Preparation

• Uninstall any previously installed versions of DesignBuilder.

• Install DesignBuilder v.1.9.5 from USB drive supplied
Simulation and CFD • Run DesignBuilder
• Open Licence dialog (Help > Licence)
Cover
3-Day Training Course • Click on Activate from file button
• Select the .lif file supplied on the USB drive
• 6 Months free use of Visualisation, EnergyPlus and CFD.
• The .lif file will expire end February so make sure to activate
DesignBuilder on the computer you will be using before
then.

DesignBuilder Introduction Course Contents – Day 1

• Best Interface to EnergyPlus simulation engine!
• First released 2005 • Understanding modelling in DesignBuilder
• CFD calculations in beta test • Drawing tools
• European certification calculations • Importing 2-D floor plans
• UK Developers - DesignBuilder Software • Model options
• OTEC are the exclusive reseller in Brazil • Setting adjacency
• Course uses v.1.9 beta – mostly stable but • Model data overview
unfinished beta for v.2. • Templates
• 6 month free licences will be upgraded to v.2
when available (end March)

Course Contents – Day 2 Course Contents – Day 3

• Heating Design, Cooling Design, Simulation
• Timing - Schedules, Profiles, Holidays Optional Day 3
• Glazing and Solar Shading • CFD internal and external analysis
• Daylighting calculations • Advanced DesignBuilder topics (depending on
time and requests)
• Comparing results
• Natural ventilation and Mixed mode
• HVAC (Simple and Compact)

1
 Typical Simulation Process Defining Block Dimensions
1. Load DXF floor plan (or PDF, bitmap etc) if available • Blocks drawn using
external dimensions
2. Create building geometry by adding blocks
• Block height is the floor-
3. Partition blocks into zones using zoning rules floor height

4. Set model options as required based on design stage etc • Zones have internal
dimensions calculated
5. Set as much building default data as possible from blocks using block
wall thickness
6. Set data for individual blocks, zones, surfaces etc
• Block wall thickness
7. Run test simulations for winter and summer weeks used for creating zones
from blocks – otherwise it
looking at hourly results in all zones to check for correct
has no thermal effect
operation
• Partition thickness not
8. Run annual simulations without hourly results (typically used in calcs
select monthly and temperature distribution results)

Drawing Aids Exercise 1

Create simple rectangular building:
• Point Snaps – End-point, Mid-point, Edge, DXF,
Snap to lower perimeter, Increment (change External dimensions: 30 x 20m
direction) Wall thickness: 0.35m
Block height ground 3.5
• Direction Snaps – snap direction of line to major Block height 1st floor 3.0
axes or normal/parallel to another line Pitched roof (non gable) slope 25 degrees with 0.5 m
• Protractor – for precise angles, set increment overhang and wall thickness 0.1m

• Drawing Guides – pick up x and y positions of key

points of other objects

Exercise 1 - Continued Exercise 1 - Continued

• Check wall thickness set correctly
• Internal zone floor dimensions should be 19.3 x 29.3m
• Internal area = 565.49m2 - check in Navigator (below)

2
 Exercise 2 Exercise 2 - Continued
Using the Drag face tool Before face is dragged
1. Draw a block 20m x 20m and 6m high

2. Starting at the south west corner add a block that is

3m high and extends 12m along the south wall of the
original block and stands out from that block by 6m

3. Now use the Drag face tool to pull the smaller block
out to a distance of 10m

Exercise 2 - Continued Exercise 3

Using cutting and protractor tools to create a
After face has been dragged mono pitch roof

1. Continuing from Exercise 2, use the drag face tool to

increase the height of the larger block by 2m
2. Turn on the protractor and set the increment to 5º
3. Use the Cut Block tool to cut the block across the
south face at 5 degrees starting at a height of 5m from
the south west corner
4. Delete smaller cut block to leave a mono-pitched
sloping roof

Exercise 3 Exercise 4
After block has been cut to create mono-pitch sloping roof Using a horizontally extruded block to create a roof

1. Draw a simple block 10m x 20m and 3.5m high

2. Add a gable end roof with the geometry shown below

3. Ridge is 2.5m above eaves and 7m from left hand corner

4. Suggest use construction line (in blue) to locate ridge

position

3
 Exercise 4 - Continued Model Options
Roof created using extruded block
Note construction line in blue Click spanner icon to open model options
In data tab use sliders to set up level of detail required in
model
Review settings on other tabs – these can be changed
later

Exercise 5 Exercise 5 - Continued

Using Outline blocks to create complex geometry Using outline blocks
1. Create 2-storey building 10m x 20m with pitched roof
2. Add dormer window outline block in middle of sloping
30º slope roof – align vertical face with wall below
3. Vertical walls height 1.5m and sloping roof 1.5m long
at 45º
4. Cut outline block using roof as cutting plane (cutting
method = Select plane)
5. Convert dormer outline block to building block using
wall thickness 0.1m
6. Add a window 1m x 1m
7. Cut a hole in the sloping roof - merge the dormer zone
with the main roofspace zone (use ‘Merge zones
connected by holes’ Model option)
8. Visualise - look inside, explore visualisation options

Using Component Blocks Exercise 6

Using ground component blocks to set ground adjacency
Three types
1. Create a two storey building with flat roof 15m x
1. Standard – used for shading, reflection and 15m with default block heights
visualisation 2. The ground rises along the south wall from floor
level at the west corner to 1.75m at the east
2. Ground – for setting ground adjacency corner
3. Use a ground component block to set the
3. Adiabatic – for setting adiabatic adjacency e.g. adjacency for the south wall.
party wall to adjoining conditioned space
Tip use construction line to provide snap point
for ground block at south east corner

4
 Exercise 6 - Continued Exercise 7
Setting ground adjacency using component block
• Note how the ground Using adiabatic component blocks to represent other
component block has spaces at similar conditions
modified the layout of
the default façade 1. Rotate model from Exercise 6 to show North face
2. Add 4m high adiabatic block to middle of North facade
• Go down to the
surface level and
Tip use construction line and outline block
check that the surface
next to the ground
component block has Using standard component blocks for shading and
been split into 2 reflections
adjacencies
1. Add standard block in front of west face
2. Visualise and turn on shading

Exercise 7 - Continued Exercise 7 - Continued

Using adiabatic component block
Using standard component block for shading and reflection

Activity areas (zones) Zoning Process

Building is divided into zone according to activities 1. Divide building into separate physical areas by drawing in
partitions.
Each activity has following data associated with it 2. If any part of area has different HVAC or lighting create
separate area bounded by those services
• Occupancy density and hours including holidays 3. Where there is no physical partition use virtual partitions
4. Define the activity of each resultant area
• Metabolic rates 5. Combine contiguous areas with same activity, HVAC and
lighting using hanging partitions to define thermal mass
• Demand for DHW 6. Areas of the building having same activity, HVAC and
lighting but different solar gains or conduction losses need a
• Environmental control – set points etc separate zone (e.g. core and perimeter)
7. Allocate any overlap to one of the neighbouring zones
• Gains from all sources 8. Show typical 4 x perimeter zones + 1 core zone example

5
 Exercise 8 Exercise 8 - Continued
Zoning the building
Zoning the building

1. Create a building 10m x 20m external dimensions

2. Add 2m wide corridor down middle parallel with the
longer wall
3. Insert partitions to create 5 equal cellular offices along
west wall - assume all have same HVAC system

Tip: You should have created just 3 zones

Exercise 8 - Continued Zone Types

Assigning activities & naming zones
1. Standard – occupied, not necessarily heated or cooled.

2. Semi-exterior unconditioned - unoccupied zone in the

building which is neither heated or cooled. Examples are
roofspaces, sunspaces, car parks etc.

3. Cavity - the zone is a cavity such as the glazed cavity

within a double facade or a Trombe wall.

4. Plenum – for HVAC supply or return air - unoccupied

and has no heating, cooling, or mechanical ventilation.
Air flows through to meet the needs of zones it serves

Construction Locations
Model Data Hierarchy
DesignBuilder models are organised in a hierarchy:

• Defaults are inherited

from the level above in
the hierarchy
• Hard set data (shown in
red) overrides defaults
• Hard set data can be
cleared using ‘Clear
data’

6
 Exercise 10 - Continued Exercise 10 - Continued
Editing default constructions - note external wall data
Editing default constructions hard set at block 2 level is in red

• Draw simple building 10 x 15 m

• Add second floor and unheated pitched roof
• Modify construction wall for second floor to:

1. Outer leaf metal cladding steel 2 mm thick (look under

metals)
2. Insulation polyurethane board diffusion tight, 0.1m thick
3. Inner leaf concrete 1800kg/m3 concrete block, medium
density inner leaf 0.1m thick

Adjacent Condition Roof in Roof

The default for adjacency is Auto where the adjacency of
the surface is determined automatically by DesignBuilder
based on its position. Adjacency can also be set using • Treat as standard activity area
component blocks or manually at surface level to:
• Draw partitions between conditioned and unconditioned
spaces and set zone type as appropriate
• Not adjacent to ground - even if below ground plane

• Adjacent to ground - adjacent to ground even if it is

above the ground plane or it is an internal surface

• Adiabatic - the surface is adiabatic for modelling other

zones at similar conditions to this one.

