Model and analyze the thermal comfort of building and vehicle occupants

The Modelica based Systems Human comfort Library provides an integrated approach to simulate the thermal comfort within an occupied building or vehicle. Rapidly model and analyze the impact that air-conditioning systems, weather, equipment and occupant heat loads have on the overall thermal comfort of zone occupants.

The Systems Human comfort Library models the dynamic, thermal behavior of buildings, vehicles, trains, aircraft, and ship cabins to analyze the thermal comfort of occupants and passengers. With simultaneous simulation of air-conditioned zones and the air-conditioning system itself, it is possible to analyze the interactions between multiple heating and cooling systems and the resulting human comfort within the zone. It is possible to carry out multiple ‘what-if’ scenarios in a cost-saving and time-efficient way, e.g. to understand the effects of a brief air-conditioning system failure and its impact on human comfort.

HCZ proposes extensive library of ready-to-use descriptions of all physical heat transfer processes to accelerate the complete modeling, analysis and visualization of human comfort through: 1. Human comfort package with the analysis of the thermal comfort of zone occupants by applying the following standards (DIN EN ISO 7730, ASHRAE Standard 55, Dutch Thermal Comfort Guidelines). 2. Zone package for modeling Mobile applications (aircrafts and automotive cabin models) and Stationary applications (building model that include Heating, Ventilation and Cooling (HVAC) systems. 3. Weather package for calculating environmental conditions by modeling the impact of ambient & ground temperature, direct and diffuse solar radiation, atmospheric pressure, humidity, cloud cover and the position of the sun.and 4.3D Flow simulation with 3D grid representation of solid or gas and easy connection through standard interfaces. Navier-Stokes based calculation of realistic flow conditions. Specification of symmetric and periodic boundary conditions. Exact calculation of radiation exchange between surfaces using view factors.

Benefits

• Eliminate the need for time consuming and costly co-simulation analysis to determine human comfort

• Evaluate human comfort through the simultaneous dynamic simulation of zones and air conditioning systems

• Save time through the use of state-of-the art engineering with the ability to leverage human comfort specific models

• Easily construct and simulate detailed and realistic human comfort, zone, weather and fluid flow models

• Addresses the human comfort analysis needs of multiple industries

• Makes use of following standards-

  • DIN EN ISO 7730

  • ASHRAE Standard 55

  • Dutch Thermal Comfort Guideline

• Using these standards it is possible to quantify the individual and subjective comfort by means of characteristic numbers and standardized mathematical methods

Highlights

• A framework compatible to the Modelica Standard Library, in particular the packages for fluid flow modeling and control design

• Model and analyze the physical effects of heating and cooling phenomena including

  • Solar irradiation

  • Long wave thermal radiation

  • Convective heat transfer

  • Thermal conduction in materials

  • Internal heating and cooling sources (e.g. humans, equipment)

  • Compressible humid air flow

  • Moisture transport between air and walls

  • Geographic position of vehicles (latitude, longitude, orientation)