Reflection

Intelligent Buildings was a course in which I could explore the future of my chosen profession. I enjoyed learning about problems I will be faced with in the future and how professionals and researchers are already working on solutions to said problems. Using technology to solve current issues also gives rise to other difficulties. Through this course, I’ve been taught about the responsibilities I have as a prospective engineer to solve these new problems because of their impacts on society and my profession.

Additionally, this course allowed me to explore some of my weaknesses and work on them. For example, I knew about Revit families before this course, but I’ve never made my own furniture family. I also got to work with databases which was something I wasn’t familiar with. I’m hoping I can use them in the future professionally, although right now, I don’t know where they would fit in. I was also happy to use Revit because it is one of my strengths and I like being able to improve on my current skillset. I was also able to practice my writing skills since we were able to get feedback from the professor on our assignments.

I took this course because I was interested in sensor technology and I believed I would be afforded the opportunity to explore sensors. For my final project I researched CO2 sensors in depth as I believed them to be a viable solution to a serious problem facing the building systems industry. After conducting research, writing a paper, and creating a presentation, I still believe that CO2 sensors are the solution for supplying air on demand. I think my paper and presentation are interesting to read and do a good job at explaining the current status of CO2 sensor technology and their use in everyday applications.

This course touched a lot upon things I have learned in other classes and my Co-Ops. I think a lot of the topics gone over in the class will help me professionally and add to my abilities as an engineer. It also helps to hear about things other students are working on so that we can learn from them as well. Instead of just one teacher we get multiple! I’m looking forward to seeing the presentations in class so I can learn more about some of the topics we have gone over in class and possibly some new topics.

In conclusion, this course is beneficial to people who are new to building systems because a lot of the information presented in the class is common knowledge to people who have been employed by firms who work on buildings over their co-ops. I believe that the project was well geared toward a wide audience because it gave students the opportunity to research something they cared about. All in all, I think the course was beneficial to most students and I think we all took away some important lessons. I feel better prepared for my future in the industry and it was exciting to learn about emerging technology.

Comments:

Robert Borelli: I agree that Professor Mitchell’s videos helped a lot with the assignments. I think that if he hadn’t posted them, I would have had a much more difficult time completing the assignments. Particularly the database assignment. I had a lot of difficulty with that assignment.

Hanyan Chen: I think you have a point with gearing the class more towards digital buildings students. However, I think this class could also be used for students beginning in architectural engineering since it explains and goes over a lot of topics students will encounter on their co-ops.

Laney Fries: I think your “what could happen” comment was spot on. I think that we could have narrowed the topics down to “what is currently happening” instead. We went over a lot of technologies that are arising but not what problems they will solve really.

Building Topic Outline: "How Sensor Technology Will Shape Occupant Comfort and Energy Consumption"

I
Identification of sensor technologies
Define sensors and the problem
State argument for research
II
Available technology
Application of sensors in HVAC systems
III
Issues that must be researched regarding enthalpy sensors
How these issues can be sorted
Who will solve these problems and how will the research be conducted
IV
Issues that must be researched regarding CO2 sensors
How these issues can be sorted
Who will solve these problems and how will the research be conducted
V
Benefits of better sensor technologies
How will the building industry change as a result?
VI
Conclusion
VII
References

Sensor technology for HVAC design is still developing and control schemes are often overlooked by mechanical engineers throughout the design process. Most available sensor technologies that are available now are used to optimize the comfort of occupants. The cost of this is measured through increased energy consumption in mechanical systems. However, to the owners of the building, the benefit of making sure all occupants are comfortable is measured in productivity. Ensuring occupant comfort is an integral aspect towards designing now as many new buildings adhere to more stringent wellness standards. I would like to explore how building systems can maintain occupant comfort while also reducing the energy consumption of buildings using the same sensors.

CO2, enthalpy, humidity, temperature, and occupancy sensors are all available for use in mechanical design. Networking these sensors to mechanical systems in the form of complex control schemes is a method of increasing occupant comfort and decreasing energy cost. These sensors can be used to determine outside conditions and whether passive or economizer cycles can be enabled in a mechanical system. CO2 sensors specifically are imperative to smart energy control, yet, they are among the most unreliable sensors among the group listed. Often having to be recalibrated and replaced, CO2 sensors have proven themselves to be a mutable at best solution to reducing energy demand in HVAC systems. In addition to CO2 sensors, Enthalpy sensors which are used in air handling units to create economizer cycles are still yet to be widespread in use because the standard energy practice set in place by ASHRAE codes 90.1 and 189.1 need to change to accommodate higher limit controls.

The paper I will be writing will focus on how CO2 and Enthalpy sensor technology can improve so that HVAC systems and HVAC design practices can reduce energy demand in buildings. Many successful companies have commercialized these sensors which proves that the industry is ready for a breakthrough regarding sensor technologies. When CO2 technology becomes more practical and more widespread, the industry will see a positive shift in occupant comfort. Ganging CO2 sensors together with enthalpy sensors, engineers will be able to increase the prevalence of economizers in HVAC systems. Thus, increasing occupant productivity and reducing energy consumption.

The benefits of researching sensor technology will be felt by employees, they environment, and businesses alike. Sensors must also have the capacity to be wireless now as well. To reduce the cost of wiring and other materials, the ability to network sensors to a central control system is essential. Additionally, by creating a wireless network of sensors, the operational staff can monitor and override the automatic controls of the HVAC system. Giving the operational staff control of the building allows for the ability to maintain acute areas of the building without having to disrupt an entire HVAC system.

Some of the drawbacks of researching sensor technology include the initial investment cost. The biggest issue that undermine the development of CO2 sensors pertain to undiscovered materials that can be mass produced efficiently to give reliable measurements. More experimentation in different climate zones must be conducted to realize the potential of enthalpy sensors. So far, the technology is still relatively unregulated and to pervasively enact positive change, codes must be developed and required. Conducting this research is expensive and often is not beneficial enough to invest in as a private company. However, with the emergence of these technologies and their improvements so far, the industry will continue to develop. In my opinion, it is worth the investment which is why I want to find out what can be done to improve CO2 and enthalpy sensors.

Relevant papers:

http://www.cmfnh.com/documents/ASHRAE_Journal_QA.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316364813_SMART_HVAC_SENSORS_FOR_SMART_ENERGY

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/4266818

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5346631

Comments:
Laney Fries:
I think the inclusion of AI within residential homes will become more commonplace as time goes on. It is already popular through the use of Amazon echo and other similar devices. It will be interesting to see what other applications they have in residential atmospheres.
Calvin Tang:
Your topic would pertain more to this class if you included a section on how your method of design will change over time. It would also be interested to read about any notes you may have about the flaws and benefits of your current method.
Qiaodan Lin:
Predicting the future of the buidling industry in ten years is an interesting concept. However, I would like to hear about a longer term. Maybe a time frame larger than what we have discussed in class. Maybe you could include a short section of this in your report.

Blog 1 - HVAC, Sensors and the future

When I look at sensor technology and how it will progress into the future, I imagine how important it will be for HVAC. Nests, for example, utilizes phone apps to change the temperature within a house while you are not home, and also utilizes location abilities to sense when a person arrives home and to change the indoor temperature. Moving into the future, it would be no surprise to me at least if Nest continues with more sensor technology to improve their system overall. While Nest is just one example of the use of sensors and HVAC, another interesting source that one company has decided to pull from are the vents in a house with central air. Keen Home has created a smart vent that can be preprogrammed to be open or closed during certain hours of the day, similar to the Nest. (1). These smart vents also come preprogrammed, which shows a move that Nest could not do. When the vent is assigned a specific location, it comes programmed given the estimated time the space is used. For example, if there is a home office, the Keen program will automatically estimate the vent should be open during typical working hours when one would spend the most amount of time. As stated in The Brilliant Air Vents You Never Knew You Needed, “..rather than compete with the Nests and Winks and Honeywells of the market, Keen is more like a new member of a relay team, carrying the baton forward.” The idea of the smart vent moves HVAC designs into the future with different technologies, but there is still much more that can be done to improve the use of systems going forward. It’s not just in smaller systems, such as the thermostat or vent that technology is moving towards the future. There are also programs that improved HVAC design. OpenStudio, is used to “support whole building energy modeling using EnergyPlus and advanced daylight analysis using Radiance” (2). With programs like OpenStudio out there that work to improve the design process and products like Nest and Keen that improve the efficiency in use continuously make moves towards the future of a more overall efficient design.

One of the largest pushes forward is getting rid of batteries in sensors so that there is no need for replacing. One article that talks about this brings up the idea of thermoelectric technology in many products, such as refrigerators, headphones, watches, etc. (3) In doing this, “charging” or repowering an item only has to be done in bolts or rarely, as opposed to batteries continuously being in use. Doing this allows products to be much more efficient and shows the steps that are happening to create a better (in some cases future) – but technology is also a fear many have.