Exercise 11 Exercise 11 - Continued

Occupied roof space – room in roof Occupied roof space – room in roof
1. Draw a 20 x 30 two storey building with a 45 degree
pitched roof
2. Using construction lines position partitions 2m for
each edge of the sort dimension as illustrated in next
slide
3. Name the zones as ‘Room in the roof’ and ‘Roof void’
4. Go to building level and cut the roof block at a height
of 3m to create a ceiling.
5. Select room on roof zone and set zone type to
standard and set activity to hotel bedroom.

7
 Unheated Roofspaces Infiltration
Infiltration rate is set in construction tab under ‘Airtightness’

Set zone type as: There are two ways of defining air tightness depending
on the Natural ventilation model option:
Semi exterior unconditioned
• Scheduled – set as air changed per hour and is constant
OR
• Calculated - the Airtightness is defined by a position on
Use ‘pitched roof’ option leaving “roofspace occupied” a five point scale corresponding to the 5 crack templates
box unchecked when drawing the pitched roof block

In both cases infiltration can be switched off at building,

block or zone level.

Openings Exercise 12
‘Opening’ refers to any opening in the main building fabric. Defining openings
There are five types:
1. Draw simple 10 x 30m building with long dimension running
• Windows North to South
• Sub-surfaces (i.e. opaque elements within the surface that 2. Change default glazing to 4-20-4 low coated air filed
have different properties from the main construction.) e.g. 3. Using default facades to create building with:
lintels and lightweight panels
• Holes • 20% glazing in West wall with window height of 1.3m and sill height
• Doors of 1.5m. Apply local shading with 1m overhang louvre
• 40% glazing in East wall with window height of 2m and sill height
• Vents of 1m. Apply window shading using venetian blinds - light, internal,
always on.
• CFD boundaries are special type of opening covered later • South wall has no glazing but has a door
in the course

Exercise 12 - Continued Lighting

Defining openings • Default data is loaded from the reference template
Appearance of building at block level
• Click and use browse to load alternative template,
including specific lamp types
• Use slider to adjust default lighting thermal output
• Gain to the zone calculated from the luminaire type
• Lighting schedule inherited from activity
• Select luminaire type
• If task or display lighting specify gain and schedule
• Task and display lighting is never affected by lighting
control and by activity target illumination levels

8
 Lighting Controls Exercise 9
Where electric light can be controlled according to the
availability of daylight turn on lighting controls Specify lighting
See Training Manual for details

Control types: Linear • Create building 10 x 30m with 4 zones (any layout)
Linear/off • Set activity at building level to Office_OpenOff
Stepped • Set activity for Zone 3 as Office_Reception
• Set activity for Zone 4 as Office_Store
• Lighting sensors: By default one main sensor controls • At building level set lighting template as:
• 100% of zone area – can vary this • T8 Fluorescent, triphosphor, high frequency control gear
• Sensor located at 0.8m above floor by default – change
working plane height in Model options dialog Continued…
• Can also introduce second sensor – more on day 2

Exercise 9 Exercise 13
Create building with more complex geometry
Specify lighting continued Use as many drawing tools as possible

• Set lighting energy as 16 W/m2 Example:

• Note schedule Office_OpenOff_ Light set from activity
• Set luminaire type as Surface mount
• Turn on lighting control - set control type to Linear
• Set % area cover by lighting area to 40%
• Now follow instruction in Manual for Zones 3 and 4
• Lighting data inherits from building level in Zone 1 and 2

Exercise 14 Exercise 14 - Continued

Free standing office in Warehouse
1. Draw the ground block to height of office – draw Free standing office in warehouse
partitions for office in middle of warehouse
2. Draw the 1st floor block representing the high-level
warehouse space.
3. Draw holes (two will be required) so as to cut away all
the floor of the 1st floor block except that around the top
of the office.
4. Go to Model options > Advanced tab and select ‘Merge
zones connected by holes’.
5. From Navigation tree in first floor block select element
corresponding to the ceiling of the office. Under the
Construction tab > Adjacency Header tick ‘Exclude this
surface area from the total zone floor area’

9
 Exercise 15 - Atrium Example Templates
See Training manual • Quick way to load commonly used data sets
• Create your own templates or use templates provided
• Each Model data tab has it’s own template -
Construction, Glazing, Façade, Activity, Lighting and
HVAC data
• Templates useful when working with portfolios of
buildings with common features
• Load templates to individual objects or target a list of
building, blocks, zones, surfaces or openings using
Load data from template dialog (esp. useful for
entering an activity, such as toilet, distributed
throughout a building)
• Section 8 of Training Manual has more details

Calculations EnergyPlus
• Advanced DSM engine calculates energy flow +
3 Main calculations:
resource consumption including:
• Heating design – steady-state UA(Ti – To) • Heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation, water
• Cooling design – periodic, thermal mass • US DOE, Dru Crawley, 10 years
• Simulation – energy, comfort, real weather • Best of BLAST and DOE-2…Plus:
data weather • Time steps < 1hr,
These thermal calculations all use EnergyPlus • Modular HVAC integrated with Zone,
• Multizone air flow for Natural ventilation,
Thermal Comfort, Photovoltaics, Water

