Complete energy analytical model building information modeling (bim) integration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016299997-A1
Application number	US-201615091321-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 5, 2016
Priority date	Feb 1, 2007
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and system provide a complete energy analytical model. An input model is acquired and consists of a combination of architectural building elements (ABEs) and conceptual massing elements (CMEs). The input model is pre-processed by extracting information from both the ABEs and the CMEs, and constructing virtual elements that encapsulate the extracted information. A discrete set of points in three-dimensional (3D) space that is distributed over boundary faces of the ABEs or CMEs is determined. The discrete set of points is used to provide a representation of the input model that is used in combination with a 3D cubical grid (a voxel grid) to analyze a spatial structure of the input model. A two-dimensional (2D) discrete approximation of the geometry of the input model is used to determine surfaces of the energy analytical model which is then output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer implemented method for providing a complete energy analytical model comprising:
(a) acquiring an input model, wherein the input model comprises a combination of one or more architectural building elements (ABEs) and one or more conceptual massing elements (CMEs); (b) pre-processing the input model, wherein the pre-processing:
(1) extracts information from both the ABEs and the CMEs in the input model; and
(2) constructs a virtual element that encapsulates the extracted information;
(c) determining a discrete set of points in three-dimensional (3D) space, distributed over boundary faces of the ABEs or CMEs; (d) providing, using the discrete set of points, a representation of the input model that is used to analyze a spatial structure of the input model; (e) utilizing a two-dimensional (2D) discrete approximation of a geometry of the input model to determine surfaces of the energy analytical model; and (f) outputting the energy analytical model comprised of the spatial structure and the surfaces.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the information comprises a surface and a material/thermal property.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the surface comprises a face of one or more of the CMEs or the ABEs.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the information comprises a category of one of the CMEs or one of the ABEs.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the information comprises a level associated with one of the CMEs or one of the ABEs.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the virtual element comprises a list of faces defining a three-dimensional (3D) shape and a separate list of faces used to construct surfaces.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the discrete set of points comprises a point cloud.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the discrete set of points further comprises:
determining the spatial structure of the input model using a 3D voxel grid;

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:
utilizing the 3D voxel grid to discretize the spaces and surfaces of the energy analytical model at a perimeter of the input model to represent differences in heat loss and gain.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the determining surfaces comprises:
defining a rectangular grid in a 2D coordinate plane for a representative face of one of the ABEs or one of the CMEs; for each cell in the rectangular grid, moving to a side of the representative face, examining 3D voxels until a voxelized space is reached, while tracking the ABEs and CMEs passed through; deciding if a current cell should be part of a surface; if the current cell should not be part of the surface, process a next cell in the rectangular grid; if the current cell should be part of the surface, encoding information needed to determine which surface the current cell will be part of; and determining connected sets of cells having a same encoding, wherein connected sets of cells approximate the surfaces associated to a portion of one of the ABEs or CMEs.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
utilizing a building information model (BIM) representation of the energy analytical model within a building design software application; querying the energy analytical model, within the building design software application; and updating the BIM representation before running an energy simulation.

12 . A computer implemented method of providing a complete energy analytical model (EAM) comprising:
creating analytic spaces representing three-dimensional (3D) spaces in a building; creating analytic faces representing surfaces in the building; and processing the analytic spaces and analytic faces to produce input for an external energy analysis tool; displaying results of an energy analysis performed by the external energy analysis tool;

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the creating the analytic spaces comprises:
aligning a 3D voxel grid, finite in each dimension, with a coordinate system for a building model for the building, wherein dimensions and a position of the 3D voxel grid are selected so that the 3D voxel grid encompasses the entire building model; for each space in the building model, determining a set of voxels that lie inside that space without touching any bounding elements of that space, wherein the set of voxels provides a discrete approximation of that space.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , further comprising:
approximating bounding elements for each space using a point cloud; for each bounding element for each space, determining a set of voxels that intersect that bounding element by determining the voxels that contain each point in the point cloud, wherein:
space voxels are voxels that do not contain points in the point cloud; and
connected clusters of the space voxels represent the analytic spaces.

15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining the connected clusters of space voxels by:
determining a maximal set of voxels with a property that any pair of voxels in the maximal set of voxels may be connected by a sequence of voxels in the maximal set so that consecutive voxels in the sequence share a common face.

16 . The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining a density of the point cloud.

17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the creating the analytic faces comprises:
for each bounding element, determining a set of representative faces that together provide a model for a shape of the bounding element; for each representative face, defining a two dimensional (2D) grid in a parameter space of the representative face; assigning a label to each 2D grid cell based on a pair of analytic spaces on either side of the bounding element at the 2D grid cell, wherein:
2D grid cells that have a same pair of analytic spaces on either side receive the same label; and
2D grid cells that have other bounding elements on one or both sides are not labeled; and
all 2D grid cells with a given label form one or more connected regions that give a discrete approximation of the analytic faces on the bounding element that separates a given pair of analytic spaces;
computing pixelated domains based on the connected regions; and representing the computed pixelated domains as the analytic faces.

18 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , further comprising:
refining boundaries of the analytic faces to make them smoother.

Assignees

• Autodesk Inc

Inventors

• Mitchell John William
• Molloy Ian Patrick

Classifications

• G06F2111/10

  Numerical modelling · CPC title

• G06F30/13 Primary

  Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads · CPC title

• F24F11/46

  Improving electric energy efficiency or saving · CPC title

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• G06F17/5004 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic