BEAVER
861 visits
Posting Date | 26 October 2009
Type of tool | Simulation Tool
Countries where the tool has been developed | Oceania
Country where the tool is in use | Oceania
Geographic Coverage | International
Theme | Heating, domestic hot water, Calculation, simulation, Air conditioning, cooling, ventilation, air infiltration
Target Group | Building professionals
Conditions of availability | Sale
Expertise required | Knowledge of air conditioning systems and thermal heat transfer is essential. A one day training course is recommended.
Number of users | 41
Input of the tool | The geometric details of the building including shading schemes and the internal people, lights and equipment loads. Load profiles and operating schedules.
Details of the each air handling plant and the zones/rooms they serve. The Air Handling system type is selected from a series of graphics which display the details included with the unit. To this basic system various extra components or operating strategies can be added including Heat Recovery, Preheat Coils, Exhaust Fan, Temperature reset on heating and cooling coils, etc. The primary plants which can include boilers, chillers, on site generators, waste heat boilers, solar collectors, ice or chilled water storage tanks. These components can be linked in numerous configurations with a wide range of control schemes. Part load performance is user specified with provision for adjustment on the basis of outdoor air dry or wet bulb temperature.
Data input is interactive (mouse driven) via WINDOWS dialogue boxes, selection lists drop down lists and entry fields on a series of screens running through general Project information to individual space data and for all the building services plant, capacities, operating schedules, etc. Buttons on the toolbar and special keys allow the user to copy individual values, columns of data or complete screens from space to space or system to system and there is a facility for making global changes.
Graphical displays are provided for schedules, adjacent shading, external walls and roofs, air handling and primary plant and these provide a convenient visual check for the user on the data being entered.
Provision is also available to directly import data from the ACADS-BSG Air Conditioning Load Estimation Program CAMEL and most of the LOADS input screens have been deliberately made to look similar to the CAMEL screens Range and data checking is provided on all input items and a comprehensive consistency check is made on the data entered. Comprehensive help is provided on all input items.
Output of the tool | The results from the calculations include:
The monthly and total energy consumption peak demand by fuel type.
A list of the maximum and minimum temperatures in each space together with the number of times the space temperature has gone outside the thermostat range. These are also displayed ignoring the first hour of operation each day to indicate the effect of pull down loads.
The Loading as the number of occurrences in 10 percentage bands for each chiller, boiler and on-site generator.
The maximum load on each AHU (coil load and for VAV systems air quantity) and the chiller plant. This helps users identify why space temperatures are not being maintained.
The monthly and total kWhrs and peak demands by energy consumption type (heating, cooling, reheat, etc.) for each air handling unit.
Monthly and total loads transferred to the primary plant.
Monthly and total loads and energy consumption and monthly peak demands for solar collectors, storage tanks and heat reclaim plant.
Monthly and total energy consumption and peak demand for all user nominated sub-meters.
The results of the energy study can also be viewed (and printed) graphically with facilities for line and bar graphs, pie charts, etc for the monthly and annual energy consumption by fuel type or sub meter.
Detailed hourly results can be presented in a format suitable for importing to a spreadsheet to allow further evaluation of the results and plotting.
Strengths | The program has many features that make the inputting of data very rapid compared to most other similar programs. It only needs x, y, z co-ordinates for example when shading is required. A major feature is its link to CAMEL the ACADS-BSG Load Estimation program. During it�s twenty-five years progressive evolvement since it�s introduction in Australia and New Zealand, it has had many practical features suggested by users incorporated.
Weaknesses | Some system types not included and it does not model chilled and condenser water loops. It has a limited range of windows available for selection. Lacks some flexibility in that it is confined to set system types. It cannot model natural ventilation or daylighting.
Publisher URL | http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory/
Tool Languages | English
WINDOWS environment for the ESPII Fortran program which estimates the energy consumption of buildings using the ASHRAE Response Factor Method. BEAVER building energy simulation provides for user friendly input of data, processing and viewing of the results.
BEAVER estimates the energy consumption of a building hourly over a given period of time taking into account the site location, the building structure and the type of building services installed to maintain the desired environmental conditions. It enables a designer to investigate alternatives and make energy comparisons quickly and effectively for a very wide range of building configurations and air conditioning systems using actual measured climatic data.
A comprehensive range of air handling systems, primary plant and control strategies enable the modelling of a wide range of building services �SYSTEMS�. Numerous plant items can be individually scheduled so that fans, coils, thermostats, outside air cycles, chillers, boilers, heat exchangers, energy recording meters can all have their own operating times. The program can be used in Southern and Northern latitudes.
Tool website URL(s) | http://members.ozemail.com.au/~acadsbsg/
Submitted by Hicham LAHMIDI (BUREAU VERITAS)
Comments
This item has not yet been commented. Please feel free to send us a comment of your own.