estimated, the implementation of capability indexes for autocorrelated variables is proposed to calculate the degree to which standards specifications are met. According with case study results, the proposed methodology has detected real anomalies in HVAC installation, helping to detect assignable causes and to make appropriate decisions. One of the goals is to perform and describe step by step this statistical procedure in order to be replicated by practitioners in a better way.

  6. A new data-driven controllability measure with application in intelligent buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shaker, Hamid Reza; Lazarova-Molnar, Sanja

    2017-01-01

    and instrumentation within today's intelligent buildings enable collecting high quality data which could be used directly in data-based analysis and control methods. The area of data-based systems analysis and control is concentrating on developing analysis and control methods that rely on data collected from meters...... and sensors, and information obtained by data processing. This differs from the traditional model-based approaches that are based on mathematical models of systems. We propose and describe a data-driven controllability measure for discrete-time linear systems. The concept is developed within a data......-based system analysis and control framework. Therefore, only measured data is used to obtain the proposed controllability measure. The proposed controllability measure not only shows if the system is controllable or not, but also reveals the level of controllability, which is the information its previous...

  7. Optimal control of building storage systems using both ice storage and thermal mass – Part I: Simulation environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hajiah, Ali; Krarti, Moncef

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► A simulation environment is described to account for both passive and active thermal energy storage (TES) systems. ► Laboratory testing results have been used to validate the predictions from the simulation environment. ► Optimal control strategies for TES systems have been developed as part of the simulation environment. - Abstract: This paper presents a simulation environment that can evaluate the benefits of using simultaneously building thermal capacitance and ice storage system to reduce total operating costs including energy and demand charges while maintaining adequate occupant comfort conditions within commercial buildings. The building thermal storage is controlled through pre-cooling strategies by setting space indoor air temperatures. The ice storage system is controlled by charging the ice tank and operating the chiller during low electrical charge periods and melting the ice during on-peak periods. Optimal controls for both building thermal storage and ice storage are developed to minimize energy charges, demand charges, or combined energy and demand charges. The results obtained from the simulation environment are validated using laboratory testing for an optimal controller.

  8. Control of City Shallow Buried Tunnel Blasting Hazard to Surface Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Deqiang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Combining with the blasting test of an under-construction tunnel, this paper optimizes the overall blasting construction scheme. The optimized blasting scheme is used in the site construction test and the peak particle vibration velocity is strictly controlled under working conditions through blasting vibration monitoring to ensure the safety of surrounding buildings and structures in the construction process. The corresponding control measures are proposed to reduce the blasting vibration which brings certain guiding significance to the following construction project.

  9. Experimental study on modelling and control of lighting components in a test-cell building

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yahiaoui, Azzedine

    2018-01-01

    The perfect control of shading devices, particularly venetian blinds can significantly improve the rational use of daylight in buildings and provide enhanced visual comfort for occupants while saving the electricity that would be used for artificial lighting. This study proposes a control strategy

  10. Development of Universal Controller Architecture for SiC Based Power Electronic Building Blocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-30

    SiC Based Power Electronic Building Blocks Award Number Title of Research 30 October 2017 SUBMITTED BY D R. HERBERT L. G INN, Pl DEPT. OF...Naval Research , Philadelphia PA, Aug. 2017. • Ginn, H.L. Bakos J., "Development of Universal Controller Architecture for SiC Based Power Electronic...Controller Implementation for MMC Converters", Workshop on Control Architectures for Modular Power Conversion Systems, Office of Naval Research , Arlington VA

  11. Editorial: disarmament, non proliferation, confidence-building measures, armament control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soutou, Georges-Henri

    2015-01-01

    After having described the vicious circle existing between disarmament and security as it appeared before and during the first World War, the author deals with the specific case of nuclear disarmament as it was first addressed just after the Second World War, and was then not accepted by the Russians. He comments the political and strategical approach adopted by the Kennedy administration, notably within the context of severe crises (Berlin and Cuba). This resulted in the re-establishment of a relationship between war and policy as defined by Clausewitz, but based on a trilogy of three inseparable pairs: deterrence and armament control, armament control and non proliferation, armament control and confidence-building measures. The author shows that this trilogy has been somehow operating until the end of Cold War, and that nothing works anymore since the end of Cold War and of the bipolar world

  12. Research on the Implementation of Technological Measures for Controlling Indoor Environmental Quality in Green Residential Buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ruozhu; Liu, Pengda; Qian, Yongmei

    2018-02-01

    This paper analyzes the design technology of controlling indoor quality in engineering practice, it is proposed that, in framework system of green residential building design, how to realize the design idea of controlling the indoor environment quality, and the design technology with feasibility, including the sunshine and lighting, indoor air quality and thermal environment, sound insulation and noise reduction measures, etc.. The results of all will provide a good theoretical supportting for the design of green residential building.

  13. Fast-forward Langevin dynamics with momentum flips

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hijazi, Mahdi; Wilkins, David M.; Ceriotti, Michele

    2018-05-01

    Stochastic thermostats based on the Langevin equation, in which a system is coupled to an external heat bath, are popular methods for temperature control in molecular dynamics simulations due to their ergodicity and their ease of implementation. Traditionally, these thermostats suffer from sluggish behavior in the limit of high friction, unlike thermostats of the Nosé-Hoover family whose performance degrades more gently in the strong coupling regime. We propose a simple and easy-to-implement modification to the integration scheme of the Langevin algorithm that addresses the fundamental source of the overdamped behavior of high-friction Langevin dynamics: if the action of the thermostat causes the momentum of a particle to change direction, it is flipped back. This fast-forward Langevin equation preserves the momentum distribution and so guarantees the correct equilibrium sampling. It mimics the quadratic behavior of Nosé-Hoover thermostats and displays similarly good performance in the strong coupling limit. We test the efficiency of this scheme by applying it to a 1-dimensional harmonic oscillator, as well as to water and Lennard-Jones polymers. The sampling efficiency of the fast-forward Langevin equation thermostat, measured by the correlation time of relevant system variables, is at least as good as the traditional Langevin thermostat, and in the overdamped regime, the fast-forward thermostat performs much better, improving the efficiency by an order of magnitude at the highest frictions we considered.

  14. Savings through the use of adaptive predictive control of thermo-active building systems (TABS): A case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmelas, Martin; Feldmann, Thomas; Bollin, Elmar

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: •An adaptive and predictive algorithm for the control of TABS (AMLR) is evaluated. •Comparison of standard TABS control and AMLR over a period of nine month each. •Thermal comfort, energy and investment savings in a passive seminar building. •Reduction of peak power of chilled beams (auxiliary system) with AMLR algorithm. •Simplification of the TABS hydraulics with AMLR algorithm. -- Abstract: The building sector is one of the main consumers of energy. Therefore, heating and cooling concepts for renewable energy sources become increasingly important. For this purpose, low-temperature systems such as thermo-active building systems (TABS) are particularly suitable. This paper presents results of the use of a novel adaptive and predictive computation method, based on multiple linear regression (AMLR) for the control of TABS in a passive seminar building. Detailed comparisons are shown between the standard TABS and AMLR strategies over a period of nine months each. In addition to the reduction of thermal energy use by approx. 26% and a significant reduction of the TABS pump operation time, this paper focuses on investment savings in a passive seminar building through the use of the AMLR strategy. This includes the reduction of peak power of the chilled beams (auxiliary system) as well as a simplification of the TABS hydronic circuit and the saving of an external temperature sensor. The AMLR proves its practicality by learning from the historical building operation, by dealing with forecasting errors and it is easy to integrate into a building automation system.

  15. Electrical Procedures and Environmental Control Systems. Building Maintenance. Module IV. Instructor's Guide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sloan, Garry

    This curriculum guide, one of six modules keyed to the building maintenance competency profile developed by industry and education professionals, provides materials for two units on electrical procedures and environmental control systems. Unit 1, on electrical procedures, includes the following lessons: electrical safety; troubleshooting and…

  16. Lixiviation of heavy metals of hazardous industrial wastes by means of thermostatized columns and design of a pilot plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vite T, J.; Leon, C.C. de; Vite T, M.; Soto T, J.L.

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of lixiviation of heavy metals, using thermostatized columns and hazardous industrial residual wastes: those by the volume with which are generated and its high toxicity, its represent a great problem for it treatment and disposition, in this work a diagram of a pilot plant for extraction of heavy metals is included. The process and equipment were patented in United States and in Mexico. For the development of this study four thermostated columns were used that were coupled. The waste were finely milled and suspended in an aqueous pulp adding of 10 - 40gL -1 of mineral acid or sodium hydroxide until reaching an interval of pH of 2,5,7 and 10. Its were used of 4-10 gL -1 of a reducer agent and of 0.3-1.5 g of a surfactant agent. In some cases with this method was possible to remove until 100% of heavy metals. It was used Plasma Emission Spectroscopy to determine the concentrations of the cations in the lixiviation liquors. For studying the metallic alloys the X-ray diffraction technique was used. (Author)

  17. Building Energy Management Open Source Software

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rahman, Saifur [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)

    2017-08-25

    Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy in November 2013, a Building Energy Management Open Source Software (BEMOSS) platform was engineered to improve sensing and control of equipment in small- and medium-sized commercial buildings. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), small- (5,000 square feet or smaller) and medium-sized (between 5,001 to 50,000 square feet) commercial buildings constitute about 95% of all commercial buildings in the U.S. These buildings typically do not have Building Automation Systems (BAS) to monitor and control building operation. While commercial BAS solutions exist, including those from Siemens, Honeywell, Johnsons Controls and many more, they are not cost effective in the context of small- and medium-sized commercial buildings, and typically work with specific controller products from the same company. BEMOSS targets small and medium-sized commercial buildings to address this gap.

  18. Smart Demand for Improving Short-term Voltage Control on Distribution Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Garcia-Valle, Rodrigo; P. Da Silva, Luiz C.; Xu, Zhao

    2009-01-01

    customer integration to aid power system performance is almost inevitable. This study introduces a new type of smart demand side technology, denoted demand as voltage controlled reserve (DVR), to improve short-term voltage control, where customers are expected to play a more dynamic role to improve voltage...... control. The technology can be provided by thermostatically controlled loads as well as other types of load. This technology is proven to be effective in case of distribution systems with a large composition of induction motors, where the voltage presents a slow recovery characteristic due to deceleration...... of the motors during faults. This study presents detailed models, discussion and simulation tests to demonstrate the technical viability and effectiveness of the DVR technology for short-term voltage control....

  19. Fast and Reliable Primary Frequency Reserves From Refrigerators with Decentralized Stochastic Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vrettos, Evangelos; Ziras, Charalampos; Andersson, Goran

    2016-01-01

    in the controller to account for thermostat resolution limitations, and finally, we modify the control design to account for refrigerator door openings. Extensive simulations with actual frequency signal data and with different aggregation sizes, load characteristics, and control parameters, demonstrate......Due to increasing shares of renewable energy sources, more frequency reserves are required to maintain power system stability. In this paper, we present a decentralized control scheme that allows a large aggregation of refrigerators to provide Primary Frequency Control (PFC) reserves to the grid...... based on local frequency measurements and without communication. The control is based on stochastic switching of refrigerators depending on the frequency deviation. We develop methods to account for typical lockout constraints of compressors and increased power consumption during the startup phase...

  20. Building Acoustics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowan, James

    This chapter summarizes and explains key concepts of building acoustics. These issues include the behavior of sound waves in rooms, the most commonly used rating systems for sound and sound control in buildings, the most common noise sources found in buildings, practical noise control methods for these sources, and the specific topic of office acoustics. Common noise issues for multi-dwelling units can be derived from most of the sections of this chapter. Books can be and have been written on each of these topics, so the purpose of this chapter is to summarize this information and provide appropriate resources for further exploration of each topic.

  1. Design of information-measuring and control systems for intelligent buildings. Trends of development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petrova Irina Yur’evna

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The article considers the modern requirements for integrated management systems of a smart home. The authors propose a hierarchical classification of the levels of house automation, which allows allocating different levels of information transfer. The article considers the trends of development of information-measuring and control systems of intelligent buildings. The generalized scheme of information-measuring and control subsystems of an intelligent building are given. The energy-information model of the knowledge base of physical and technical effects described in the article allows developing a system of automated support of the conceptual stage of elements design in information measuring and control systems. With the help of this knowledge base the system allows dozens of times expanding the scope of knowledge actively used by specialists and two or three times reducing the time of creating new solutions by selecting the most efficient of the options and the underlying calculation of the essential characteristics of their conceptual models, which significantly reduces the number of created prototypes and field tests.

  2. Building tobacco control research in Thailand: meeting the need for innovative change in Asia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamann, Stephen L; Mock, Jeremiah; Hense, Sibasis; Charoenca, Naowarut; Kungskulniti, Nipapun

    2012-01-28

    In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) over the past two decades locally relevant tobacco control research has been scant. Experience shows that tobacco control measures should be based on sound research findings to ensure that measures are appropriate for local conditions and that they are likely to have an impact. Research should also be integrated within tobacco control measures to ensure ongoing learning and the production of knowledge. Thailand, a middle-income country, has a public health community with a record of successful tobacco control and a longstanding commitment to research. Thailand's comprehensive approach includes taxation; bans on tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion; smoke-free areas; graphic cigarette pack warnings; social marketing campaigns; cessation counseling; and an established tobacco control research program. The purpose of this study was to document and analyze the development of tobacco control research capacity in Thailand and the impact of research on Thai tobacco control measures. We used mixed methods including review of historical documentation and policy reports, qualitative interviews with key members of Thailand's tobacco control community, and an analysis of research productivity. In Thailand, tobacco control research has evolved through three phases: (1) discovery of the value of research in the policymaking arena, (2) development of a structure to support research capacity building through international collaborations supported by foreign funding agencies, and (3) delivery of locally relevant research made possible largely through substantial stable funding from a domestic health promotion foundation. Over two decades, Thai tobacco control advocates have constructed five steppingstones to success: (1) adapting foreign research to inform policymaking and lobbying for more support for domestic research; (2) attracting foreign funding agencies to support small-scale research and capacity building; (3

  3. Building tobacco control research in Thailand: meeting the need for innovative change in Asia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamann Stephen L

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs over the past two decades locally relevant tobacco control research has been scant. Experience shows that tobacco control measures should be based on sound research findings to ensure that measures are appropriate for local conditions and that they are likely to have an impact. Research should also be integrated within tobacco control measures to ensure ongoing learning and the production of knowledge. Thailand, a middle-income country, has a public health community with a record of successful tobacco control and a longstanding commitment to research. Thailand's comprehensive approach includes taxation; bans on tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion; smoke-free areas; graphic cigarette pack warnings; social marketing campaigns; cessation counseling; and an established tobacco control research program. The purpose of this study was to document and analyze the development of tobacco control research capacity in Thailand and the impact of research on Thai tobacco control measures. Method We used mixed methods including review of historical documentation and policy reports, qualitative interviews with key members of Thailand's tobacco control community, and an analysis of research productivity. Findings In Thailand, tobacco control research has evolved through three phases: (1 discovery of the value of research in the policymaking arena, (2 development of a structure to support research capacity building through international collaborations supported by foreign funding agencies, and (3 delivery of locally relevant research made possible largely through substantial stable funding from a domestic health promotion foundation. Over two decades, Thai tobacco control advocates have constructed five steppingstones to success: (1 adapting foreign research to inform policymaking and lobbying for more support for domestic research; (2 attracting foreign funding agencies to support small

  4. STTR Phase I: Low-Cost, High-Accuracy, Whole-Building Carbon Dioxide Monitoring for Demand Control Ventilation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hallstrom, Jason; Ni, Zheng Richard

    2018-05-15

    This STTR Phase I project assessed the feasibility of a new CO2 sensing system optimized for low-cost, high-accuracy, whole-building monitoring for use in demand control ventilation. The focus was on the development of a wireless networking platform and associated firmware to provide signal conditioning and conversion, fault- and disruptiontolerant networking, and multi-hop routing at building scales to avoid wiring costs. Early exploration of a bridge (or “gateway”) to direct digital control services was also explored. Results of the project contributed to an improved understanding of a new electrochemical sensor for monitoring indoor CO2 concentrations, as well as the electronics and networking infrastructure required to deploy those sensors at building scales. New knowledge was acquired concerning the sensor’s accuracy, environmental response, and failure modes, and the acquisition electronics required to achieve accuracy over a wide range of CO2 concentrations. The project demonstrated that the new sensor offers repeatable correspondence with commercial optical sensors, with supporting electronics that offer gain accuracy within 0.5%, and acquisition accuracy within 1.5% across three orders of magnitude variation in generated current. Considering production, installation, and maintenance costs, the technology presents a foundation for achieving whole-building CO2 sensing at a price point below $0.066 / sq-ft – meeting economic feasibility criteria established by the Department of Energy. The technology developed under this award addresses obstacles on the critical path to enabling whole-building CO2 sensing and demand control ventilation in commercial retrofits, small commercial buildings, residential complexes, and other highpotential structures that have been slow to adopt these technologies. It presents an opportunity to significantly reduce energy use throughout the United States a

  5. Plataforma smart building

    OpenAIRE

    Cidrera Lopez, Alain

    2013-01-01

    The overall project is a system (hardware + software) that allows monitoring and control in a building / office different security systems, energy, communications, home automation, PKI's overall business that will increase all the efficiency of the building and the business and ensure the continuity of it. My participation in this Project will mainly focus on the development of hardware components, monitoring and control system (home automation, energy, safety control elements ...) and softwa...

  6. Experimental Evaluation of Simple Thermal Storage Control Strategies in Low-Energy Solar Houses to Reduce Electricity Consumption during Grid On-Peak Periods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyoung-Ho Lee

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available There is growing interest in zero-energy and low-energy buildings, which have a net energy consumption (on an annual basis of almost zero. Because they can generate both electricity and thermal energy through the use of solar photovoltaic (PV and solar thermal collectors, and with the help of reduced building thermal demand, low-energy buildings can not only make a significant contribution to energy conservation on an annual basis, but also reduce energy consumption and peak demand. This study focused on electricity consumption during the on-peak period in a low-energy residential solar building and considers the use of a building’s thermal mass and thermal storage to reduce electricity consumption in summer and winter by modulation of temperature setpoints for heat pump and indoor thermostats in summer and additional use of a solar heating loop in winter. Experiments were performed at a low-energy solar demonstration house that has solar collectors, hot water storage, a ground-coupled heat pump, and a thermal storage tank. It was assumed that the on-peak periods were from 2 pm to 5 pm on hot summer days and from 5 pm to 8 pm on cold winter days. To evaluate the potential for utilizing the building’s thermal storage capacity in space cooling and heating, the use of simple control strategies on three test days in summer and two test days in the early spring were compared in terms of net electricity consumption and peak demand, which also considered the electricity generation from solar PV modules on the roof of the house.

  7. Controllable outrigger damping system for high rise building with MR dampers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhihao; Chang, Chia-Ming; Spencer, Billie F., Jr.; Chen, Zhengqing

    2010-04-01

    A novel energy dissipation system that can achieve the amplified damping ratio for a frame-core tube structures is explored, where vertical dampers are equipped between the outrigger and perimeter columns. The modal characteristics of the structural system with linear viscous dampers are theoretically analyzed from the simplified finite element model by parametric analysis. The result shows that modal damping ratios of the first several modes can increase a lot with this novel damping system. To improve the control performance of system, the semi-active control devices, magnetorheological (MR) dampers, are adopted to develop a controllable outrigger damping system. The clipped optimal control with the linear-quadratic Gaussian (LQG) acceleration feedback is adopted in this paper. The effectiveness of both passive and semi-active control outrigger damping systems is evaluated through the numerical simulation of a representative tall building subjected to two typical earthquake records.

  8. Assessment of gamma radiation exposure inside a newly constructed building and a proposed regulatory guideline for exposure control from natural radioactivity in future buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shukla, V.K.; Sadasivan, S.; Sundaram, V.K.; Nambi, K.S.V.

    1995-01-01

    Naturally occurring radionuclides in building materials are one of the sources of radiation exposure of the population. The various materials used for constructing a new building were assessed for 40 K, 232 Th and 238 U radioactivity and the external gamma dose rate inside the building was predicted by using the computer code QAD-CGGP. The external dose rate was also measured by a scintillation gamma monitor after the construction of the building. In the building studied, the floor and the ceilings are seen to contribute about 35% each of the total radiation dose inside the building from the natural radioactivity present in the construction materials and the underlying soil; the walls contributed about 15%. A sensitivity analysis assuming extreme conditions of radioactivity concentrations as are normally observed in the Indian context, indicates the possibility of indoor gamma radiation fields varying by two orders of magnitude. The possible control methodologies and recommendations are also discussed for keeping the population exposure as low as reasonable achievable. It is evaluated that radioactivity limits of 370 Bq.kg -1 of radium equivalent and 85 Bq.kg -1 of 226 Ra when applied concurrently, might limit the indoor exposure to reasonably accepted low levels of health risks. (author)

  9. Cost Control Strategies for Zero Energy Buildings: High-Performance Design and Construction on a Budget (Brochure)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2014-09-01

    There is mounting evidence that zero energy can, in many cases, be achieved within typical construction budgets. To ensure that the momentum behind zero energy buildings and other low-energy buildings will continue to grow, this guide assembles recommendations for replicating specific successes of early adopters who have met their energy goals while controlling costs. Contents include: discussion of recommended cost control strategies, which are grouped by project phase (acquisition and delivery, design, and construction) and accompanied by industry examples; recommendations for balancing key decision-making factors; and quick reference tables that can help teams apply strategies to specific projects.

  10. Accurate and efficient integration for molecular dynamics simulations at constant temperature and pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lippert, Ross A.; Predescu, Cristian; Ierardi, Douglas J.; Mackenzie, Kenneth M.; Eastwood, Michael P.; Dror, Ron O.; Shaw, David E.

    2013-10-01

    In molecular dynamics simulations, control over temperature and pressure is typically achieved by augmenting the original system with additional dynamical variables to create a thermostat and a barostat, respectively. These variables generally evolve on timescales much longer than those of particle motion, but typical integrator implementations update the additional variables along with the particle positions and momenta at each time step. We present a framework that replaces the traditional integration procedure with separate barostat, thermostat, and Newtonian particle motion updates, allowing thermostat and barostat updates to be applied infrequently. Such infrequent updates provide a particularly substantial performance advantage for simulations parallelized across many computer processors, because thermostat and barostat updates typically require communication among all processors. Infrequent updates can also improve accuracy by alleviating certain sources of error associated with limited-precision arithmetic. In addition, separating the barostat, thermostat, and particle motion update steps reduces certain truncation errors, bringing the time-average pressure closer to its target value. Finally, this framework, which we have implemented on both general-purpose and special-purpose hardware, reduces software complexity and improves software modularity.

  11. Toward city-scale water quality control: building a theory for smart stormwater systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerkez, B.; Mullapudi, A. M.; Wong, B. P.

    2016-12-01

    Urban stormwater systems are rarely designed as actual systems. Rather, it is often assumed that individual Best Management Practices (BMPs) will add up to achieve desired watershed outcomes. Given the rise of BMPs and green infrastructure, we ask: does doing "best" at the local scale guarantee the "best" at the global scale? Existing studies suggest that the system-level performance of distributed stormwater practices may actually adversely impact watersheds by increasing downstream erosion and reducing water quality. Optimizing spatial placement may not be sufficient, however, since precipitation variability and other sources of uncertainty can drive the overall system into undesirable states. To that end, it is also important to control the temporal behavior of the system, which can be achieved by equipping stormwater elements (ponds, wetlands, basins, bioswales, etc.) with "smart" sensors and valves. Rather than building new infrastructure, this permits for existing assets to be repurposed and controlled to adapt to individual storm events. While we have learned how to build and deploy the necessary sensing and control technologies, we do not have a framework or theory that combines our knowledge of hydrology, hydraulics, water quality and control. We discuss the development of such a framework and investigate how existing water domain knowledge can be transferred into a system-theoretic context to enable real-time, city-scale stormwater control. We apply this framework to water quality control in an urban watershed in southeast Michigan, which has been heavily instrumented and retrofitted for control over the past year.

