English

Hong Kong is the most densely populated city in the world. The Building Regulations of Hong Kong pre- scribe a minimum distance between buildings for light- ing and ventilation. Lately, designers are testing the prescribed requirements with a  performance based ap- proach using computational simulations. Doubts have been cast as to their validity and accuracy. This study compares results obtained by on-site measurements, calculation  and simulated results using Radiance and Lightscape.

This paper describes a strategy to provide computational support for the selection of energy saving building components. The strategy rationalizes a small but significant part of the building design process by providing a clear procedure for a decision making process in which the use of computational tools is embedded; it is based on systems engineering, engineering design and decision theory. Consequences for the embedded computational tools of using this strategy for the selection of energy saving building components are discussed; a prototype providing process support is presented.

This study aims to develop a simplified estimation method of the thermal design load and space radiant environment in order to achieve adequate and economical HVAC equipment sizing and confirmation of thermal comfort. The author proposes a new definition for the 2.5% thermal design load and corresponding operative temperature (OT). The 2.5% design load is the load which occurs at 2.5% cumulative frequency of occurrence during the summer or winter months. Hourby- hour dynamic simulation through a year is necessary to obtain the 2.5% design load and corresponding OT.

It is becoming a popular practice for architects and  HVAC engineers to simulate airflows in and around buildings by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)  methods in order to predict indoor and outdoor environments. However, many CFD programs are crippled by a  historically poor and inefficient user interface system, particularly for users with little training in numerical simulation. This investigation endeavors to create a Simplified CFD Interface (SCI), a public domain  program that allows architects and building engineers to use CFD without excessive training.

This study aims to develop a simplified estimation method of the thermal design load and space radiant environment in order to achieve adequate and economical HVAC equipment sizing and confirmation of thermal comfort. The author proposes a new definition for the 2.5% thermal design load and corresponding operative temperature (OT). The 2.5% design load is the load which occurs at 2.5% cumulative frequency of occurrence during the summer or winter months. Hourby- hour dynamic simulation through a year is necessary to obtain the 2.5% design load and corresponding OT.

This work presents the program SIMEDIF, a code conceived for the design and simulation of the thermal transient behavior of buildings, entirely developed at INENCO. Unlike other common programs, SIMEDIF does not calculate the needed auxiliary energy for indoor air conditioning from fixed indoor range of temperatures. In fact, the aim of the calculation is to obtain these indoor temperatures. SIMEDIF simulates the thermal behavior of multiroom buildings with  natural and passive air conditioning systems and with  indoor heat gains.

Classical building simulators are typically based on global systems of differential equations that model the physical reality and are numerically solved at runtime. In this paper we propose a new approach. Physical components of buildings, such as walls and spaces, are modeled as computational objects that individually solve the appropriate physical equations at runtime and exchange changes of surface values, such as temperatures, when necessary.

Physical and computational simulations have been combined within a unique framework for the aim of establishing a methodology for micro-level building thermal analysis. Within this framework, each simulation mechanism overcomes the limitation of the other. The framework has been implemented by integrating an existing thermal chamber with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. A detailed description of the procedure for affecting the combined methodology is the focus of this paper. In addition, the thermal chamber and the CFD prototype model of the chamber have been described.

This paper presents the requirements of the building representation to supports the holistic performance assessment of building performance into a single application. The performance views considered are energy consumption, room acoustics, occupant comfort, and the life cycle impact assessment related to the fuel and materials flows over the whole building life (LCIA). The paper continues with the description of this data model into ESP-r, an existing advanced building simulation application, and its extension to support room acoustics and LCIA views.