Building Control Simulator for Pre-Installation Testing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In large building control systems, such as fire safety and HVAC systems, the piecemeal installation process leads to delayed full system testing, resulting in costly performance issues and time delays, as only small portions can be tested at a time until all hardware is installed, making it difficult to resolve logical design errors and obtain certifications.
Innovation Solution
A simulator is connected to the network, configured to simulate uninstalled building control devices, allowing for pre-installation testing of the entire system by communicating with installed devices, thereby enabling early identification and resolution of logical design problems during the installation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If building control devices are installed piecemeal over time during construction, then installation flexibility and adaptability to construction progress are improved, but full system testing cannot be performed until all hardware is installed, causing delays in identifying logical design errors and obtaining certificates of occupancy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a simulator that creates virtual copies of building control devices to replace physical hardware during testing. The simulator reads device identification information and installation information from databases to generate accurate virtual representations, allowing full system testing to be performed with a mixture of simulated and physical devices. This copying approach enables testing without requiring all physical hardware to be installed, thereby resolving the contradiction between installation flexibility and testing timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The simulator performs preliminary actions by pre-loading device identification information and installation information into databases before physical hardware installation is complete. The system can test logical design and software functionality in advance using simulated devices, identifying and resolving issues before the entire system is physically installed. This preliminary testing action eliminates the time delay that would otherwise occur while waiting for complete hardware installation.
2Reliability
If full system testing is postponed until all hardware is installed, then complete system functionality can be tested, but logical design errors and performance problems are not identified until late in the project, resulting in costly resolutions and time delays
Solution Approach 1:
The simulator creates virtual copies of all building control devices, allowing complete system functionality to be tested using these copies. The simulator reads device identification information to accurately represent each device's characteristics and installation information to reflect the actual system configuration. This enables reliable verification of complete system functionality while allowing early detection of logical design errors, resolving the contradiction between thorough testing and early error detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The simulator acts as an intermediary between the physical installation process and system testing. It mediates by accepting device identification information and installation information from databases, generating virtual device representations, and enabling testing without requiring physical hardware to be present. This intermediary approach allows logical design errors to be detected early while maintaining the ability to verify complete system functionality.
3Productivity
If only small portions of the system are tested during piecemeal installation, then testing can be performed incrementally, but the full run-time logical interaction of the system cannot be evaluated until all hardware is installed
Solution Approach 1:
The simulator creates virtual copies of building control devices that can be mixed with physical devices during testing. The simulator reads device identification information to generate accurate virtual representations and uses installation information to determine which devices are simulated versus physical. This copying approach enables incremental testing of installed portions while simultaneously allowing evaluation of full system logical interaction, resolving the contradiction between incremental testing and comprehensive system evaluation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments devices into installed and uninstalled portions, with the simulator handling uninstalled devices as virtual copies. The simulator reads installation information to identify which devices are physically installed and which should be simulated. This segmentation allows incremental testing of physical devices while the simulator contributes virtual devices to enable evaluation of complete system logical interaction, reducing the complexity of coordinating full system testing.
Data Source
AI summary
A building control system comprises a central control station and at least one control panel connected to the central control station over a network. At least one loop is connected to at least one control panel. The at least one loop comprises a plurality of installed building control devices connected in an electrical circuit. A simulator is also connected to the network and configured to simulate the operation of a plurality of uninstalled building control devices for the building control system. The simulator is further configured to communicate over the network with the plurality of installed building control devices. Simulation of the operation of the uninstalled building control devices occurs simultaneously with the communication between the installed building control devices and the simulator. Accordingly, the simulator may be used to test the entire building control system during the process of installation at a facility.