An advanced simulation test bed for the stability analysis of variable air volume air-conditioning control system. Part 1: Optimal simplified model of building envelope for room thermal performance prediction

This paper and its future companion papers, were aimed to develop a set of efficient and accurate enough modular tools to build a simulation test bed for the stability analysis of interacting VAV (variable air volume air-conditioning system) control loops. By providing the correlation equations between the heat flow and temperature of the two opposite surfaces, the wall model was expected to link adjacent zones effectively and efficiently. In part 1, the development of an optimal simplified 3R2C (composed of three resistances and two capacitances) thermal network model of building envelope, i.e., the wall model, was descripted. The verification showed that the simplification of one-dimensional heat conduction through a typical wall of heavy construction was acceptable. The accuracy of the optimal simplified 3R2Cmodel was satisfying, and outperformed that of the optimal 4R3C model as well as two 3R2C models which were normally used in practical applications. First and foremost, the room dimensions of the test bed with the boundary conditions in numerical scheme were designed under the principle of similarity. After validation of the numerical scheme with the high-cited scaled experiment, a series of numerical test cases simulating the potential oscillations in practical applications, were conducted. Then, the long neglected concerned frequency range within which heat flow transfer through extern wall, was determined. Finally, the part of solid wall was separated with the part of indoor air, and was developed into a flexible wall module of 3R2C model based on frequency domain regression.