  12. Optimal controls of building storage systems using both ice storage and thermal mass – Part II: Parametric analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hajiah, Ali; Krarti, Moncef

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► A detailed analysis is presented to assess the performance of thermal energy storage (TES) systems. ► Utility rates have been found to be significant in assessing the operation of TES systems. ► Optimal control strategies for TES systems can save up to 40% of total energy cost of office buildings. - Abstract: This paper presents the results of a series of parametric analysis to investigate the factors that affect the effectiveness of using simultaneously building thermal capacitance and ice storage system to reduce total operating costs (including energy and demand costs) while maintaining adequate occupant comfort conditions in buildings. The analysis is based on a validated model-based simulation environment and includes several parameters including the optimization cost function, base chiller size, and ice storage tank capacity, and weather conditions. It found that the combined use of building thermal mass and active thermal energy storage system can save up to 40% of the total energy costs when integrated optimal control are considered to operate commercial buildings.

  13. Strategies for energy saving in buildings by means of automatic control; Estrategias de ahorro de energia en inmuebles mediante el control automatico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garcia Trujillo, Oscar [Johnson Controls de Mexico S. A. de C. V., Mexico, D. F. (Mexico)

    1998-12-31

    In this paper some of the measures and strategies for energy saving that can be applied in different types of buildings, mainly in hotels and office buildings, are presented. The proposed actions are accomplished with the aid of the automatic control equipment and the operation and/or maintenance personnel that supervises and establishes the control parameters of each one of the strategies than are focused to the appropriate utilization of the electric energy. [Espanol] En este documento se presentan algunas de las medidas y estrategias de ahorro de energia que pueden ser aplicadas en diferentes tipos de inmuebles, principalmente en hoteles y en edificios de oficinas. Las acciones propuestas son realizadas con la ayuda del equipo de control automatico y del personal de operacion y/o mantenimiento quien supervisa y establece los parametros de control de cada una de las estrategias que son destinadas a la buena utilizacion de la energia electrica.

  14. Strategies for energy saving in buildings by means of automatic control; Estrategias de ahorro de energia en inmuebles mediante el control automatico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garcia Trujillo, Oscar [Johnson Controls de Mexico S. A. de C. V., Mexico, D. F. (Mexico)

    1999-12-31

    In this paper some of the measures and strategies for energy saving that can be applied in different types of buildings, mainly in hotels and office buildings, are presented. The proposed actions are accomplished with the aid of the automatic control equipment and the operation and/or maintenance personnel that supervises and establishes the control parameters of each one of the strategies than are focused to the appropriate utilization of the electric energy. [Espanol] En este documento se presentan algunas de las medidas y estrategias de ahorro de energia que pueden ser aplicadas en diferentes tipos de inmuebles, principalmente en hoteles y en edificios de oficinas. Las acciones propuestas son realizadas con la ayuda del equipo de control automatico y del personal de operacion y/o mantenimiento quien supervisa y establece los parametros de control de cada una de las estrategias que son destinadas a la buena utilizacion de la energia electrica.

  15. Modeling and Control of AHUs in Building HVAC Systems

    OpenAIRE

    Liang, Wei

    2014-01-01

    Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) is a mechanical system that provides thermal comfort and accepted indoor air quality often instrumented for large-scale buildings. The HVAC system takes a dominant portion of overall building energy consumption and accounts for 50% of the energy used in the U.S. commercial and residential buildings in 2012. The performance and energy saving of building HVAC systems can be significantly improved by the implementation of better and smarter contro...

  16. Noise, buildings and people

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Croome, D J

    1977-01-01

    This book covers the physics of acoustics necessary to understand the analytical aspects of acoustical design and noise control in buildings. The major part is devoted to the problems of noise and man, and other chapters cover features of noise control in and around buildings. In an introduction, building environmental engineering is dealth with in general terms of architecture, creativity, systms design, etc. Aspects of the acoustical environment, noise sources in buildings, control of airborne and structure-borne noise and acoustical design techniques are covered in Part II. Items include: comfort, physiological response to noise and vibrations, noise criteria, human performance, speech communication, landscaped offices, sound generation by air-conditioning and heating equipment, building structure and noise attenuation, acoustical design. Part III gives some fundamentals of acoustics; mechanical vibration, wave motion, propagation of sound, structure-borne sound, behavior of sound in rooms, transmission of sound through structure. References include lists of British standards and booklets on health and safety at work.

  17. Proceedings of the workshop on the dynamic response of environmental control processes in buildings, Lafayette, Indiana, March 13-15, 1979

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tree, D.R.; McBride, M.F. (eds.)

    1979-01-01

    The purpose of this workshop was to consider how energy use in buildings can be reduced while maintaining the comfort of the occupants. It was postulated that optimization of energy use in buildings can be achieved through the use of operating strategies which consider the dynamic characteristics of comfort, the design and construction of the building, and the environmental control system. Working sessions were presented on equipment, controls, structures, human factors, circulation/distribution, design, operation and use pattern, management and codes, and energy storage. (LCL)

  18. Implementation and Assessment of a Decentralized Load Frequency Control: Application to Power Systems with High Wind Energy Penetration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irene Muñoz-Benavente

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes and assesses a decentralized solution based on a wireless sensor-actuator network to provide primary frequency control from demand response in power systems with high wind energy penetration and, subsequently, with relevant frequency excursions. The proposed system is able to modify the electrical power demand of a variety of thermostatically-controlled loads, maintaining minimum comfort levels and minimizing both infrastructure requirements and primary reserves from the supply side. This low-cost hardware solution avoids any additional wiring, extending the wireless sensor-actuator network technology towards small customers, which account for over a 30% share of the current power demand. Frequency excursions are collected by each individual load controller, considering not only the magnitude of the frequency deviation, but also their evolution over time. Based on these time-frequency excursion characteristics, controllers are capable of modifying the power consumption of thermostatically-controlled loads by switching them off and on, thus contributing to primary frequency control in power systems with higher generation unit oscillations as a consequence of relevant wind power integration. Field tests have been carried out in a laboratory environment to assess the load controller performance, as well as to evaluate the electrical and thermal response of individual loads under frequency deviations. These frequency deviations are estimated from power systems with a high penetration of wind energy, which are more sensitive to frequency oscillations and where demand response can significantly contribute to mitigate these frequency excursions. The results, also included in the paper, evaluate the suitability of the proposed load controllers and their suitability to decrease frequency excursions from the demand side in a decentralized manner.

  19. General collaboration offer of Johnson Controls regarding the performance of air conditioning automatic control systems and other buildings` automatic control systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gniazdowski, J.

    1995-12-31

    JOHNSON CONTROLS manufactures measuring and control equipment (800 types) and is as well a {open_quotes}turn-key{close_quotes} supplier of complete automatic controls systems for heating, air conditioning, ventilation and refrigerating engineering branches. The Company also supplies Buildings` Computer-Based Supervision and Monitoring Systems that may be applied in both small and large structures. Since 1990 the company has been performing full-range trade and contracting activities on the Polish market. We have our own well-trained technical staff and we collaborate with a series of designing and contracting enterprises that enable us to have our projects carried out all over Poland. The prices of our supplies and services correspond with the level of the Polish market.

  20. Market-oriented Programming Using Small-world Networks for Controlling Building Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shigei, Noritaka; Miyajima, Hiromi; Osako, Tsukasa

    The market model, which is one of the economic activity models, is modeled as an agent system, and applying the model to the resource allocation problem has been studied. For air conditioning control of building, which is one of the resource allocation problems, an effective method based on the agent system using auction has been proposed for traditional PID controller. On the other hand, it has been considered that this method is performed by decentralized control. However, its decentralization is not perfect, and its performace is not enough. In this paper, firstly, we propose a perfectly decentralized agent model and show its performance. Secondly, in order to improve the model, we propose the agent model based on small-world model. The effectiveness of the proposed model is shown by simulation.

  1. A suggested guideline for exposure control from natural radioactivity in future buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nambi, K.S.V.; Shukla, V.K.

    1991-01-01

    Naturally occurring radionuclides in building materials are one of the sources of radiation exposure to the population. Their concentrations vary by about 2 to 3 orders of magnitude at different geographical locations. This paper proposes three control methodologies for keeping the population exposure as low as reasonably achievable. Tentative recommendations are also included. (author). 11 refs., 3 tabs., 2 appendixes

  2. AUTOMATED SYSTEM OF OPERATIONAL CONTROL HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING OF BUILDINGS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    PETRENKO A. O.

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Statement of the problem. Health and human performance largely determined by the conditions of climate and air quality in residential, administrative and residential and public buildings. At that, in turn, is influenced by the external environment and the climate, and the geometric dimensions of the room, and thermal performance building envelopes, and the location of the premises (Orientation, and many other factors. The result is the formation of complex systems, which control decision-making in conditions of multifactor [1]. In hygienic purposes it is necessary to strive to create the best indoor microclimate conditions, regardless of changes in the factors that affect the climate in residential, administrative and residential and public buildings. Develop systems to ensure the necessary microclimate parameters – it is a complex and important task, which will depend entirely comfortable and cozy environment for the person. The problem of the present time, there is a steady increase in the energy consumption of these systems, due to the rise in price of non-renewable energy sources, and our job is, to simulate the work of software systems necessary microclimate for the changes in the factors that affect it and to minimize the use of non-renewable energy sources. Analysis of recent research and publications. Domestic and foreign hygienists [2, 3, 4] to establish a connection between the climate in the room and in the workplace and the state of human health. Formation of the indoor climate of residential, administrative and residential and public buildings is influenced by many factors that have already noted earlier [5, 6]. Study of the processes of influence of various factors on human health is of great complexity. If we consider each process separately, and in this case they are not currently amenable to theoretical description clearer. To simulate the effect of these factors studies were conducted, which showed that, with sufficient

  3. Influence of occupant's heating set-point preferences on indoor environmental quality and heating demand in residential buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fabi, Valentina; Corgnati, Stefano Paolo; Andersen, Rune Korsholm

    2013-01-01

    of energy consumption. The aim was to compare the obtained results with a traditional deterministic use of the simulation program. Based on heating set-point behavior of 13 Danish dwellings, logistic regression was used to infer the probability of adjusting the set-point of thermostatic radiator valves...

  4. Modelica-based Modeling and Simulation to Support Research and Development in Building Energy and Control Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wetter, Michael

    2009-02-12

    Traditional building simulation programs possess attributes that make them difficult to use for the design and analysis of building energy and control systems and for the support of model-based research and development of systems that may not already be implemented in these programs. This article presents characteristic features of such applications, and it shows how equation-based object-oriented modelling can meet requirements that arise in such applications. Next, the implementation of an open-source component model library for building energy systems is presented. The library has been developed using the equation-based object-oriented Modelica modelling language. Technical challenges of modelling and simulating such systems are discussed. Research needs are presented to make this technology accessible to user groups that have more stringent requirements with respect to the numerical robustness of simulation than a research community may have. Two examples are presented in which models from the here described library were used. The first example describes the design of a controller for a nonlinear model of a heating coil using model reduction and frequency domain analysis. The second example describes the tuning of control parameters for a static pressure reset controller of a variable air volume flow system. The tuning has been done by solving a non-convex optimization problem that minimizes fan energy subject to state constraints.

  5. Ventilated air cavities for the control of rising damp in historical buildings. Functional analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mª T. Gil Muñoz

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This study analyzes the behavior of ventilated air cavities and their level of efficiency when used for the control of rising damp and the associated pathological damage in walls and foundations of historical buildings. The methodology is based on experiments on-site and monitoring. Knowledge of local climate conditions, the surroundings of the building, its construction features and the type of foundation constitute the preliminary conditions for the monitoring. In order to reach the goal we have measured several parameters according to a plan, developed graphical tools for the study, and prepared statistical data. The building of this system has not always been accompanied by a thorough assessment that would justify the intervention. The results show how this situation has affected the design strategies and sizing of the ventilated air cavities, limiting in many cases their efficiency.

  6. A Control Strategy of DC Building Microgrid Connected to the Neighborhood and AC Power Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thi Thuong Huyen Ma

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Recently, the use of DC microgrid distribution system has become more attractive than traditional AC systems due to their energy efficiency and ability to easily integrate with renewable energy sources and batteries. This paper proposes a 500 V DC microgrid which consists of a 20 kWp photovoltaic panel, batteries, and DC loads. A hierarchical control strategy to ensure balance power of the DC microgrid and the maintenance of common DC bus voltage is presented. The capability of exchanging power energy of the microgrid with the power system of neighborhood buildings is also considered. Typical operation modes are simulated in the Matlab/simulink environment to confirm the good performance of the controllers and the efficiency of appropriately controlling the charge–discharge of the battery system. This research is expected to bring benefits to the design and operation of the system, such as reducing the capacity of batteries, increasing the self-supply of buildings, and decreasing the electricity demand from the AC grid.

  7. Towards smart building structures : adaptive structures in earthquake and wind loading control response – a review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Morales-Beltran, M.; Teuffel, P.M.

    2013-01-01

    This article is a review about applications for non-passive control response of buildings (namely active, hybrid and semi-active systems), wherein the degree of integration between control devices and structural system is explored. The purpose is to establish the current state-of-the-art in the

  8. Simplified Building Thermal Model Used for Optimal Control of Radiant Cooling System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei He

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available MPC has the ability to optimize the system operation parameters for energy conservation. Recently, it has been used in HVAC systems for saving energy, but there are very few applications in radiant cooling systems. To implement MPC in buildings with radiant terminals, the predictions of cooling load and thermal environment are indispensable. In this paper, a simplified thermal model is proposed for predicting cooling load and thermal environment in buildings with radiant floor. In this thermal model, the black-box model is introduced to derive the incident solar radiation, while the genetic algorithm is utilized to identify the parameters of the thermal model. In order to further validate this simplified thermal model, simulated results from TRNSYS are compared with those from this model and the deviation is evaluated based on coefficient of variation of root mean square (CV. The results show that the simplified model can predict the operative temperature with a CV lower than 1% and predict cooling loads with a CV lower than 10%. For the purpose of supervisory control in HVAC systems, this simplified RC thermal model has an acceptable accuracy and can be used for further MPC in buildings with radiation terminals.

  9. An Overview of Demand Side Management Control Schemes for Buildings in Smart Grids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kosek, Anna Magdalena; Costanzo, Giuseppe Tommaso; Bindner, Henrik W.

    2013-01-01

    The increasing share of distributed energy resources and renewable energy in power systems results in a highly variable and less controllable energy production. Therefore, in order to ensure stability and to reduce the infrastructure and operation cost of the power grid, flexible and controllable...... of the power sector in mind and thus can differ significantly in their architecture, their integration into the various markets, their integration into distribution network operation and several other aspects. This paper proposes a classification of load control policies for demand side management in smart...... buildings, based on external behavior: direct, indirect, transactional and autonomous control; internal operation: decision support system scope, control strategy, failure handling and architecture. This classification assists in providing an overview of the control schemes as well as different ways...

  10. Animal thermoregulation: a review of insulation, physiology and behaviour relevant to temperature control in buildings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCafferty, D J; Pandraud, G; Gilles, J; Fabra-Puchol, M; Henry, P-Y

    2017-12-28

    Birds and mammals have evolved many thermal adaptations that are relevant to the bioinspired design of temperature control systems and energy management in buildings. Similar to many buildings, endothermic animals generate internal metabolic heat, are well insulated, regulate their temperature within set limits, modify microclimate and adjust thermal exchange with their environment. We review the major components of animal thermoregulation in endothermic birds and mammals that are pertinent to building engineering, in a world where climate is changing and reduction in energy use is needed. In animals, adjustment of insulation together with physiological and behavioural responses to changing environmental conditions fine-tune spatial and temporal regulation of body temperature, while also minimizing energy expenditure. These biological adaptations are characteristically flexible, allowing animals to alter their body temperatures to hourly, daily, or annual demands for energy. They exemplify how buildings could become more thermally reactive to meteorological fluctuations, capitalising on dynamic thermal materials and system properties. Based on this synthesis, we suggest that heat transfer modelling could be used to simulate these flexible biomimetic features and assess their success in reducing energy costs while maintaining thermal comfort for given building types.

  11. Smart Buildings and Demand Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiliccote, Sila; Piette, Mary Ann; Ghatikar, Girish

    2011-11-01

    Advances in communications and control technology, the strengthening of the Internet, and the growing appreciation of the urgency to reduce demand side energy use are motivating the development of improvements in both energy efficiency and demand response (DR) systems in buildings. This paper provides a framework linking continuous energy management and continuous communications for automated demand response (Auto-DR) in various times scales. We provide a set of concepts for monitoring and controls linked to standards and procedures such as Open Automation Demand Response Communication Standards (OpenADR). Basic building energy science and control issues in this approach begin with key building components, systems, end-uses and whole building energy performance metrics. The paper presents a framework about when energy is used, levels of services by energy using systems, granularity of control, and speed of telemetry. DR, when defined as a discrete event, requires a different set of building service levels than daily operations. We provide examples of lessons from DR case studies and links to energy efficiency.

  12. The development and testing of a computerised temperature control ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    S Blignaut

    electric ovens require the average internal temperature at each thermostat setting ..... higher temperatures and are more porous and conse- quently less compact and .... by a combination of vis- cometry and electrical resistance oven heating.

  13. On the study of a sick building: the case of Athens Air Traffic Control Tower

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Assimakopoulos, V.D.; Helmis, C.G. [Department of Applied Physics, University of Athens, Athens (Greece)

    2004-07-01

    It is well known that in many cases the responsibility for the formation of the sick-building syndrome lies with the inappropriate envelope design, the misuse of the building by the inhabitants and the combination of indoor-outdoor pollution sources. In the case of Athens Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT), sick syndrome episodes were reported by the employees. In the present study, recently obtained indoor air quality measurements, during selected meteorological conditions, taken in the ATCT, are presented and discussed. These include concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which in many cases were thought responsible for the poor indoor environment. The measurements cover the indoor and outdoor environment of selected building regions, the ventilation systems and the plenum under the floor. The data indicates that there are certain places in the building where the VOCs concentrations were well above outdoor levels, while in others the concentrations were lower. Further analysis of the results showed that the central ventilation system is not sufficient for the building needs and that in some areas, either due to cleaning negligence or to the construction material used, VOCs pollution sources have developed. In order to eliminate these problems and to improve the indoor environment certain actions were taken. Following these interventions a second set of measurements were collected, inside and outside the ATCT building, which indicated a substantial improvement of the indoor air quality. (author)

  14. A simple, scalable and low-cost method to generate thermal diagnostics of a domestic building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Papafragkou, Anastasios; Ghosh, Siddhartha; James, Patrick A.B.; Rogers, Alex; Bahaj, AbuBakr S.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Our diagnostic method uses a single field measurement from a temperature logger. • Building technical performance and occupant behaviour are addressed simultaneously. • Our algorithm learns a thermal model of a home and diagnoses the heating system. • We propose a novel clustering approach to decouple user behaviour from technical performance. • Our diagnostic confidence is enhanced using a large scale deployment. - Abstract: Traditional approaches to understand the problem of the energy performance in the domestic sector include on-site surveys by energy assessors and the installation of complex home energy monitoring systems. The time and money that needs to be invested by the occupants and the form of feedback generated by these approaches often makes them unattractive to householders. This paper demonstrates a simple, low cost method that generates thermal diagnostics for dwellings, measuring only one field dataset; internal temperature over a period of 1 week. A thermal model, which is essentially a learning algorithm, generates a set of thermal diagnostics about the primary heating system, the occupants’ preferences and the impact of certain interventions, such as lowering the thermostat set-point. A simple clustering approach is also proposed to categorise homes according to their building fabric thermal performance and occupants’ energy efficiency with respect to ventilation. The advantage of this clustering approach is that the occupants receive tailored advice on certain actions that if taken will improve the overall thermal performance of a dwelling. Due to the method’s low cost and simplicity it could facilitate government initiatives, such as the ‘Green Deal’ in the UK

  15. Energy Flexibility in Retail Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ma, Zheng; Billanes, Joy Dalmacio; Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun

    2017-01-01

    Retail buildings has an important role for demand side energy flexibility because of their high energy consumption, variety of energy flexibility resources, and centralized control via building control systems. Energy flexibility requires agreements and collaborations among different actors......), with the discussion of the stakeholders’ roles and their interrelation in delivering energy flexibility with the influential factors to the actual implementation of energy flexible operation of their buildings. Based on a literature analysis, the results cover stakeholders’ types and roles, perceptions (drivers......, barriers, and benefits), energy management activities and technology adoptions, and the stakeholders’ interaction for the energy flexibility in retail buildings....

  16. Eliminating oscillations in TRV controlled hydronic radiators

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tahersima, Fatemeh; Stoustrup, Jakob; Rasmussen, Henrik

    2011-01-01

    Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRV) have proved their significant contribution in energy savings for several years. However, at low heat demands, an unstable oscillatory behavior is usually observed and well known for these devices. The instability happens due to the nonlinear dynamics of the radi...

  17. Analyzing the Impact of Residential Building Attributes, Demographic and Behavioral Factors on Natural Gas Usage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Livingston, Olga V.; Cort, Katherine A.

    2011-03-03

    study attempts to bridge that gap by analyzing behavioral data and investigate the applicability of additive nonparametric regression to this task. This study evaluates the impact of 31 regressors on residential natural gas usage. The regressors include weather, economic variables, demographic and behavioral characteristics, and building attributes related to energy use. In general, most of the regression results were in line with previous engineering and economic studies in this area. There were, however, some counterintuitive results, particularly with regard to thermostat controls and behaviors. There are a number of possible reasons for these counterintuitive results including the inability to control for regional climate variability due to the data sanitization (to prevent identification of respondents), inaccurate data caused by to self-reporting, and the fact that not all relevant behavioral variables were included in the data set, so we were not able to control for them in the study. The results of this analysis could be used as an in-sample prediction for approximating energy demand of a residential building whose characteristics are described by the regressors in this analysis, but a certain combination of their particular values does not exist in the real world. In addition, this study has potential applications for benefit-cost analysis of residential upgrades and retrofits under a fixed budget, because the results of this study contain information on how natural gas consumption might change once a particular characteristic or attribute is altered. Finally, the results of this study can help establish a relationship between natural gas consumption and changes in behavior of occupants.

  18. Deflection Control in Composite Building by Using Belt Truss and Outriggers Systems

    OpenAIRE

    S. Fawzia; T. Fatima

    2010-01-01

    The design of high-rise building is more often dictated by its serviceability rather than strength. Structural Engineers are always striving to overcome challenge of controlling lateral deflection and storey drifts as well as self weight of structure imposed on foundation. One of the most effective techniques is the use of outrigger and belt truss system in Composite structures that can astutely solve the above two issues in High-rise constructions. This paper investig...

  19. From intelligent buildings to careful buildings : a concept to implement individual health and comfort demands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zeiler, W.; Wortel, W.; Houten, van M.A.; Hommelberg, M.P.F.; Kamphuis, I.G.; Jelsma, J.; Oliveira Fernandes, de E.; Gameiro da Silva, M.; Rosado Pinto, J.

    2006-01-01

    Buildings are built for users, so the user preferences and their behaviour should become leading in building services control strategy. The paper reviews 3 projects on intelligent process control. The insights of these projects were combined into a new technology; FACT, Forgiving Agent Comfort

  20. A Novel Distributed Economic Model Predictive Control Approach for Building Air-Conditioning Systems in Microgrids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinan Zhang

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available With the penetration of grid-connected renewable energy generation, microgrids are facing stability and power quality problems caused by renewable intermittency. To alleviate such problems, demand side management (DSM of responsive loads, such as building air-conditioning system (BACS, has been proposed and studied. In recent years, numerous control approaches have been published for proper management of single BACS. The majority of these approaches focus on either the control of BACS for attenuating power fluctuations in the grid or the operating cost minimization on behalf of the residents. These two control objectives are paramount for BACS control in microgrids and can be conflicting. As such, they should be considered together in control design. As individual buildings may have different owners/residents, it is natural to control different BACSs in an autonomous and self-interested manner to minimize the operational costs for the owners/residents. Unfortunately, such “selfish” operation can result in abrupt and large power fluctuations at the point of common coupling (PCC of the microgrid due to lack of coordination. Consequently, the original objective of mitigating power fluctuations generated by renewable intermittency cannot be achieved. To minimize the operating costs of individual BACSs and simultaneously ensure desirable overall power flow at PCC, this paper proposes a novel distributed control framework based on the dissipativity theory. The proposed method achieves the objective of renewable intermittency mitigation through proper coordination of distributed BACS controllers and is scalable and computationally efficient. Simulation studies are carried out to illustrate the efficacy of the proposed control framework.

