BIM- and IoT-based virtual reality tool for real-time thermal comfort assessment in building enclosures. (15th July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shahinmoghadam, Mehrzad; Natephra, Worawan; Motamedi, Ali
• Is Part Of: Building and environment. Volume 199(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-07-15
• Subjects: Thermal comfort -- PMV-PPD model -- Building information modeling (BIM) -- Internet of things (IoT) -- Virtual reality -- Digital twin; Buildings -- Environmental engineering -- Periodicals; Building -- Research -- Periodicals; Constructions -- Technique de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 696
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.107905
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0360-1323

Abstract

Abstract: Despite their vast potential for delivering rich and intuitive visualizations of live building monitoring data, digital twins have been rarely studied in the context of thermal comfort. To narrow this gap, this study investigates the synergistic benefits of Building Information Modeling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT) and Virtual Reality (VR) for developing an immersive VR application for real-time monitoring of thermal comfort conditions. A system architecture was proposed for live calculation of the PMV/PPD indices based on ASHRAE standard 55 and enrichment of BIM-based representations of building spaces in VR environments with live IoT-enabled monitoring data. Openly available software tools were used to make the geometric and sensory data accessible within a VR application and calculate the PMV/PPD indices. Using a semi-automated method, raw thermal images streaming from a cost-effective non-intrusive sensor were processed on an affordable edge computing device to enable near real-time calculation of Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT). A prototype of the system was implemented and used in a series of experiments where a dynamic thermal environment was created in a mechanically conditioned space. The results support the consistency between the system's output and the actual thermal sensations observed under various conditions. Highlights: BIM-IoT integrated data was used in a VR tool for live assessment of thermal comfort. A cost-effective IoT prototype was developed to measure indoor surface temperatures. Live MRT calculation was realized by processing raw thermal images on an edge device. 3D immersive visualizations of BIM/IoT data and live PMV/PPD charts were delivered. The VR tool allows navigation through virtual spaces and performing what-if analyses.