Journal article
Efficient and robust optimization for building energy simulation
Energy and buildings, v 122
15 Jun 2016
PMID: 27325907
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Efficiently, robustly and accurately solving large sets of structured, non-linear algebraic and differential equations is one of the most computationally expensive steps in the dynamic simulation of building energy systems. Here, the efficiency, robustness and accuracy of two commonly employed solution methods are compared. The comparison is conducted using the HVACSIM+ software package, a component based building system simulation tool. The HVACSIM+ software presently employs Powell's Hybrid method to solve systems of nonlinear algebraic equations that model the dynamics of energy states and interactions within buildings. It is shown here that the Powell's method does not always converge to a solution. Since a myriad of other numerical methods are available, the question arises as to which method is most appropriate for building energy simulation. This paper finds considerable computational benefits result from replacing the Powell's Hybrid method solver in HVACSIM+ with a solver more appropriate for the challenges particular to numerical simulations of buildings. Evidence is provided that a variant of the Levenberg-Marquardt solver has superior accuracy and robustness compared to the Powell's Hybrid method presently used in HVACSIM+. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Details
- Title
- Efficient and robust optimization for building energy simulation
- Creators
- Shokouh Pourarian - Drexel UniversityAnthony Kearsley - National Institute of Standards and TechnologyJin Wen - Drexel UniversityAmanda Pertzborn - National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Publication Details
- Energy and buildings, v 122
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- 60NANB10D243 / National Institute of Standards and Technology; National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) - USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000376833300006
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84963646793
- Other Identifier
- 991019168283304721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Construction & Building Technology
- Energy & Fuels
- Engineering, Civil