Better IAQ Through Integrating Design Tools For The HVAC Industry

There is currently no effective combination of interoperable design tools to cover all critical aspects of the HVAC design process. Existing design tools are separately available, but require expertise and operating time that is beyond the scope of a normal design project. For example, energy analysis and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools are not used in practical design, leading to poor indoor air quality and/or unnecessary energy consumption in buildings.

A prototype integrated software tool for demonstration, process mapping and proof-of-concept purposes was developed under a new international, Finland/USA jointly funded development project BildIT. Individual design tools were simplified and adapted to specific applications and also integrated so that they can be used in a timely and effective manner by the designer. The core of the prototype linked together an architectural CAD system, a 3D space model, a CFD program and a building energy simulation program and it utilises real product data from manufacturer's software. Also the complex building design, construction, maintenance and retrofit processes were mapped to get a template for the structure of the integrated design tool.