Heating Design Calculations Heating Design Output

• Equivalent to CIBSE & ASHRAE methods • Detailed
breakdown of
• Steady state calculation
heat flows and
• Uses outside winter design temperature comfort for
• Wind, no solar, no gains, interzone, float each zone on
• Inside design temperatures for activity Analysis tab

10
 Heating Design Output Cooling Design Calculations
Summary building heating design loads • Equivalent to CIBSE Heat Gain
• Periodic calculation
• Outside summer design temperature
• Inside design temperatures for activity
• Solar, daylight, shading, gains, mass,
vent, interzone heat
• July/Jan
• Half-hourly

Cooling Design Output Cooling Design Output

• Detailed Summary design loads for each zone
breakdown for
each zone on
Analysis tab

Parametric Cooling Design Simulation

• Allows automated parametric variations in • Detailed energy & comfort performance
model to be simulated and results • Hourly weather data
displayed. • Dynamic - 2-10 timesteps / hour
• Solar, daylight, shading, gains, mass,
vent, interzone heat
• HVAC simultaneous with zones
• Warmup
More versatile, options.

11
 Simulation Output Simulation Output - Distribution
Example 20x10 2-Zone
Annual Monthly
Zone level only

Daily Hourly Daily Hourly

Simulation Output - Parametric Timing

Ways to set the time-varying elements.
Timing options:
• Typical workday – fast, easy
• Schedules – more flexibility (default)

Timing - Typical workday Timing - Typical Workday

• Fast, convenient
• Less flexible

• Exercise 20x10 Default, 8-20, Equip, Cooling

design

12
 Timing - Schedules 7/12 Schedules
• 7 x 12 Grid of
• Schedule components – export Daily Profiles
• 7 days / week,
• More flexible than Typical workday • 12 months / year
Schedule options:
• 7/12 Schedules - graphical
• Compact Schedules - text

7/12 Schedules - Exercise 7/12 Schedules Example Output

• Schedules Timing Model option
• New Office equipment schedule
• Select all cells
• Edit selected cells
• Select 8:30 – 16:00 profile
• Switch off at weekends
• Select it

Compact Schedules – Example 1 Compact Schedules – Example 2

SCHEDULE:COMPACT, Temperature Setpoint Schedule
SCHEDULE:COMPACT, Error Checking but No GUI
Bedroom_Cool, Values 0, 0.5 and 1 only
Office_CellOff_Light,
Temperature, Error Checking but No GUI
Fraction, < Type
Through: 31 Dec,
Through: 31 Dec, < Season
For: Weekdays SummerDesignDay WinterDesignDay,
For: Weekdays SummerDesignDay WinterDesignDay, < Weekdays
Until: 05:00, 0.5,
Until: 07:00, 0, < Daily Profile
Until: 09:00, 1,
Until: 19:00, 1,
Until: 17:00, 0.5,
Until: 24:00, 0,
Until: 24:00, 1,
For: Weekends, < Weekends
For: Weekends,
Until: 24:00, 0,
Until: 05:00, 0.5,
For: Holidays AllOtherDays, < Holidays
Until: 24:00, 1,
Until: 24:00, 0;
For: Holidays AllOtherDays,
Until: 24:00, 0;

13
 Glazing Exercise
Glazing and Solar Shading
• Atrium Example Base
• Delete all windows (Window to wall % = 0 or No glazing façade)
2 ways to define glazing layout: • West surface of Ground floor > Zone 1, Normal, define windows
• Default facades
• Draw openings 1
2
You can also copy, move and delete
openings at the building level
3

Copy windows to other facades at

building level

Window Shading Design Study

Solar Shading
Exercise:
• Atrium Example Base
• Window shading (blinds, shades) • Cooling design calculation reference case, display Internal gains,
Lock Y-axis, Report topic - make sure to label the results!
• Local shading (louvres, overhangs) • Window shading on, Blind with high reflectivity slats, control type 4-
Solar, rerun calculation, Report topic
• Solar control glazing • Window shading off, Local shading on, Louvre 1.0m projection + 1m
overhangs and sidefins, rerun calculation, Report topic
• Component blocks • As above but model reflections, rerun calculation, Report topic
• Window shading off, Local shading off, component block in front of
• Assembly blocks (new) South window, solar transmission (play with this), model reflections
• If you have time try more options (e.g. solar control glass)
• Building self-shading Questions:
1. Which option reduces solar gains and max temperatures most?
2. Can you see a difference due to model reflections option?