(1)    “The Brilliant Air Vents You Never Knew You Needed” (January 14, 2015) https://www.wired.com/2015/01/brilliant-air-vents-never-knew-needed/

(2)    OpenStudio (November 25, 2015) https://www.openstudio.net/

(3)    “Here Comes the Thermoelectric Future: We Tried Out the Next Generation of Self-Powered Sensors” (January 4, 2019) https://www.cnet.com/news/thermoelectric-future-we-tried-out-the-next-generation-of-self-powered-sensors/

RESPONSES:

To Maalik – I agree how crazy it is the spending that occurs in automation and development is continuing to grow. While I specifically focused on household HVAC systems and sensors, your research into AI use brings to light a whole new level of futuristic designs.

To Hailey - I also use small technology regularly, such as my headphones, and I think it's fascinating how the technology improves and continues to get small. I also looked at the thermoelectric technology moving to the future, and in moving towards using thermoelectricity, I see that technology will be able to be used more often, and improved as well. 

Week 1 Post - Hailey Ihlow - Group D

Topics: Sensors, AI, Future

Self-powered sensors – self-powered living – Sensors for wearable technology and sensors for data analysis; those are some key topics I am pulling from the tag. There is a need for energy generation that does not rely on fossil fuel, but there are other benefits to this as well. The sensors are used for energy usage and generation depending on the use. For example, there is a watch that runs on the heat of the user; this takes away the need for charging every few days. While the charge is not a lot for a high-powered smartwatch, it does have potential as technology advances. The current tech is bulky but has gotten smaller as the technology advances. As sensors in this regard get better and smaller applications will expand to other daily used items such as headphones. I use my headphones about 70% of my day. With devices that are powered by the world around them, what will that mean when AI systems are installed and implemented into the same devices. [1]

Will, we let them “…control over our computers, toasters, cars.” A lot of companies are using cloud-like systems to save data, but those are not AI like for now. Before I delve further into the AI realm, a constant paranoia is that Siri or other phone applications are listening to our conversations. This “listening” is how companies such as Google and Amazon make their products edgier, by knowing the clients (us) as we use their products. With the system knowing what we search, ready, like, etc. the product can learn and use this for future use to potentially help the user. In another setting AI is a large part of the self-driving car. While there is still a lot to be designed with this technology the capabilities are at the fingertips of these large companies. I think this technology will be hard to implement since there are some sacrifices to be made with the self-driving car. Not only giving up the actual driving but the companies that run these will have control over everything around transportation. How long it takes to get there if you take the high way or local streets. Self-driving cars can be comparable to the phone listening to our conversations. The car will know where you usually go and need to go when taking away choices we have as of now. [2]

As tech advances so do we. Advancement while is usually a good thing it may have its problems. Considering “what tech will look like in 2039” article one of the first topics discussed is biology hacking. Biology hacking, while having amazing perks speaks to some cons as well. This article touches on the medical advancements and helpfulness that this technology can bring us. The article even mentions AI, and how that tech can help determine things within our codes to help our health. As with most tech and advancements setting principles and rules helps not only the tech but us from being vulnerable to our creation and other creations.  [3]

There is a lot in the future that is near and far regarding how technology will change and how it will change us. While technology is something humans rely on eventually the line of what is and is not technology may fade away.

References:

 [1] Stein, Scott. (2019, January,4). Here comes the thermoelectric future: We tried out the next generation of self-powered sensors. https://www.cnet.com/news/thermoelectric-future-we-tried-out-the-next-generation-of-self-powered-sensors/.

[2] Miller, Paul. (2018, May,7). What is edge computing? https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/5/7/17327584/edge-computing-cloud-google-microsoft-apple-amazon.

[3] Marvin, Rob. (2019, January,3). What tech will look lie in 2039? https://www.pcmag.com/news/365676/what-tech-will-look-like-in-2039

Responses:

1.       Tyler Madden, you have really good information in here from a perspective I have not read much on before. I think with knowledge being more and more accessible to the users this topic will be higher and higher on the list of issues discussed. As professor Mitchel said, we are living in a world that is changing very fast around us, and I think topics that you bring up in here are important to keep in mind as we move forward

.

