September 2002

BFRL Monthly Highlights

Sept 2002

October 2002

November 2002

December 2002

January 2003

PAST Highlights

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BACnet® Approved as a Draft International Standard

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee 205, Building Environment Design, has recently approved BACnet® as a Draft International Standard (DIS 16484-5). A five-month ballot and comment period is now underway to approve BACnet® as an ISO standard. This ballot is being conducted in parallel with European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee 247, Controls for Mechanical Building Services. BFRL researchers worked with industry for many years to develop BACnet®, a communication protocol standard for building automation and control systems. BACnet has been translated into Korean, Japanese, and Chinese and is gradually becoming adopted around the world. It solves the problem of integrating control devices made by different manufacturers in order to optimize operations, improve safety, and reduce maintenance costs.

Contact: Steven Bushby, 301-975-5873

 

BFRL Leads Industry Project to Automate Information Exchanges

The FIATECH Consortium (Fully Integrated and Automated TECHnology) has created the first project in its Strategic Focus Area, eBusiness for Capital Facilities. It is being led by Mark Palmer of BFRL. The purpose of projects in this SFA is to deliver an industry framework, guidelines, and XML (extensible mark-up language) specifications that enable information sharing across eBusiness applications for engineering, procurement, construction, operations, and maintenance processes.

The first project, AEX, (for Automating Equipment Information Exchanges using XML), will develop solutions for two critical types of mechanical equipment: centrifugal pumps and shell and tube heat exchangers. Companies participating include Bechtel, Burns and Roe, Citadon, ePlantData, Impress, Primavera, and S&B Engineers and Contractors, with Aramco, Chevron/Texaco, Dow Chemical, and DuPont participating as industry reviewers.

Contact: Mark Palmer, 301-975-5858

 

Fault Detection and Diagnostic Tools

BFRL has developed two fault detection and diagnostic (FDD) tools to assist operators in monitoring the performance HVAC systems: AHU Performance Assessment Rules (APAR) and VAV box Performance Assessment Control Charts (VPACC).

APAR uses a set of expert rules to detect common mechanical faults or control problems in air-handling units. VPACC uses statistical quality control measures to detect faults or control problems in VAV boxes.

Both tools were tested using the BFRL Virtual Cybernetic Building Testbed, now equipped with fault models, and found to be successful at detecting and diagnosing a wide variety of faults. Both tools appear to be suitable for embedding in commercial control products.

Contact: Natascha Castro, 301-975-6420
 

NIST Contributes to an Historic Achievement in Chile

According to John A. Harris, Commercial Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile, NIST provided significant assistance to the U.S. Embassy in Chile in an historic local achievement. Fire losses in Chile had increased dramatically during the last 10 years concomitant with increases in construction. In 1998, in the absence of local testing and engineering capability, the Catholic University in Santiago conceived the development of a one-of-a-kind fire laboratory, integrating many U.S. products—controls, burners, and thermocouples—and most important, U.S. knowledge and expertise. The design of their new laboratory is unique, with a rotating furnace to accommodate pieces of different sizes. This $783,000 laboratory, completed in May 2002, complies with and applies U.S. and international standards, including those of NFPA and ASTM.

David Evans, Anthony Hamins, Walter Jones, and James Lawson of BFRL; and Ileana Martinez and Henry Oppermann of TS, were instrumental in providing technical support and advice through the U.S. Embassy in Chile. U.S. private-sector experts also made significant contributions.

The Chilean laboratory now tests to standards, a vital service to Chile; educates and trains fire professionals, relying extensively on American experts; and conducts research and development.

Contact: Ileana Martinez, 301-9752766

 

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