The Commercial Module uses a simple Equivalent Thermal Parameters (ETP) model for small single-zone office buildings (Taylor and Pratt 1988), shown in Figure 1, with first-order ordinary differential equations (ODEs):
\begin{align} T_i' & = \frac{1}{C_a} \left [ T_m H_m - T_i \left ( U_a - H_m \right ) + \sum_{end\ uses}Q_x + T_o U_a \right ] \\ T_m' & = \frac{1}{C_m} \left [ H_m \left ( T_i - T_m \right ) + Q_m \right ] \end{align}
</math>where
- <math>T_i</math> = the temperature of the air inside the building
- <math>T_i'</math> = dTi/dt
- <math>T_m</math> = the temperature of the mass inside the building (for example, furniture, inside walls)
- <math>T_m'</math> = dTm/dt
- <math>T_o</math> = the ambient temperature outside air
- <math>U_a</math> = the UA of the building envelope
- <math>H_m</math> = the UA of the mass of the furniture, inside walls, etc.
- <math>C_m</math> = the heat capacity of the mass of the furniture inside the walls, etc.
- <math>C_a</math> = the heat capacity of the air inside the building
- <math>Q_i</math> = the heat rate from internal heat gains of the building (for example, plugs, lights, people)
- <math>Q_h</math> = the heat rate from heating, ventilating, and air conditioning unit
- <math>Q_s</math> = the heat rate from the sun to air (solar heating through windows, etc.)
- <math>Q_m</math> = the heat rate direct to the mass (e.g, solar radiation direct to mass)
The general first order ODEs (C1-C5 defined by inspection above) is
\begin{align} T_i' & = c_1 T_i + c_2 T_m + c_3 \\ T_m' & = c_4 T_i + c_5 T_m + c_6 \end{align}
</math>with the constants <math>c_1</math> through <math>c_6</math> defined as
- <math>c_1 = - (U_a+U_m)/C_a</math>
- <math>c_2 = U_m/C_a</math>
- <math>c_3 = (Q_a+U_a T_o)/C_a</math>
- <math>c_4 = U_m/C_m</math>
- <math>c_5 = - U_m/C_m</math>
- <math>c_6 = Q_m/C_m</math>
The general form of the second-order ODE is <math>p_1 T_i + p_2 T_i' + p_3 T_i = p_4</math>. The solutions to the second-order ODEs for indoor and mass temperatures are
\begin{align} T_i(t) & = k_1 e^{r_1 t} + k_2 e^{r_2 t} + \frac{p_4}{p_3} \\ T_m(t) & = \frac{T_i'(t) - c_1 T_i(t) - c3}{c2} \end{align}
</math>where:
- <math>p_1 = 1/c_2</math>
- <math>p_2 = -(c_1+c_5)/c_2</math>
- <math>p_3 = c_1 c_5 / c_2 - c_4</math>
- <math>p_4 = -c_3 c_5 / c_2 + c_6</math>
- <math>r_1,r_2</math> are the roots of the <math>p_1 r^2 + p_2 r + p_3 = 0</math>
- <math>k_1 = [ r_1 T_i(0) - r_2 p_4/p_3 - T_i'(0) ] / (r_2 - r1)</math>
- <math>k_2 = [T_i'(0) - r_1 k_1] / r_2</math>
- <math>t</math> = the elapsed time
- <math>T_i(t)</math> = the temperature of the air inside the building at time <math>t</math>
- <math>T_i'(t)</math> = the rate of temperature change of the air inside the building at time <math>t</math>
so that
T_i'(0) = c_2 T_m(0) + c_1 T_i(0) - \left ( c_1 + c_2) T_o + c_7 \right )
</math>and
T_m(t) = k_1 \frac{r_1 - c_1}{c_2} e^{r_1 t} + k_2 \frac{r_2-c_1}{c_2} e^{r_2 t} + \frac{p_4}{p_3} + \frac{c_6}{c_2}
</math>with
- <math>c_7 = Q_a / C_a</math>
Defaults
All end-use power factor default to 1.0.
The outdoor air defaults to 59 F, relative humidity to 75%, and solar exposures as follows
- South : 0
- South-east : 0
- South-west : 0
- East : 0
- West : 0
- North-east : 0
- North-west : 0
- North : 0
- Horizontal : 0
The default interior air and mass temperatures are set to the default outdoor air temperature.