  1. A new method for controlling refrigerant flow in automobile air conditioning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xuquan Li; Jiangping Chen; Zhijiu Chen [Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China). Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics Engineering; Weihua Liu; Wei Hu; Xiaobing Liu [Shanghai Delphi Automotive Air Conditiong Systems Co. Ltd., Changhai (China)

    2004-05-01

    This paper describes the improvement of the refrigerant flow control method by using an electronic expansion valve (EEV) which is driven by a stepper motor in automobile air conditioning system. An EEV can make a quick response to the abrupt change in the refrigerant flow rate during the change in automobile speed and the thermostatic on/off operation. The flow rate characteristic of the EEV for automobile air conditioning was presented. A microcontroller is used to receive the input signal and generate the output signal to control the opening of the EEV. The fuzzy self-tuning proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control method is employed. Experimental results show that the new control method can feed adequate refrigerant flow into the evaporator in various operations. The evaporator discharge air temperature has dropped by approximately 3{sup o}C as compared with that of the conventional PID control system. (author)

  2. Application of fuzzy control in naturally ventilated buildings for summer conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eftekhari, M.M. [Loughborough University (United Kingdom). Department of Civil and Building Engineering; Marjanovic, L.D. [University of Belgrade (Yugoslavia). Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

    2003-08-01

    The objective of this work is to develop a fuzzy controller for naturally ventilated buildings. Approximate reasoning has proven to be in many cases more successful control strategy than classically designed controlled scheme. In this paper the process of designing a supervisory control to provide thermal comfort and adequate air distribution inside a single-sided naturally ventilated test room is described. The controller is based on fuzzy logic reasoning and sets of linguistic rules in forms of IF-THEN rules are used. The inputs to the controller are the outside wind velocity, direction, outside and inside temperatures. The output is the position of the opening. A selection of membership functions for input and output variables are described and analysed. The control strategy consisting of the expert rules is then validated using experimental data from a naturally ventilated test room. The test room is located in a sheltered area and air flow inside the room, the air pressures and velocities across the openings together with indoor air temperature and velocity at four locations and six different levels were measured. Validation of the controller is performed in the test room by measuring the air distribution and thermal comfort inside the room with no control action. These data are then compared to the air temperature and velocity with the controller in action. The initial results are presented here, which shows that the controller is capable of providing better thermal comfort inside the room. (author)

  3. Thermal Performance of ATLAS Laser Thermal Control System Demonstration Unit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ku, Jentung; Robinson, Franklin; Patel, Deepak; Ottenstein, Laura

    2013-01-01

    The second Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite mission currently planned by National Aeronautics and Space Administration will measure global ice topography and canopy height using the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System {ATLAS). The ATLAS comprises two lasers; but only one will be used at a time. Each laser will generate between 125 watts and 250 watts of heat, and each laser has its own optimal operating temperature that must be maintained within plus or minus 1 degree Centigrade accuracy by the Laser Thermal Control System (LTCS) consisting of a constant conductance heat pipe (CCHP), a loop heat pipe (LHP) and a radiator. The heat generated by the laser is acquired by the CCHP and transferred to the LHP, which delivers the heat to the radiator for ultimate rejection. The radiator can be exposed to temperatures between minus 71 degrees Centigrade and minus 93 degrees Centigrade. The two lasers can have different operating temperatures varying between plus 15 degrees Centigrade and plus 30 degrees Centigrade, and their operating temperatures are not known while the LTCS is being designed and built. Major challenges of the LTCS include: 1) A single thermal control system must maintain the ATLAS at 15 degrees Centigrade with 250 watts heat load and minus 71 degrees Centigrade radiator sink temperature, and maintain the ATLAS at plus 30 degrees Centigrade with 125 watts heat load and minus 93 degrees Centigrade radiator sink temperature. Furthermore, the LTCS must be qualification tested to maintain the ATLAS between plus 10 degrees Centigrade and plus 35 degrees Centigrade. 2) The LTCS must be shut down to ensure that the ATLAS can be maintained above its lowest desirable temperature of minus 2 degrees Centigrade during the survival mode. No software control algorithm for LTCS can be activated during survival and only thermostats can be used. 3) The radiator must be kept above minus 65 degrees Centigrade to prevent ammonia from freezing using no more

  4. Control technologies for quadruped walking robot to facilitate carrying operations in reactor buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suganuma, Naotaka; Uehara, Takuya; Nakamura, Norihito

    2014-01-01

    At the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc., which was seriously damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, it has been difficult for workers to approach the reactor buildings due to the hazardous surrounding environment. The need has therefore arsen for remote-controlled robots to facilitate inspection and restoration work on behalf of workers in such a high-level radiation environment. Toshiba has developed a quadruped walking robot that can carry various tools for decommissioning work. This robot is capable of maintaining its balance while walking on uneven surfaces, slopes, and stairs due to the adoption of control technologies to not only autonomously determine the leg trajectories and center of gravity, but also to correct the leg landing positions and posture with operator intervention according to the walking situation. It also offers high mobility and workability through a manipulation function that allows it to unload tools carried on its back storage area by using two of its legs like arms. This quadruped walking robot was applied to the investigation of suspected water leakage areas in the reactor building of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 in December 2012. (author)

  5. Building 431 fire tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alvares, N.J.; Beason, D.G.; Ford, H.W.; Magee, M.W.

    1977-01-01

    An extensive discussion of considerations for fire protection in the LLL mirror fusion test facility (MFTF) is presented. Because of the large volume and high bays of the building, sufficient data on fire detection is unavailable. Results of fire detection tests using controlled fire sources in the building are presented. Extensive data concerning the behavior of the building atmosphere are included. Candidate fire detection instrumentation and extinguishing systems for use in the building are briefly reviewed

  6. Design and development of Building energy simulation Software for prefabricated cabin type of industrial building (PCES)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jun; Li, Ri Yi

    2018-06-01

    Building energy simulation is an important supporting tool for green building design and building energy consumption assessment, At present, Building energy simulation software can't meet the needs of energy consumption analysis and cabinet level micro environment control design of prefabricated building. thermal physical model of prefabricated building is proposed in this paper, based on the physical model, the energy consumption calculation software of prefabricated cabin building(PCES) is developed. we can achieve building parameter setting, energy consumption simulation and building thermal process and energy consumption analysis by PCES.

  7. Building control in Australia; experiences with private sector involvement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van der Heijden, J.J.

    2008-01-01

    Facing issues with regulatory enforcement through municipal agencies, governments in Australia have reformed the enforcement of public building regulations. As a result, the private sector has been introduced in building regulatory enforcement regimes with differences amongst jurisdictions. In this

  8. Transmission power control for wireless home and building automation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bacchiani, C.

    2015-01-01

    Home and building automation can provide significant improvements in comfort and energy efficiency of buildings. However, its diffusion is hindered by the complexity of installation and maintenance. Wireless connectivity can simplify this process, reducing installation time and cost, but it requires

  9. The Current State of Poison Control Centers in Pakistan and the Need for Capacity Building

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadeem Khan

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Chemical exposure is a major health problem globally. Poison control centers (PCCs play a leading role both in developed and developing countries in the prevention and control of poisonous chemical exposures. In this study, we aimed to assess the current state of PCCs in Pakistan and highlight capacity building needs in these centers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of the two registered PCCs was done during August – December 2011. Necessary services of the PCCs were evaluated and the data were recorded on a predesigned checklist. Results: Both PCCs are affiliated to a tertiary care hospital. Clinical services to poisoned patients were available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. Information on common local products was available to poison center staff. Both centers were involved in undergraduate and post graduate teaching. Telephone poison information service was not available in either of centers. There was a limited capacity for qualitative and analytical toxicology. Common antidotes were available. There were limited surveillance activities to capture toxic risks existing in the community and also a deficiency was observed in chemical disaster planning. Conclusion: PCCs in Pakistan need capacity building for specialized training in toxicology, toxicovigilance, chemical disaster planning, analytical laboratory tests and telephone service for consultation in poisoning cases.   How to cite this article: Khan NU, Mir MU, Khan UR, Khan AR, Ara J, Raja K, et al. The Current State of Poison Control Centers in Pakistan and the Need for Capacity Building. Asia Pac J Med Toxicol 2014;3:31-5.

  10. Stability and vibration control in synchrotron light source buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Godel, J.B.

    1991-01-01

    Synchrotron light sources have undergone three generations of development in the last two decades. The National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory has two second generation'' storage rings that currently provide the world's most intense sources of photons in the VUV and X-ray spectral ranges. There are almost 90 beam lines serving a community of 2600 scientists from 370 institutions. They are engaged in basic and applied research in physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, materials science and various technologies. When design of the NSLS began in 1977, emphasis was given to the stability of the concrete slab on which the storage rings and experimental beam lines were placed. Stability is the result of controlling: vibration from sources internal and external to the building, thermal effects of air and water temperature variations, foundation settlement and contact between the slab and underlying subsoil. With the advent of new research where highly focused beams of x-rays must be placed on increasingly smaller targets located 35 meters or more from the source, and the development of x-ray lithography with resolutions approaching 0.1 micron at chip exposure stations, even greater attention to stability is required in building designs. This paper will review the results of the successful NSLS experience and give an integrated design approach that includes elements which contribute to instabilities, and the means available to reduce them to acceptable levels.

  11. Stability and vibration control in synchrotron light source buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Godel, J.B.

    1991-12-31

    Synchrotron light sources have undergone three generations of development in the last two decades. The National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory has two ``second generation`` storage rings that currently provide the world`s most intense sources of photons in the VUV and X-ray spectral ranges. There are almost 90 beam lines serving a community of 2600 scientists from 370 institutions. They are engaged in basic and applied research in physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, materials science and various technologies. When design of the NSLS began in 1977, emphasis was given to the stability of the concrete slab on which the storage rings and experimental beam lines were placed. Stability is the result of controlling: vibration from sources internal and external to the building, thermal effects of air and water temperature variations, foundation settlement and contact between the slab and underlying subsoil. With the advent of new research where highly focused beams of x-rays must be placed on increasingly smaller targets located 35 meters or more from the source, and the development of x-ray lithography with resolutions approaching 0.1 micron at chip exposure stations, even greater attention to stability is required in building designs. This paper will review the results of the successful NSLS experience and give an integrated design approach that includes elements which contribute to instabilities, and the means available to reduce them to acceptable levels.

  12. Stability and vibration control in synchrotron light source buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godel, J.B.

    1991-01-01

    Synchrotron light sources have undergone three generations of development in the last two decades. The National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory has two ''second generation'' storage rings that currently provide the world's most intense sources of photons in the VUV and X-ray spectral ranges. There are almost 90 beam lines serving a community of 2600 scientists from 370 institutions. They are engaged in basic and applied research in physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, materials science and various technologies. When design of the NSLS began in 1977, emphasis was given to the stability of the concrete slab on which the storage rings and experimental beam lines were placed. Stability is the result of controlling: vibration from sources internal and external to the building, thermal effects of air and water temperature variations, foundation settlement and contact between the slab and underlying subsoil. With the advent of new research where highly focused beams of x-rays must be placed on increasingly smaller targets located 35 meters or more from the source, and the development of x-ray lithography with resolutions approaching 0.1 micron at chip exposure stations, even greater attention to stability is required in building designs. This paper will review the results of the successful NSLS experience and give an integrated design approach that includes elements which contribute to instabilities, and the means available to reduce them to acceptable levels

  13. The study of thermal processes in control systems of heat consumption of buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsynaeva, E.; A, Tsynaeva

    2017-11-01

    The article discusses the main thermal processes in the automated control systems for heat consumption (ACSHC) of buildings, schematic diagrams of these systems, mathematical models used for description of thermal processes in ACSHC. Conducted verification represented by mathematical models. It was found that the efficiency of the operation of ACSHC depend from the external and internal factors. Numerical study of dynamic modes of operation of ACSHC.

  14. TLCD Parametric Optimization for the Vibration Control of Building Structures Based on Linear Matrix Inequality

    OpenAIRE

    Huo, Linsheng; Qu, Chunxu; Li, Hongnan

    2014-01-01

    Passive liquid dampers have been used to effectively reduce the dynamic response of civil infrastructures subjected to earthquakes or strong winds. The design of liquid dampers for structural vibration control involves the determination of the optimal parameters. This paper presents an optimal design methodology for tuned liquid column dampers (TLCDs) based on the H∞ control theory. A practical structure, Dalian Xinghai Financial Business Building, is used to illustrate the feasibility of the...

  15. An Observer-Based Controller with a LMI-Based Filter against Wind-Induced Motion for High-Rise Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chao-Jun Chen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Active mass damper (AMD control system is proposed for high-rise buildings to resist a strong wind. However, negative influence of noise in sensors impedes the application of AMD systems in practice. To reduce the adverse influence of noise on AMD systems, a Kalman filter and a linear matrix inequality- (LMI- based filter are designed. Firstly, a ten-year return period fluctuating wind load is simulated by mixed autoregressive-moving average (MARMA method, and its reliability is tested by wind speed power spectrum and correlation analysis. Secondly, a designed state observer with different filters uses wind-induced acceleration responses of a high-rise building as the feedback signal that includes noise to calculate control force in this paper. Finally, these methods are applied to a numerical example of a high-rise building and an experiment of a single span four-storey steel frame. Both numerical and experimental results are presented to verify that both Kalman filter and LMI-based filter can effectively suppress noise, but only the latter can guarantee the stability of AMD parameters.

  16. "The magic is in the mix": lessons from research capacity building in the Canadian tobacco control community, 2000-2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riley, Barbara L; Viehbeck, Sarah M; Cohen, Joanna E; Chia, Marie C

    2013-02-25

    Global public health issues, including tobacco use, will be addressed most effectively if informed by relevant evidence. Additional capacity is needed to undertake and sustain relevant and rigorous research that will inform and enable learning from interventions. Despite the undisputed importance of research capacity building (RCB), there is little evidence about how to create relevant capacities. RCB for tobacco control in Canada from 2000-2010 offers a rich experience from which to learn. Lessons were derived using structured data collection from seven capacity-building initiatives and an invitational workshop, at which reflections on major contributions and lessons learned were discussed by initiative leads. Ten years of RCB for tobacco control in Canada revealed the importance of a) taking an organic approach to RCB, b) targeting and sustaining investments in a mix of RCB activities, c) vision and collaborative leadership at organizational and initiative levels, d) a focus on building community, and e) studying capacity building. The experience also provided tangible examples of RCB initiatives and how independent investments can be linked to create a coherent approach. Looking ahead, promising directions may include positioning RCB within a broader context of "field building", focusing on practical approaches to sustainability, and enhancing research on RCB.

  17. Tapping the energy storage potential in electric loads to deliver load following and regulation, with application to wind energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Callaway, Duncan S.

    2009-01-01

    This paper develops new methods to model and control the aggregated power demand from a population of thermostatically controlled loads, with the goal of delivering services such as regulation and load following. Previous work on direct load control focuses primarily on peak load shaving by directly interrupting power to loads. In contrast, the emphasis of this paper is on controlling loads to produce relatively short time scale responses (hourly to sub-hourly), and the control signal is applied by manipulation of temperature set points, possibly via programmable communicating thermostats or advanced metering infrastructure. To this end, the methods developed here leverage the existence of system diversity and use physically-based load models to inform the development of a new theoretical model that accurately predicts - even when the system is not in equilibrium - changes in load resulting from changes in thermostat temperature set points. Insight into the transient dynamics that result from set point changes is developed by deriving a new exact solution to a well-known hybrid state aggregated load model. The eigenvalues of the solution, which depend only on the thermal time constant of the loads under control, are shown to have a strong effect on the accuracy of the model. The paper also shows that load heterogeneity - generally something that must be assumed away in direct load control models - actually has a positive effect on model accuracy. System identification techniques are brought to bear on the problem, and it is shown that identified models perform only marginally better than the theoretical model. The paper concludes by deriving a minimum variance control law, and demonstrates its effectiveness in simulations wherein a population of loads is made to follow the output of a wind plant with very small changes in the nominal thermostat temperature set points.

  18. Evaluation of Building Energy Saving Through the Development of Venetian Blinds' Optimal Control Algorithm According to the Orientation and Window-to-Wall Ratio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Hyuk Ju; Yeon, Sang Hun; Lee, Keum Ho; Lee, Kwang Ho

    2018-02-01

    As various studies focusing on building energy saving have been continuously conducted, studies utilizing renewable energy sources, instead of fossil fuel, are needed. In particular, studies regarding solar energy are being carried out in the field of building science; in order to utilize such solar energy effectively, solar radiation being brought into the indoors should be acquired and blocked properly. Blinds are a typical solar radiation control device that is capable of controlling indoor thermal and light environments. However, slat-type blinds are manually controlled, giving a negative effect on building energy saving. In this regard, studies regarding the automatic control of slat-type blinds have been carried out for the last couple of decades. Therefore, this study aims to provide preliminary data for optimal control research through the controlling of slat angle in slat-type blinds by comprehensively considering various input variables. The window area ratio and orientation were selected as input variables. It was found that an optimal control algorithm was different among each window-to-wall ratio and window orientation. In addition, through comparing and analyzing the building energy saving performance for each condition by applying the developed algorithms to simulations, up to 20.7 % energy saving was shown in the cooling period and up to 12.3 % energy saving was shown in the heating period. In addition, building energy saving effect was greater as the window area ratio increased given the same orientation, and the effects of window-to-wall ratio in the cooling period were higher than those of window-to-wall ratio in the heating period.

  19. Natural ventilation systems to enhance sustainability in buildings: a review towards zero energy buildings in schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gil-Baez, Maite; Barrios-Padura, Ángela; Molina-Huelva, Marta; Chacartegui, Ricardo

    2017-11-01

    European regulations set the condition of Zero Energy Buildings for new buildings since 2020, with an intermediate milestone in 2018 for public buildings, in order to control greenhouse gases emissions control and climate change mitigation. Given that main fraction of energy consumption in buildings operation is due to HVAC systems, advances in its design and operation conditions are required. One key element for energy demand control is passive design of buildings. On this purpose, different recent studies and publications analyse natural ventilation systems potential to provide indoor air quality and comfort conditions minimizing electric power consumption. In these passive systems are of special relevance their capacities as passive cooling systems as well as air renovation systems, especially in high-density occupied spaces. With adequate designs, in warm/mild climates natural ventilation systems can be used along the whole year, maintaining indoor air quality and comfort conditions with small support of other heating/cooling systems. In this paper is analysed the state of the art of natural ventilation systems applied to high density occupied spaces with special focus on school buildings. The paper shows the potential and applicability of these systems for energy savings and discusses main criteria for their adequate integration in school building designs.

  20. Development and Application of a ZigBee-Based Building Energy Monitoring and Control System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changhai Peng

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Increasing in energy consumption, particularly with the ever-increasing growth and development of urban systems, has become a major concern in most countries. In this paper, the authors propose a cost-effective ZigBee-based building energy monitoring and control system (ZBEMCS, which is composed of a gateway, a base station, and sensors. Specifically, a new hardware platform for power sensor nodes is developed to perform both local/remote power parameter measurement and power on/off switching for electric appliances. The experimental results show that the ZBEMCS can easily monitor energy usage with a high level of accuracy. Two typical applications of ZBEMCS such as subentry metering and household metering of building energy are presented. The former includes lighting socket electricity, HVAC electricity, power electricity and special electricity. The latter includes household metering according to the campus’s main function zone and each college or department. Therefore, this system can be used for energy consumption monitoring, long-term energy conservation planning, and the development of automated energy conservation for building applications.

  1. Controlling Capital Costs in High Performance Office Buildings: A Review of Best Practices for Overcoming Cost Barriers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pless, S.; Torcellini, P.

    2012-05-01

    This paper presents a set of 15 best practices for owners, designers, and construction teams of office buildings to reach high performance goals for energy efficiency, while maintaining a competitive budget. They are based on the recent experiences of the owner and design/build team for the Research Support Facility (RSF) on National Renewable Energy Facility's campus in Golden, CO, which show that achieving this outcome requires each key integrated team member to understand their opportunities to control capital costs.

  2. Today's oilheat technician's manual. 3. ed.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2009-07-01

    This technician's manual provided a comprehensive overview of oil heating. Recommended and well-established practices for installing and maintaining oil burners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters, and heating oil tanks were presented. Building and installation codes were presented in addition to manufacturer installation instructions. The book was divided into 17 chapters: (1) introduction to oil burners, (2) heating oil and its properties, (3) oil tanks and piping, (4) fuel units and oil valves, (5) nozzles and combustion chambers, (6) draft and venting, (7) combustion, (8) basic electricity, (9) ignition systems, (10) motors, (11) primary controls, (12) limit controls and thermostats, (13) heating systems, (14) preventative maintenance tuneups, (15) service procedures, (16) energy conservation, and (17) customer service. A glossary of terms related to oil heating was included. tabs., figs.

  3. Optimized design and control of an off grid solar PV/hydrogen fuel cell power system for green buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghenai, C.; Bettayeb, M.

    2017-11-01

    Modelling, simulation, optimization and control strategies are used in this study to design a stand-alone solar PV/Fuel Cell/Battery/Generator hybrid power system to serve the electrical load of a commercial building. The main objective is to design an off grid energy system to meet the desired electric load of the commercial building with high renewable fraction, low emissions and low cost of energy. The goal is to manage the energy consumption of the building, reduce the associate cost and to switch from grid-tied fossil fuel power system to an off grid renewable and cleaner power system. Energy audit was performed in this study to determine the energy consumption of the building. Hourly simulations, modelling and optimization were performed to determine the performance and cost of the hybrid power configurations using different control strategies. The results show that the hybrid off grid solar PV/Fuel Cell/Generator/Battery/Inverter power system offers the best performance for the tested system architectures. From the total energy generated from the off grid hybrid power system, 73% is produced from the solar PV, 24% from the fuel cell and 3% from the backup Diesel generator. The produced power is used to meet all the AC load of the building without power shortage (system produces 18.2% excess power that can be used to serve the thermal load of the building. The proposed hybrid power system is sustainable, economically viable and environmentally friendly: High renewable fraction (66.1%), low levelized cost of energy (92 /MWh), and low carbon dioxide emissions (24 kg CO2/MWh) are achieved.

  4. Daylight and solar control in buildings. General evaluation and optimization of a new angle selective glazing facade

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Frontini, Francesco

    2011-07-01

    Buildings account for almost 40% of the overall energy consumption in Europe. For the future energy scenarios, the building envelope, especially the facades, becomes really important as it provides the necessary area for the installation of PV modules or solar collectors to produce energy, using renewable energy sources. A new multifunctional building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) glazed facade for this application is presented here. The new angle-selective see through facade combines four important tasks in one element: solar control, glare protection, visual contact and electricity generation. Mathematical analysis and complex simulations with the software Radiance are performed to optimize the geometry and to assess the visual impact and optical properties of the new window. In order to evaluate the impact of the new facade in building spaces a new method for modelling the total solar energy transmittance, in building energy simulations software, for complex glazing facades is presented. The new black-box-model (BBM) is implemented into ESP-r software and is validated. The BBM is used to assess the impact of modelling accurately the g-value of complex facade within building simulation. It is shown that the new method can significantly increase the accuracy of heating/cooling loads and room temperatures. (orig.)

  5. The lasting Soviet nuclear menace

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schorr, J.