2.       Harvin Bhandal, I read some of the same articles you did. There was a lot of interesting information in there regarding the future of these devices. In regards to the workforces that won't get affected by AI. Is there a timeline on that because while yet, executives might be safer than nurses, but I think that there are applications for doctors and nurses within the AI field. From a human perspective “bedside table” might disappear but that is gone in some cases anyways overall good selection of thoughts.

3.       Blas Andres Rodriguez, you have made some points. The construction field is going to get affected by technology. I see that when I am at work and in classes as professors that still work in the field talk about the changes they see. I use Revit at work, and I collaborate with architects and clients about how fire protection networks will go through a building. While it's not a hard task to design the logistics of installation and correct space for the network is the issue. So BIM/Revit is helpful in the long run. In the past CAD was implemented, and there was a higher chance in crashes. Now being able to see the network go through the building the designers from both sides can adjust as needed. 

Blog Post 1: Link Between Sensors, Building Operations, and AI

Sensor technologies are becoming imperative to intelligent building design. The use of thermostats kicked off the beginning of HVAC sensor technology but as other sensors are developed the thermostat must evolve beyond its current binary capabilities. Other technologies such as CO2 sensors, enthalpy sensors, and occupancy sensors have been implemented in building design to reduce energy consumption by HVAC systems. As these specialized sensors become more used, thermostats that at one point in time controlled entire HVAC systems, will become intelligent monitoring systems coordinating the specialized sensors. As renewable energy becomes adapted more widely, terminal sensors will be self-powered, wireless, and communicative [1]. Sensors will report errors in building envelopes, report damage, and report other data that pertains to what they are designed to do specifically.

Home automation and IoT have become buzzwords regarding building automation. As Home automation becomes more economically viable for the average American, data can be recorded and collected to achieve more accuracy for energy modeling and BIM. [2] Using 3-D models of buildings to monitor operating conditions in a building will allow for engineers and occupants to achieve an engaging synergy that encourages energy consciousness.

Additionally, the IoT may allow self-powered sensors to repair and maintain themselves using AI to physically repair damaged or weathered sensors. This could also be applied to a larger scale where buildings are maintained, repaired, and constructed using robots. [3] However, as robots become able to do jobs better and more efficiently than humans, the building industry will naturally require less humans. Naturally, this is an issue for many people and it is a question that has yet to be solved. But with the good news of reducing energy consumption we can think about a greener future instead of an unemployed future.

[1] Stein, Scott. “A Thermoelectric Future: Meet the next Generation of Self-Powered Sensors.” CNET, CNET, 4 Jan. 2019, www.cnet.com/news/thermoelectric-future-we-tried-out-the-next-generation-of-self-powered-sensors/.

[2] Khemlani, Lachmi. “Three Tech Trends Shifting the BIM Industry in 2016AECbytes Viewpoint #80 (July 21, 2016).” Technology Toolkit for Sustainable Design at Orcutt Winslow Partnership: AECbytes Feature, www.aecbytes.com/viewpoint/2016/issue_80.html.

[3] B1M, The. “The Construction Robots Are Coming | The B1M.” YouTube, YouTube, 30 May 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKGGHdl3NyQ.

B1 - HVAC, Sensors, AI

There is perhaps no better measure of how advanced our society has become than the sheer extent of data which we generate and analyze in every facet of our lives. We live in an era marked by incredibly granular telemetry, where even our online correspondence and browsing habits are gathered and pored over by algorithms that are most of the time profiling us within a database and trying to determine the best way to advertise things to us. For better or worse, the amount of data we are capable of gathering and the means by which we gather it has never been more varied in scope, however the true mark of our advancement as a civilization comes in the form of for what purpose, and to what end, we analyze this mass of increasingly-available data. Within the engineering and construction industry, the ultimate goal is to create an efficient, resilient, and most importantly functional design that serves user needs while not overtly using more resources than necessary, and recent advances in data analysis have served this end succinctly.
One example of the ways in which data is being used to meet this need is HVAC system analysis. The Building Performance Analysis (BPA) tools available within Revit allow designers to, given a relatively simple set of required data regarding building location and orientation, analyze a building's expected energy consumption, solar radiation distribution, daylighting illuminance, and heating/cooling loads. [1] These performance metrics can be recorded and reanalyzed following various minute changes to the design with tools for direct side-to-side comparison. Most importantly, all of this can be done from directly within the Revit interface, before a design is even finalized. The ability to predict and optimize HVAC performance through data analysis will, in the right hands, lead to more efficient buildings that minimize usage costs to owners and help preserve our environment at the same time.
The per-optimization made available to designers through these Revit tools is incredible, but it is actually only the first step in building efficiency maximization. Now more than ever before, sensor-laden tools are available for building users to monitor and improve building performance from within the space itself. Take for example any number of smart devices, from the high-tech Nest thermostats to even the simplistic (by today's standards) motion-activated floodlights found along the perimeter of many suburban homes. One prime example is the Keen Home Smart Vent. Keen takes something as simple as a common household air vent and outfits it with temperature and air pressure sensors that red out to a tailored smartphone app. The sensors on the vent allow its AI to create a "profile" for the specific room that vent is in, including usage patterns. Once this database of room profiles is established, Keen's AI will be able to independently meet, but not exceed, the needs of each room by keeping vents open while in use but closing them at times when the space is unoccupied. There have been initial results along the lines of 22% reduced air vent run-time after installing the Keen system. [2]
The Keen Smart Vent is a great example of why true innovation doesn't have to come in the form of brand new inventions- There's an old saying that trying to reinvent the wheel too many times will eventually leave one with a square wheel. Our true call to action as engineers is taking what already is and finding ways to improve it and make it better serve our needs as a society. The data we need in order to create an ideal world is here, and its never been easier to access and analyze; We just have to find the most intelligent ways to use it.


