Field Testing of Data Driven Multizone Model Calibration Procedure

Field tests of a proposed efficient air flow model calibration method were performed on twoclassroom/office buildings. Models developed using CONTAM multizone software were tuned via an iterative procedure that sought to maximize the fraction of correctly predicted interzonal flow directions. Site measurements during a concentrated period of testing, including HVAC air flows, envelope leakage, and site weather data were used to update the multizone models. Following an initial group of mandatory measurement, CO2 tracer gas experiments were conducted to permit independent assessment of model quality using ASTM Standard D5157-97. In one case, the procedure was quite effective, improving the number of correct interzonal flow directions from an initial value of 52% to a final value of 81% and significant improvement was also indicated by the ASTM method. Tuning produced only minor improvement in the second building. Greater difficulties in acquiring site measurements and the greater complexity of the second building are possible reasons that performance was less satisfactory in that case.