An optimised window control strategy for naturally ventilated residential buildings in warm climates. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tan, Zijing; Deng, Xiang
• Is Part Of: Sustainable cities and society. Volume 57(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: Natural ventilation -- Control strategy -- Window opening percentage -- Thermal comfort -- Control optimisation; Sustainable urban development -- Periodicals; Sustainable buildings -- Periodicals; Urban ecology (Sociology) -- Periodicals; 307.76
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2020.102118
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2210-6707

Abstract

Highlights: Presentation of a window control strategy for a naturally ventilated residential building. Evaluation of the window control strategy by comparisons among different control procedures. Control hysteresis is minimised by introducing the outdoor temperature prediction. Strategy with flexible window opening percentage modulation is more effective for indoor thermal comfort maintaining. Introduction of the predictive and feedback control is helpful for avoiding over-ventilation. Abstract: The adopted window control strategy within an indoor environment affects ventilation performance and occupant comfort. A natural ventilation strategy with optimised window control is proposed and evaluated on a typical Australian residential building. The three main steps of window control are: 1) prediction of outdoor air temperature through rolling forecast; 2) determination of ventilation mode through the decision tree method and; 3) optimisation of window opening percentage through heuristic control. Three control strategies are investigated and compared throughout the hot season. The results suggest that introducing prediction of outdoor temperature into the natural ventilation control process minimises the negative impact of control hysteresis. By using flexible degrees of window opening, the proposed strategy shows improved performance for maintaining an indoor operative temperature compared to the original open-closed control. The mean absolute deviations of indoor operative temperature from the neutral operative temperature are reduced by more than 30 %. In addition, the presented feedback and predictive control logic results in greater stability of indoor thermal operative temperature by avoiding over-ventilation.