Building Energy Analysis Programs
Building Energy Analysis Computer Programs consist of Loads, Systems, Plant, and Economic sub-programs. They are used by engineers and architects in the design and analysis of energy efficient building envelopes, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning, electrical and other service systems. The historical development of energy analysis programs is presented, the methodologies used in various programs are compared, and areas for future improvements are discussed.
Framework for a Visual Energy Use System
Framework for a Visual Energy Use System. (August 2007) Christopher Ernest McDonald, B.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Charles Culp The goals of this research include developing and identifying software technologies, which facilitate the use of buildings described in Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools in both a simulation and visualization. The study focused on the development of a tool to fulfill the visualization needs of a Visual Energy Use System. To accomplish this, the study identified an open BIM file standard, the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). The study also identified a video game based 3D virtual environment, the Doom 3 Engine. A tool developed during the study, IFCtoMAP, converts IFC data into the .MAP file format understood by the Doom 3 Engine. Finally, the study identified the IFCtoIDF utility, which translates IFC data into a format understood by the building energy simulation program EnergyPlus. Data from the Building Information Modeling tool Revit Building exports to the .IFC file format, which in turn drives the two conversion utilities IFCtoMAP and IFCtoIDF. The output of the IFCtoIDF tool consists of an .IDF file that EnergyPlus uses to perform an energy simulation. The output of the IFCtoMAP tool consists of a .MAP file, which the Doom 3 game engine uses to display three dimensional first person perspective visualization.
A method of analysing the behaviour of linear systems in terms of time series
A simple method of analysing the behaviour of linear systems is outlined, in which time functions are represented by the sequences of numbers giving the heights of successive equally spaced ordinates, or an equivalent. Such sets of numbers, represented by a single symbol, or regarded as single, "multi-place" numbers, may be "multiplied," "divided," "added" or "subtracted" by stated rules so that the numerical implications of any operational equation may be found by direct calculation. The rules for combining such multi-place numbers are found to be substantially identical with those of ordinary multiplication, addition, etc., of decimal numbers, except that "carrying" is barred. The method does not require the equations or the parameters of the system to be known in detail, and is therefore specially advantageous in the analysis of performance on the basis of test or statistical data, the differential equations of the system being unknown or excessively complicated. As examples of applications in which the method is useful or suggestive, the paper includes some discussion of its use in the following problems: (a) In analysing the performance of systems in which definite time delays occur, such as the response-time of a human operator. (b) In the design of means of stabilizing closed-cycle control systems. The approach has also been adapted to deal with generally linear systems in which a single non-linear relationship occurs, but this application is not developed in the present paper.