Course detail

Energy Simulations

FSI-IES Acad. year: 2019/2020 Summer semester

The course is aimed at the computational energy simulations. Energy simulations provide more detailed information about the performance of buildings and building equipment than steady-state calculation techniques. The input parameters of energy simulations (outdoor temperature, solar radiation intensity, occupancy, air change, etc.) vary significantly during a day and throughout a year. The energy simulations allow to change input parameters in each time step, which is usually 1 hour, and thus to model reality quite accurately. The importance of energy simulations in building design in the EU countries increases with the progress of implementation of the EPBD (Energy Performance of Building Directive).

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

3

Department

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Students are made familiar with capabilities and limitations of energy performance simulation tools for buildings and building equipment. They will also acquire basic skills in practical use of energy simulation tools.

Prerequisites

Students should have fair knowledge of energy performance of buildings and building equipment (heating, ventilating and air-conditioning). They should be familiar with numerical methods and they are expected to have basic computer skills.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course is taught through lectures explaining the basic principles and theory of the discipline. Exercises are focused on practical topics presented in lectures.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

The graded course-unit credit requirements: 20% continuous assessment (activity during tutorials) 80% completion of a project assigned by the tutor

Aims

The main goal of the course is to make students familiar with capabilities and limitations of energy performance simulation tools for buildings and building equipment. During tutorials students will acquire basic skills in the practical use of the simulation software TRNSYS-TRNFlow.

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

The students are obliged to attend seminars and complete a project assigned by the tutor.

The study programmes with the given course

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

13 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Syllabus

1. History of energy simulations end simulation tools
2. Modelling techniques and numerical methods
3. Weather data for energy simulation
4. Heating and cooling loads
5. Renewable energy systems
6. Single-zone models
7. Multi-zone models
8. Modelling of HVAC systems
9. Airflow in buildings
10. Coupling of thermal and airflow models
11. Pollutant transfer in building
12. Validation of simulation tools
13. Future trends in energy simulations

Computer-assisted exercise

13 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Syllabus

1. Getting familiar with the graphic user interface
2. Data readers, online plotters and data outputs
3. Solar radiation calculations
4. Moist air calculations
5. User defined equations
6. Solar collectors and thermal storage
7. Solar water heating system
8. Space heating and cooling loads (degree-hour method)
9. Simple single-zone model
10. Detailed single-zone model
11. Multi-zone model
12. Airflow in buildings
13. Transfer of pollutants