Semantics for assembling modular components in a scalable building performance simulation

This work investigates a scalable building performance simulation (BPS) based on a modular setup deploying the recently developed functional mock-up interface standard. A procedure for the realization of such an approach is presented and a prototypical implementation is described. One of the key obstacles of the modular simulation is identified to be the collocation of simulation modules, which is addressed using a knowledge-based method enabled through ontology. The procedure allows to automatically derive a simulation topology based on the information about the interfacing variables for varying levels of detail. Also information from other sources such as building information models is incorporated. The feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated by deploying it in test cases of a single-zone and a multi-zone BPS as well as a zonal airflow simulation.