    1993-01-01

    This article describes the unsafe conditions of the nuclear power industry in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Because of lack of efficient power generation, the old first generation Chernobyl-type reactors are being upgraded or new ones are being constructed. The operators themselves are also unsafe, with lack of training and poor working conditions. Improving energy efficiency would be more cost effective than constructing new nuclear plants. This could be achieved by such measures as installing boiler controls, thermostats, and meters; by retrofitting factories; by raising the price of electricity to encourage conservation; by repairing leaking natural gas pipelines; and by building gas-fired power plants. These changes are not likely to come about soon however

  6. Report on design and technical standard planning of vibration controlling structure on the buildings, in the Tokai Reprocessing Facility, Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uryu, Mitsuru; Terada, Shuji; Shinohara, Takaharu; Yamazaki, Toshihiko; Nakayama, Kazuhiko; Kondo, Toshinari; Hosoya, Hisashi

    1997-10-01

    The Tokai reprocessing facility buildings are constituted by a lower foundation, vibration controlling layers, and upper structure. At the vibration controlling layer, a laminated rubber aiming support of the building load and extension of the eigenfrequency and a damper aiming absorption of earthquake energy are provided. Of course, the facility buildings are directly supported at the arenaceous shale (Taga Layer) of the Miocene in the Neogene confirmed to the stablest ground, as well the buildings with high vibration resistant importance in Japan. This report shows that when the vibration controlling structure is adopted for the reprocessing facility buildings where such high vibration resistance is required, reduction of input acceleration for equipments and pipings can be achieved and the earthquake resistant safety can also be maintained with sufficient tolerance and reliability. (G.K.)

  7. Development of a new controller for simultaneous heating and cooling of office buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maccarini, Alessandro; Afshari, Alireza; Hultmark, Göran

    2016-01-01

    by signals of actual room air temperatures and return water temperature. Depending on the minimum and maximum air temperatures in the rooms, the supply water temperature was set by adjusting the return water temperature with two offsets, one for heating demand and one for cooling demand. The behaviour......This paper aims to develop a new controller to regulate the supply water temperature of a room-temperature loop integrated in a novel HVAC for office buildings. The main feature of the room-temperature loop is its ability to provide simultaneous heating and cooling by circulating water...... with a temperature of about 22 °C. Therefore, the same supply water temperature is delivered to all the thermal zones in the building, no matter whether a single zone needs heating or cooling. In previous studies, the supply water temperature varied between 20 °C and 23 °C, according to outdoor air temperature...

  8. Leadership in building automation aspired; Fuehrungsrolle in der Gebaeudeautomation angestrebt

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2002-04-01

    Siemens Building Technologies AG (SBT) aspires to global leadership in building automation and control. Building Automation, one of the six Divisions of Siemens Building Technologies, plans to increasingly offer concepts with comprehensive support for specific customer groups via its more than 500 branch offices worldwide. The basis for future building management systems is the new Desigo system, which includes not only integrated overall systems but also web-based services. The new building automation and control system is the culmination of the integration process for the systems of Landis and Gyr, Staefa Control System and Siemens GTA. (orig.) [German] Building Automation, eine der sechs Divisionen der Siemens Building Technologies AG, wird auf der bevorstehenden internationalen 'Light+Building 2002' das neue Gebaeudeautomationssystem Desigo praesentieren. Aus der Zusammenfuehrung der Gebaeudeautomationssysteme von Landis and Gyr, Staefa Control System und Siemens GTA ist dieses neue System entstanden, das auf internationalen Standards aufbaut. (orig.)

  9. IMCOM LONWORKS Building Automation Systems Implementation Strategy

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Schwenk, David M; Bush, Joseph; Hughes, Lucie M; Briggs, Stephen; White, Will

    2007-01-01

    Army Installations often expand their use of digital control systems for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning and other mechanical and electrical building systems on a building-by-building basis...

  10. Data management for biofied building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuura, Kohta; Mita, Akira

    2015-03-01

    Recently, Smart houses have been studied by many researchers to satisfy individual demands of residents. However, they are not feasible yet as they are very costly and require many sensors to be embedded into houses. Therefore, we suggest "Biofied Building". In Biofied Building, sensor agent robots conduct sensing, actuation, and control in their house. The robots monitor many parameters of human lives such as walking postures and emotion continuously. In this paper, a prototype network system and a data model for practical application for Biofied Building is pro-posed. In the system, functions of robots and servers are divided according to service flows in Biofield Buildings. The data model is designed to accumulate both the building data and the residents' data. Data sent from the robots and data analyzed in the servers are automatically registered into the database. Lastly, feasibility of this system is verified through lighting control simulation performed in an office space.

  11. Electric radiant heating : a hot profitable idea

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lemieux, G. [Britech Corp., Toronto, ON (Canada)

    2006-09-15

    Due to the high cost of heating oil, natural gas and propane, floor mounted radiant heating systems are now proving to be a cost effective method of heating homes. The systems provide evenly distributed heat across the entire floor area. Unlike hydronic floor systems, radiant floor systems require no maintenance, and are easy to control because no mechanical rooms or boilers are required. The system is comprised of a series of resistant heating cables, a thermostat, and a solid state relay. The cables are installed in a poured concrete pad. Separate temperature control devices are used to heat individual areas of floorspace. Building automation systems can also control the heating system by using simple ambient air- and floor-mounted sensors in conjunction with relays to energize the heating cables. The cost of thermostats and heating cables to heat a standard 2000 square foot home are estimated at $9000.00, with an additional 64 hours of installation costs. It was noted that the systems may prove to be less costly in the long-term than hydronic systems, which require additional boilers, pumps and water treatments. Electric radiant heating can be an even more cost-effective application when used with thermal storage heating applications that use lower-cost off-peak electricity to generate and store heat in concrete floor slabs or ceramic bricks contained in insulated cabinets. It was concluded that radiant heating systems are a viable and cost-effective alternative to expensive hydronic systems, which are costly to install and maintain. 4 figs.

  12. WASTE HANDLING BUILDING FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    J. D. Bigbee

    2000-06-21

    The Waste Handling Building Fire Protection System provides the capability to detect, control, and extinguish fires and/or mitigate explosions throughout the Waste Handling Building (WHB). Fire protection includes appropriate water-based and non-water-based suppression, as appropriate, and includes the distribution and delivery systems for the fire suppression agents. The Waste Handling Building Fire Protection System includes fire or explosion detection panel(s) controlling various detectors, system actuation, annunciators, equipment controls, and signal outputs. The system interfaces with the Waste Handling Building System for mounting of fire protection equipment and components, location of fire suppression equipment, suppression agent runoff, and locating fire rated barriers. The system interfaces with the Waste Handling Building System for adequate drainage and removal capabilities of liquid runoff resulting from fire protection discharges. The system interfaces with the Waste Handling Building Electrical Distribution System for power to operate, and with the Site Fire Protection System for fire protection water supply to automatic sprinklers, standpipes, and hose stations. The system interfaces with the Site Fire Protection System for fire signal transmission outside the WHB as needed to respond to a fire emergency, and with the Waste Handling Building Ventilation System to detect smoke and fire in specific areas, to protect building high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, and to control portions of the Waste Handling Building Ventilation System for smoke management and manual override capability. The system interfaces with the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) Operations Monitoring and Control System for annunciation, and condition status.

  13. WASTE HANDLING BUILDING FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    J. D. Bigbee

    2000-01-01

    The Waste Handling Building Fire Protection System provides the capability to detect, control, and extinguish fires and/or mitigate explosions throughout the Waste Handling Building (WHB). Fire protection includes appropriate water-based and non-water-based suppression, as appropriate, and includes the distribution and delivery systems for the fire suppression agents. The Waste Handling Building Fire Protection System includes fire or explosion detection panel(s) controlling various detectors, system actuation, annunciators, equipment controls, and signal outputs. The system interfaces with the Waste Handling Building System for mounting of fire protection equipment and components, location of fire suppression equipment, suppression agent runoff, and locating fire rated barriers. The system interfaces with the Waste Handling Building System for adequate drainage and removal capabilities of liquid runoff resulting from fire protection discharges. The system interfaces with the Waste Handling Building Electrical Distribution System for power to operate, and with the Site Fire Protection System for fire protection water supply to automatic sprinklers, standpipes, and hose stations. The system interfaces with the Site Fire Protection System for fire signal transmission outside the WHB as needed to respond to a fire emergency, and with the Waste Handling Building Ventilation System to detect smoke and fire in specific areas, to protect building high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, and to control portions of the Waste Handling Building Ventilation System for smoke management and manual override capability. The system interfaces with the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) Operations Monitoring and Control System for annunciation, and condition status

  14. PID temperature controller in pig nursery: spatial characterization of thermal environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Souza Granja Barros, Juliana; Rossi, Luiz Antonio; Menezes de Souza, Zigomar

    2018-05-01

    The use of enhanced technologies of temperature control can improve the thermal conditions in environments of livestock facilities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of the thermal environment variables in a pig nursery with a heating system with two temperature control technologies based on the geostatistical analysis. The following systems were evaluated: overhead electrical resistance with Proportional, Integral, and Derivative (PID) controller and overhead electrical resistance with a thermostat. We evaluated the climatic variables: dry bulb temperature (Tbs), air relative humidity (RH), temperature and humidity index (THI), and enthalpy in the winter, at 7:00, 12:00, and 18:00 h. The spatial distribution of these variables was mapped by kriging. The results showed that the resistance heating system with PID controllers improved the thermal comfort conditions in the pig nursery in the coldest hours, maintaining the spatial distribution of the air temperature more homogeneous in the pen. During the hottest weather, neither system provided comfort.

  15. PID temperature controller in pig nursery: spatial characterization of thermal environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Souza Granja Barros, Juliana; Rossi, Luiz Antonio; Menezes de Souza, Zigomar

    2017-11-01

    The use of enhanced technologies of temperature control can improve the thermal conditions in environments of livestock facilities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of the thermal environment variables in a pig nursery with a heating system with two temperature control technologies based on the geostatistical analysis. The following systems were evaluated: overhead electrical resistance with Proportional, Integral, and Derivative (PID) controller and overhead electrical resistance with a thermostat. We evaluated the climatic variables: dry bulb temperature (Tbs), air relative humidity (RH), temperature and humidity index (THI), and enthalpy in the winter, at 7:00, 12:00, and 18:00 h. The spatial distribution of these variables was mapped by kriging. The results showed that the resistance heating system with PID controllers improved the thermal comfort conditions in the pig nursery in the coldest hours, maintaining the spatial distribution of the air temperature more homogeneous in the pen. During the hottest weather, neither system provided comfort.

  16. PID temperature controller in pig nursery: spatial characterization of thermal environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Souza Granja Barros, Juliana; Rossi, Luiz Antonio; Menezes de Souza, Zigomar

    2017-11-28

    The use of enhanced technologies of temperature control can improve the thermal conditions in environments of livestock facilities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of the thermal environment variables in a pig nursery with a heating system with two temperature control technologies based on the geostatistical analysis. The following systems were evaluated: overhead electrical resistance with Proportional, Integral, and Derivative (PID) controller and overhead electrical resistance with a thermostat. We evaluated the climatic variables: dry bulb temperature (Tbs), air relative humidity (RH), temperature and humidity index (THI), and enthalpy in the winter, at 7:00, 12:00, and 18:00 h. The spatial distribution of these variables was mapped by kriging. The results showed that the resistance heating system with PID controllers improved the thermal comfort conditions in the pig nursery in the coldest hours, maintaining the spatial distribution of the air temperature more homogeneous in the pen. During the hottest weather, neither system provided comfort.

  17. Real-Time Occupant Based Plug-in Device Control Using ICT in Office Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Woo-Bin Bae

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to reduce the unnecessary plug loads used by computers, monitors, and computer peripheral devices, all of which account for more than 95% of the entire plug loads of an office building. To this end, an occupant-based plug-in device control (OBC-P software was developed. The OBC-P software collects real-time information about the presence or absence of occupants who are connected to the access point through the Wifi and controls the power of monitors or computers, while a standby power off device controls computer peripheral devices. To measure the plug load saving of the occupant-based plug-in device control, an experiment was conducted, targeting 10 occupants of three research labs of the graduate school, for two weeks. The experiment results showed that it could save the plug loads of monitors and computer peripheral devices by 15% in the Awake mode, and by 26% in the Sleep mode.

  18. Risk management in architectural design control of uncertainty over building use and maintenance

    CERN Document Server

    Martani, Claudio

    2015-01-01

    This book analyzes the risk management process in relation to building design and operation and on this basis proposes a method and a set of tools that will improve the planning and evaluation of design solutions in order to control risks in the operation and management phase. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between design choices and the long-term performance of buildings in meeting requirements expressing user and client needs. A risk dashboard is presented as a risk measurement framework that identifies and addresses areas of uncertainty surrounding the satisfaction of particularly relevant requirements over time. This risk dashboard will assist both designers and clients. It will support designers by enabling them to improve the maintainability of project performance and will aid clients both in devising a brief that emphasizes the most relevant aspects of maintainability and in evaluating project proposals according to long-term risks. The results of assessment of the proposed method and...

  19. Nuclear reactor building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oshima, Nobuaki.

    1991-01-01

    The secondary container in a nuclear reactor building is made of a transparent structure having a shielding performance such as lead glass, by which the inside of the secondary container can be seen without undergoing radiation exposure. In addition, an operator transportation facility capable of carrying about 5 to 10 operators at one time is disposed, and the side of the facility on the secondary container is constituted with a transparent material such as glass, to provide a structure capable of observing the inside of the secondary container. The ventilation and air conditioning in the operator's transportation facility is in communication with the atmosphere of a not-controlled area. Accordingly, operators at the outside of the reactor building can reach the operator's transportation facility without taking and procedures for entering the controlled area and without undergoing radiation exposure. The inside of the secondary container in the reactor building can be seen from various directions through the transparent structure having the shielding performance. (N.H.)

  20. Energy analysis of under-floor air distribution (UFAD) system: An office building case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alajmi, Ali F.; Abou-Ziyan, Hosny Z.; El-Amer, Wid

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • The key issue for efficient performance of UFAD system is to ensure the thermal stratification establishment. • The unnecessarily excess air supplied to the room deteriorates the thermal stratification. • Improper UFAD operation increases the fan power and HVAC electric demand. • The proper UFAD system is typically more efficient than the existed UFAD system with energy savings of about 23–37%. • UFAD system shows over the CBAD system saving by about 37–39% during the peak months and 51% during October. - Abstract: This paper presents the results of an experimental and theoretical investigation to evaluate an under-floor air distribution (UFAD) system existed in an office building working on hot climate. Air temperature a distribution and supply air velocity are measured in two measuring stations; each consists of eight temperature sensors which were installed to measure room air temperatures along zone height. The obtained data shows an inefficient operation of the UFAD system which deteriorates the advantages of energy saving that presumed by UFAD system. The building energy simulation program, EnergyPlus, was used to identify the best setting of UFAD system and compare it with the existed UFAD and the conventional ceiling based air distribution (CBAD) system. The simulation results show that setting of room thermostat at 26 °C and supply air temperature at 18 °C provides the best efficient UFAD system. Due to improper operation of the tested UFAD system, its actual consumption is found to be higher than the best simulated UFAD by 23–37% during July to October. Also, the simulation results show that the HVAC demand of UFAD is lower than CBAD by 37–39% during July–September and 51% in October

  1. Tool coupling for the design and operation of building energy and control systems based on the Functional Mock-up Interface standard

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nouidui, Thierry Stephane; Wetter, Michael

    2014-03-01

    This paper describes software tools developed at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) that can be coupled through the Functional Mock-up Interface standard in support of the design and operation of building energy and control systems. These tools have been developed to address the gaps and limitations encountered in legacy simulation tools. These tools were originally designed for the analysis of individual domains of buildings, and have been difficult to integrate with other tools for runtime data exchange. The coupling has been realized by use of the Functional Mock-up Interface for co-simulation, which standardizes an application programming interface for simulator interoperability that has been adopted in a variety of industrial domains. As a variety of coupling scenarios are possible, this paper provides users with guidance on what coupling may be best suited for their application. Furthermore, the paper illustrates how tools can be integrated into a building management system to support the operation of buildings. These tools may be a design model that is used for real-time performance monitoring, a fault detection and diagnostics algorithm, or a control sequence, each of which may be exported as a Functional Mock-up Unit and made available in a building management system as an input/output block. We anticipate that this capability can contribute to bridging the observed performance gap between design and operational energy use of buildings.

  2. High Performance Building Mockup in FLEXLAB

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McNeil, Andrew [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Kohler, Christian [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Lee, Eleanor S. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Selkowitz, Stephen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2017-08-30

    Genentech has ambitious energy and indoor environmental quality performance goals for Building 35 (B35) being constructed by Webcor at the South San Francisco campus. Genentech and Webcor contracted with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to test building systems including lighting, lighting controls, shade fabric, and automated shading controls in LBNL’s new FLEXLAB facility. The goal of the testing is to ensure that the systems installed in the new office building will function in a way that reduces energy consumption and provides a comfortable work environment for employees.

  3. CO2 MONITORING FOR DEMAND CONTROLLED VENTILATION IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fisk, William J.; Sullivan, Douglas P.; Faulkner, David; Eliseeva, Ekaterina

    2010-03-17

    Carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) sensors are often deployed in commercial buildings to obtain CO{sub 2} data that are used, in a process called demand-controlled ventilation, to automatically modulate rates of outdoor air ventilation. The objective is to keep ventilation rates at or above design specifications and code requirements and also to save energy by avoiding excessive ventilation rates. Demand controlled ventilation is most often used in spaces with highly variable and sometime dense occupancy. Reasonably accurate CO{sub 2} measurements are needed for successful demand controlled ventilation; however, prior research has suggested substantial measurement errors. Accordingly, this study evaluated: (a) the accuracy of 208 CO{sub 2} single-location sensors located in 34 commercial buildings, (b) the accuracy of four multi-location CO{sub 2} measurement systems that utilize tubing, valves, and pumps to measure at multiple locations with single CO{sub 2} sensors, and (c) the spatial variability of CO{sub 2} concentrations within meeting rooms. The field studies of the accuracy of single-location CO{sub 2} sensors included multi-concentration calibration checks of 90 sensors in which sensor accuracy was checked at multiple CO{sub 2} concentrations using primary standard calibration gases. From these evaluations, average errors were small, -26 ppm and -9 ppm at 760 and 1010 ppm, respectively; however, the averages of the absolute values of error were 118 ppm (16%) and 138 ppm (14%), at concentrations of 760 and 1010 ppm, respectively. The calibration data are generally well fit by a straight line as indicated by high values of R{sup 2}. The Title 24 standard specifies that sensor error must be certified as no greater than 75 ppm for a period of five years after sensor installation. At 1010 ppm, 40% of sensors had errors greater than {+-}75 ppm and 31% of sensors has errors greater than {+-}100 ppm. At 760 ppm, 47% of sensors had errors greater than {+-}75 ppm and 37% of

  4. Challenges of implementing economic model predictive control strategy for buildings interacting with smart energy systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zong, Yi; Böning, Georg Martin; Santos, Rui Mirra

    2016-01-01

    ) strategy for energy management in smart buildings, which can act as active users interacting with smart energy systems. The challenges encountered during the implementation of EMPC for active demand side management are investigated in detail in this paper. A pilot testing study shows energy savings......When there is a high penetration of renewables in the energy system, it requires proactive control of large numbers of distributed demand response resources to maintain the system’s reliability and improve its operational economics. This paper presents the Economic Model Predictive Control (EMPC...

  5. Numerical methods for optimizing the performance of buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Frank

    2008-01-01

    The many different parties that influence design and control decisions for buildings, such as building owners, users, architects, consulting engineers, contractors, etx. may have different and to some extent conradicting requirements to buildings. Furthermore, national building regulations specif...

  6. Harnessing the flexibility of thermostatic loads in microgrids with Solar Power Generation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Morales González, R.; Shariat Torbaghan, S.; Gibescu, M.; Cobben, S.

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a demand response (DR) framework that intertwines thermodynamic building models with a genetic algorithm (GA)-based optimization method. The framework optimizes heating/cooling schedules of end-users inside a business park microgrid with local distributed generation from

  7. Consumer Central Energy Flexibility in Office Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Billanes, Joy Dalmacio; Ma, Zheng; Jørgensen, Bo Nørregaard

    2017-01-01

    Energy flexibility in buildings will play an important role in the smart energy system. Office buildings have more potentials to provide energy flexibility to the grid compared to other types of buildings, due to the existing building management, control systems and large energy consumption....... Consumers in office buildings (building owners/managers and occupants) take a main role for adopting and engaging in building energy flexibility. In this paper provides a systematic review of consumer central energy flexibility in office buildings with the discussion of social, technical and business...... can boost energy flexibility in the office buildings....

  8. Potential Energy Flexibility for a Hot-Water Based Heating System in Smart Buildings Via Economic Model Predictive Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahmed, Awadelrahman M. A.; Zong, Yi; Mihet-Popa, Lucian

    2017-01-01

    This paper studies the potential of shifting the heating energy consumption in a residential building to low price periods based on varying electricity price signals suing Economic Model Predictive Control strategy. The investigated heating system consists of a heat pump incorporated with a hot...... water tank as active thermal energy storage, where two optimization problems are integrated together to optimize both the heat pump electricity consumption and the building heating consumption. A sensitivity analysis for the system flexibility is examined. The results revealed that the proposed...

  9. A thermal comparator sensor for measuring autogenous deformation in hardening Portland cement paste

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østergaard, Thomas; Jensen, Ole Mejlhede

    2003-01-01

    This paper describes a simple and accurate experimental device specially developed to measure autogenous deformation in hardening cement-based materials. The measuring system consists of a so-called thermal comparator sensor and a modular thermostatically controlled system. The operating principle...... of the thermal comparator is based on thermal expansion of aluminium. A particular characteristic of the measuring system is the fixation of the thermal comparator sensor to the deforming specimen. The modular system ensures effective thermostatic control of the hydrating cement paste samples. The technique...... allows continuous measurement with high accuracy of the linear deformation as well as determination of the activation energy of autogenous deformation....

  10. Drinking Water Quality in Hospitals and Other Buildings ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drinking water quality entering large buildings is generally adequately controlled by the water utility, but localized problems may occur within building or “premise” plumbing. Particular concerns are loss of disinfectant residual and temperature variability, which may enhance pathogen activity and metallic corrosion. Disinfection systems are available to building managers and are being installed in a variety of commercial buildings (hospitals, hotels, office buildings.) Yet our understanding of such additional treatment and of how to monitor end water quality at these buildings is limited. This class lecture will discuss challenges in maintaining acceptable water quality in hospitals, schools and other buildings. To give a lecture to a class of graduate students (ENVE 6054: Physical/Chemical Processes for Water Quality Control) at the University of Cincinnati, by presenting past research projects.

  11. A research agenda for helminth diseases of humans: health research and capacity building in disease-endemic countries for helminthiases control.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mike Y Osei-Atweneboana

    Full Text Available Capacity building in health research generally, and helminthiasis research particularly, is pivotal to the implementation of the research and development agenda for the control and elimination of human helminthiases that has been proposed thematically in the preceding reviews of this collection. Since helminth infections affect human populations particularly in marginalised and low-income regions of the world, they belong to the group of poverty-related infectious diseases, and their alleviation through research, policy, and practice is a sine qua non condition for the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Current efforts supporting research capacity building specifically for the control of helminthiases have been devised and funded, almost in their entirety, by international donor agencies, major funding bodies, and academic institutions from the developed world, contributing to the creation of (not always equitable North-South "partnerships". There is an urgent need to shift this paradigm in disease-endemic countries (DECs by refocusing political will, and harnessing unshakeable commitment by the countries' governments, towards health research and capacity building policies to ensure long-term investment in combating and sustaining the control and eventual elimination of infectious diseases of poverty. The Disease Reference Group on Helminth Infections (DRG4, established in 2009 by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR, was given the mandate to review helminthiases research and identify research priorities and gaps. This paper discusses the challenges confronting capacity building for parasitic disease research in DECs, describes current capacity building strategies with particular reference to neglected tropical diseases and human helminthiases, and outlines recommendations to redress the balance of alliances and partnerships for health research between the developed countries of

  12. Enhancing Three-dimensional Movement Control System for Assemblies of Machine-Building Facilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuzyakov, O. N.; Andreeva, M. A.

    2018-01-01

    Aspects of enhancing three-dimensional movement control system are given in the paper. Such system is to be used while controlling assemblies of machine-building facilities, which is a relevant issue. The base of the system known is three-dimensional movement control device with optical principle of action. The device consists of multi point light emitter and light receiver matrix. The processing of signals is enhanced to increase accuracy of measurements by switching from discrete to analog signals. Light receiver matrix is divided into four areas, and the output value of each light emitter in each matrix area is proportional to its luminance level. Thus, determing output electric signal value of each light emitter in corresponding area leads to determing position of multipoint light emitter and position of object tracked. This is done by using Case-based reasoning method, the precedent in which is described as integral signal value of each matrix area, coordinates of light receivers, which luminance level is high, and decision to be made in this situation.