The control defaults are as follows:
- Heating setpoint : 70F
- Cooling setpoint : 75F
- Auxiliary cut-in: 20F
- Economizer cut-in: 60F
- Setpoint deadband : 1F
- Ventilation fraction : 1 /h
- Lighting fraction : 0.5 pu
The default occupancy schedule is M-F 8-17h. When occupied, the default occupancy is 0.002 occupants/sf.
Initialization
The default heating capacity is computed by solving the heat flow equation for the peak heating condition, which gives:
The default cooling capacity is computed by solving the heat flow equation for the peak cooling condition, which gives:
Q_{max_{cool}} = UA ( T_{design_{cool}}-T_{set_{cool}}) + \sum_{windows}{A_{window} Q_{solar} c_{glazing}} + \sum_{loads}{Q_{load}}
+Q_{vent}</math>
where
- <math>Q_{vent}=0.2402 \times 0.0735(T_{design_{cool}}-T_{set_{cool}}) \times V_{air} \times ACH </math>
The heating COP is given by <math>COP_{heat} = Dist_{triangle}(1,2)</math> and the cooling COP is given by <math>COP_{cool} = Dist_{triangle}(3,5)</math>.
Controls
The HVAC system has 6 control modes:
- OFF
- In the OFF mode, the HVAC system is completely off. No ventilation and
no heating or cooling of any kind of performed. This mode is engaged whenever <math>T_{off_{heat}} < T_{air} < T_{off_{cool}}</math> and <math>occupancy = 0</math>.
- VENT
- In the VENT mode, the HVAC system is ventilating the zone at the
minimum_ach rate. This mode is engaged whenever <math>T_{off_{heat}} < T_{air} < T_{off_{cool}}</math> and <math>occupancy > 0</math>.
- HEAT
- In the HEAT mode, the primary heating (COP>1) system is on and the building is
ventilating at the minimum_ach rate only if occupancy is non-zero. This mode is engaged whenever <math>T_{cutin_{aux}} < T_{air} \le T_{on_{heat}}</math>.
- AUX
- In the AUX mode, the secondary heating (COP=1) system is on and the building is
ventilating at the minimum_ach rate only if occupancy is non-zero. This mode is engaged whenever <math>T_{air} \le T_{cutin_{aux}}</math>.
- COOL
- In the COOL mode, the active cooling (COP>1) system is on and the building
ventilating at the minimum_ach rate only if occupancy is non-zero. This mode is engaged whenever <math>T_{air} \ge T_{on_{cool}} and T_{out} > T_{cutin_{econ}}</math>.
- ECON
- In the ECON mode, the passive cooling (COP=&infty;) system is on and the building
is ventilating using the rate required to cool using outdoor air only. This mode is engaged whenever <math>T_{air} \ge T_{on_{cool}} and T_{out} \le T_{cutin_{econ}}</math>.
Power calculations
Except as noted below, when ventilation is required, <math>Pvent = floor_area (0.1 - 0.01\imath) </math> VA/sf, and <math>Qvent=0.2402 \times 0.0735 (T_{out}-T_{air}) V_{air} \times ventilation_rate</math>.
HVAC
- OFF
- COP = 0, Qactive = Qpassive = 0, Pvent = 0
- VENT
- COP = 0, Qactive = 0, Qpassive = Qvent
- HEAT
- COP = 1.0 + (COP_{heating}-1) (T_{out} - T_{aux}) / Trange, zone.hvac.heating.capacity + zone.hvac.heating.capacity_perF*(zone.hvac.heating.balance_temperature-Tout), Qpassive = Qvent
- AUX
- COP = 1.0, Qactive = COP * heating_capacity, Qpassive = Qvent
- COOL
- COP = -1.0 - (zone.hvac.cooling.cop+1)*(Tout-TmaxCool)/(TmaxCool-Tecon), zone.hvac.cooling.capacity - zone.hvac.cooling.capacity_perF*(Tout-zone.hvac.cooling.balance_temperature), Qpassive = Qvent
- ECON
- COP = 0, Qactive = 0, Qpassive = Qvent
Lighting
lights.load = lights.fraction*(lights.capacity + (lights.capacity/lights.power_factor)*(sin(arccos(lights.power_factor)))J) (kW)
lights.heatgain = lights.load*lights.heatgain_fraction (kW)
Plugs
plugs.load = plugs.fraction*(plugs.capacity + (plugs.capacity/plugs.power_factor)*(sin(arccos(plugs.power_factor)))J) (kW)
plugs.heatgain = plugs.load * plugs.heatgain_fraction (kW)