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CE6011 Smart Buildings and Automation

2013-2014

2. Basic concepts and definitions

Dr. Benny Raphael Assoc. Professor

Civil Engineering Department IIT Madras

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This lecture

• Introduces you to some basic concepts that are covered in this module. All the topics covered in this lecture are covered in depth in subsequent lectures

• We start with the notion of intelligence, then discuss the features that are expected of an intelligent building and finally examine some formal definitions

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When do we say that something or someone is behaving intelligently?

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Artificial Intelligence

• An area of computer science that aims to mimic human intelligence in computer systems

Results from AI research will eventually percolate down to building systems so that they exhibit intelligent behaviour like some AI programs!

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Important concepts in AI • System should learn from experience – knowledge

should not be static. The system should have mechanisms built into it that allows accumulation of knowledge throughout its life

• The performance of the system should improve with time. The system should be able to adapt its behaviour using new knowledge accumulated through experience

• The system should exhibit autonomous behaviour. It should be able to take decisions by itself instead of relying on human beings

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Example of an Intelligent System

• ALVINN – an autonomous driving system developed at the Carnegie Mellon University. It drives by itself at speeds of 100 Kmph on highways without causing accidents

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Larry Page on Autonomous driving:

There are energy savings (traffic would flow more efficiently) and productivity gains (commuting hours reclaimed). There will be cost savings too - in the millions of dollars at Google alone. The Googleplex, he says, is short on parking, and quotes for new garages have come in at $40,000 per car. Why not let the car drop you off and go park itself offsite? Page asks. "Whenever you need it," he adds, "your phone notices that you're walking out of the building, and your car is there immediately by the time you get downstairs.“

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/01/03/google-larry-page/?iid=HP_LN&hpt=hp_bn1

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Intelligent buildings: Historical perspective

• Originated in the 1980s • Denoted buildings with sophisticated

telecommunications, building management and networked services

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/01/07/internet.connected.appliances/

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Exercise-1

Discuss whether your home (the apartment where you live) is an intelligent building according to the concept introduced in the previous slide

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Early applications of the concept

• Monitoring and control of building services – HVAC, Lighting, lifts, fire alarms, access,

security, electric power

• Deliver optimum service – Reduction in energy use – Maximize comfort conditions (maintain a

steady temperature, relative humidity, etc.)

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Exercise-2

Discuss if you have come across any commercial building in Chennai which has the features listed in the previous slide. Can you say that intelligent buildings are commonly found in Chennai?

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Intelligent facilities: What it means today

Clients are increasingly demanding “smart” buildings. They want buildings to be “energy smart”, behave “intelligently”, etc.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1711771/smart-building-management-business-ballooning-to-24-billion

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Exercise-3

Write down five things that you expect to see in an intelligent building

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Building services control

• Coordinated response from various systems to problems as they arise

• All services operated from a single point of control – Eg. Aircon shut down when there is a fire,

alarms sound, exit lights blink, etc.

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Facilities management: maintenance management

• Detect failures in equipment • Predict maintenance needs • Control stocks of spares • Issue job sheets for work to be undertaken

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Exercise

• Discuss why a good facilities management system is important for an intelligent building

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Automation

• Performing tasks without manual intervention – Switching on lightings, AC, cooker, etc. – Opening doors, access control – Security and monitoring – Auto-diagnosis

• Use of portable and mobile devices to

accomplish the above

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Building automation systems

The concept of building automation came from industrial automation, where the operation of large industrial plants were automated using sensors and actuators. Consequently usage of many terms were historically derived from industrial engineering.

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Office automation, workflow automation

• Office automation refers to computerisation of

information generation, storage and processing

• Workflow refers to the “flow” of information through various stages in performing a task (which is part of a business process)

• Building operations should be seamlessly integrated into the workflow of an organisation for better effectiveness (eg. Booking a meeting room)

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Telecommunications

• Exchange of information across different systems and people

• Establish data network

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Intelligent facilities: Limited definition

• Facilities with computerised operating and management system

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Better definitions • An intelligent building is one that creates an environment

that maximises the efficiency of the occupants of the building while at the same time allowing effective management of resources with minimum life-time costs

• An intelligent building is one which provides a productive and cost-effective environment through optimisation of its four basic elements – structure, systems, services and management and the inter-relationships between them – (Robathan, 1989), Intelligent buildings guide.

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Another definition

• Where information and communication systems work together with building systems to enhance the effectiveness of the resident organisation – Boyd (Intelligent buildings, 1994)

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Implementation problems

• Integration of equipments and computers not easy

• Non-reliability of components • Capabilities of automated systems do not

match user’s requirements

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A guided tour through an intelligent building

• You have a job interview at Intelligent Building Consultants, Chennai

• At the entrance – Doors open automatically – Electronic display of map and directory

• Lift moves down as soon as you walk towards it. You can select the floor by speaking to a voice recognition system

• Lights turn on automatically as you enter the lobby

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A guided tour through an intelligent building

• Blinds are closed on the west side because there is direct solar radiation coming from this side

• The main door at the entrance of the office opens automatically because an image recognition system has identified you and is expecting you

• The HR manager is informed automatically that you have arrived

• A voice message greets you and asks you to wait for a while

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A guided tour through an intelligent building

• The TV is turned on for you at the reception. Lights and aircon are turned on to comfortable settings.

• An LCD display shows the energy consumption of the building

• The HR Manager takes you to the meeting room which is ready for your meeting. It has been booked through a facilities management system

• You take part in a video conference with the CEO who is based in a foreign country. You are impressed with the clarity of video and audio

• When you leave, you want to join the organization just for the pleasure of working in that building

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“Current” usage of terms • BAS – Building Automation System

– Refers to systems that control lighting, fire alarms, access control, etc. – It is mostly device-centric and supplied by control system vendors

• BMS – Building Management System

– A software that coordinates the operations of different building systems. Usually stores data in a central database and have at least one operator workstation connected through the communications network to integrate electronic systems that control building services.

– It is mostly centred around building systems

• Facilities Management Software – Sofware that records location and details of equipments and assets,

keeps track of their maintenance and related issues – It places emphasis on management activities

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Layered view of BMS

BMS

Facilities Management System

Building Automation System

Inventory, assets Maintenance

Rooms, usage Equipments

Chiller

Lighting control

Occupancy schedule

Features shown are only representative, not exhaustive.