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The   Loop   Equation   Design   Method   has   been proposed for sizing ventilation airflow components of natural and hybrid ventilation systems. While the loop design method has been demonstrated on a limited basis, the method has been automated in order to better evaluate its reliability under a more controlled, i.e., less error-prone, environment. This paper describes a computer program that implements the Loop Equation Design Method of sizing the openings of naturally ventilated buildings.

SEMPER, which was originally developed at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), is an active, multi-domain, space-based, object-oriented design support tool for integrated building performance computing.  This paper discusses the key findings of a collaborative research project between National University of Singapore, Carnegie Mellon University and Temasek Polytechnic to modify and transform SEMPER prototype 1 into SEMPER-II (S2), as an internet-based computational design support environment in order to facilitate geographically distributed design collaboration.

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 run- time coupling of distributed computer programs. This paper focuses on one of the essential steps towards this goal, namely the communication mechanism between two or more different software tools and/or platforms. Various options for this inter- process communication are described and compared.

An optimization module is developed and incorporated within EnergyPlus. As an application of the optimization module, improved controls are determined for building passive thermal energy storage inventory. The paper describes the implementation of the optimization module within EnergyPlus. Moreover, the paper presents results of a comparative analysis to assess the performance of various optimization algorithms evaluated as part of the implementation of the internal optimization module within EnergyPlus.

A module for ice-based thermal energy storage (TES) systems has been developed and integrated within EnergyPlus. The TES module uses BLAST models for two direct ice systems (ice-on-coil external melt and ice harvester) and one indirect ice systems (ice- on-coil internal melt). The TES systems are integrated as part of the EnergyPlus cooling plant components and are able to operate for any charge/discharge rates provided as input data. In this paper, the structure of the TES  module as implemented in the EnergyPlus is described.

This paper describes the results of a German research project, where a CAAD-program (Computer Architectural Aided Design) was integrated with two energetic building simulation programs to a software package for calculating and optimising the energy demand of CAAD-constructed buildings. The used key technology to transfer the huge number of geometrical, topological and physical build- ing parameters was the IFC data exchange format. For realising the project task, the CAAD-program was extended for the use with energetic building simulation and the building simulation tools were coupled.

Environmental  masterplanning  is  an  increasingly vibrant area of research and development activity. Design tools to support  environmental masterplanning can be loosely categorised as simulating (i)  microclimate,  (ii)  resource availability, and (iii) resource flows. Much progress has been made in respect of (i) and (ii) but the latter category – simulating resource flows within the urban neighbourhood – is at an embryonic stage. There is also a dearth of guidance for designing and managing sustainable urban neighbourhoods.

Approximately 60 percent of the weight of all wastes in Germany originates from the building area. For construction activities usually non-renewable resources are used.

The  combined  MatLab  toolboxes  FemLab  and Simulink are evaluated as solvers for problems based on partial differential equations (PDEs). The FemLab software is designed to simulate systems of coupled PDEs, 1D, 2D or 3D, non-linear and time dependent. In order to show how the program works, a complete code for solving a 2D airflow problem is given. A validation study of this 2D dynamic airflow problem, modeled using Navier Stokes and buoyancy is shown. All results show good agreements with measurements.

The  design  choice  for  any wall  system must  be integrated with some moisture engineering analysis. Energy and durability analysis must go hand and hand to provide buildings with good service life performance. Moisture engineering analysis has recently been performed to predict whether a particular wall system may survive repeated exterior or interior environmental loads, some of these loads may be intentional and some not.