[1] Stine, Dan. "Building Performance Analysis in Revit 2016 R2 with Autodesk Insight" AECBytes, 20 Nov 2016, http://www.aecbytes.com/tipsandtricks/2015/issue76-revit.html
[2] Rhodes, Margaret. "The Brilliant Air Vents You Never Knew You Needed" Wired, 14 Jan 2015, http://www.wired.com/2015/01/brilliant-air-vents-never-knew-needed/


Comments on Others:
Weiyi Tang
I agree that the environment is one of the largest issues facing our industry today. Environmental efficiency is wildly important. I had no idea that 80% of NYC's greenhouse emissions came from buildings, that's a really intimidating figure and illustrates the importance of developing things like the Keen vents that will improve home energy performance, even if only by a margin of roughly 22% as cited in the article. I believe there is equal emphasis given within your post to constructing new buildings with efficiency in mind as well as retrofitting existing buildings to be more efficient and I agree that both are equally important. A product like the Keen Vent will be just as effective in an existing building as it would be in a new construction.

Christian Tait
3D printing has been an interest of mine for some time, I'm glad to see your post focus so preeminently on the potential of the practice. I am very eager to see how integration between BIM software and 3D printing technology will improve over time, as I feel strongly that 3D printing has a major place in the future of construction. Automation is a scary word for a lot of people but the benefits of 3D printing are so numerous, not the least of which being reduction of the inherent danger of manned construction work alongside the expedited "design to fabrication" timeline as you have described.


 

Andrei Kuriatnikov

My name is Andy Kuriatnikov, I am an Architectural Engineering major with a mechanical focus, and I am from Annapolis, MD. I grew up spending a lot of time outside where I developed a deep love and appreciation for the natural world. I wish to incorporate environmentally sustainable designs in all projects I work on and I would like to eventually be able to push architectural and engineering designs to have more stringent energy consumption codes. Part of this will require researching how architectural and mechanical engineering can be coordinated more closely to reduce energy consumption during early stages in the design process.

During my career at Drexel, I have completed Co-ops at a Structural Engineering firm (EBA Engineering), an electrical engineering firm (Bruce E. Brooks & Assoc.), and an AE firm (Ballinger) where I worked as an HVAC engineer. I also completed an internship at an architecture firm during the summer after freshman year. I hope to apply my knowledge of the buildings sciences to reduce design coordination issues and to reduce energy consumption in buildings. I would also like to have a hand in the intelligent building revolution.

Intelligent buildings to me, means the use of sensors and monitoring technology to apply real time solutions to energy, ventilation, and heating/cooling demand. I believe this will create a living building where the mechanical systems in a building have the ability to sense the environment and respond to it. This means that I consider intelligent buildings to be operational as opposed to construction or design. I believe that designing buildings in this manner will be the future for commercial HVAC systems.

About This Blog

AE-410/510 is a course primarily for Seniors and Graduate Students in Architectural Engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia, USA.  We consider the uses of Information Technology on the Design, Construction and Operation of buildings, hence the course title: Intelligent Buildings.

This blog is created by students in the course responding to assignments and class exercises.  Use the "Labels" on the right to see the work of individual students OR the topics on which they've written.

The syllabus for the course is available from the "Pages" link.