English

The paper presents a new approach for analyzing mold growth risk in buildings, based on a mixed simulation approach with consideration of uncertainties in relevant building parameters. The approach is capable to predict and explain unexpected mold growth occurrences that would typically not show up in standard deterministic simulation. 

Validation and verification of building simulation programs and load calculation programs is of continuing interest. Dynamic thermal behavior data, including conduction transfer function (CTF) coefficients, thermal response factors and periodic response factors, are used to calculate transient heat conduction through building constructions. Computational inaccuracy sometimes occurs in calculating CTF coefficients and response factors. In this paper, a method for verification of the CTF coefficients and response factors over the whole frequency range is introduced.

A new hygrothermal building model is being developed within the research project GENSIM by the Fraunhofer institutes FIRST and IBP. The model implementation takes place by using the objectoriented modeling language Modelica. As a starting point for the development of the new building model, the researchers used the physical models of the simulation tools WUFI (hygrothermal wall simulation) and SMILE (thermal building simulation).

Tile coated wood fired appliances are designed to store heat from the intermittently burning fire in their massive structure and release it slowly to the room. The design of these systems should assure thermal comfort during the whole process and involves dynamic simulation. A customized design tool for these systems was developed. A model of the appliance was created and implemented in existing building simulation software. It was validated and tuned against laboratory measurements. It can be used in the context of a multi zone building including aspects like inter zone air flows.

The paper describes a strategy of how to implement technical installations (heating, domestic hot water and ventilation) in a building energy calculation application in an effective and userfriendly manner. Technical installations are designed using a 3x4 matrix (3 columns for the different technical systems; 4 rows for the system parts: generation (E), storage (S), distribution (V) and emission (Ü)).

Computational  Fluid  Dynamics  (CFD)  software  is increasingly being used to predict the effects of wind on buildings and on the people in and around them. It is well suited to studying the effects of wind speed on pedestrian comfort within and around buildings. The technique is known as Computational Wind Engineering (CWE). This paper presents examples of how the  authors have used commercial CFD codes for CWE to study the inclusion of new buildings in a campus at the University of Cambridge and inform the design team of its effects on human comfort.

A web-based, non-expert daylighting analysis tool has been developed to support daylighting-related design decisions in peripheral private offices during an early design stage. The tool offers a comparative, reliable, and fast analysis of the annual amount of daylight in the  offices (daylight factor and daylight autonomy) and the lighting energy performance of automated lighting controls (occupancy sensors, photocells) compared to standard on/off switches.

The hygrothermal behavior of a building component exposed to weather is an important aspect of the overall performance of a building. Today the hygric transport phenomena through a building envelope are well understood and a realistic assessment of all relevant effects can be carried out by one of the numerous models and computer programs, that have been developed in different countries over the last years. The calculation of the hygrothermal performance of a part of the envelope is state-of- the-art, but until now, the total behaviour of the actual whole building is not accounted for.

Embedded   generation   has   been   described   as   a “paradigm shift” in the way in which electricity is produced, with the focus of power  production shifting away from large centralised  generation plants to production of heat and power close to the point of use. An emerging technology that may play a part in the evolution of this new paradigm is the ducted wind turbine (DWT). Up to this point, wind energy has not played a major role in embedded generation for the built environment.