Within the framework of full-scale experimental validation of the global building energy simulation software programme CLIM2000 developed by Electricity Applications in Residential and Commercial Buildings Branch of Electricite De France (EDF is the French utility company) Research and Development Division, an experimentation has been carried out in a 100 m2 real house from Oct 95 to May 96. The first step was to predict in « blind way » the total electrical power consumption of the house on the basis of three different meteorological situations (cold, hot and medium).

Knowledge of the authority of control dampers in HVAC systems may be used for diagnostic purposes or to enhance control performance. In this paper, a method of estimating damper authority in air distribution systems is described. The method only requires measurements that are normally available in modem HV AC systems with digital controls. The method is based on a technique that allows the static pressure drop across a branch to be regulated even if that pressure is not measured. Experimental results on a Variable Air Volume (VA V) air handling unit demonstrate the efficacy of the method.

The indoor air quality of an actual variable air volume (VA V) heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HV AC) system in a building on the campus of the University of Missouri, Rolla has been analyzed, modified, and monitored. Components measured include temperature, relative humidity, C02, volatile organic matter (VOM), particulates, outside air flow rate, and building pressure. In addition to these parameters, the building is studied in normal operation, and for operation when the economizer damper was controlled to maintain minimum outside air.

At present, numerical simulation of room airflows is mainly conducted by either the Computational-Fluid-Dynamics (CFD) method or various zonal/network models. The CFD approach needs a large capacity of computer and a skillful expert. The results obtained with zonal/network models have great uncertainties. This paper proposes a new simplified method to simulate three-dimensional distributions of air velocity, temperature, and contan-finant concentrations in rooms. The method assumes turbulent viscosity to be a function of length-scale and local mean velocity.

This paper reports the analysis of the thermal performance of building envelopes of high-rise commercial buildings in the subtropical climate and their interactions with cooling system. Building constructions of commercial buildings in Hong Kong have been investigated and categorized. Their thermal performance and the resulting chiller load is studied with the building energy simulation tool DOE-2. lD. The characteristics of subtropical climate, coupled to high internal gains of commercial buildings, are discussed.

The detailed dynamic simulation of coupled units in HVAC-systems and buildings is gaining increasing importance as strong tool in HVAC-engiiieering and operation. This investigation deals with the basics in the development of an universally applicable dynamic simulator. General fundamentals are formulated some moduls are outlined. Shnulation of a heated 4-room-residence, a solar system. and a storage tank as applications demonstrate the mode of functioning and the potential of the simulator.

The flow-pressure characteristics of the AHU/VAV air-conditioning system in an open-plan office building is assessed by site experiments under various conditions. The effects of VAV supply pressure setting, return fan pressure setting and damper operation on energy consumption, fresh air intake and ex-infiltration flow rate are evaluated analytically on the basis of the VA V/ A.HU system and component characteristics.