  13. Analysis of the Portuguese building regulation system

    OpenAIRE

    Costa Branco De Oliveira Pedro, J.A.; Meijer, F.M.; Visscher, H.J.

    2008-01-01

    The Portuguese building regulation system has undergone significant changes in the last 20 years. Almost all building regulations presently in force were approved during that period. Some of those building regulations resulted from the transposition of European Directives. Other building regulations were changed due to improvements in the scientific knowledge. The changes in the building control system were mainly driven by an adaptation to more pressing circumstances of practice. The lack...

  14. Scheduling of Domestic Water Heater Power Demand for Maximizing PV Self-Consumption Using Model Predictive Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sossan, Fabrizio; Kosek, Anna Magdalena; Martinenas, Sergejus

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents a model predictive control (MPC) strategy for maximizing photo-voltaic (PV) selfconsumption in a household context exploiting the flexible demand of an electric water heater. The predictive controller uses a water heater model and forecast of the hot Water consumption in order...... to predict the future temperature of the water and it manages its state (on and off) according to the forecasted PV production, which are computed starting from forecast of the solar irradiance. Simulations for the proof of concept and for validating the proposed control strategy are proposed. Results...... of the control approach are compared with a traditional thermostatic controller using historical measurements of a 10 kW PV installation. Economic results based on the Italian self consumption tariffs are also reported. The model of the water heater complex is a mixed grey and white box and its parameters have...

  15. Study on the Development of an Optimal Heat Supply Control Algorithm for Group Energy Apartment Buildings According to the Variation of Outdoor Air Temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong-Kurl Kwak

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available In the present study, we have developed an optimal heat supply algorithm which minimizes the heat loss through the distribution pipe line in a group energy apartment. Heating load variation of a group energy apartment building according to the outdoor air temperature was predicted by a correlation obtained from calorimetry measurements of all households in the apartment building. Supply water temperature and mass flow rate were simultaneously controlled to minimize the heat loss rate through the distribution pipe line. A group heating apartment building located in Hwaseong city, Korea, which has 1473 households, was selected as the object building to test the present heat supply algorithm. Compared to the original heat supply system, the present system adopting the proposed control algorithm reduced the heat loss rate by 10.4%.

  16. Design and building of home made 8051 micro controller emulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hussein, A. E.

    2009-09-01

    This research targeted design and build of a simple lab made emulator for the 8051 micro controller to assist student and researcher in their projects. This will be achieved by thorough understanding of the software and the hardware of the development tool which will enhance the user knowledge rather than considering them as black boxes and unaware of their capabilities and their limitations. Regarding the hardware this work preferred to use the same central processing unit the developer wanted to build with little modification. While the software is a program loaded in the micro controller itself responsible (making use of flash micro controllers) for communication with the host computer terminal, and monitoring the user program which is loaded in external memory by the program. Any terminal program on the host computer can be used to carry out communication with monitor program provided that a carriage return should be pressed after monitor power up to let the monitor adjust its baud rate accordingly. This feature makes the monitor program so simple and familiar to the user. For simplicity the software is enhanced with flash programming and erasing subroutine which can allow the user to store his program there if he put a flash ROM in his hardware and he can make it as start up program which will run automatically after start up. Also many programs can be loaded in the flash as long as its capacity is capable. Definitely this requires configuring flash start and end in the source before compiling it. This flash feature allows the development hardware to be as final board and hence a debugable one as long as monitor program resides inside the micro controller. Considering the debugging stage as the most crucial step in the development cycle, this work tried to find some suitable and simple solutions that can enhance knowledge. As a result some commands on the user program like uploading, displaying, jumping, selecting among others, running, editing, clearing and

  17. Diffusion in building wakes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramsdell, J.V.

    1988-03-01

    Straight-line Gaussian models adequately describe atmospheric diffusion for many applications. They have been modified for use in estimating diffusion in building wakes by adding terms that include projected building area and by redefining the diffusion coefficients so that the coefficients have minimum values that are related to building dimensions. In a recent study, Ramsdell reviewed the building-wake dispersion models used by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in its control room habitability assessments. The review included comparison of model estimates of centerline concentrations with concentrations observed in experiments at seven nuclear reactors. In general, the models are conservative in that they tend to predict concentrations that are greater than those actually observed. However, the models show little skill in accounting for variations in the observed concentrations. Subsequently, the experimental data and multiples linear regression techniques have been used to develop a new building wake diffusion model. This paper describes the new building wake model and compares it with other models. 8 refs., 2 figs

  18. Improving PAQ and comfort conditions in Spanish office buildings with passive climate control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Orosa, Jose A.; Baalina, A. [Departamento de Energia y P.M. Escuela Tecnica Superior de N. y M, Universidade da Coruna, Paseo de Ronda 51, P.C.:15011 A Coruna (Spain)

    2009-03-15

    Some researchers have demonstrated that passive moisture transfer between indoor air and hygroscopic structures has the potential to moderate variations of indoor air relative humidity and, thus, to improve comfort and PAQ [Simonson CJ, Salonvaara M, Ojalen T. The effect of structures on indoor humidity-possibility to improve comfort and perceived air quality. Indoor Air 2002; 12: 243-51; Simonson CJ, Salonvaara M, Ojalen T. Improving indoor climate and comfort with wooden structures. Espoo 2001. Technical Research Centre of Finland, VTT Publications 431.200p+app 91p]. The main objective of this study is to show the internal wall coating effect on indoor air conditions and, as a consequence of this, in comfort conditions and PAQ. In a previous paper [Orosa JA, Baalina A. Passive climate control in Spanish office buildings for long periods of time. Building and Environment 2008], we analysed the influence of permeable and impermeable materials on indoor air conditions, during the unoccupied period, in 25 office buildings in different seasons. Results obtained lead us to conclude that real coverings such as permeable, semi-permeable and impermeable types, present different behavioural patterns in indoor air conditions. Furthermore, we concluded that an absorbent structure will moderate relative humidity indoors. In this paper, we study this indoor relative humidity effect on local thermal discomfort, due to decreased respiratory cooling, and indoor ambience acceptability for the early hours of morning applying PD and Acc models [Toftum J, Jorgensen AS, Fanger PO. Upper limits for indoor air humidity to avoid uncomfortably humid skin. Energy and buildings 1998; 28: 1-13; Toftum J, Jorgensen AS, Fanger PO. Upper limits of air humidity for preventing warm respiratory discomfort. Energy and Buildings 1998; 28: 15-23] such as that proposed by Simonson et al. [The effect of structures on indoor humidity-possibility to improve comfort and perceived air quality. Indoor Air

  19. DESIGN OF BUILDING AUTOMATION BASED ON PROFIBUS-DP NETWORK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cemal YILMAZ

    2006-02-01

    Full Text Available In this study, a building automation has been designed by using the Profibus DP (Process Field Bus- Decentralized Periphery network. In the study; fire alarm, thief alarm, lighting, power, humidity and temperature control have been implemented. The data from building has been transmitted to the Profibus-DP network via control point located on the flats. The data taken from the building has been collected in the main control unit to achieve overall control of the system. The work has provided an optimum efficiency in energy consumption, control of power, security, temperature and humidity.

  20. Building integration of PCM for natural cooling of buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Álvarez, Servando; Cabeza, Luisa F.; Ruiz-Pardo, Alvaro; Castell, Albert; Tenorio, José Antonio

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► A brief overview of PCM solutions for buildings is provided. ► Some weaknesses of existing PCM solutions for buildings were identified. ► New solutions for PCM integration in buildings are proposed. ► Proposed solutions overcome identified weaknesses of existing solutions. - Abstract: The use of night cooling ventilation in addition of phase change materials (PCMs) is a very powerful strategy for reducing the cooling demand of buildings. Nevertheless, there are inherent drawbacks in the way things have been doing so far: (a) The limited area of contact between PCM and the air; (b) the very low convective heat transfer coefficients which prevents the use of significant amounts of PCM and (c) the very low utilization factor of the cool stored due to the large phase shift between the time when cool is stored and time when it is required by the building. In this paper, we present innovative solutions using PCM to overcome the above situation. Compared with existing solutions, innovative solutions proposed, increase the contact area between PCM and air by a factor of approximately 3.6, increase the convective heat transfer coefficient significantly, and improve the utilization factor due to the inclusion of active control systems which allow the cold stored be actually used when required

  1. Buildings 104 and 142 Complex Physical Protection and Material Control and Accounting Upgrades at the Mayak Production Association

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aichele, Walter T.; Dwyer, Gregory M.; Larsen, R.; Malone, Tim

    2004-01-01

    The Federal State Unitary Enterprise Mayak Production Association (Mayak) and the U.S. Material Protection, Control and Accounting (MPC and A) United States Project Team (USPT) have worked together for a number of years as part of the U.S. national Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) MPC and A program to implement both Physical Protection (PP) and Material Control and Accounting (MC and A) upgrades within the Buildings 104 and 142 Complex, a long-term storage area for uranium and plutonium oxide located within Mayak's RT-1 Spent Fuel Reprocessing Plant. This paper focuses on the successes and areas for improvement in the analysis, planning, construction, implementation, and completion of a complex and labor-intensive project aimed at the refurbishment of two existing, in service, long-term special nuclear material (SNM) storage buildings within a Russian SNM production facility

  2. THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF FORMING THE PRODUCT QUALITY CONTROL STRATEGY OF ROAD-BUILDING ENGINEERING ENTERPRISES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariia Sadova

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the work is the need of the theoretical justification and the development of relevant scientific and methodological approaches to the management of the road production quality of machine-building enterprises; it led to the choice of research topics. Methodology. Taking into account the value of existing methods of quality management of road production engineering companies, currently a particular attention requires improvement of the quality control functions: analysis, evaluation, planning and quality control during the operation of road-building equipment, because existing economic practices and quality management approaches are built on classical principles of ISO 9001, and in the practical application do not solve all of the drawbacks of traditional management models, but only smooth them a little. Therefore, the formation of the quality management strategy for the road production of mechanical engineering is essential to ensure the competitiveness of products and enterprises of the road-building complex in the period of development of market relations in the economy. The results showed that the current market conditions impose strict requirements to all production areas of the society. Especially stringent are requirements for the road construction, because the quality of the construction of the subgrade, covering roads and curbs, grading and soil compaction under different conditions of terrain and driving safety depends on people's lives. This factor determines the exceptional quality requirements for roadbuilding equipment, which must be reliable, functional and able to meet the totality of the design and operational characteristics of the road. Further European integration of Ukraine, deepening of external economic relations with the European countries are responsible for the growing needs of the national economy in the development and expansion of the transport network. However, large-scale road construction and repair

  3. Control of high natural activity building materials and land areas in the Nordic countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mjoenes, L.

    1997-01-01

    Enhanced levels of natural radioactivity in the ground can cause problems with high concentrations of indoor 222 Rn, elevated levels of gamma radiation and natural radioactive elements in drinking water. Of the Nordic countries it is essentially Finland, Norway and Sweden that have problems with enhanced natural radioactivity in the ground and in building materials. Finland and Sweden have among the highest mean 222 Rn concentrations in dwellings in the world, 123 Bq m -3 and 108 Bq m -3 with a corresponding mean annual effective dose of about 2 mSv. In Sweden about 500,000 and in Finland and Norway about 200,000 persons get their drinking water from wells drilled in bedrock. The water from a large number of these wells contain elevated levels of naturally occurring radioactive elements, primarily 222 Rn. The action levels for 222 Rn in dwellings and above-ground workplaces are essentially the same in Finland, Norway and Sweden: 200 Bq m -3 for new buildings and 400 Bq m -3 for existing buildings. For mines and underground excavations, however, there are some differences. The treatment of gamma emitting natural radionuclides in building materials etc. is similar, although there are differences in the degree of control. The action levels for 222 Rn in drinking water differ from 100 Bq l -1 to 500 Bq l -1 . The action level in Finland has the form of an activity index that restricts also other radioactive nuclides. Denmark has not adopted a formal radon policy and has no recommended or legally binding action levels for 222 Rn or any other naturally occurring radionuclides. (author)

  4. A View on Future Building System Modeling and Simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wetter, Michael

    2011-04-01

    This chapter presents what a future environment for building system modeling and simulation may look like. As buildings continue to require increased performance and better comfort, their energy and control systems are becoming more integrated and complex. We therefore focus in this chapter on the modeling, simulation and analysis of building energy and control systems. Such systems can be classified as heterogeneous systems because they involve multiple domains, such as thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat and mass transfer, electrical systems, control systems and communication systems. Also, they typically involve multiple temporal and spatial scales, and their evolution can be described by coupled differential equations, discrete equations and events. Modeling and simulating such systems requires a higher level of abstraction and modularisation to manage the increased complexity compared to what is used in today's building simulation programs. Therefore, the trend towards more integrated building systems is likely to be a driving force for changing the status quo of today's building simulation programs. Thischapter discusses evolving modeling requirements and outlines a path toward a future environment for modeling and simulation of heterogeneous building systems.A range of topics that would require many additional pages of discussion has been omitted. Examples include computational fluid dynamics for air and particle flow in and around buildings, people movement, daylight simulation, uncertainty propagation and optimisation methods for building design and controls. For different discussions and perspectives on the future of building modeling and simulation, we refer to Sahlin (2000), Augenbroe (2001) and Malkawi and Augenbroe (2004).

  5. Bottom-up nanoarchitecture of semiconductor nano-building blocks by controllable in situ SEM-FIB thermal soldering method

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Xuan; Zheng, Xiujun; Zhang, Hong; Zhang, Junli; Fu, Jiecai; Zhang, Qiang; Peng, Chaoyi; Bai, Feiming; Zhang, Xixiang; Peng, Yong

    2017-01-01

    Here we demonstrate that the building blocks of semiconductor WO3 nanowires can be controllably soldered together by a novel nano-soldering technique of in situ SEM-FIB thermal soldering, in which the soldering temperature can precisely remain in an optimal range to avoid a strong thermal diffusion.

  6. Bottom-up nanoarchitecture of semiconductor nano-building blocks by controllable in situ SEM-FIB thermal soldering method

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Xuan

    2017-08-10

    Here we demonstrate that the building blocks of semiconductor WO3 nanowires can be controllably soldered together by a novel nano-soldering technique of in situ SEM-FIB thermal soldering, in which the soldering temperature can precisely remain in an optimal range to avoid a strong thermal diffusion.

  7. Numerical methods for optimizing the performance of buildings

    OpenAIRE

    Pedersen, Frank

    2008-01-01

    The many different parties that influence design and control decisions for buildings, such as building owners, users, architects, consulting engineers, contractors, etx. may have different and to some extent conradicting requirements to buildings. Furthermore, national building regulations specify requirements to (among others) the energy performance and quality of the indoor climate.

  8. Model Predictive Controller for Active Demand Side Management with PV Self-consumption in an Intelligent Building

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zong, Yi; Mihet-Popa, Lucian; Kullmann, Daniel

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a Model Predictive Controller (MPC) for electrical heaters’ predictive power consumption including maximizing the use of local generation (e.g. solar power) in an intelligent building. The MPC is based on dynamic power price and weather forecast, considering users’ comfort...... settings to meet an optimization objective such as minimum cost and minimum reference temperature error. It demonstrates that this MPC strategy can realize load shifting, and maximize the PV self-consumption in the residential sector. With this demand side control study, it is expected that MPC strategy...

  9. Building for changing-rooms, laundry, laboratories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nemeth, L.; Mezes, J.; Gulyas, F.; Hejj, A.; Matyas, J.

    1979-01-01

    This building accomodates important service sections of the power plant. The changing-rooms of the primary circuit are here, through which the employees, under the supervision of health physics service, pass to the radioactive contaminated jobs. Working-clothes are cleaned in laundries located on the ground-floor. The building houses the health measurement control rooms of the four reactor sets and the control centre of the power plant. The laboratories dealing with process control, electrical engineering, radiology, dosimetry, material tests and reactor physics will be located here. (author)

  10. The elegant lines of the new Building 774

    CERN Multimedia

    Anaïs Schaeffer

    2012-01-01

    Prévessin will shortly see an addition to its stock of buildings. Functional, elegant and in compliance with the latest regulations regarding energy consumption, it will bring a modern touch to CERN’s French site.   In July Building 936, which was too small, run-down and no longer suitable for requirements, disappeared from the map of the Prévessin site. It will be replaced by a new building - numbered 774 - whose construction is due to commence in September. More functional, modern and economical in its energy consumption, the new building will house the BE Department’s Controls (CO) Group from the end of 2013. Situated opposite the CERN Control Centre (CCC), this new four-storey building (basement, ground floor and two upper storeys), with over 3400 m² of usable space, will be capable of accommodating up to 110 people along with their laboratories, which means that the entire Controls Group can all be housed under one roof. With near-direc...

  11. Plug-Load Control and Behavioral Change Research in GSA Office Buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Metzger, I.; Cutler, D.; Sheppy, M.

    2012-10-01

    The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) owns and leases over 354 million square feet (ft2) of space in over 9,600 buildings [1]. GSA is a leader among federal agencies in aggressively pursuing energy efficiency (EE) opportunities for its facilities and installing renewable energy (RE) systems to provide heating, cooling, and power to these facilities. According to several energy assessments of GSA's buildings conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), plug-loads account for approximately 21% of the total electricity consumed within a standard GSA Region 3 office building. This study aims to provide insight on how to effectively manage plug-load energy consumption and attain higher energy and cost savings for plug-loads. As GSA improves the efficiency of its building stock, plug-loads will become an even greater portion of its energy footprint.

  12. Building-in-Briefcase: A Rapidly-Deployable Environmental Sensor Suite for the Smart Building.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weekly, Kevin; Jin, Ming; Zou, Han; Hsu, Christopher; Soyza, Chris; Bayen, Alexandre; Spanos, Costas

    2018-04-29

    A building’s environment has profound influence on occupant comfort and health. Continuous monitoring of building occupancy and environment is essential to fault detection, intelligent control, and building commissioning. Though many solutions for environmental measuring based on wireless sensor networks exist, they are not easily accessible to households and building owners who may lack time or technical expertise needed to set up a system and get quick and detailed overview of environmental conditions. Building-in-Briefcase (BiB) is a portable sensor network platform that is trivially easy to deploy in any building environment. Once the sensors are distributed, the environmental data is collected and communicated to the BiB router via the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and WiFi technology, which then forwards the data to the central database securely over the internet through a 3G radio. The user, with minimal effort, can access the aggregated data and visualize the trends in real time on the BiB web portal. Paramount to the adoption and continued operation of an indoor sensing platform is battery lifetime. This design has achieved a multi-year lifespan by careful selection of components, an efficient binary communications protocol and data compression. Our BiB sensor is capable of collecting a rich set of environmental parameters, and is expandable to measure others, such as CO 2 . This paper describes the power characteristics of BiB sensors and their occupancy estimation and activity recognition functionality. We have demonstrated large-scale deployment of BiB throughout Singapore. Our vision is that, by monitoring thousands of buildings through BiB, it would provide ample research opportunities and opportunities to identify ways to improve the building environment and energy efficiency.

  13. Conventional heat distribution systems and their control for room cooling; Konventionelle Waermeabgabesysteme und deren Regulierung fuer die Raumkuehlung - Schlussbericht

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schnyder, J. [Schnyder-Energie, Energie-Dienstleistungen, Bronschhofen (Switzerland); Feger, D.; Graf, J.; Rusterholtz, R. [Interstaatliche Hochschule fuer Technik Buchs NTB, Buchs (Switzerland); Schoeringhumer, D.; Cenci, D. [Arbonia AG, Arbon (Switzerland); Heule, D. [hps energieconsulting ag, Ingenieurbuero fuer nachhaltige Energie- und Gebaeudetechnik, Kuesnacht (Switzerland)

    2009-12-15

    This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) examines how conventional heat distribution systems such as radiators and floor heating systems can be used for room cooling and the appropriate control requirements. Thermostatic valves used 'in reverse', their functional testing and the results obtained are discussed. Possibilities for their optimisation are examined. The apparatus used for the measurements made on both radiator and floor-heating systems is reported on and the results obtained are presented and discussed. Further, simulations used are looked at and examples of the results obtained for rooms with varying glazed surfaces are presented and discussed.

  14. A SCADA System for Energy Management in Intelligent Buildings

    OpenAIRE

    Figueiredo, Joao; Sá da Costa, Jose

    2012-01-01

    This paper develops an energy management platform for intelligent buildings using a SCADA system (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition). This SCADA system integrates different types of information coming from the several technologies present in modern buildings (control of ventilation, temperature, illumination, etc.). The developed control strategy implements an hierarchical cascade controller where inner loops are performed by local PLCs (Programmable Logic Controller), and the outer...

  15. Impact of tall buildings in environmental pollution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Hayati

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Today, tall building is a phenomenon that the world particularly large cities are facing. The tall buildings in order to exploit the land with having the negative affects in the environment create new problems including increasing congestion population, environmental pollution, reduce citizen access to fresh air and sunlight. However, regarding to population increasing and land shortage, tall buildings could not be avoided. This paper investigates the relationship of tall buildings with urban air pollution as well as the possible reducing of negative affects of tall building on environmental pollution with respect to geographical position, technicalrules, immunization, green space, direct of wind, appropriate distance to other buildings, design in terms of visibility and landscape and urban appearance were reviewed. The study showed that the tall buildings cause increasing the air pollution in large urban area due to changing in wind and its direction and also congestion of tall buildings as a pollution sources. Therefore some techniques to design the tall building must be considered to reduce the negative affects of the tall buildings on environmental pollution. Unfortunately the lack of the construction roles in term of environmental protection and also control of the rules in construction process causing the environmental pollution particularly air pollution. It is suggested that the re-evaluate of the rules with restricted control can improve the air quality in the large cities and also utilization of green spaces in floors and roofs of buildings as environmentally friendly buildings which are attempt to reduce environmental problems.

  16. Management and monitoring of public buildings through ICT based systems: Control rules for energy saving with lighting and HVAC services

    OpenAIRE

    Aghemo, C.; Virgone, J.; Fracastoro, G.V.; Pellegrino, A.; Blaso, L.; Savoyat, J.; Johannes, Kevyn

    2013-01-01

    The presented work addresses the topic of energy savings in existing public buildings, when no significant retrofits on building envelope or plants can be done and savings can be achieved by designing intelligent ICT-based service to monitor and control environmental conditions, energy loads and plants operation. At the end of 2010 the European Commission, within the Seventh Framework Program, has founded a project entitled “Smart Energy Efficient Middleware for Public Spaces” (SEEMPubS). To ...

  17. Towards Collaborative Data Analytics for Smart Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lazarova-Molnar, Sanja; Mohamed, Nader

    2017-01-01

    Smart buildings are buildings equipped with the latest technological and architectural solutions, controlled by Building Management Systems (BMS), operating in fulfillment of the typical goals of increasing occupants’ comfort and reducing buildings’ energy consumption. We witness a slow...... buildings that is available for further analytics to support meeting BMS’ performance goals. For a single building to benefit from this data-based analytics, it will take a long time. Collaboration of BMS in their data analytics processes can significantly shorten this time period. This paper makes two...

  18. Controlling Beryllium Contaminated Material And Equipment For The Building 9201-5 Legacy Material Disposition Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reynolds, T.D.; Easterling, S.D.

    2010-01-01

    This position paper addresses the management of beryllium contamination on legacy waste. The goal of the beryllium management program is to protect human health and the environment by preventing the release of beryllium through controlling surface contamination. Studies have shown by controlling beryllium surface contamination, potential airborne contamination is reduced or eliminated. Although there are areas in Building 9201-5 that are contaminated with radioactive materials and mercury, only beryllium contamination is addressed in this management plan. The overall goal of this initiative is the compliant packaging and disposal of beryllium waste from the 9201-5 Legacy Material Removal (LMR) Project to ensure that beryllium surface contamination and any potential airborne release of beryllium is controlled to levels as low as practicable in accordance with 10 CFR 850.25.

