Abstract: An example AC unit includes: a thermoelectric heat pump including an output plate and an input plate; an indoor heat exchanger thermally connected to the output plate to exchange heat with indoor air; an outdoor heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with an outdoor environment; a sensor for a cooling or a heating demand; and a controller to set a performance of the thermoelectric heat pump. Straight passages through the indoor heat exchanger in line with the main air flow towards them in operation contribute less than 44% to the frontal area of the region. The corresponding part of the indoor heat exchanger extends to a thermal connection to the output plate. The frontal area of the region is at least half the frontal area of the indoor heat exchanger. At least some air flow paths through the indoor heat exchanger do not include such a straight passage.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a monitoring system for visualizing one or more key performance indicators of an infrastructure associated with an automation system comprising a plurality of subsystems adapted to monitor a set of parameters of the infrastructure and/or the automation system. An example includes: an interface; and a widget configurator to receive a selection of locators identifying locations of components of the infrastructure, a selection of values for the set of parameters, and at least one threshold condition for each value. The interface receives time-related data points of the set of parameters originating from a plurality of sensors of the plurality of subsystems. The widget configurator configures an overview widget to display, key performance indicators of the selected parameters for each one of the locations depending on the threshold conditions and the received data points.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a cold exchange system. An example includes: thermal energy exchangers connected to a refrigerant pipe system; and a control system comprising: an orifice adjusting system including a valve and an actuator, the valve comprising a flow chamber with an adjustable orifice in the pipe; a position sensor to sense a position of the adjustable orifice and/or the actuator and generate a signal indicative of the sensed position; and a controller. The orifice adjusting system adjusts the adjustable orifice in response to a control signal. The control system uses a software-wise change of a characteristic curve of the orifice adjusting system. The position sensor operates using a static measurement principle. The controller compares the signal to a set position of the adjustable orifice and generates the control signal based on the comparison.

Abstract: Embodiments of this application relate to control parameter optimization technologies. Various embodiments include methods and apparatus for optimizing control parameters. At least one group of initial control parameters within a preset range is randomly generated, to obtain a group of current control parameters; it is determined whether a number of updates has exceeded a preset threshold, referring to a total number of times that the current control parameters have been changed; the group of current control parameters is changed when the number of updates does not reach the preset threshold; and air conditioning control parameters are optimized according to control parameters corresponding to a comprehensive score of a combination when the number of updates reaches the preset threshold.

Abstract: A method and arrangement for authenticating digital snapshots, wherein a digital snapshot is created by a capture device by a user using a first capture apparatus, wherein at the same time as the creation of the digital snapshot, a digital, in particular a digital-visual, identifier of the user is determined by a second capture apparatus, wherein the digital identifier of the user is overlaid into the digital snapshot and/or is added digitally, and wherein the digital snapshot containing the digital identifier of the user is stored in a machine-readable format.

Abstract: Various teachings herein include methods and arrangements for displaying devices (e.g. assets, controller, sensor, activator) located in an enclosure (building, train, vehicle, campus) on an output device (e.g. smartphone, tablet-computer, AR glasses) of a user. An an object model (e.g. BIM, IFC, CAD model) comprising the devices located and/or equipped in the enclosure is provided. A 3D engine configured to display a user defined area of the enclosure on the output device, wherein devices located and/or equipped in the user defined area are displayed on the output device is provided.

Abstract: There is described building automation systems, methods, and computer readable media for piping graphic control. Field devices associated with HVAC equipment are identified and an HVAC piping graphic associated with the field devices are generated at the management device. The HVAC piping graphic is modified at a processor of the management device in response to receiving user input at a user interface of the management device. In particular, a pipe element and a pipe coupling element are integrated with the HVAC piping graphic based on the user input. Data points of the building automation system are provided at the user interface based on the pipe element and the pipe coupling element. Runtime values are monitored, and the building automation system (100) are dynamically controlled at the management device based on the data points.

Abstract: Various embodiments include methods for planning and operating building equipment. An example method includes: processing a machine-readable provider and consumer model describing data-points modelling a provision or consumption of data by functions; and exchanging data through connections with other data-points modelling a provision or consumption of data by devices of the building equipment.

