Thermal modeling of an office environment with variable volume air condition system using zonal method for control system applications

Appropriate thermal modeling is the first step in controlling thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption. In this article, the thermal modeling of an office room with a variable air volume (VAV) system is considered. Various thermal modeling methods are reviewed, and finally, the zonal method is selected. The main advantage of the selected method is its simple formulation but still accurate results. Furthermore, the output equations are in the state-space forms which are suitable for control applications. The thermal model is obtained by considering the airflow patterns in the office room. One of the key features of the obtained model is its applicability to winter as well as summer conditions. DesignBuilder software is also used to validate the thermal model. Results indicate the accuracy of the obtained thermal model in all weather conditions.