Building Controls Virtual Test Bed

This wiki describes the specification and the implementation of the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB). The BCVTB is a software that allows expert users to couple different simulation programs for distributed simulation. For example, the BCVTB allows to simulate a building and HVAC system in EnergyPlus and the control logic in MATLAB/Simulink, while exchanging data between the software as they simulate. The BCVTB is based on the [http://ptolemy.berkeley.edu/ptolemyII/index.htm Ptolemy II] software environment. The BCVTB is still under development and aimed at expert users of simulation. Due to the different programs that may be involved in distributed simulation, familiarity with compiling and configuring programs is essential.

Programs that are currently linked to the BCVTB are [http://www.energyplus.gov EnergyPlus] and [http://www.mathworks.com/products/simulink/ MATLAB/Simulink]. Links to a [http://www.modelica.org Modelica] simulation environment and a [http://www.bacnet.org/ BACnet] compliant Building Automation System (BAS) are planned as a future addition. In addition to using programs that are coupled to Ptolemy II, Ptolemy II's graphical modeling environment can also be used to define system models for physical devices, communication systems or for post processing and real-time visualization. This coupling middleware allows to extend EnergyPlus' capabilities for controls simulation and for system simulation.

Typical applications include:

• performance assessment of integrated building energy and controls systems,
• development of new controls algorithms, and
• formal verification of controls algorithms prior to deployment in a building in order to reduce commissioning time.

Examples are provided with the BCVTB that show how to do distributed simulation. In the examples, we linked the following programs to the BCVTB:

• a development version of EnergyPlus

• MATLAB/Simulink
• a simulation program implemented in C
• a simulation program implemented in Fortran 90

The C and Fortran 90 simulation program are provided to show developers how to couple a new program to the BCVTB. Such a coupling can be done by calling two C functions that are provided as part of the BCVTB need to be called. The BCVTB also contains examples that show how control models can be implemented directly in Ptolemy II using Ptolemy II's graphical model editor. The control examples include a heterogeneous system consisting of a discrete time controller with a Finite State Machine.

In future versions, we plan to couple a Modelica simulation environment for which we develop a model library for building energy systems (see https://gaia.lbl.gov/bir). This will allow advanced users to

• define on the fly new HVAC components and systems in a modular, hierarchical, object-oriented, equation-based graphical modeling environment and couple them to EnergyPlus,

• innovate new HVAC system and control architectures for which models do not yet exist in off-the-shelve building simulation programs, and
• analyze dynamic effects of HVAC systems, modeled in Modelica, and their local and supervisory control loops, modeled in MATLAB/Simulink, Modelica or Ptolemy.

We will also couple a BACnet compliant Building Automation System to the BCVTB. This will allow testing supervisory control sequences using an EnergyPlus model to assess the energy and comfort performance of different supervisory control algorithms. It will also allow formal verification of control sequences before deployment to a building.

Contact

Philip Haves and [:MichaelWetter:Michael Wetter]BR Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBR [http://btech.lbl.gov Building Technologies Department]BR {PHaves, MWetter}@lbl.gov

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