Digital Twin Model Construction and Simulation Platform for Integrated Environment of Building Facades

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-0232.2024.06.011

Abstract

Abstract: The building facade is located at the interface between indoor and outdoor environments and is subjected to a range of variable environmental conditions. Based on variability of facades, dynamic building facades can make real-time responses to changes in the indoor and outdoor environments and user needs. Building facades can significantly decrease energy consumption for lighting and air conditioning and make positive contributions to indoor air quality, acoustic, visual and thermal comfort.
　　Digital twins are a key to achieving the optimal indoor environmental control. However, research on the application of digital twins to dynamic building facades is still in its infancy. Building performance simulation software is one of the most common applications of digital modeling in architecture. Designers and researchers commonly use the building performance simulation software to simulate the performance of daylighting and ventilation systems. As the interface for interaction of multiple physical environments, building facade mainly includes thermal environment, light environment, acoustic and air environment. Existing building performance simulation software mainly focuses on single environment. There are still insufficient tools and platforms for multi-environmental combined simulation.
　　In this study, three controllable movement modes (window opening, shading height and louver angle) of dynamic building façade were selected and controllable variables of building façade movement were determined according to four environmental factors (indoor temperature, indoor illuminance, noises and CO2 concentration). A total of 24 types of dynamic façade design prototypes were extracted and façade geometric structures were recognized. Combining with physics, geometry and structural related knowledge of dynamic building facades, characteristic parameters of dynamic façade under different design forms were extracted. The coupling relations between three façade controllable movement forms and four environmental states were established. Digital twin models orienting to comprehensive environmental control of dynamic building façade were constructed and their accuracy was verified through an experiment.
　　The models were encapsulated by Python language and the comprehensive environmental simulation platform of dynamic building façade orienting to architects was developed. The software program is composed of six modules, including building model input, environmental parameter establishment, façade parameter establishment, indoor environmental simulation, comprehensive environmental performance optimization and graph output. The building model input module is used to input geometric information of buildings. The environmental parameter input module is used to input indoor and outdoor environmental conditions such as temperature, illumination, mechanical ventilation rate and occupant count. The façade parameter input model is used to create relevant parameters such as window types, window size and material properties. The indoor environmental simulation module simulates acoustic, light, thermal and air quality performances of building facades based on the given model and environmental parameters. The comprehensive environmental performance optimization module evaluates and optimizes the comprehensive comfort based on the calculated results of four environmental factors. Finally, the indoor environmental performances and comprehensive environmental optimization results are presented in graphs. The dynamic building façade comprehensive environmental simulation platform can analyze environmental response relations and performances of dynamic façade quickly and intuitively according to simulation of different façade design modes and environmental scenes. The applications of models and the simulation platform were verified based on the case study.
　　The simulation platform integrates thermal environment, light environment, acoustic environment and air quality. It solved the problem of building performance simulation software that cannot make multi-environment combined simulation, thus meeting practical application needs of simulation, prediction, optimization and control of building facades. It also can assist architects in early design stage of building facades, and provides them direct guidance and reference to design of dynamic building facades. Moreover, the platform can deepen understanding and cognition of architects on building intelligent system. It can boost the combination of dynamic building facades and intelligent control from the design end, promote practical applications and development of digital technology to building environment and energy-saving field, and facilitate digital updating and sustainable development of building industry.

Key words: dynamic building facades, digital twin model, simulation platform, kinematic geometry

摘要： 建筑表皮是多物理环境交互的接口，当前的建筑性能模拟软件多为针对单一环境的模拟，多环境联合模拟的工具平台较少。基于建筑运动几何学，遴选动态表皮的可控运动形式，提取24类动态表皮设计原型，建立面向控制的建筑表皮综合环境数字孪生模型，并结合案例对数字孪生模型及模拟平台进行应用验证。使用Python语言将模型封装成动态表皮综合环境模拟平台，针对不同表皮设计形式和环境场景模拟，可以快速直观地分析动态表皮的环境响应关系和性能。模拟平台融合了热环境、光环境、声环境和空气品质这四个综合环境，解决了建筑性能模拟软件无法多环境联合模拟的问题，从而满足对建筑表皮的仿真、预测、优化和控制等实际应用需求。

关键词: 动态建筑表皮, 数字孪生模型, 模拟平台, 运动几何学

CLC Number:

TU2
TU11

ZHOU Hanyu, WANG Lixiong, LIU Gang. Digital Twin Model Construction and Simulation Platform for Integrated Environment of Building Facades[J]. South Architecture, 2024, 0(6): 107-115.

周涵宇, 王立雄, 刘刚. 建筑表皮综合环境数字孪生模型构建及模拟平台[J]. 南方建筑, 2024, 0(6): 107-115.

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