An experimental facility for testing the performance of building automation devices and systems

本项目旨在开发一个原型实验设施，用于测试楼宇自动化设备和系统的性能。该设施对于进一步开发标准测试方法和设计更好的建筑控制算法和方案至关重要。在过去的二十年里，楼宇自动化行业一直在持续增长，这对可持续发展产生了重大影响。楼宇自动化在建筑物的整体性能中发挥着至关重要的作用。然而，最近的调查和研究表明，安装的大部分楼宇自动化系统的实际性能低于预期，损害了技术的可信度，并阻碍了进一步的投资。这一事实的主要原因之一是应用于这些系统中的控制算法或方案不能优化所控制的相关设备的操作，特别是当操作条件（例如外部天气条件）改变时。目前的楼宇自动化业务并不鼓励严格设计和实施控制算法和方案。从技术上讲，没有普遍接受的标准测试方法或实验设施，可用于在安装和操作之前测试控制系统的长期和短期性能。由该基金支助的设施将是加拿大第一个此类设施。它包括三个主要组成部分：一个建筑物动态系统的计算模拟器，一个通用的接口单元，连接模拟器和控制器进行测试，和一个建筑物的物理支持系统，将用于校准传感器和执行器。它将支持由NSERC，瑞尔森大学和其他资源资助的广泛的相关研究活动。该设施具有很大的潜力，为学术界和工业界提供一个实验设施，大大减少了与研究更好的控制方法和开发新的控制产品相关的时间和成本。它可以被业界用于项目设计和HQP培训。

This project aims to develop a prototype experimental facility for testing the performance of building automation devices and systems. The facility is vital for further developing standard testing methodologies and designing better building control algorithms and schemes. The building automation industry has been growing consistently over the last two decades, which has developed significant impacts on the sustainability. Building automation has a crucial role to play in the overall performance of buildings. However recent surveys and studies show that the actual performance of a large percent of building automation systems installed is below the expectation, damaging the credibility of the technology and discouraging further investment. One of the major reasons for this fact is that the control algorithms or schemes applied in these systems can not optimise the operation of the relevant devices controlled, especially when the operating conditions, e.g. the external weather conditions, change. The current building automation business is not operated to encourage rigorous design and implementation of control algorithms and schemes. Technically there is no standard testing method or experimental facility that is commonly accepted and can be used to test both long-term and short-term performance of the control system prior to installation and operation. The facility to be supported by this fund will be the first one of this kind in Canada. It consists of three major components: a computational simulator of building dynamic system, a general purpose interface unit that links the simulator and the controllers to be tested, and a building physics support system that will be used to calibrate the sensors and actuators. It will support a broad range of relevant research activities funded by NSERC, Ryerson University, and other resources. The facility has large potentials to provide the academia and industry with an experimental facility that significantly reduces the time and cost associated with the research of better control methods and development of new control products. It can be used by the industry for both project design and HQP training.