373 research outputs found
The role of linked data and the semantic web in building operation
Effective Decision Support Systems (DSS) for building service managers require adequate performance data from many building data silos in order to deliver a complete view of building performance. Current performance analysis techniques tend to focus on a limited number of data sources, such as BMS measured data (temperature, humidity, C02), excluding a wealth of other data sources increasingly available in the modern building, including weather data, occupant feedback, mobile sensors & feedback systems, schedule information, equipment usage information. This paper investigates the potential for using Linked Data and Semantic Web technologies to improve interoperability across AEC domains, overcoming many of the roadblocks hindering information transfer currently
Optimised building form for environmental sustainability
Built environment professionals have the opportunity to contribute towards a
significant reduction in GHG emissions using green design principles. The starting
point of green design is the optimum building form that requires less energy to
construct and to operate, provided that the other design goals are satisfied. Using
the interoperability based Architectural Design Optimisation Tool (ArDOT)
software environment, this research was aimed at the optimisation of form and
orientation of an example building in two different climatic locations. The
optimisation process was driven by the results from the building simulation
software, integrated into ArDOT using Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). The
objectives were to reduce annual demand for energy and to maximise daylight
availability. The applicability of the framework has been investigated in the early
stages of architectural design, where required parameters for building simulation
are not fully known. A standards based mapping is used to compensate for the
missing data and to enable the design team the access to detailed based simulation
programs. The results from the research show the advantages of using
mathematical optimisation techniques for environmental sustainability through a
directed exploration of the solution space
Focused interventions for injecting drug users.
The authors discuss the need for supervised injecting facilities as a safer alternative to addicts injecting in public.
The article particularly focuses on - what supervised injecting facilities are and how injecting facilities operate
Development of miniaturized wireless sensor nodes suitable for building energy management and modelling
Buildings consume 40% of Ireland's total annual energy translating to 3.5 billion (2004). The EPBD directive (effective January 2003) places an onus on all member states to rate the energy performance of all buildings in excess of 50m2. Energy and environmental performance management systems for residential buildings do not exist and consist of an ad-hoc integration of wired building management systems and Monitoring & Targeting systems for non-residential buildings. These systems are unsophisticated and do not easily lend themselves to cost effective retrofit or integration with other enterprise management systems. It is commonly agreed that a 15-40% reduction of building energy consumption is achievable by efficiently operating buildings when compared with typical practice. Existing research has identified that the level of information available to Building Managers with existing Building Management Systems and Environmental Monitoring Systems (BMS/EMS) is insufficient to perform the required performance based building assessment. The cost of installing additional sensors and meters is extremely high, primarily due to the estimated cost of wiring and the needed labour. From this perspective wireless sensor technology provides the capability to provide reliable sensor data at the required temporal and spatial granularity associated with building energy management. In this paper, a wireless sensor network mote hardware design and implementation is presented for a building energy management application. Appropriate sensors were selected and interfaced with the developed system based on user requirements to meet both the building monitoring and metering requirements. Beside the sensing capability, actuation and interfacing to external meters/sensors are provided to perform different management control and data recording tasks associated with minimisation of energy consumption in the built environment and the development of appropriate Building information models(BIM)to enable the design and development of energy efficient spaces
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Specification of an Information Delivery Tool to Support Optimal Holistic Environmental and Energy Management in Buildings
Building performance assessment for the operational phase of a building's life cycle is heuristic, typically working from available historical metered data and focusing on bulk energy assessment. Building Management Systems are used in the operational phase of the building to control the building's internal environment according to the design criteria outlined during the design phase. Recent developments in mechanisms that communicate building performance such as standardized building performance objectives and metrics enable the use of the output from whole building energy simulation tools by nontechnical personnel and all project stakeholders. This paper proposes to specify and demonstrate the utilization of an Information Delivery Tool that supports optimum holistic environmental and energy analysis aimed at an established profile of building managers utilizing standardized performance objectives and metrics
Integrating building energy simulation in the design process
To significantly increase building energy performance, the use of building simulation software at the earliest has been emphasized. Inherent complexity in data representation, I/O (Input and Output) and Visualization of available software requires specialist knowledge to leverage the potentials offered. Early stages of design are characterized by unstructured and incomplete data which is insufficient as inputs to software based on detailed representations of the systems in the building. Existing simulation software, developed in research organizations are targeted to be used by building services engineers at detailed stages and does not suit the purposes of design community. This article attempts at identifying the reasons behind unpopularity of simulation software in the early stages of design and also argues that a new breed of decision support systems is needed for energy efficient building design
Spatial representation in product modelling
An unambiguous definition of space is necessary before any attempt is made to develop product or process models for concurrent engineering in the AEC Industry. The ambiguity is the result of different and even conflicting approaches to its definition in the various phases of the building life cycle for different stakeholders, e.g. architects, engineers, and building services engineer etc. Some researchers consider space as an abstract property of things, while others consider it as a thing itself. Regardless of the definition, the space can be referred to as a collector of material objects and also as an object itself. This paper investigates the existing concepts and criteria of definition in various phases, compares the factual and ontological meaning, and specifies conceptual schemas for representation of space, geometry, and buildings
Inelastic electron tunneling via molecular vibrations in single-molecule transistors
In single-molecule transistors, we observe inelastic cotunneling features
that correspond energetically to vibrational excitations of the molecule, as
determined by Raman and infrared spectroscopy. This is a form of inelastic
electron tunneling spectroscopy of single molecules, with the transistor
geometry allowing in-situ tuning of the electronic states via a gate electrode.
The vibrational features shift and change shape as the electronic levels are
tuned near resonance, indicating significant modification of the vibrational
states. When the molecule contains an unpaired electron, we also observe
vibrational satellite features around the Kondo resonance.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Supplementary information available upon reques
Towards a wireless sensor platform for energy efficient building operation
Currently, the IT-support for energy performance rating of buildings is insufficient. So-called IT-platforms often “built” of an ad-hoc, inconsistent combination of off-the-shelf building management components, distributed data metering equipment and several monitoring software tools. A promising approach to achieve consistent, holistic performance data management is the implementation of an integrated, modular wireless sensor platform. This paper presents an approach of how wireless sensors can be seamlessly integrated into existing and future intelligent building management systems supporting improved building performance and diagnostics with an emphasis on energy management
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