Parametric Study Daylighting

Investigate effect of local shading device projection
• Controls electric lights based on daylight
**** Check Building => Surface inheritance ****
availability
Shows diminishing returns
from extra projection Linear Stepped
Good for:
•Design curves
•Teaching aid
•Communication
•Optimisation

14
 Daylighting Exercise Daylighting Control - Linear
• Lighting control on, Linear
• Sensor position – move it
• Model options > Advanced tab > Lighting
• Simulation 6 Dec, Sub-hourly, 6 timesteps
• Results East zone
• Repeat with 2-Linear/Off
• Repeat with 3-Stepped

Daylighting Control -Stepped Comparing Results

2 methods:
• Report topics
• Different buildings
• Compare daylighting results using both
• Use Lock Y-axis
• New design comparison tools in v.2.

Natural Ventilation 2 Modes

Includes consideration of: DesignBuilder offers 2 Nat vent modes:
• Windows, vents, holes and cracks • Scheduled
• Size, shape, position and orientation • Calculated
• Wind-speed and outside temperatures
• Internal temperature in each zone
• Control for comfort

15
 Scheduled Nat Vent Scheduled Nat Vent Exercise 1
• Exterior airflow + schedule set directly • ‘Hot water radiator heating, nat vent’ HVAC
• Infiltration constant. template
• Interior airflow by ‘mixing’ • Table of data in Manual
• Cooling setpoints • Avoid simultaneous heating and venting:
• Avoidance of heating Heating setpoint < Cooling setpoint
• 5 ac/h Natural ventilation
• Also switch off night cooling and check effect
on max daytime temperatures

Scheduled Nat Vent Exercise 2 Calculated Natural Ventilation

Same as first but with Internal Airflow • You define openings, controls and weather and
EnergyPlus calculates airflow
• Draw a large hole in partition
• Bulk airflow movement, average zone temperatures
• Model options > Advanced > Natural Ventilation >
Airflow through internal openings on • Nodes connected by air flow elements
• Check change in results • Wind Pressure Coefficient (Cp) values need to be
defined – Input/Auto
• More data needed, simulations slower

Airflow Network Model DesignBuilder Implementation

Plan view of a simple airflow network showing a possible airflow pattern

•Developed by NIST (Walton 1989)
•Coupled to E+

16
 Calculated Nat Vent Exercise 1 Calculated Nat Vent Exercise 2
• Continue from Scheduled example
As previous but with variations:
• Model options > Natural ventilation > Calculated 1. Modulation
• Windows open by 5% 2. Wind factor set to 0
• Modulate off – no concern about cold o/s air Check effect of above on fresh air delivery
• Infiltration medium (show crack)
• Simulate Summer typical, Hourly
• Results – Nat vent control 21°C, high ac/h - cross
vent + stack vent, low night infiltration

HVAC Simple HVAC

Heating, Cooling, Ventilation for comfort • Energy consumption = Loads x constant
HVAC Model options: seasonal system CoP
• Fans and Pumps modelled using empirical
• Simple – loads x CoP data from UK NCM
• Compact – parametric data • For ‘Early’ design this may be ideal

Simple HVAC Exercise Simple HVAC ExampleResults

ResultsJan 1-7

• HVAC tab load Packaged direct expansion

HVAC template
• Mechanical ventilation: By zone, 2 ac/h, schedule
Office_OpenOff_Occ
• Auxiliary energy from UK NCM
• Heating & cooling setpoints on Activity tab 20ºC
and 26ºC

17
 Radiant Heating Exercise Night Cooling - Mech Ventilation
• Simple HVAC • Simple HVAC thermostatic night cooling
• Check Mech vent, Heating & Cooling on
• Underfloor heating system, nat vent HVAC
• Create new schedule - copy Summer cooling workdays
template (Northern Hemisphere) See manual for changes
• Select it as Mech vent operation schedule
• Note Heating type is 2-Radiative/convective
• Mech vent > Outside air flow rate 5 ac/h
• Radiant distribution 2-Floor • Nat vent on, Min fresh air per person to provide fresh air for
occupants during the day. Default Office_OpenOff_Occ schedule
• Natural ventilation > Outside air definition method to • Activity tab > Environmental Control:
2-Min fresh air (Per person). a. Cooling setpoint = 26°C.
b. Natural ventilation cooling setpoint = 18°C.
• Activity tab > Nat vent cooling setpoint 10ºC c. Mechanical ventilation setpoint = 18°C. (prevents overcooling).
d. Mechanical ventilation Max in-out delta T = 2K. Avoids warm air
• Simulate Winter design week
• Simulation: Hourly data, Summer typical week

Night cooling results Compact HVAC

• More detailed model of some common
HVAC system types
• Simple parametric input data loaded from
templates.
• No networks of ducts and pipes
• Auto sizing of components

EnergyPlus Compact HVAC

Zone-based Systems
System types
• Fan coil units • Unitary single zone
• Unitary Single Zone (constant volume • Fan coil units
packaged DX and split systems)
• Unitary Multizone – multizone DX systems with
a single AHU • Separate data for each zone (no AHU)
• CAV- Constant Air Volume systems with central • Defined at the zone level
AHU. • Like Simple HVAC
• VAV - Variable Air Volume systems with central
AHU.

