COMBINE: The HVAC-design prototype

Abstract

Integrated intelligent building design systems (IIBDSs) are computer-based design environments which will in the future be used by engineers and architects to assist them in the design of buildings. This paper deals with the class of IIBDSs whose aim it is to improve the energy efficiency and overall performance of buildings. Development of these IIBDSs is a substantial task and may take some time to be realized. The EC COMBINE project and the U.S. AEDOT project have been initiated to take the first step towards developing these future IIBDSs. This paper focuses on the COMBINE project. COMBINE's first step towards developing IIBDSs is to implement a building product model based on the ‘product modelling’ approach promoted by the computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) community. This building product model allows information about a building to be passed between different design professionals (e.g. architects, heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system designers etc.). Data exchange through the product model is tested using various design prototypes one of which is called the HVAC-Design prototype. The HVAC-Design prototype helps a HVAC system designer to select a preliminary HVAC system for a building. This paper reviews: (a) ongoing research into the development of IIBDSs and (b) various software tools which may be incorporated into future IIBDSs. The main emphasis of the paper is on the COMBINE project and the functionality of the HVAC-Design prototype in COMBINE. There is also a discussion on how HVAC-Design may develop in the future.