Project Title:

EEB-HUB Task 4.3 Whole Building Diagnostic and Decision Support Systems for Energy Efficient Operation and Cost Effective Services

Principal Investigator:

Jin Wen

Co-Investigator:

Adam Regnier

Collaborators:

Purdue University and United Technology Research Center

Funding Agency:

US DOE Energy Efficient Building Hub (http://www.eebhub.org/)

Funding Period:

2010 – 2015

Abstract:

This project will develop and demonstrate a library of diagnostics decision support tools that can enable cost effective diagnostics solutions for existing buildings. Whole building diagnostic and decision support tools should robustly maintain building energy performance at an optimal level following commissioning of retrofitted buildings. Drexel University will work closely with Purdue and UTRC teams and will a) Identify building mechanical system and fault types that have the strongest energy impact; b) Develop a user friendly virtual testbed for a small commercial building that is equipped with a single duct AHU-VAV system. The testbed is able to simulate both fault free and faulty system operations and is able to communicate with real building control systems. The testbed will be developed based on the simulation models developed from ASHRAE Research Project 1312 (PI: J. Wen), which have been experimentally validated at both component level and system level. c) Develop and evaluate a dynamic fault detection and diagnosis prototype for a single duct AHU-VAV system. The prototype includes existing algorithms developed by the Drexel team that combines Principle Component Analysis technique, Wavelet Transform technique, and Pattern Matching technique. The prototype will be evaluated using fault experimental data collected by the Drexel team, as well as using the developed virtual testbed. And d) demonstrate the developed AHU-VAV diagnostics tools in identified real buildings.