18
 Fan Coil Units
Fan Coil Unit Example
• Based on Atrium Example
• Compact HVAC, Scheduled nat vent
• Winter typical week, hourly results
• Note constant fresh air delivery
• Store results for comparison
•4-pipe FCU - hot + chilled water
•Outside air optional (mech vent checkbox)
•Data entry like Simple HVAC

Unitary Single Zone

Unitary Single Zone Example
• ‘Packaged direct expansion’ HVAC template, re-
run Winter design week, store results, compare
with FCU
• Run Summer typical week, store results
• Add free cooling (Economiser Return air
•Constant volume temperature option) re-run summer typical week,
store and compare results
•DX
• How much free cooling is provided?
•Rooftop and split
•Options for free fresh air and heat recovery

VAV Compact HVAC

AHU-based Systems •Variable Air Volume with
fixed AHU outlet
temperature

• Unitary multizone •zone supply airflow varied

to control cooling
• VAV •Reheat may be needed
• CAV •When heating, zone
damper closes to min and
reheat operates

• 1 AHU max, data defined at building level •Outside air can be Fixed,
Proportional, Full fresh air
• The AHU Data for zone terminal units, fresh air •Zone terminal unit options
requirement, heating/cooling requirement and are: Standard + 2 powered
induction unit options
setpoints etc is set at the zone level
• More data required to define VAV and CAV

19
 VAV Cooling VAV Heating
• Air from AHU at constant temperature • Zone damper closes to minimum
• Volume of air adjusted at zone terminal • Reheat coil operates to maintain comfort
unit by opening/closing damper • AHU heating possible but care needed to
• Max AHU air volume autosized avoid simultaneous heating & cooling
• If min fresh air would overcool then reheat • Zone damper options for heating:
– 1-Normal, constant volume, min fresh air
– 2-Reverse, as 1-Normal but damper can open
to meet high heating loads

VAV Terminal Units Outside Air

• Usually mounted in ceiling • 1-Recirculation - outside air control can be:
• During cooling, damper position controls cool air – 1-Fixed – min fresh air is provided regardless of AHU
provision flow rate
– 2-Proportional – min fresh air varies in proportion to
• During heating damper usually closed to min total system flow - standard
• Turndown ratio defines minimum supply air • 2-Full fresh air – no recirculation, supply flow is
– 0 = damper can close completely same as outside air so cooling loads may not be
– 1 = damper can’t close at all – CAV met - requires extra control
– Typical values 0.3-0.5
• Options for series and parallel fan powered units

VAV Exercise VAV Results

• Default 20x10 2-Zone
• HVAC template VAV with terminal reheat
• Mech vent By-Zone, 2 ac/h
• Mech vent schedule On
• Infiltration off
• Summer design week, sub-hourly, 10
timesteps / hour

20
 Mixed-Mode Changeover Mixed Mode
Hybrid nat vent and HVAC cooling system. LBL
define 3 types: • Natural ventilation has priority
1. Concurrent (same space, same time) • Cooling switched on when cooling setpoint
2. Changeover (same space, different times) exceeded and then nat vent system closed
3. Zoned (different spaces, same time) • Nat vent can also be shut down due to wind,
• DesignBuilder can do 1 and 3 with no special rain, extreme o/s temperatures or enthalpy
consideration • Requires Calculated Nat vent + Compact HVAC
• In DesignBuilder mixed mode refers to
Changeover mixed mode

Mixed Mode Schematic Mixed Mode Exercise

• Compact HVAC, Calculated Nat vent
• Activity setpoint points, Heating 20C, Nat vent 22C,
Cooling 26C
• HVAC template VAV with HR outside air reset + mixed
mode
• Mech vent schedule on
• Switch off close window and vents when raining
• Ground floor > Zone 1 is control zone for whole building
• Infiltration off
• Sub-hourly, summer typical week, timesteps 6

Mixed Mode Optimisation

• Close windows and vents when raining
• External window schedule on for night
cooling

21
 What is CFD?

CFD Training Course • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is the term used to describe a
family of numerical methods used to calculate the temperature, velocity
CFD COVER and other fluid properties throughout a region of space.

• CFD applied to buildings provides the designer with information on

probable air velocities, pressures and temperatures occurring in and
around building spaces with specified boundary conditions including
climate, internal heat gains and HVAC systems.

How does CFD work? How does CFD work?

