14. Glossary

This section provides definitions for abbreviations and terms introduced in the Open Building Controls project.

Analog Value

In CDL, we say a value is analog if it represents a continuous number. The value may be presented by an analog signal such as voltage, or by a digital signal.

Binary Value

In CDL, we say a value is binary if it can take on the values 0 and 1. The value may however be presented by an analog signal that can take on two values (within some tolerance) in order to communicate the binary value.

Building Model

Digital model of the physical behavior of a given building over time, which accounts for any elements of the building envelope and includes a representation of internal gains and occupancy. Building model has connectors to be coupled with an environment model and any HVAC and non-HVAC system models pertaining to the building.

CDL

See Control Description Language.

CDL-JSON

The JSON representation of the Control Description Language, which can be generated with the modelica-json translator that is available at https://github.com/lbl-srg/modelica-json.

Control Description Language

The Control Description Language (CDL) is a declarative object-oriented language that can be used to express control sequences. CDL is a subset of the Modelica Language standard and specified in Section 7.

Controls Design Tool

The Controls Design Tool is a software that can be used to

• design control sequences,

• declare formal, executable requirements,

• test the control sequences and the requirements with a model of the HVAC system and the building in the loop, and

• export the control sequence and the verification test in the Control Description Language.

Control Sequence Requirement

A requirement is a condition that is tested and either passes, fails, or is untested. For example, a requirement would be that the actual actuation signal is within 2% of the signal computed using the CDL representation of a sequence, provided that they both receive the same input data.

Control System

Any software and hardware required to perform the control function for a plant.

Controller

A controller is a device that computes control signals for a plant.

Co-simulation

Co-simulation refers to a simulation in which different simulation programs exchange run-time data at certain synchronization time points. A master algorithm sets the current time, input and states, and request the simulator to advance time, after which the master will retrieve the new values for the state. Each simulator is responsible for integrating in time its differential equation. See also model-exchange.

Events

An event is either a time event if time triggers the change, or a state event if a test on the state triggers the change.

Functional Mockup Interface

The Functional Mockup Interface (FMI) standard defines an open interface to be implemented by an executable called Functional Mockup Unit (FMU). The FMI functions are called by a simulator to create one or more instances of the FMU, called models, and to run these models, typically together with other models. An FMU may either be self-integrating (co-simulation) or require the simulator to perform the numerical integration (model-exchange). The first are sometimes called FMU-CS, while the second are called FMU-ME. See further https://fmi-standard.org/.

Functional Mockup Unit

Compiled code or source code that can be executed using the application programming interface defined in the Functional Mockup Interface standard.

Functional Verification Tool

The Functional Verification Tool is a software that takes as an input the control sequence in CDL, requirements expressed in CDL, a list of I/O connections, and a configuration file, and then tests whether the measured control signals satisfy the requirements, violate them, or whether some requirements remain untested.

G36 Sequence

A control sequence specified by ASHRAE Guideline 36. See also control sequence.

HVAC System

Any HVAC plant coupled with the control system.

HVAC System Model

Consists of all components and connections used to model the behavior of an HVAC System.

Open Building Controls

Open Building Controls (OBC) is the name of project that develops open source software for building control sequences and for testing of requirements.

OBC

See Open Building Controls.

Mode

In CDL, by mode we mean a signal that can take on multiple distinct values, such as On, Off, PreCool.

Model-exchange

Model-exchange refers to a simulation in which different simulation programs exchange run-time data. A master algorithm sets time, inputs and states, and requests from the simulator the time derivative. The master algorithm integrates the differential equations in time. See also co-simulation.

Non-HVAC System

Any non-HVAC plant coupled with the control system.

Plant

A plant is the physical system that is being controlled by a controller. In our context, plant is not only used for example a chiller plant, but also for an HVAC system or an actuated shade.

Standard control sequence

A control sequence defined in the CDL control sequence library based on a standard or any other document which contains a full English language description of the implemented sequence.

State event

We say that a simulation has a state event if its model changes based on a test that depends on a state variable. For example, for some initial condition \(x(0)=x_0\),

\[\begin{split}\frac{dx}{dt} = \begin{cases} 1, & \text{if } x < 1, \\ 0, & \text{otherwise,} \end{cases}\end{split}\]

has a state event when \(x=1\).

Structural parameter

We say that a parameter is a structural parameter if changing its value can change the system of equations that is being evaluated in the control logic. For example, a parameter that changes a controller from a P to a PI controller is a structural parameter because an integrator is being added. A parameter that enables an input or that changes the size of an array is a structural parameter.

Time event

We say that a simulation has a time event if its model changes based on a test that only depends on time. For example,

\[\begin{split}y = \begin{cases} 0, & \text{if } t < 1, \\ 1, & \text{otherwise,} \end{cases}\end{split}\]

has a time event at \(t=1\).