English

The IMAGE project aims to generate new performance information for advanced glazing and identify opportunities for applications. There are two main research activities in support of these aims: the laboratory and outdoor test cell monitoring of alternative systems; and the use of simulations to determine the cost-benefit of application to different building types when placed in different climate contexts. This paper describes the application of computer simulation as part of a cost-benefit analysis applied to a live building design project for a major office building in Birmingham.

Computational modeling of building performance can generate extensive amounts of data. For this data to be useful, it must effectively interface with the informational requirements and procedural constraints of the building delivery process. Toward this end, this paper specifically explores the potential of aggregate spacetime performance indicators.

The use of daylighting and artificial lighting simulation programs to calculate complex systems and models in the design practice often is impeded by the fact that the operation of these programs, especially the model input, is extremely complicated and time-consuming. Programs that are easier to use generally do not show the calculation capabilities required in practice.

While visual rendering of buildings is the state of the art in today' s design programs, acoustic or auditory rendering is still in its infancy. This paper reviews some promising approaches to the computer simulation of sound propagation and perception in buildings. The range of methods spans from the numerical solution of the wave equation to advanced geometric methods based on ray tracing and radiosity algorithms. Furthermore concepts for modelling the human sound perception are discussed. Finally some issues of practical implementation will be addressed.

Full simulation of a building’s HVAC control is important. Good control is the most cost-effective way to reduce plant size and save energy and maintenance cost. To address these issues the control designer needs an easy to use, but accurate tool that simultaneously solves the building thermal, the HVAC system and its control performance. We have developed such a tool. Our new simplified, yet extensively verified, building model made an efficient integrated tool possible. The system simulation is also done using simplified yet accurate component models.

Much of the current building simulation research and development concentrates on improving user interfaces to simulation “engines”. The goal seems to be to make the software easier to use. This begs two questions: what interface to use? And, by what criteria is software ease of use measured? What is the intelligent personal (design) assistant1?

The present  paper  describes  how  the  use of a modal synthesis method in the study of the thermal behaviour of buildings both facilitates and hastes the modelling step concerning the problem of linear conduction in multidimensional components. This work is divided into three sections: we first intro­ duce the substructuring approach applied to modal formulation; we then formally describe, through a simplified bidimensional example, the synthesis step leading to a global evolution model computed by substructuration.

Computer models used for analyzing heat transfer have been developed and computerized for the precise thermal analysis of two typical prefabricated radiant floor heating panels. The developed computer program was validated by comparing the computer simulation results against the scaled model test results. Computer simulations, for the sensitivity analyses of the various design parameters and control water temperature shows the thermal performance with the variations of these parameters and the relationship among these parameters.

Multiple regression analysis (MRA) is useful for developing energy prediction equations from the results of building energy simulation. However, if many design parameters are involved, a very large number of simulations is needed to generate data for the MRA. To tackle this problem, a randomised approach to MRA is proposed so that less simulations will be needed to generate the data. This paper presents a research study in Hong Kong that investigates building energy performance using a randomised MRA method.