• DesignBuilder CFD is based on a method known as the finite volume (FV) • Partial differential equations are converted into a set of
method simultaneous algebraic equations
• The method involves the solution of a set of partial differential equations • Building space under analysis is divided into a set of non-
(PDEs) describing the transport of momentum, energy and turbulence overlapping adjoining rectilinear cells (finite volume grid)
quantities

• Algebraic equations are set up for each grid cell and the whole
set of equations solved using a numerical method

How does CFD work? How does CFD work?

The solution – a numerical approach
What is a partial differential equation?
• The variation of the PDE dependent variable is continuous and may
• A PDE is a type of equation that is used to describe the variation of be visualised in the form of a curve
a dependent variable (such as temperature or velocity) with a
number of independent variables (such as time and distance)
• The PDEs are made up of a number of terms incorporating the
dependent variable and a multiplier or coefficient
• The PDE coefficients themselves can contain the same dependent
variables that they are associated with and consequently the
equations cannot be solved using analytical methods

• The continuous nature of these non-linear variations can be

approximated by a number of linear relationships, i.e. the curve can
be represented as a series of straight lines
• The idea behind this is that equations representing straight lines are
easily solved

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 How does CFD work? How does CFD work?
The solution – a numerical approach (cont’d)
The solution – a numerical approach (cont’d)

• This process is known as “discretisation”

• To start the process, we divide the building space into a number of
non-overlapping volumes or “control” volumes collectively known as
the finite volume grid
• Each control volume surrounds a grid point at which the dependent
variable is evaluated

How does CFD work? How does CFD work?

The solution – a numerical approach (cont’d)
The solution – a numerical approach (cont’d)
• The PDEs can then be discretised across these control volumes
using linear profiles to represent the variation of the dependent • These discretised equations are then re-arranged to take the form
variables between the grid points and their neighbours of a set of simple algebraic equations that can be solved using basic
numerical methods:

How does CFD work? How does CFD work?

The iterative nature of the solution and convergence Outer and inner iterations

• The numerical methods used to solve the equation set are iterative
whereby the equations are repeatedly re-constructed and solved • Because the coefficients are changing, the iterative procedure uses
until there is no change in the dependent variables an inner iterative procedure to solve the dependent variable
• The algebraic equations are constructed in such a way that if the equations within an outer iterative procedure to update the
coefficients were constant, a converged solution would be dependent variable coefficients
guaranteed using the Gauss-Siedel method (simplest numerical • At each outer iteration, only tentative values of the dependent
method for solving simultaneous equations) variables are realised and consequently only a few inner iterations
• The dependent variable coefficients contain the dependent variables are required
themselves and are therefore not constant
• In practice, if the coefficients are of similar magnitude throughout
and change gradually, a converged solution can normally be
achieved

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 How does CFD work? How does CFD work?
Relaxation factors Dynamic solution and false time steps

• In order to prevent the equation coefficients from changing too • DesignBuilder CFD is steady-state, i.e. it calculates a ‘snap-shot’ in
quickly, the change in dependent variables from one outer iteration time
to another can be slowed by ‘relaxing’ them • In a dynamic CFD solution, the transient term acts as a very effective
• The traditional method of relaxation is the relaxation factor which inertial relaxation factor
combines a proportion of the dependent variable from the previous • The equation set in DesignBuilder CFD is actually constructed in a
outer iteration with a proportion from the current iteration fully dynamic form
• A relaxation value of 1.0 uses 100% of the current dependent • The time steps in the transient terms are replaced with ‘false time
variable value whereas a relaxation factor of 0.5 would combine 50% steps’
of the previous iteration value with 50% of the current value. • False time steps are generally more effective than relaxation factors

How does CFD work? How does CFD work?

Convergence and termination residuals Convergence and termination residuals (cont’d)

• A more meaningful indication of convergence is to consider the

• The solution may be considered converged when there is no degree to which conservation of mass, momentum and energy is
perceptible change in the dependent variables from one outer satisfied for the calculation domain
iteration to another • A residual may be calculated by considering the overall balance of a
• In cases where heavy under-relaxation or very small false time steps particular quantity using the algebraic equation for the appropriate
are employed, changes in dependent variables may not be obvious dependent variable:
• An attractive feature of the control volume formulation is that once
convergence is achieved, integral conservation of quantities such as R = Σanbφnb + b – aPφP
mass, momentum and energy is exactly satisfied for each cell, any
group of cells and of course for the whole domain • Maximum residuals for each dependent variable are calculated and
compared with a supplied termination residual to determine whether
or not convergence has been achieved

How does CFD work? How does CFD work?