  19. Motto: We work for people and environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barcik, M.

    1995-12-31

    This target has been under Danfoss realization for over 60 years, both in Denmark and all over the world. The operational range of the enterprise: is very wide. Danfoss manufactures a large assortment of products, starting from heat automatic control systems, through heat metering devices, industrial and refrigeration automatic control, compressors, flow meters, frequency converters, control systems, and monitoring. The four mainstays of the business activity are based on: high quality products; advanced manufacturing technology; care of the environment, and engagement of the staff. Since 1992 Danfoss has been manufacturing heat radiator thermostats in Poland. A unique solution - namely the use of a gas thermostatic head secures the highest energy savings and operational reliability. In 1993, Danfoss as the sixth company in Poland and the first in its business field, gained a ISO 9002 certificate.

  20. Pacific Northwest GridWise™ Testbed Demonstration Projects; Part I. Olympic Peninsula Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hammerstrom, Donald J.; Ambrosio, Ron; Carlon, Teresa A.; DeSteese, John G.; Horst, Gale R.; Kajfasz, Robert; Kiesling, Laura L.; Michie, Preston; Pratt, Robert G.; Yao, Mark; Brous, Jerry; Chassin, David P.; Guttromson, Ross T.; Jarvegren, Olof M.; Katipamula, Srinivas; Le, N. T.; Oliver, Terry V.; Thompson, Sandra E.

    2008-01-09

    This report describes the implementation and results of a field demonstration wherein residential electric water heaters and thermostats, commercial building space conditioning, municipal water pump loads, and several distributed generators were coordinated to manage constrained feeder electrical distribution through the two-way communication of load status and electric price signals. The field demonstration took place in Washington and Oregon and was paid for by the U.S. Department of Energy and several northwest utilities. Price is found to be an effective control signal for managing transmission or distribution congestion. Real-time signals at 5-minute intervals are shown to shift controlled load in time. The behaviors of customers and their responses under fixed, time-of-use, and real-time price contracts are compared. Peak loads are effectively reduced on the experimental feeder. A novel application of portfolio theory is applied to the selection of an optimal mix of customer contract types.

  1. Guidelines on Building Regulations 2008

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thse guidelines clarify and intepret the provisions of the Building Regulations of 2008 (BR08). The Guidelines, which match BR08 in terms of organisation into Parts, are accompanied by the full text of the regulations and the explanatory notes issued by the Danish Enterprise and Construction...... Authority. The Guidelines refer the reader to sources such as relevant standards, instructions and other background material which provides more detailed information. The Guidelines cover the same ground as BR08, including building control regulations, layout, fitting out, structures, fire safety, indoor...... climate, energy consumotion and services. The Guidelines are aimed at all professionals involved in building projects, particularly building design consultants, contractors and municipal application officers....

  2. Harnessing the Flexibility of Thermostatic Loads in Microgrids with Solar Power Generation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosa Morales González

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a demand response (DR framework that intertwines thermodynamic building models with a genetic algorithm (GA-based optimization method. The framework optimizes heating/cooling schedules of end-users inside a business park microgrid with local distributed generation from renewable energy sources (DG-RES based on two separate objectives: net load minimization and electricity cost minimization. DG-RES is treated as a curtailable resource in anticipation of future scenarios where the infeed of DG-RES to the regional distribution network could be limited. We test the DR framework with a case study of a refrigerated warehouse and an office building located in a business park with local PV generation. Results show the technical potential of the DR framework in harnessing the flexibility of the thermal masses from end-user sites in order to: (1 reduce the energy exchange at the point of connection; (2 reduce the cost of electricity for the microgrid end-users; and (3 increase the local utilization of DG-RES in cases where DG-RES exports to the grid are restricted. The results of this work can aid end-users and distribution network operators to reduce energy costs and energy consumption.

  3. Improving electrical power systems reliability through locally controlled distributed curtailable load

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehbozorgi, Mohammad Reza

    2000-10-01

    Improvements in power system reliability have always been of interest to both power companies and customers. Since there are no sizable electrical energy storage elements in electrical power systems, the generated power should match the load demand at any given time. Failure to meet this balance may cause severe system problems, including loss of generation and system blackouts. This thesis proposes a methodology which can respond to either loss of generation or loss of load. It is based on switching of electric water heaters using power system frequency as the controlling signal. The proposed methodology encounters, and the thesis has addressed, the following associated problems. The controller must be interfaced with the existing thermostat control. When necessary to switch on loads, the water in the tank should not be overheated. Rapid switching of blocks of load, or chattering, has been considered. The contributions of the thesis are: (A) A system has been proposed which makes a significant portion of the distributed loads connected to a power system to behave in a predetermined manner to improve the power system response during disturbances. (B) The action of the proposed system is transparent to the customers. (C) The thesis proposes a simple analysis for determining the amount of such loads which might be switched and relates this amount to the size of the disturbances which can occur in the utility. (D) The proposed system acts without any formal communication links, solely using the embedded information present system-wide. (E) The methodology of the thesis proposes switching of water heater loads based on a simple, localized frequency set-point controller. The thesis has identified the consequent problem of rapid switching of distributed loads, which is referred to as chattering. (F) Two approaches have been proposed to reduce chattering to tolerable levels. (G) A frequency controller has been designed and built according to the specifications required to

  4. Electrokinetic desalination of porous building materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kamran, K.

    2012-01-01

    The deterioration of porous building materials and structures by the crystallization of water soluble salts is a well known phenomenon. The threats posed by salts to building materials can be minimized either by controlling the environment or by removing the salts from the deteriorated zone. In

  5. Building 774: open for business

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN Bulletin

    2015-01-01

    In July 2012, the demolition of Building 936 on the Prévessin site marked the start of the Building 774 project. On 23 February, less than three years later, the new 3900 m2 building was handed over to the BE department.   The brand new Building 774. (Credits: Francesco Soppelsa) Located near to the CERN Control Centre, Building 774 contains offices, laboratories and meeting rooms, as well as a huge public area consisting of a 104-seat auditorium, a changing room/shower area in the basement and a pleasant cafeteria open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering a wide range of refreshments including hot meals at lunchtime. “There were a few twists and turns during the construction of this building, but it all turned out well in the end!" says Michael Poehler, a member of the GS-SE group and the technical coordinator of the project. (Credits: Francesco Soppelsa) The 120 occupants of the building have just moved into their brand new home, bringing all the members of the...

  6. Tropical Zero Energy Office Building

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reimann, Gregers Peter; Kristensen, Poul Erik

    2006-01-01

    The new headquarter for Pusat Tenaga Malaysia is designed to be a Zero Emission Office Building (ZEO). A full range of passive and active energy efficiency measures are implemented such that the building will need no more electricity than what can be produced via its own Building Integrated PV...... lighting. These measures include the use of high efficient lighting controlled according to demand, high efficiency pumps and fans, a high efficiency chiller, and use of energy efficient office equipment. The buildings PV system is connected to the grid. Solar electricity is exported to the grid during...... of 24 – 26 oC can be maintained throughout the office hours. The PV roof of the building serves multiple purposes. During daytime, the roof becomes the powerplant of the building, and during nighttime, the PV roof becomes the “cooling tower” for the chiller. The roof will be covered by a thin water film...

  7. Prize-winning energy conservation house equipped with air collectors at Bad Vilbel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Urbanek, A.

    An energy conservation house is the winner out of a total of 60 designs and is displayed at the prefabricated-house exhibition at Bad Vilbel. Similar to Socrates' building in antiquity, this house constitutes a triangle both perpendicularly and horizontally opening its largest possible surface to the South. Any 'residual heat' needed for the Northern roof planted over, is supplied by the air collectors either directly or by means of a high-performance heat pump via heating of the controlled feed air through a novel air floor heating installation while removing energy, too, from the exhaust air through heat recovery. In a survey supported by photos of models and buildings, lay-out plans and connector diagrams of energy supply, technical details of the heat protection concept (aerated concrete for walls, ceilings, roofing structures) and the energy concept with air collectors are described along with a discussion of heat pump operation, the novel air floor heating system and the solar cycle control system. Every room has a miniature heat exchanger allocated in the central unit so that re-heated air can be demanded via the separate room thermostat depending on reflow-air temperature.

  8. A Study of the Use of Ontologies for Building Computer-Aided Control Engineering Self-Learning Educational Software

    Science.gov (United States)

    García, Isaías; Benavides, Carmen; Alaiz, Héctor; Alonso, Angel

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes research on the use of knowledge models (ontologies) for building computer-aided educational software in the field of control engineering. Ontologies are able to represent in the computer a very rich conceptual model of a given domain. This model can be used later for a number of purposes in different software applications. In…

  9. Transactive Control and Coordination of Distributed Assets for Ancillary Services

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Subbarao, Krishnappa [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Fuller, Jason C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kalsi, Karanjit [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Somani, Abhishek [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Pratt, Robert G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Widergren, Steven E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Chassin, David P. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2013-09-18

    The need to diversify energy supplies, the need to mitigate energy-related environmental impact, and the entry of electric vehicles in large numbers present challenges and opportunities to power system professionals. Wind and solar power provide many benefits, and to reap the benefits the resulting increased variability—forecasted as well as unforecasted—should be addressed. A majority of states and the District of Columbia, representing over half of the total load, have passed renewable portfolio standards. California’s plans call for 33% renewable energy by 2020. For grid balancing and for meeting reliability standards, ancillary services are needed. The needs for these services are poised to increase significantly. Demand resources are receiving increasing attention as one means of providing the ancillary services. Control and coordination of a large number (~millions) of distributed smart grid assets requires innovative approaches. One such approach is transactive control and coordination (TC2)—a distributed, hierarchical, agent-based incentive and control system. The TC2 paradigm is to create a market-like control system in which participation is voluntary and the participant sets the price for participation. For transactions that are frequent, automation of bids and responses is necessary. Such an approach has been developed and demonstrated at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The devices, typically thermostatically controlled heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) loads, send their bids—the quantity of energy they need and, based on the consumer preferences encoded in a simple user interface, the price they are willing to pay. The typical bid period is 5 minutes. By aggregating all the bids, a demand curve is generated by the aggregating entity, and matched with a supply curve or supply constraint. The aggregator transmits the clearing price to the devices. The winning devices proceed to consume the energy they bid for and won

  10. Energy policy for integrating the building environmental performance model of an air conditioned building in a subtropical climate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mui, K.W.

    2006-01-01

    For an air conditioned building, the major electricity consumption is by the heating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. As energy saving strategies may be in conflict with the criteria of indoor air quality and thermal comfort, a concept of the building environmental performance model (BEPM) has been developed to optimize energy consumption in HVAC systems without any deterioration of the indoor air quality and thermal comfort. The BEPM is divided into two main modules: the adaptive comfort temperature (ACT) module and the new demand control ventilation (nDCV) module. This study aims to enhance and prompt the conventional operation of the air side systems by incorporating temperature reset with the adaptive comfort temperature control and the new demand control ventilation system in high rise buildings in Hong Kong. A new example weather year (1991) was established as a reference to compute the energy use of HVAC systems in buildings in order to obtain more representative data for predicting annual energy consumption. A survey of 165 Hong Kong office buildings was conducted and it provided valuable information on the existing HVAC design values in different grades of private commercial buildings in Hong Kong. It was found that the actual measured values of indoor temperature were lower than the design ones. Furthermore, with the new example weather year and the integration of the BEPM into Grade A private office buildings in Hong Kong, the total energy saving of the air conditioning systems was calculated (i.e. a saving of HK$122 million in electrical consumption per year) while the thermal comfort for the occupants was also maintained

  11. Electromagnetic terrorism – threats in buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marek Kuchta

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the impact of electromagnetic pulses (high power and high frequency pulses — weapon E on technical infrastructure of buildings [1]. The use of modern technologies in intelligent building management i.e. human resources, control and automation systems, efficient buildings space management, requires using a large number of integrated electronic systems. From technical point of view, the intelligent building is a building in which all subsystems (e.g. technical security, air conditioning, ventilation, lighting, power, electricity, etc., interact with each other and create human-friendly environment. The use of specialized electronic systems, processors, microcontrollers in these subsystems may be a trigger of the use of weapons E as an alternative of terrorist attack— disabling automatic building management systems.[b]Keywords[/b]: electromagnetic weapons, distortion, sensitivity, susceptibility

  12. System of liquid thermostatic control for jet experiments on NMR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selivanov, S.I.; Bogatkin, R.A.; Ershov, B.A.

    1983-01-01

    The system of liquid thermostating of a sensor of NMR spectrometer, used as a registering device in the method of continuous and interrupting stream, is described. Such method of thermostating permits to make kinetic measurements in the temperature range from -40 to +60 deg C with the accuracy +-0.1 deg C and removes the necessity for applying secondary temperature NMR standards

  13. Regulation of heating and air-conditioning systems based on human thermal sensation: impact on the energy consumption in buildings; Regulation des systemes de chauffage et de climatisation basee sur la sensation thermique humaine: impact sur la consommation d'energie dans les batiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Endravadan, M.

    2006-02-15

    This study is based on the adaptive approach. The thermal comfort of an individual depends on indoor conditions that can be controlled. However, changes in activity or clothing adjustments are difficult to control and measure in the field experiments. Behavioural actions undertaken by the occupant to overcome the discomfort could be varying and may have diverse consequences. Sometimes these actions are beneficial to the occupant, although often they lead to disastrous amounts of energy consumption. Hence, it becomes crucial to consider the human behaviour and the thermal inertia of the building. The creation of numerical models is useful to study the coupling between these two components and to evaluate the effects of the behaviour on comfort and the energy. The simulations were conducted using TRNSYS software. A model such as 'Global Behavioural Regulator' (GBR) was created to evaluate the effects of clothing or thermostat adjustments made by the occupant depending on his thermal sensation (PMV). The energy costs of several types of regulators have been compared in various seasons for example, winter and summer using a light and heavy weight building. The heating of a whole-building may not be necessary in temperate climates or during mid-season. However, comfortable working conditions could be assured for the occupants with the use of an individual heating system such as a 'Local Heating System' (LHS). In such a context, it becomes interesting to evaluate the occupant's behaviour in regards to local heating and its effects on comfort and energy consumption. The LHS consists of three radiant panels; therefore, it is important to evaluate the local heat exchanges with precision. Experiments conducted with the manikin were used to validate the infra-red model; whereas experiments with real subjects were studied to understand the occupant behaviour on the LHS as a function of their local thermal sensations. These analyses led to the creation

  14. Commissioning for Humidified Buildings

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Deal, Brian

    1998-01-01

    .... Although proper commissioning procedures have been noted to reduce the potential for approximately 70 percent of these claims, no standards exist for the control of moisture migration in building...

  15. Digital building planning - digital construction; Digitale Gebaeudeplanung - digitales Bauen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Friedrichs, K. [Karlsruhe Univ. (T.H.) (Germany). Fakultaet fuer Architektur

    1995-12-31

    In chapter 3 of the anthology about building control the following aspects are discussed: digital building planning and digital construction, which are characterised by an increasing complexity of planning, buildings, construction technology and construction processes. In this respect the digital-technical scenarios, passive and active objects as well as digital construction are described. (BWI) [Deutsch] Kapitel 3 des Sammelbandes ueber Building Control ist den Themen Digitale Gebaeudeplanung und Digitales Bauen gewidmet, die durch die zunehmende Komplexitaet von Planung, Gebaeuden, Bautechnologien und -prozessen bedingt sind. In diesem Zusammenhang werden folgende Themen angesprochen: Digitale technische Szenarien, passive und aktive Objekte sowie digitales Bauen. (BWI)

  16. Measure Guideline: Condensing Boilers-Optimizing Efficiency and Response Time During Setback Operation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arena, L. [Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), Norwalk, CT (United States)

    2014-02-01

    Conventional wisdom surrounding space heating has consistently stated two things: size the mechanical systems to the heating loads, and setting the thermostat back at night will result in energy savings. The problem is these two recommendations oppose each other. A system that is properly sized to the heating load will not have the extra capacity necessary to recover from a thermostat setback, especially at design conditions. The implication of this is that, for setback to be successfully implemented, the heating system must be oversized. This issue is exacerbated further when an outdoor reset control is used with a condensing boiler, because not only is the system matched to the load at design, the outdoor reset control matches the output to the load under varying outdoor temperatures. Under these circumstances, the home may never recover from setback. Special controls to bypass the outdoor reset sensor are then needed. Properly designing a hydronic system for setback operation can be accomplished but depends on several factors. The first step is to determine the appropriateness of setback for a particular project. This is followed by proper sizing of the boiler and baseboard to ensure the needed capacity can be met. Finally, control settings must be chosen that result in the most efficient and responsive performance. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for heating contractors and hydronic designers for selecting the proper control settings to maximize system performance and improve response time when using a thermostat setback.

  17. Distribution Locational Real-Time Pricing Based Smart Building Control and Management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hao, Jun; Dai, Xiaoxiao; Zhang, Yingchen; Zhang, Jun; Gao, Wenzhong

    2016-11-21

    This paper proposes an real-virtual parallel computing scheme for smart building operations aiming at augmenting overall social welfare. The University of Denver's campus power grid and Ritchie fitness center is used for demonstrating the proposed approach. An artificial virtual system is built in parallel to the real physical system to evaluate the overall social cost of the building operation based on the social science based working productivity model, numerical experiment based building energy consumption model and the power system based real-time pricing mechanism. Through interactive feedback exchanged between the real and virtual system, enlarged social welfare, including monetary cost reduction and energy saving, as well as working productivity improvements, can be achieved.

  18. Intelligent building operating technologies : a cost-effective reduction in building energy consumption[Business case for a climate change solution]. 2. ed.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gilles, J.

    2004-04-01

    Much of the energy consumed in the commercial and institutional (C and I) buildings sector is wasted due to poor building operation. The sector accounts for 13 per cent of secondary energy use in Canada, and contributes about the same proportion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Energy use in this sector could be reduced if the operation of the buildings were improved. The CANMET Energy Technology Centre in Varennes, Quebec has developed a set of software solutions called Intelligent Building Operating Technologies to address this problem. The software program applies artificial intelligence algorithms to existing building energy management control systems to diagnose equipment and system problems. The software provides performance reports and allows the operator to optimize the operation of the building. The proposed control strategies could be applied to 60 per cent of the building surface area in Canada, resulting energy consumption reductions of 12 per cent annually, or 14 TWh of electricity and 1.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas. The savings amount to $1.8 billion and 7 Mt of GHG emissions annually. It was suggested that a national retro-commissioning program would eliminate the barriers to improving building operation and help research and development aimed at Intelligent Building Operating Technologies. 8 refs., 5 tabs., 3 figs.

  19. Dissipative particle dynamics: Effects of thermostating schemes on nano-colloid electrophoresis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassanzadeh Afrouzi, Hamid; Moshfegh, Abouzar; Farhadi, Mousa; Sedighi, Kurosh

    2018-05-01

    A novel fully explicit approach using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) method is introduced in the present study to model the electrophoretic transport of nano-colloids in an electrolyte solution. Slater type charge smearing function included in 3D Ewald summation method is employed to treat electrostatic interaction. Performance of various thermostats are challenged to control the system temperature and study the dynamic response of colloidal electrophoretic mobility under practical ranges of external electric field (0 . 072 relationships respectively with electric field and colloidal repulsion; although they each respectively behave direct and inverse trends with salt concentration under various thermostats. Nosé-Hoover-Lowe-Andersen and Lowe-Andersen thermostats are found to function more effectively under high electric fields (E > 0 . 145[v/nm ]) while thermal equilibrium is maintained. Reasonable agreements are achieved by benchmarking the system radial distribution function with available EW3D modellings, as well as comparing reduced mobility against conventional Smoluchowski and Hückel theories, and numerical solution of Poisson-Boltzmann equation.

  20. Wireless Infrastructure for Performing Monitoring, Diagnostics, and Control HVAC and Other Energy-Using Systems in Small Commercial Buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Patrick O' Neill

    2009-06-30

    This project focused on developing a low-cost wireless infrastructure for monitoring, diagnosing, and controlling building systems and equipment. End users receive information via the Internet and need only a web browser and Internet connection. The system used wireless communications for: (1) collecting data centrally on site from many wireless sensors installed on building equipment, (2) transmitting control signals to actuators and (3) transmitting data to an offsite network operations center where it is processed and made available to clients on the Web (see Figure 1). Although this wireless infrastructure can be applied to any building system, it was tested on two representative applications: (1) monitoring and diagnostics for packaged rooftop HVAC units used widely on small commercial buildings and (2) continuous diagnosis and control of scheduling errors such as lights and equipment left on during unoccupied hours. This project developed a generic infrastructure for performance monitoring, diagnostics, and control, applicable to a broad range of building systems and equipment, but targeted specifically to small to medium commercial buildings (an underserved market segment). The proposed solution is based on two wireless technologies. The first, wireless telemetry, is used for cell phones and paging and is reliable and widely available. This risk proved to be easily managed during the project. The second technology is on-site wireless communication for acquiring data from sensors and transmitting control signals. The technology must enable communication with many nodes, overcome physical obstructions, operate in environments with other electrical equipment, support operation with on-board power (instead of line power) for some applications, operate at low transmission power in license-free radio bands, and be low cost. We proposed wireless mesh networking to meet these needs. This technology is relatively new and has been applied only in research and tests

  1. Analysis of the Thermal Shielding Properties of Camouflage Materials

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Bennett, John G; Polsen, Erik S

    2007-01-01

    .... The outer surface of each panel was thermostatically controlled to the same temperature. The camouflage material covered one of the panels, while the other, uncovered, panel acted as the baseline...

  2. IMCOM LonWorks (registered trademark) Building Automation Systems Implementation Strategy

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Schwenk, David M; Bush, Joseph; Hughes, Lucie M; Briggs, Stephen; White, Will

    2008-01-01

    Army Installations often expand their use of digital control systems for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning and other mechanical and electrical building systems on a building-by-building basis...

  3. Comparison of building permit procedures in European Union countries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Costa Branco De Oliveira Pedro, J.A.; Meijer, F.M.; Visscher, H.J.

    2011-01-01

    Building regulations set minimum requirements for safe, healthy, energy-efficient and accessible buildings. To guarantee that these requirements are applied, a building control system is indispensable. The trend towards a common market for construction products and services justifies gaining a

  4. Chemical analysis: modern instrumentation methods and techniques

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Rouessac, Francis; Rouessac, Annick

    2007-01-01

    ... regulation 2.3 Sample introduction and the injection chamber 2.4 Thermostatically controlled oven 2.5 Columns 2.6 Stationary phases 2.7 Principal gas chromatographic detectors 2.8 Detectors provi...

  5. Supermarket Healthy Eating for Life (SHELf: protocol of a randomised controlled trial promoting healthy food and beverage consumption through price reduction and skill-building strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Le Ha ND

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the context of rising food prices, there is a need for evidence on the most effective approaches for promoting healthy eating. Individually-targeted behavioural interventions for increasing food-related skills show promise, but are unlikely to be effective in the absence of structural supports. Fiscal policies have been advocated as a means of promoting healthy eating and reducing obesity and nutrition-related disease, but there is little empirical evidence of their effectiveness. This paper describes the Supermarket Healthy Eating for LiFe (SHELf study, a randomised controlled trial to investigate effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a tailored skill-building intervention and a price reduction intervention, separately and in combination, against a control condition for promoting purchase and consumption of healthy foods and beverages in women from high and low socioeconomic groups. Methods/design SHELf comprises a randomised controlled trial design, with participants randomised to receive either (1 a skill-building intervention; (2 price reductions on fruits, vegetables and low-joule soft drink beverages and water; (3 a combination of skill-building and price reductions; or (4 a control condition. Five hundred women from high and low socioeconomic areas will be recruited through a store loyalty card program and local media. Randomisation will occur on receipt of informed consent and baseline questionnaire. An economic evaluation from a societal perspective using a cost-consequences approach will compare the costs and outcomes between intervention and control groups. Discussion This study will build on a pivotal partnership with a major national supermarket chain and the Heart Foundation to investigate the effectiveness of intervention strategies aimed at increasing women's purchasing and consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreased purchasing and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. It will be among the

  6. Thermal analysis and design of passive solar buildings

    CERN Document Server

    Athienitis, AK

    2013-01-01

    Passive solar design techniques are becoming increasingly important in building design. This design reference book takes the building engineer or physicist step-by-step through the thermal analysis and design of passive solar buildings. In particular it emphasises two important topics: the maximum utilization of available solar energy and thermal storage, and the sizing of an appropriate auxiliary heating/cooling system in conjunction with good thermal control.Thermal Analysis and Design of Passive Solar Buildings is an important contribution towards the optimization of buildings as systems th

  7. Development of Fuzzy Logic Control for Vehicle Air Conditioning System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henry Nasution

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available A vehicle air conditioning system is experimentally investigated. Measurements were taken during the experimental period at a time interval of one minute for a set point temperature of 22, 23 and 24oC with internal heat loads of 0, 1 and 2 kW. The cabin temperature and the speed of the compressor were varied and the performance of the system, energy consumption and energy saving ware analyzed. The main objective of the experimental work is to evaluate the energy saving obtained when the fuzzy logic control (FLC algorithm, through an inverter, continuously regulates the compressor speed. It demonstrates better control of the compressor operation in terms of energy consumption as compared to the control by using a thermostat imposing On/Off cycles on the compressor at the nominal frequency of 50 Hz. The experimental set-up consists of original components from the air conditioning system of a compact passenger vehicle. The experimental results indicate that the proposed technique can save energy and improve indoor comfort significantly for vehicle air conditioning systems compared to the conventional (On/Off control technique.