Abstract: The teachings of the present disclosure relate to navigating a user to a device located in a building. An example embodiment includes: a mobile communication device (smartphone, tablet computer) to select the device to navigate to by user input, wherein the mobile communication device is connected to an object model (OM) representing the devices located in the building; and a server comprising access to a memory where the object model (OM) is stored, wherein the server is configured to determine a route from the position of the user to the device to navigate to based on information provided by the object model (OM). The route to the device to navigate to is displayed and synchronized on the display of the mobile communication device.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a method for measuring valve characteristic parameters of a valve actuator. An example method includes: resetting the push rod to a top end position; driving the push rod; measuring the DC drive current in real time; recording a first position of the push rod at the start of a first abrupt change in the DC drive current when the first abrupt change in the DC drive current is detected and lasts for more than a first preset time period; continuing to drive the push rod and measure the DC drive current in real time; recording a second position of the push rod at the start of a second abrupt change; and calculating the stroke length of the valve based on the first position and the second position.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include an axle receptacle for fixing to an axle of an air flap. An example receptacle includes a tension bracket and a compression bracket that can be moved by means of a drive shaft relative to the tension bracket. The drive shaft is guided in a drive shaft guide in the tension bracket. The drive shaft and the drive shaft guide function as a quick-action clamping apparatus.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a method of detecting faults in a structure. An example method includes: obtaining from an actuator a first signal indicative of a test operating mode and from a first and second sensor respective signals indicative of a time series of test readings; producing a test operating mode in response; searching for the test operating mode in a first list, and searching for sensors in a second list; if the test operation mode is in the first list and sensors are in the second list, determining a test numerical measure between the first time series and the second time series, including a predefined constant when the first time series matches the second and otherwise deviating from the predefined constant; and determining a test deviation of the measure from the predefined constant, and if the deviation exceeds a threshold, producing a fault.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a dynamic prediction control method for a precision air conditioner. An example method includes: generating a three-dimensional simulation model on the basis of a simulation template according to static information of a hardware configuration and layout of an application scene where the precision air conditioner is located, wherein the three-dimensional simulation model and a static model of the hardware configuration and layout of the application scene correspond to each other; running a simulation on the basis of a dynamic parameter of the precision air conditioner corresponding to the three-dimensional simulation model and establishing a correspondence relationship between the dynamic parameter and a simulation result using machine learning, so as to generate a proxy model; and predicting a temperature distribution and change of the application scene on the basis of the proxy model and real-time dynamic data of the precision air conditioner.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure optimize energy usage of an HVAC system. For example, some embodiments include a method comprising: generating a flow through a heat exchanger; determining a return temperature of fluid having passed through heat exchanger; determining a current flow of the fluid through the heat exchanger; and controlling the flow of the fluid based on a comparison of the determined return temperature with a threshold temperature, wherein the threshold temperature is dependent on the current flow.

Abstract: A method for providing an updated digital building model is provided. The method includes the following steps: a) providing a digital building model for a physical building, b) ascertaining a virtually accessible area within the digital building model, c) capturing real data obtained by a number N of data sources, where N?1, wherein the real data include data from a real accessible area within the physical building that corresponds to the virtually accessible area, and d) updating the virtually accessible area within the digital building model by the captured real data of the real accessible area to provide the updated digital building model. This means that when there is a need to evacuate a physical building, there are updated virtually accessible areas present, and hence these can be taken as a basis for providing an updated evacuation plan for evacuating people.

Abstract: Embodiments described below include a method for calibrating a digital twin, the digital twin being representative of a complex system governed by a set of parameters. The method includes receiving a subset of data from a plurality of sensors of the complex system then calculating an error that represents a difference in state between the digital twin and the complex system. In addition, a gradient of the calculated error is calculated and utilized to generate a set of candidate parameters for the complex system. The candidate parameters are generated using a gradient optimization. The candidate parameters are provided to the digital twin model and the error value is based on the candidate parameters. Steps may be repeated iteratively including calculating of the error and its gradient, generating of the candidate parameters, and applying the candidate parameter to the digital twin until the calculated error is smaller than a user-defined tolerance.

Abstract: Various teachings include methods and/or BACnet network systems to extend BACnet network systems for building automation systems to scale up to large topologies. The BACnet network system comprises a network of BACnet devices organized as a virtual hub-and-spoke network. One of the BACnet devices is implemented as a directed hub-device to which all other BACnet devices are connected as node-devices by using WebSocket connections. The directed hub-device is configured to limit the broadcast distribution of broadcast messages from a downlink-connection to each uplink-connection, and not to any other downlink-connection. The directed hub-device is configured to block or forward unicast messages from one downlink-connection to another downlink-connection.

Abstract: A networking device (e.g. edge gateway), configured to host containers to provide application services, for converting data between an IP-Port of the networking device and a serial communication link to enable serial communication between the networking device and a serial interface of a device (e.g. controller, actor, sensor).

Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a system comprising: a local supply of renewable power; a storage device with a discharge characteristic; a switch for electrically connecting the storage device to the local supply; and a system controller. The system controller may be configured to: receive from the local supply a signal indicative of available power; read from a memory a time history of past activations of the storage device; estimate a future demand of power based on the time history; estimate a charge of the storage device based on the future demand of power and the discharge characteristic; compare the charge to the future demand of power; and if the charge is larger than the future demand of power by a predetermined margin, electrically connect the local supply of renewable power to the storage device by closing the switch.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a building automation network. The network may include an embedded edge device having a data interface and an edge digital service agent adapted to automatically fetch container images of configured containers via the data interface from a cloud-based container repository for deployment as a container application in a persistent memory and a container engine adapted to run the deployed container application for performing tasks in the building automation network.