An intelligent computer system for rapidly configuring a HVAC system to a building

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Buildings are important systems in Canada due to the relatively cold climate. A building system provides thegeneral functions for humans, as well as goods that reside in the buildings, including (1) the supply of space,shelter, air, water, temperature, and humidity and (2) the removal of wastes. Modern building systems are morecomplex than ever due to the increased desires concerning the performance of the building system of itsfunctions as well as on its provision of a comfortable and pleasant place to live. Complexity in buildingconstruction is also due to the increased desire for low cost and high sustainability associated with buildings ingeneral. An important sub-system in buildings is the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system,which is associated with the functions of the building concerning air, temperature, and humidity.The proposed research aims to develop a computer-based tool to rationally select the HVAC system that canfulfil the desired functions (air, temperature, humidity) with low cost and high sustainability. The type ofbuilding system for this research is restricted to residence and office buildings without loss of generality. Threespecific objectives of the research are: 1, to develop a comprehensive knowledge base for buildings, whichincludes both the structure and function (especially the HVAC function) of buildings; 2, to develop acomprehensive knowledge base for HVAC components or systems and their functions; and 3, to develop aprototype system to demonstrate computer-selection of HVAC systems to meet a particular HVAC functionrequirement for a particular building. In fact, Objective 3 is based on integration of two knowledge bases asdeveloped in Objective 1 and Objective 2, respectively.The significance of this research is that the HVAC systems for buildings can be designed and developed morerationally and rapidly with low cost and short construction lead time.