  8. Passive hygrothermal control of a museum storage building

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Jørgen Erik; Janssen, Hans

    2011-01-01

    of C02 emission. The purpose for this paper is to show that it is possible to reach the goal of using renewable energy for museum storage buildings by rethinking the strategy for the dehumidification design and in this way contribute to a C02 neutral environment. The solution is to construct a very...

  9. The use of energy management and control systems to monitor the energy performance of commercial buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heinemeier, Kristin Elizabeth [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Architecture

    1994-12-01

    Monitored data play a very important part in the implementation and evaluation of energy conservation technologies and programs. However, these data can be expensive to collect, so there is a need for lower-cost alternatives. In many situations, using the computerized Energy Management and Control Systems (EMCSs)--already installed in many buildings--to collect these commercial building performance data has advantages over more conventional methods. This method provides data without installing incremental hardware, and the large amounts of available operational data can be a very rich resource for understanding building performance. This dissertation addresses several of these issues. One specific objective is to describe a monitoring-project planning process that includes definition of objectives, constraints, resources and approaches for the monitoring. The choice of tools is an important part of this process. The dissertation goes on to demonstrate, through eight case studies, that EMCS monitoring is possible, and to identify and categorize the problems and issues that can be encountered. These issues lead to the creation, use, and testing of a set of methods for evaluation of EMCS monitoring, in the form of guidelines. Finally, EMCS monitoring is demonstrated and compared with conventional monitoring more methodically in a detailed case study.

  10. Energy intelligent buildings based on user activity : A survey

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nguyen, Tuan Anh; Aiello, Marco

    Occupant presence and behaviour in buildings has been shown to have large impact on heating, cooling and ventilation demand, energy consumption of lighting and appliances, and building controls. Energy-unaware behaviour can add one-third to a building's designed energy performance. Consequently,

  11. Intermittent heating of buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kohonen, K

    1983-02-01

    Conditions for intermittent heating of buildings are considered both theoretically and experimentally. Thermal behaviour of buildings adn rooms in intermittent heating is simulated by a program based on the convective heat balance equation and by simplified RC-models. The preheat times and the heating energy savings compared with continuous heating are presented for typical lightweight, mediumweight and heavyweight classroom and office modules. Formulaes for estimating the oversizing of the radiator network, the maximum heat output of heat exchangers in district heating and the efficiency of heating boilers in intermittent heating are presented. The preheat times and heating energy savings with different heating control systems are determined also experimentally in eight existing buildings. In addition some principles for the planning and application of intermittent heating systems are suggested.

  12. Wood-destroying Coleopteran species in the historical buildings in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The aim of this study is to identify the harmful insects causing damage in the historical wooden buildings of Kastamonu. Accordingly, 15 of those historical wooden buildings situated in the city were periodically controlled between the years 2002 and 2005. During those periodic controls, damages caused by insects were ...

  13. Hydraulic Control Method for Heating Systems of High-Rise Buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makarov, D.; Chernenkov, V.; Likhachev, I.

    2017-11-01

    The following article reflects the ideas of possibility to increase energy efficiency of heating systems in high-rise buildings. The article also includes the principle ways of high-rise building heating systems operation as well as traditional engineering decisions aimed at the elimination of the increased pressure effect in heaters. The main disadvantages of such decisions are also presented for the reader. Moreover, the article offers the way of operation for the above-mentioned systems together with the equipment that implements this operation. An economic impact from such energy-saving technology application has been also evaluated.

  14. Investigation on Smoke Movement and Smoke Control for Atrium in Green and Sustainable Buildings

    OpenAIRE

    Fang, Lui; Nielsen, Peter V.; Brohus, Henrik

    2007-01-01

     The concepts of green buildings and sustainable buildings are promoted actively in the developed countries. Targets are on protecting the environment, using less energy through natural ventilation provisions and daylight utilization, developing better waste management and taking resource conservation into account. Architectural and building design, electrical and mechanical systems, and building management have to be upgraded. However, there are problems in dealing with fire safety, especial...

  15. Building automation - synthesis of the past and present; Gebaeudeautomation - Synthese aus Vergangenheit und Zukunft

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fassbender, H.W. [Honeywell AG, Maintal (Germany)

    1995-12-31

    In chapter 13 of the anthology about building control the historical development in the field of building automation is described. The following aspects are discussed: The development from central process control technique for buildings to building automation, synthesis of DDC-technique and process control technique, technology of the automation and management level. (BWI) [Deutsch] Kapitel 13 des Sammelbandes ueber Building Control ist dem Thema der geschichtlichen Entwicklung der Gebaeudeautomation gewidmet. In diesem Zusammenhang wird auf folgende Themen eingegangen: Von der ZLT-G zur Gebaeudeautomation; Gebaeudeautomation, die Synthese von DDC und Leittechnik; Technologien der Automationsebene sowie der Managementebene. (BWI)

  16. Building regulations in energy efficiency: Compliance in England and Wales

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan Wei; Garmston, Helen

    2012-01-01

    There is an international pragmatic shift towards the use of building energy regulations, standards and codes to reduce building energy consumption. The UK Government revised Building Regulations in 2002, 2006 and 2010, towards more stringent energy efficiency standards and ultimately the target of ‘zero carbon’ new homes from 2016. This paper aims to: reveal levels of compliance with energy Building Regulations of new-build dwellings in England and Wales; explore underlying issues; and identify possible solutions. In total 376 new-build dwellings were investigated. The compliance revealed was poor, at a level of 35%; accompanied by 43% ‘grey compliance’ and 21% ‘grey non-compliance’ (due to insufficient evidence of achieving required carbon emissions reductions). It is a serious concern when building control approves so many dwellings when insufficient evidence of compliance has been received. Underlying issues were centred on: incorrect compilation and/or insufficient submission of carbon emissions calculations by builders/developers; inappropriate timings of such submissions; and a paucity of proper checks by building control. Exploring these issues reveals a complex system of factors influencing energy regulations compliance, which involves a wide range of stakeholders. The findings should inform the formulation and implementation of energy efficiency building regulations and policy in the future. - Highlights: ► The compliance with energy Building Regulations (England and Wales) was poor. ► The problematic implementation of energy Building Regulations is a serious concern. ► Identified issues suggest a lack of knowledge of builders and building control. ► There is a complex system of factors influencing energy regulations compliance. ► A systems approach is needed to improve compliance, while training is crucial.

  17. Building air quality: A guide for building owners and facility managers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-12-01

    The guide was intended to help those individuals responsible for air quality control in buildings to prevent indoor air quality problems from developing and resolving such problems quickly should they develop. Background information and guidance on dealing with indoor air quality problems were provided. Specific topics included: factors which affect indoor air quality; sources of indoor air contaminants; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; the role of building occupants; effective communication between managers and others involved; developing an indoor air quality (IAQ) profile; managing a building for good IAQ; diagnosing IAQ problems; mitigating IAQ problems, hiring professional assistance to solve an IAQ problem; common IAQ measurements; HVAC systems and IAQ; moisture with resultant mold and mildew conditions; asbestos (1332214); radon (10043922); and resources through which additional information can be obtained. Indoor air quality forms were included which can be modified to meet individual needs

  18. Provision of Supplementary Load Frequency Control via Aggregation of Air Conditioning Loads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Zhou

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The integration of large-scale renewable energy poses great challenges for the operation of power system because of its increased frequency fluctuations. More load frequency control (LFC resources are demanded in order to maintain a stable system with more renewable energy injected. Unlike the costly LFC resources on generation side, the thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs on the demand side become an attractive solution on account of its substantial quantities and heat-storage capacity. It generally contains air conditioners (ACs, water heaters and fridges. In this paper, the supplementary LFC is extracted by the modeling and controlling of aggregated ACs. We first present a control framework integrating the supplementary LFC with the traditional LFC. Then, a change-time-priority-list method is proposed to control power output taking into account customers’ satisfaction. Simulations on a single-area power system with wind power integration demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The impact of ambient temperature changes and customer preferences on room temperature is also involved in the discussion. Results show that the supplementary LFC provided by ACs could closely track the LFC signals and effectively reduce the frequency deviation.

  19. A Software Architecture for Simulation Support in Building Automation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Leal

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Building automation integrates the active components in a building and, thus, has to connect components of different industries. The goal is to provide reliable and efficient operation. This paper describes how simulation can support building automation and how the deployment process of simulation assisted building control systems can be structured. We look at the process as a whole and map it to a set of formally described workflows that can partly be automated. A workbench environment supports the process execution by means of improved planning, collaboration and deployment. This framework allows integration of existing tools, as well as manual tasks, and is, therefore, many more intricate than regular software deployment tools. The complex environment of building commissioning requires expertise in different domains, especially lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, measurement and control technology, as well as energy efficiency; therefore, we present a framework for building commissioning and describe a deployment process that is capable of supporting the various phases of this approach.

  20. Existence and control of Legionella bacteria in building water systems: A review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Springston, John P; Yocavitch, Liana

    2017-02-01

    Legionellae are waterborne bacteria which are capable of causing potentially fatal Legionnaires' disease (LD), as well as Pontiac Fever. Public concern about Legionella exploded following the 1976 outbreak at the American Legion conference in Philadelphia, where 221 attendees contracted pneumonia and 34 died. Since that time, a variety of different control methods and strategies have been developed and implemented in an effort to eradicate Legionella from building water systems. Despite these efforts, the incidence of LD has been steadily increasing in the U.S. for more than a decade. Public health and occupational hygiene professionals have maintained an active debate regarding best practices for management and control of Legionella. Professional opinion remains divided with respect to the relative merits of performing routine sampling for Legionella, vs. the passive, reactive approach that has been largely embraced by public health officials and facility owners. Given the potential risks and ramifications associated with waiting to assess systems for Legionella until after disease has been identified and confirmed, a proactive approach of periodic testing for Legionella, along with proper water treatment, is the best approach to avoiding large-scale disease outbreaks.

  1. Real-time supervision of building HVAC system performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Djuric, Natasa

    2008-07-01

    This thesis presents techniques for improving building HVAC system performance in existing buildings generated using simulation-based tools and real data. Therefore, one of the aims has been to research the needs and possibilities to assess and improve building HVAC system performance. In addition, this thesis aims at an advanced utilization of building energy management system (BEMS) and the provision of useful information to building operators using simulation tools. Buildings are becoming more complex systems with many elements, while BEMS provide many data about the building systems. There are, however, many faults and issues in building performance, but there are legislative and cost-benefit forces induced by energy savings. Therefore, both BEMS and the computer-based tools have to be utilized more efficiently to improve building performance. The thesis consists of four main parts that can be read separately. The first part explains the term commissioning and the commissioning tool work principal based on literature reviews. The second part presents practical experiences and issues introduced through the work on this study. The third part deals with the computer-based tools application in design and operation. This part is divided into two chapters. The first deals with improvement in the design, and the second deals with the improvement in the control strategies. The last part of the thesis gives several rules for fault diagnosis developed using simulation tools. In addition, this part aims at the practical explanation of the faults in the building HVAC systems. The practical background for the thesis was obtained though two surveys. The first survey was carried out with the aim to find the commissioning targets in Norwegian building facilities. In that way, an overview of the most typical buildings, HVAC equipment, and their related problems was obtained. An on-site survey was carried out on an example building, which was beneficial for introducing the

  2. Strategies for Controlling Plug Loads. A Tool for Reducing Plug Loads in Commercial Buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torcellini, Paul [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bonnema, Eric [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sheppy, Michael [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Pless, Shanti [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2015-09-01

    Plug loads are often not considered as part of the energy savings measures in Commercial Buildings; however, they can account for up to 50% of the energy used in the building. These loads are numerous and often scattered throughout a building. Some of these loads are purchased by the owner and some designed into the building or the tenant finishes for a space. This document provides a strategy and a tool for minimizing these loads.

  3. Implementation and testing of a fault detection software tool for improving control system performance in a large commercial building

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salsbury, T.I.; Diamond, R.C.

    2000-05-01

    This paper describes a model-based, feedforward control scheme that can detect faults in the controlled process and improve control performance over traditional PID control. The tool uses static simulation models of the system under control to generate feed-forward control action, which acts as a reference of correct operation. Faults that occur in the system cause discrepancies between the feedforward models and the controlled process. The scheme facilitates detection of faults by monitoring the level of these discrepancies. We present results from the first phase of tests on a dual-duct air-handling unit installed in a large office building in San Francisco. We demonstrate the ability of the tool to detect a number of preexisting faults in the system and discuss practical issues related to implementation.

  4. Deviation from equilibrium conditions in molecular dynamic simulations of homogeneous nucleation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halonen, Roope; Zapadinsky, Evgeni; Vehkamäki, Hanna

    2018-04-28

    We present a comparison between Monte Carlo (MC) results for homogeneous vapour-liquid nucleation of Lennard-Jones clusters and previously published values from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Both the MC and MD methods sample real cluster configuration distributions. In the MD simulations, the extent of the temperature fluctuation is usually controlled with an artificial thermostat rather than with more realistic carrier gas. In this study, not only a primarily velocity scaling thermostat is considered, but also Nosé-Hoover, Berendsen, and stochastic Langevin thermostat methods are covered. The nucleation rates based on a kinetic scheme and the canonical MC calculation serve as a point of reference since they by definition describe an equilibrated system. The studied temperature range is from T = 0.3 to 0.65 ϵ/k. The kinetic scheme reproduces well the isothermal nucleation rates obtained by Wedekind et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 127, 064501 (2007)] using MD simulations with carrier gas. The nucleation rates obtained by artificially thermostatted MD simulations are consistently lower than the reference nucleation rates based on MC calculations. The discrepancy increases up to several orders of magnitude when the density of the nucleating vapour decreases. At low temperatures, the difference to the MC-based reference nucleation rates in some cases exceeds the maximal nonisothermal effect predicted by classical theory of Feder et al. [Adv. Phys. 15, 111 (1966)].

  5. Economic evaluation of price discounts and skill-building strategies on purchase and consumption of healthy food and beverages: The SHELf randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Ha N D; Gold, Lisa; Abbott, Gavin; Crawford, David; McNaughton, Sarah A; Mhurchu, Cliona Ni; Pollard, Christina; Ball, Kylie

    2016-06-01

    Pricing strategies are a promising approach for promoting healthier dietary choices. However, robust evidence of the cost-effectiveness of pricing manipulations on dietary behaviour is limited. We aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of a 20% price reduction on fruits and vegetables and a combined skills-based behaviour change and price reduction intervention. Cost-effectiveness analysis from a societal perspective was undertaken for the randomized controlled trial Supermarket Healthy Eating for Life (SHELf). Female shoppers in Melbourne, Australia were randomized to: (1) skill-building (n = 160); (2) price reductions (n = 161); (3) combined skill-building and price reduction (n = 161); or (4) control group (n = 161). The intervention was implemented for three months followed by a six month follow-up. Costs were measured in 2012 Australian dollars. Fruit and vegetable purchasing and consumption were measured in grams/week. At three months, compared to control participants, price reduction participants increased vegetable purchases by 233 g/week (95% CI 4 to 462, p = 0.046) and fruit purchases by 364 g/week (95% CI 95 to 633, p = 0.008). Participants in the combined group purchased 280 g/week more fruits (95% CI 27 to 533, p = 0.03) than participants in the control group. Increases were not maintained six-month post intervention. No effect was noticed in the skill-building group. Compared to the control group, the price reduction intervention cost an additional A$2.3 per increased serving of vegetables purchased per week or an additional A$3 per increased serving of fruit purchased per week. The combined intervention cost an additional A$12 per increased serving of fruit purchased per week compared to the control group. A 20% discount on fruits and vegetables was effective in promoting overall fruit and vegetable purchases during the period the discount was active and may be cost-effective. The price discount program gave better value for money

  6. Building Canada: Phase One

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon

    2004-04-15

    The 'Building Canada' program modelled after the 'Building America' program, aims at increasing energy efficiency and affordability, primarily for single family homes. The program takes a holistic and whole house view, employing a systems approach and is committed to continuous improvement through testing, evaluation, retesting and novel construction practices. The program's objective is to re-engineer house designs so that builders can take advantage of advanced products and achieve maximum efficiency. Building Canada aims to achieve its objectives through partnership with the housing industry, focusing on increasing energy efficiency while reducing construction time, using and wasting fewer materials, forestalling call backs, and reducing overall costs. The Building Canada procedures encompass marketing, research of builder's operations, re-engineering mechanical systems, framing components and techniques, moisture control and thermal performance, construction, resolution of problems in re-engineered homes, and discussion of results in demonstration homes. The program as a whole is built on the feasibility study of a Building Canada program carried out in Nova Scotia and Ontario. Some of the results of this pilot study summarized in this report indicate that the Building Canada is not suitable for use by small builders. Benefits are most likely to be realized by only by builders constructing more than 100 homes annually.

  7. Humidity and Buildings. Technical Paper No. 188.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutcheon, N. B.

    Modified and controlled relative humidity in buildings for certain occupancies is discussed. New criteria are used in determining the needs, desirability and problems associated with humidities in a building. Severe winter climate requires that special attention be given to the problems associated with increased indoor humidities during cold…

  8. [Research on competency building standards of institutions of schistosomiasis prevention and control in Hubei Province I Investigation of institution management].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Han-cheng; Zhong, Chen-hui; Liao, Si-qi; He, Hui

    2014-08-01

    To investigate the current situation of management of institutions of schistosomiasis prevention and control in Hubei Province, so as to explore the probable competency building standards for these institutions at the county and township levels. By using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, the institutions of schistosomiasis prevention and control at county and township levels were investigated for the institutional setup, staffing and fulfillment functions since the reform of 2004. Among 63 schistosomiasis endemic counties (cities, districts) of Hubei Province, there were 26 independent schistosomiasis control institutions (41.27%), there were 24 institutions which were incorporated into CDC (38.10%), and there were no institutions in 13 counties (20.63%). Among 518 endemic towns, there were 299 institutions (57.72%). The total staffing size were 1 932, but there were 1 586 (82.09%) people actually working in the post, and therefore there were 346 (17.91%) empty positions. The average rates of carrying out the six functions were 91.48%-71.19%, but only 19.23% of the institutions participated in the comprehensive schistosomiasis control management project and its effect assessment. According to the management model for schistosomiasis control institutions under the current institutional mechanisms, we need a rigorous industry standard to constrain, guide and standardize the management and capacity-building of the institutions in different historical periods.

  9. Conservation heating for a museum environment in a monumental building

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Neuhaus, E.; Schellen, H.L.

    2007-01-01

    For the conservation of an important museum collection in a historic building a better controlled indoor climate may be necessary. One of the most important factors is controlling relative humidity. Museum collections often are part of the interior of a historic building. In most cases the

  10. Building Automation Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honeywell, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.

    A number of different automation systems for use in monitoring and controlling building equipment are described in this brochure. The system functions include--(1) collection of information, (2) processing and display of data at a central panel, and (3) taking corrective action by sounding alarms, making adjustments, or automatically starting and…

  11. Energy conservation in industrial buildings. Higher energy efficiency with smart control systems; Energieeinsparung im Gewerbebau. Hoehere Energieeffizienz durch 'intelligente' Regeltechnik

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mayer, Edgar [CentraLine c/o Honeywell GmbH, Schoenaich (Germany)

    2009-07-01

    With smart control systems, the energy conservation potential of industrial buildings could be fully utilized. This means, e.g., that classic control algorithms must be replaced by new solutions. New methods will ensure higher energy efficiency with maximum comfort; they will also prolong the service life and the inspection intervals of the technical facilities. (orig.)

  12. Automatic generation of smart earthquake-resistant building system: Hybrid system of base-isolation and building-connection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Kasagi

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available A base-isolated building may sometimes exhibit an undesirable large response to a long-duration, long-period earthquake ground motion and a connected building system without base-isolation may show a large response to a near-fault (rather high-frequency earthquake ground motion. To overcome both deficiencies, a new hybrid control system of base-isolation and building-connection is proposed and investigated. In this new hybrid building system, a base-isolated building is connected to a stiffer free wall with oil dampers. It has been demonstrated in a preliminary research that the proposed hybrid system is effective both for near-fault (rather high-frequency and long-duration, long-period earthquake ground motions and has sufficient redundancy and robustness for a broad range of earthquake ground motions.An automatic generation algorithm of this kind of smart structures of base-isolation and building-connection hybrid systems is presented in this paper. It is shown that, while the proposed algorithm does not work well in a building without the connecting-damper system, it works well in the proposed smart hybrid system with the connecting damper system.

  13. Development of a simplified method for intelligent glazed façade design under different control strategies and verified by building simulation tool BSim

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Mingzhe; Wittchen, Kim Bjarne; Heiselberg, Per

    2014-01-01

    The research aims to develop a simplified calculation method for intelligent glazed facade under different control conditions (night shutter, solar shading and natural ventilation) to simulate the energy performance and indoor environment of an office room installed with the intelligent facade......, it is possible to calculate the whole year performance of a room or building with intelligent glazed façade, which makes it a less time consuming tool to investigate the performance of the intelligent façade under different control strategies in the design stage with acceptable accuracy. Results showed good....... The method took the angle dependence of the solar characteristic into account, including the simplified hourly building model developed according to EN 13790 to evaluate the influence of the controlled façade on both the indoor environment (indoor air temperature, solar transmittance through the façade...

  14. Measure Guideline: Condensing Boilers - Optimizing Efficiency and Response Time During Setback Operation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arena, L. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2014-02-01

    Conventional wisdom surrounding space heating has told us a couple of things consistently for several years now: size the mechanical systems to the heating loads and setting the thermostat back at night will result in energy savings. The problem is these two recommendations oppose each other. A system that is properly sized to the heating load will not have the extra capacity necessary to recover from a thermostat setback, especially at design conditions. The implication of this is that, for setback to be successfully implemented, the heating system must be oversized. This issue is exacerbated further when an outdoor reset control is used with a condensing boiler, because not only is the system matched to the load at design, the outdoor reset control matches the output to the load under varying outdoor temperatures. Under these circumstances, the home may never recover from setback. Special controls to bypass the outdoor reset sensor are then needed. Properly designing a hydronic system for setback operation can be accomplished but depends on several factors. Determining the appropriateness of setback for a particular project is the first step. This is followed by proper sizing of the boiler and baseboard to ensure the needed capacity can be met. Finally, control settings must be chosen that result in the most efficient and responsive performance. This guide provides step by step instructions for heating contractors and hydronic designers for selecting the proper control settings to maximize system performance and improve response time when using a thermostat setback.

  15. Drinking Water Quality in Hospitals and Other Buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drinking water quality entering large buildings is generally adequately controlled by the water utility, but localized problems may occur within building or “premise” plumbing. Particular concerns are loss of disinfectant residual and temperature variability, which may enhance pa...

