Cyber-Enabled Optimization of HVAC System Control in Open Space of Office Building

Area of Science:

• Building Science
• Environmental Control Systems
• Human-Building Interaction

Background:

• Human thermal comfort is vital for well-being and productivity, primarily managed by heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
• Current HVAC control metrics and traditional comfort models are often oversimplified, failing to adapt to individual needs and accurately regulate indoor climates.
• Existing systems lack personalization, leading to suboptimal thermal conditions in office environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a data-driven thermal comfort model for enhancing occupant comfort in office buildings.
• To utilize a cyber-physical system (CPS) architecture for adaptive and precise control of indoor thermal environments.
• To investigate the impact of the model on both occupant comfort levels and building energy consumption.

Main Methods:

• Development of a hybrid, data-driven thermal comfort model integrated within a cyber-physical system (CPS) architecture.
• Creation of a building simulation model to replicate diverse occupant behaviors in an open-space office setting.
• Validation of the model's predictive accuracy and performance in terms of comfort improvement and energy efficiency.

Main Results:

• The hybrid model accurately predicts occupant thermal comfort levels within a reasonable computational time.
• Significant improvements in occupant thermal comfort were observed, ranging from 43.41% to 69.93%.
• Energy consumption remained stable or slightly decreased (1.01% to 3.63%) while enhancing thermal comfort.

Conclusions:

• The developed data-driven thermal comfort model effectively improves occupant comfort in office buildings.
• The cyber-physical system approach enables adaptive control, addressing limitations of traditional comfort models.
• The strategy shows potential for practical implementation in real-world building automation systems, optimizing both comfort and energy use.