Discretisation scheme – Upwind, Hybrid and Power-law Discretisation scheme – the Upwind scheme

• The formulation of the combined convection-diffusion coefficient • A remedy for this difficulty is to ensure that the convected value of an
interface property is equal to the value of the property on the upwind
whereby the interface convection coefficient is determined from a
side of the face
simple average of the grid point velocity and the neighbouring grid
point velocity is found to result in very unstable solutions
• As previously noted, the algebraic equations are constructed to
comply with a set of rules that would guarantee convergence for an
equation set involving constant coefficients
• One of the rules requires that coefficients must not become negative
• The simple average convection coefficient formulation can lead to a
negative coefficient and consequently a non-convergent solution
• The rationale behind this measure is that convection (unlike diffusion)
may be considered a one-way process in that properties upstream of
a point can affect properties downstream but not the other way round

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 How does CFD work? How does CFD work?
Discretisation scheme – Hybrid and Power-law schemes Discretisation scheme – Hybrid and Power-law schemes (cont’d)

• If we take our basic PDE, we can obtain an exact analytical • The ratio of the strengths of convection and diffusion may be
solution by assuming that the convection and diffusion measured using the Peclet number, P
coefficients are constant • For high absolute values of P, the value of the dependent variable at
the interface (i.e. x = L/2) can be seen to be nearly equal to the value
at the upwind boundary which is the assumption made by the upwind
scheme
• The dependent variable gradient at high absolute values of P is
nearly zero at the interface (i.e. the line is horizontal)
• The upwind scheme always calculates diffusion assuming a linear
relationship between the dependent variable and distance and
therefore overestimates diffusion at large absolute values of P

How does CFD work? How does CFD work?

Discretisation scheme – Hybrid scheme Discretisation scheme – Hybrid scheme (cont’d)

• The hybrid scheme attempts to remedy this over-estimation of • The simple average convection coefficient formulation can then be
diffusion by representing the combined convection-diffusion
replaced with a formula combining the three straight lines:
coefficients with three straight line relationships for different ranges
of Peclet number

How does CFD work? How does CFD work?

Discretisation scheme – power-law scheme Discretisation scheme – power-law scheme

• The departure of the hybrid scheme from the exact solution is quite
• The simple average convection coefficient formulation can then be
marked when the absolute value of the Peclet number is equal to 2
• A better approximation to the exact curve is provided by the power- replaced with a formula incorporating the power-law relationship:
law scheme

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 Geometric Considerations Geometric Considerations
Finite Volume Grid Finite Volume Grid
• The grid used by DesignBuilder CFD is a non-uniform rectilinear
• The space across which the calculations are to be conducted is first Cartesian grid, which means that the grid lines are parallel with the
divided into a number of non-overlapping adjoining cells which are major axes and the spacing between the grid lines enables non-
collectively known as the finite volume grid. uniformity.
• The grid is automatically generated from key coordinates obtained
from the model geometry along each major grid axes throughout the
calculation domain.
• These key coordinates, extended from the X, Y and Z-axes across
the width, depth and height of the domain respectively are called
‘grid lines’.
• The distances between grid lines along each axis are called ‘regions’
and these regions are initially spaced using a supplied default grid
spacing.

Geometric Considerations Geometric Considerations

Cell Aspect Ratio Cell Aspect Ratio (cont’d)
• The cell aspect ratio is the ratio of the maximum cell dimension to
the minimum cell dimension • If the cell aspect ratio is high, the equation coefficients can become
widely different in magnitude which will result in large changes
occurring in some variables but not in others which in turn can lead to
an oscillating unstable solution

CFD Workflow CFD Workflow

Problem Definition (cont’d)

• Select required domain (building, building block or zone)

• Set default surface and window temperature boundary conditions (not
required for external flows)
• Add surface boundary conditions including temperature patches, HVAC
supplies, extracts, etc. (not required for external flows)
• Add CFD component blocks and/or assemblies representing
occupants, radiators, fan-coil units, etc. (not required for external flows)
• Finite volume (FV) grid automatically generated from geometry during
CFD project creation
Problem Definition • Edit FV grid as required
• Define geometry using DesignBuilder geometric modeller

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 CFD Workflow CFD Workflow
Calculations Calculations (cont’d)
• Turbulence model: • Specification of surface heat transfer coefficients:
– Constant effective viscosity – Calculated (wall functions)
– k-ε – User supplied
• Discretisation scheme: • Initial conditions
– Upwind – X-axis velocity component
– Hybrid – Y-axis velocity component
– Power-law
– Z-axis velocity component
• Outer iterations
– Temperature
• Isothermal
• Cell monitor
– Cell location
– Monitored variable

CFD Workflow CFD Workflow

Calculations (cont’d) Presentation of Results
• Residual display
• Dependent variable control settings • Velocity vectors
– Inner iterations – Scale factor
– False time step – Maximum vector length
– Relaxation factor • Contours
– Termination residual – Velocity
– Pressure
– Temperature
– PMV
– PPD

CFD Workflow
Presentation of Results (cont’d)

• Filled Contours
– Velocity
– Pressure
– Temperature
– PMV
– PPD
• 3-D Contours
– Velocity
– Pressure
– Temperature
– PMV
– PPD

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