  16. Structural building screening and evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurniawandy, Alex; Nakazawa, Shoji; Hendry, Andy; Ridwan, Firdaus, Rahmatul

    2017-10-01

    An earthquake is a disaster that can be harmful to the community, such as financial loss and also dead injuries. Pekanbaru is a city that located in the middle of Sumatera Island. Even though the city of Pekanbaru is a city that rarely occurs earthquake, but Pekanbaru has ever felt the impact of the big earthquake that occurred in West Sumatera on September 2009. As we know, Indonesia located between Eurasia plate, Pacific plate, and Indo-Australian plate. Particularly the Sumatera Island, It has the Semangko fault or the great Sumatra fault along the island from north to south due to the shift of Eurasia and Indo-Australian Plates. An earthquake is not killing people but the building around the people that could be killing them. The failure of the building can be early prevented by doing an evaluation. In this research, the methods of evaluation have used a guideline for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) P-154 and Applied Technology Council (ATC) 40. FEMA P-154 is a rapid visual screening of buildings for potential seismic hazards and ATC-40 is seismic evaluation and retrofit of Concrete Buildings. ATC-40 is a more complex evaluation rather than FEMA P-154. The samples to be evaluated are taken in the surroundings of Universitas Riau facility in Pekanbaru. There are four buildings as case study such as the rent student building, the building of mathematics and natural science faculty, the building teacher training and education faculty and the buildings in the faculty of Social political sciences. Vulnerability for every building facing an earthquake is different, this is depending on structural and non-structural components of the building. Among all of the samples, only the building of mathematics and the natural science faculty is in critical condition according to the FEMA P-154 evaluation. Furthermore, the results of evaluation using ATC-40 for the teacher training building are in damage control conditions, despite the other three buildings are

  17. Building

    OpenAIRE

    Seavy, Ryan

    2014-01-01

    Building for concrete is temporary. The building of wood and steel stands against the concrete to give form and then gives way, leaving a trace of its existence behind. Concrete is not a building material. One does not build with concrete. One builds for concrete. MARCH

  18. User evaluations of energy efficient buildings: the interplay of buildings and users in seven European case studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomsen, Judith; Hauge, Aashild Lappegaard; Denizou, Karine; Jerkoe, Sidsel; Waagoe, Solvaar; Berker, Thomas

    2011-07-01

    The buildings in our study have been operational for just a short period and most of them are still in an adjustment phase. The findings show that users in all case studies often stressed the positive aspects connected to the newness and the architectural quality of the buildings. The interviews also show that energy efficiency is often regarded as a bonus or side effect that is gladly accepted but not the main criteria for choosing a house. Nonetheless, most residents seemed to appreciate the environmental benefits over time. Several respondents were also more concerned about the environment now than before they moved into or started to work in an energy efficient building, and they also reported more environmentally friendly behaviour. In most of the case studies, concerns were expressed about thermal comfort. Informants often experienced the building as too hot in the summer and/or too cold in the winter. This perceived discomfort caused different types of personal actions, which had a potential to interfere with the concept and the calculated energy balance. In order to improve internal conditions, the users in almost every case intervened with the planned use. They found common and known ways to improving their comfort in the buildings without considering how to optimize the new system. None of the respondents had much prior knowledge of energy efficient buildings before moving in or starting to work in the case study buildings. They did not know what to expect from their new environment, and were unfamiliar with the concepts. Many of the informants complained about a lack of information on systems and insufficient training. The studies also show that the occupants desired to control at least some operational aspects. Despite intermittent difficulties with thermal comfort, the tolerance for the buildings performance appeared to be high throughout all the case studies and many respondents were proud of 'their' buildings. Energy efficient buildings are not the

  19. User evaluations of energy efficient buildings: the interplay of buildings and users in seven European case studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomsen, Judith; Hauge, Aashild Lappegaard; Denizou, Karine; Jerkoe, Sidsel; Waagoe, Solvaar; Berker, Thomas

    2011-07-01

    The buildings in our study have been operational for just a short period and most of them are still in an adjustment phase. The findings show that users in all case studies often stressed the positive aspects connected to the newness and the architectural quality of the buildings. The interviews also show that energy efficiency is often regarded as a bonus or side effect that is gladly accepted but not the main criteria for choosing a house. Nonetheless, most residents seemed to appreciate the environmental benefits over time. Several respondents were also more concerned about the environment now than before they moved into or started to work in an energy efficient building, and they also reported more environmentally friendly behaviour. In most of the case studies, concerns were expressed about thermal comfort. Informants often experienced the building as too hot in the summer and/or too cold in the winter. This perceived discomfort caused different types of personal actions, which had a potential to interfere with the concept and the calculated energy balance. In order to improve internal conditions, the users in almost every case intervened with the planned use. They found common and known ways to improving their comfort in the buildings without considering how to optimize the new system. None of the respondents had much prior knowledge of energy efficient buildings before moving in or starting to work in the case study buildings. They did not know what to expect from their new environment, and were unfamiliar with the concepts. Many of the informants complained about a lack of information on systems and insufficient training. The studies also show that the occupants desired to control at least some operational aspects. Despite intermittent difficulties with thermal comfort, the tolerance for the buildings performance appeared to be high throughout all the case studies and many respondents were proud of 'their' buildings. Energy efficient buildings are

  20. Strategic Behavior in Certifying Green Buildings: An Inquiry of the Non-building Performance Value.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiang Hsieh, Lin-Han; Noonan, Douglas

    2017-08-01

    This study determines the magnitude of the market signaling effect arising from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for green buildings and explores the mechanisms behind the signaling effect. Previous studies have shown that signaling or marketability plays an important role in the pursuit for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and equivalent green-building certification. By analyzing all new construction projects receiving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from 2000 to 2012 in the US, this study estimates the relative importance of 'green' signaling. This broad perspective using project-level data enables an analysis of some drivers of signaling and the pursuit of marketing benefits. The roles of local competition and market conditions, as well as municipal regulations are examined, especially as they differ between types of building owners (e.g., for-profit firms, governments, nonprofits). The results indicate that the non-building performance value-value captured by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design signals above and beyond the specific building attributes that Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certifies-dominates the attainment of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design scores around certification tier thresholds. Further, strong evidence of spatial clustering of this non-building performance value for some owner types indicates that for-profit owners may be more responsive to local competition than non-profit owners. Local legislative mandates predict greater signaling intensity by government-owned buildings, as expected, but for-profit-owned projects tend to signal less, even after controls for local conditions. The results highlight the importance of local conditions, including peer effects and regulations, in driving non-building performance values across a wide range of green buildings.

  1. Supporting Building Portfolio Investment and Policy Decision Making through an Integrated Building Utility Data Platform

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aziz, Azizan [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Lasternas, Bertrand [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Alschuler, Elena [US DOE; View Inc; Loftness, Vivian [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Wang, Haopeng [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Mo, Yunjeong [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Wang, Ting [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Zhang, Chenlu [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Sharma, Shilpi [Carnegie Mellon; Stevens, Ivana [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    2016-03-18

    The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus funding of 2009 for smart grid projects resulted in the tripling of smart meters deployment. In 2012, the Green Button initiative provided utility customers with access to their real-time1 energy usage. The availability of finely granular data provides an enormous potential for energy data analytics and energy benchmarking. The sheer volume of time-series utility data from a large number of buildings also poses challenges in data collection, quality control, and database management for rigorous and meaningful analyses. In this paper, we will describe a building portfolio-level data analytics tool for operational optimization, business investment and policy assessment using 15-minute to monthly intervals utility data. The analytics tool is developed on top of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Standard Energy Efficiency Data (SEED) platform, an open source software application that manages energy performance data of large groups of buildings. To support the significantly large volume of granular interval data, we integrated a parallel time-series database to the existing relational database. The time-series database improves on the current utility data input, focusing on real-time data collection, storage, analytics and data quality control. The fully integrated data platform supports APIs for utility apps development by third party software developers. These apps will provide actionable intelligence for building owners and facilities managers. Unlike a commercial system, this platform is an open source platform funded by the U.S. Government, accessible to the public, researchers and other developers, to support initiatives in reducing building energy consumption.

  2. Activity-Tracking Service for Building Operating Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hviid, Jakob; Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun

    2018-01-01

    of Things sensors and devices promise to deliver rich data about human activities and control of loads. However, existing proposals for building operating systems that should combine such data and control opportunities does not provide concepts and support for activity data. In this paper we propose...... an activity-tracking service for building operating systems. The service is designed to consider the security, privacy, integration, extendability and scalability challenges in the building setting. We provide initial findings for testing the system in a proof of concept evaluation using a set of common......Several high consuming electricity loads in retail stores are currently highly intertwined in human activities. Without knowledge of such activities it is difficult to improve the energy efficiency of the loads operation for sustainability and cost reasons. The increasing availability of Internet...

  3. 45 CFR 73.735-305 - Conduct in Federal buildings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Conduct in Federal buildings. 73.735-305 Section... CONDUCT Conduct on the Job § 73.735-305 Conduct in Federal buildings. (a) An employee shall not... Administration, and they are also applicable to all buildings and space under the control of this Department...

  4. Demand and Supply Side Management Strategies for Zero Energy Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ghiasi, Mohammad Iman; Hajizadeh, Amin; Aliakbar Golkar, Masoud

    2017-01-01

    operational scenarios. Afterwards, the SSM strategy based on adaptive fuzzy control is proposed to control of power flow between hybrid renewable sources and PEVs of the main building for a short time interval. Moreover, an fuzzy sliding power control strategy for the controlling of battery energy storage...... is introduced to keep the balance between the requested power from building, PEV and output power of hybrid power generation resources. Simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the capability of the proposed power and energy flow control strategy....

  5. Can Building Design Impact Physical Activity? A Natural Experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eyler, Amy A; Hipp, Aaron; Valko, Cheryl Ann; Ramadas, Ramya; Zwald, Marissa

    2018-05-01

    Workplace design can impact workday physical activity (PA) and sedentary time. The purpose of this study was to evaluate PA behavior among university employees before and after moving into a new building. A pre-post, experimental versus control group study design was used. PA data were collected using surveys and accelerometers from university faculty and staff. Accelerometry was used to compare those moving into the new building (MOVERS) and those remaining in existing buildings (NONMOVERS) and from a control group (CONTROLS). Survey results showed increased self-reported PA for MOVERS and NONMOVERS. All 3 groups significantly increased in objectively collected daily energy expenditure and steps per day. The greatest steps per day increase was in CONTROLS (29.8%) compared with MOVERS (27.5%) and NONMOVERS (15.9%), but there were no significant differences between groups at pretest or posttest. Self-reported and objectively measured PA increased from pretest to posttest in all groups; thus, the increase cannot be attributed to the new building. Confounding factors may include contamination bias due to proximity of control site to experimental site and introduction of a university PA tracking contest during postdata collection. Methodology and results can inform future studies on best design practices for increasing PA.

  6. An Examination of the Performance Based Building Code on the Design of a Commercial Building

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Greenwood

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The Building Code of Australia (BCA is the principal code under which building approvals in Australia are assessed. The BCA adopted performance-based solutions for building approvals in 1996. Performance-based codes are based upon a set of explicit objectives, stated in terms of a hierarchy of requirements beginning with key general objectives. With this in mind, the research presented in this paper aims to analyse the impact of the introduction of the performance-based code within Western Australia to gauge the effect and usefulness of alternative design solutions in commercial construction using a case study project. The research revealed that there are several advantages to the use of alternative designs and that all parties, in general, are in favour of the performance-based building code of Australia. It is suggested that change in the assessment process to streamline the alternative design path is needed for the greater use of the performance-based alternative. With appropriate quality control measures, minor variations to the deemed-to-satisfy provisions could easily be managed by the current and future building surveying profession.

  7. Realization of a demand response in office-buildings; Umsetzung eines Lastmangements in Buerogebaeuden

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jungwirth, Johannes; Berger, Christian [TU Muenchen (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Energiewirtschaft und Anwendungstechnik; Roessel, Timm [TU Muenchen (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Bauklimatik und Haustechnik

    2011-07-01

    Due to the mostly fluctuating feed-in characteristics, the strong expansion of renewable energy producers lets expect a paradigm shift in the structure of the power supply concept. The integration of renewables into the electricity grid requires new ways to compensate the temporal discrepancy between production and consumption. Such a load management or demand response requires electrical devices that can be varied with time in their mode of operation. The results of a feasibility study show that amongst other things a lot of electric devices being suitable for the implementation of the load management are present in office buildings and administration buildings. As an already existing communication structure one may refer to the equipment automation for the control of the individual devices. In order to realize the existing potentials, an innovative control strategy based on the existing hardware is necessary. This control strategy may adapt the mode of operation to an external signal. In order to allow a realistic development of such control strategies, a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing environment was created which allows a development of control strategies by means of a real building automation controller under defined and reproducible conditions without adverse effects on the users of a building. The controller is connected to a personal computer which models the building and systems engineering taking into account the user behaviour in real time. All gates of the building automation are tapped and provided as input data to the simulation. Based on this information, in the simulation the reaction of the building is calculated for each time step. The current spatial conditions are reported back to the building automation. Thus, the controller can be tested with all the functionality in the HIL environment. Any locations and environmental conditions in the development process can be compared and evaluated by means of the simulation. The goal is to develop an

  8. Magnetic compatibility of standard components for electrical installations: Computation of the background field and consequences on the design of the electrical distribution boards and control boards for the ITER Tokamak building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benfatto, I.; Bettini, P.; Cavinato, M.; Lorenzi, A. De; Hourtoule, J.; Serra, E.

    2005-01-01

    Inside the proposed Tokamak building, the ITER poloidal field magnet system would produce a stray magnetic field up to 70 mT. This is a very unusual environmental condition for electrical installation equipment and limited information is available on the magnetic compatibility of standard components for electrical distribution boards and control boards. Because this information is a necessary input for the design of the electrical installation inside the proposed ITER Tokamak building specific investigations have been carried out by the ITER European Participant Team. The paper reports on the computation of the background magnetic field map inside the ITER Tokamak building and the consequences on the design of the electrical installations of this building. The effects of the steel inside the building structure and the feasibility of magnetic shields for electrical distribution boards and control boards are also reported in the paper. The results of the test campaigns on the magnetic field compatibility of standard components for electrical distribution boards and control boards are reported in companion papers published in these proceedings

  9. Variability in Measured Space Temperatures in 60 Homes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roberts, D.; Lay, K.

    2013-03-01

    This report discusses the observed variability in indoor space temperature in a set of 60 homes located in Florida, New York, Oregon, and Washington. Temperature data were collected at 15-minute intervals for an entire year, including living room, master bedroom, and outdoor air temperature (Arena, et. al). The data were examined to establish the average living room temperature for the set of homes for the heating and cooling seasons, the variability of living room temperature depending on climate, and the variability of indoor space temperature within the homes. The accuracy of software-based energy analysis depends on the accuracy of input values. Thermostat set point is one of the most influential inputs for building energy simulation. Several industry standards exist that recommend differing default thermostat settings for heating and cooling seasons. These standards were compared to the values calculated for this analysis. The data examined for this report show that there is a definite difference between the climates and that the data do not agree well with any particular standard.

  10. Energy requirements for new buildings in Finland

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Airaksinen, M., Email: miimu.airaksinen@vtt.fi

    2012-06-15

    Buildings account for circa 40% of the total energy use in Europe [1] and for about 36% of the EU's total CO{sub 2} emissions [2], including the existing energy conservation in buildings [3]. Key features of the Finnish energy policy are improved energy efficiency and increased use of renewable energy sources. To achieve a sustainable shift in the energy system, a target set by the authorities, both energy savings and increased use of low-pollution energy sources are therefore priority areas. Building low-energy buildings is in accordance with the declared national aim of reducing energy use and thus reducing CO{sub 2} emissions. The main motivation in renewing building codes for new buildings was to build more energy efficiently, encourage the use the most efficient energy sources and to enhance the use of renewable energy sources. In addition the aim was to give more freedom to fi nd the real optimal solutions for energy efficiency by optimising all aspects including the building architecture and different systems with demand controls. However, in order to ensure the good quality of buildings certain minimum requirements for structure U-values are given. (orig.)

  11. Revised Final DOE10-7-13

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gilbreath, Bob; Maples, Manuel G

    2013-10-07

    The project goal was reduction of energy consumption on a group of multi-use buildings. The initial step was to assess the group of buildings and define a set of Energy Conservation Measures (ECM?s) that would return an average energy consumption savings of thirty percent. The assessments defined deficiencies in systems from building envelope to interior lighting. Corrections for the deficiencies were addressed through ECM?s that included: high efficiency lighting, occupancy sensors, programmable thermostats, HVAC upgrades, insulation upgrades, as well as a solar thermal installation to reduce propane consumption. ECM?s were recommended based on calculated energy savings. ECM implementation was performed using licensed professionals across multiple disciplines. Electricians installed new lighting and set up occupancy sensors while plumbers implemented low flow fixtures and insulated water heater systems. A general contractor sealed and repaired building envelopes while overseeing other disciplines. Final energy consumption reductions will exceed thirty percent across nine buildings

  12. 30 CFR 57.4530 - Exits for surface buildings and structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Exits for surface buildings and structures. 57... Fire Prevention and Control Installation/construction/maintenance § 57.4530 Exits for surface buildings and structures. Surface buildings or structures in which persons work shall have a sufficient number...

  13. The Application of Intelligent Building Technologies to Space Hotels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fawkes, S.

    This paper reports that over the last few years Intelligent Building technologies have matured and standardised. It compares the functions of command and control systems in future large space facilities such as space hotels to those commonly found in Intelligent Buildings and looks at how Intelligent Building technologies may be applied to space hotels. Many of the functions required in space hotels are the same as those needed in terrestrial buildings. The adaptation of standardised, low cost, Intelligent Building technologies would reduce capital costs and ease development of future space hotels. Other aspects of Intelligent Buildings may also provide useful models for the development and operation of space hotels.

  14. Edificio project: A neuro-fuzzy approach to building energy management systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Galata, A.; Bakker, L.G.; Morel, N.; Michel, J.B.; Karki, S.; Joergl, H.P.; Franceschini, A.; Martinez, A.

    1998-01-01

    It is well known that building installations for indoor climate control, consume a substantial part of the total energy consumption and that at present these installations use much more energy than required due to inadequate settings and poor control and management strategies. European building

  15. IoT Based Human-Building Interaction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fürst, Jonathan

    and control by transforming the physical building, with its structure, sensors and actuators, into a virtual reality system. For building occupants, we enable the ubiquitous use of appliances and sensors in vicinity by bridging existing off-the-shelf smart appliances to a common Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE...... acoustic based localization. We further design and implement a system that uses smartphone sensor based user feedback to automatically select appliance settings. We also mediate conflicts between users locally and building wide energy policies. (iii) On a system level, we present an architecture...... for the decentralized integration of smart appliances into non-residential buildings that relies on user smartphones as opportunistic gateways and BLE for communication. We design and implement a distributed framework to evaluate BLE performance in such smartphone-peripheral systems. We perform a detailed evaluation...

  16. Energy Cloud: Services for Smart Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mohamed, Nader; Al-Jaroodi, Jameela; Lazarova-Molnar, Sanja

    2018-01-01

    , and network technologies. Using smart building energy management systems provides intelligent procedures to control buildings’ equipment such as HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning) systems, home and office appliances, and lighting systems to reduce energy consumption while maintaining......Energy consumption in buildings is responsible for a significant portion of the total energy use and carbon emissions in large cities. One of the main approaches to reduce energy consumption and its environmental impact is to convert buildings into smart buildings using computer, software, sensor...... the required quality of living in all of the building’s spaces. This chapter discusses and reviews utilizing cloud computing to provide energy-related services to enhance the operations of smart buildings’ energy management systems. Cloud computing can provide many advantages for smart buildings’ energy...

  17. Building oceanographic and atmospheric observation networks by composition: unmanned vehicles, communication networks, and planning and execution control frameworks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sousa, J. T.; Pinto, J.; Martins, R.; Costa, M.; Ferreira, F.; Gomes, R.

    2014-12-01

    The problem of developing mobile oceanographic and atmospheric observation networks (MOAO) with coordinated air and ocean vehicles is discussed in the framework of the communications and control software tool chain developed at Underwater Systems and Technologies Laboratory (LSTS) from Porto University. This is done with reference to field experiments to illustrate key capabilities and to assess future MOAO operations. First, the motivation for building MOAO by "composition" of air and ocean vehicles, communication networks, and planning and execution control frameworks is discussed - in networked vehicle systems information and commands are exchanged among multiple vehicles and operators, and the roles, relative positions, and dependencies of these vehicles and operators change during operations. Second, the planning and execution control framework developed at LSTS for multi-vehicle systems is discussed with reference to key concepts such as autonomy, mixed-initiative interactions, and layered organization. Third, the LSTS tool software tool chain is presented to show how to develop MOAO by composition. The tool chain comprises the Neptus command and control framework for mixed initiative interactions, the underlying IMC messaging protocol, and the DUNE on-board software. Fourth, selected LSTS operational deployments illustrate MOAO capability building. In 2012 we demonstrated the use of UAS to "ferry" data from UUVs located beyond line of sight (BLOS). In 2013 we demonstrated coordinated observations of coastal fronts with small UAS and UUVs, "bent" BLOS through the use of UAS as communication relays, and UAS tracking of juvenile hammer-head sharks. In 2014 we demonstrated UUV adaptive sampling with the closed loop controller of the UUV residing on a UAS; this was done with the help of a Wave Glider ASV with a communications gateway. The results from these experiments provide a background for assessing potential future UAS operations in a compositional MOAO.

  18. Development of a thermal control algorithm using artificial neural network models for improved thermal comfort and energy efficiency in accommodation buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moon, Jin Woo; Jung, Sung Kwon

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • An ANN model for predicting optimal start moment of the cooling system was developed. • An ANN model for predicting the amount of cooling energy consumption was developed. • An optimal control algorithm was developed employing two ANN models. • The algorithm showed the advanced thermal comfort and energy efficiency. - Abstract: The aim of this study was to develop a control algorithm to demonstrate the improved thermal comfort and building energy efficiency of accommodation buildings in the cooling season. For this, two artificial neural network (ANN)-based predictive and adaptive models were developed and employed in the algorithm. One model predicted the cooling energy consumption during the unoccupied period for different setback temperatures and the other predicted the time required for restoring current indoor temperature to the normal set-point temperature. Using numerical simulation methods, the prediction accuracy of the two ANN models and the performance of the algorithm were tested. Through the test result analysis, the two ANN models showed their prediction accuracy with an acceptable error rate when applied in the control algorithm. In addition, the two ANN models based algorithm can be used to provide a more comfortable and energy efficient indoor thermal environment than the two conventional control methods, which respectively employed a fixed set-point temperature for the entire day and a setback temperature during the unoccupied period. Therefore, the operating range was 23–26 °C during the occupied period and 25–28 °C during the unoccupied period. Based on the analysis, it can be concluded that the optimal algorithm with two predictive and adaptive ANN models can be used to design a more comfortable and energy efficient indoor thermal environment for accommodation buildings in a comprehensive manner.

  19. ARRA FEMP Technical Assistance -- Federal Aviation Administration Project 209 -- Control Tower and Support Building, Palm Springs, CA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arends, J.; Sandusky, William F.

    2010-03-31

    This report represents findings of a design review team that evaluated construction documents (at the 100% level) and operating specifications for a new control tower and support building that will be built in Palm Springs, California by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The focus of the review was to identify measures that could be incorporated into the final design and operating specifications that would result in additional energy savings for the FAA that would not have otherwise occurred.

  20. From neurons to nests: nest-building behaviour as a model in behavioural and comparative neuroscience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Zachary J; Meddle, Simone L; Healy, Susan D

    Despite centuries of observing the nest building of most extant bird species, we know surprisingly little about how birds build nests and, specifically, how the avian brain controls nest building. Here, we argue that nest building in birds may be a useful model behaviour in which to study how the brain controls behaviour. Specifically, we argue that nest building as a behavioural model provides a unique opportunity to study not only the mechanisms through which the brain controls behaviour within individuals of a single species but also how evolution may have shaped the brain to produce interspecific variation in nest-building behaviour. In this review, we outline the questions in both behavioural and comparative neuroscience that nest building could be used to address, summarize recent findings regarding the neurobiology of nest building in lab-reared zebra finches and across species building different nest structures, and suggest some future directions for the neurobiology of nest building.