Seeking Solution to Improve and Optimise Simulation Tools for Planning, Designing, and Optimising Building Space for Comfort and Energy Savings

The Electric Works Company of Panasonic Corporation is opening a crowdsourcing call looking for innovative and effective ways to improve and optimise simulation tools for planning, designing, and optimising building space for comfort and energy savings. The goal is to make these tools more accessible and user-friendly for architects, engineers, and other professionals involved in building design and construction. The current method using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation consumes too much data and is time-consuming, resulting in a significant amount of computational time (~10 hours / 1000m2 at steady-state analysis conditions). 

Key challenges to be addressed include:

•    Improving the accuracy and reliability of simulation tools to better predict energy consumption and indoor comfort.
•    Developing more user-friendly interfaces that make it easier to input and analyse data.
•    Creating tools that allow users to compare and evaluate design options quickly and easily.
•    Enhancing the visualization capabilities of simulation tools to improve communication and collaboration among project stakeholders.
•    Creating tools that can be integrated into existing design software and workflows.

Proposed solutions should consider the needs of users and address the challenges identified above. Successful solutions should demonstrate the potential to significantly improve the performance of simulation tools and accelerate the development of more energy-efficient and comfortable buildings through spatial distribution prediction and optimisation using computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis. 
 

The potential solution to be incorporated into the simulation of space design for the two categories stated below:

1.    Space optimisation design to offer thermal comfort and energy savings

• Reduction of time taken for CAE analysis (target estimate: 1hr/1000m2)
• Reduction in the number of sample data required for optimisation (target estimate: 20 models)

2.    Fire Evacuation space design and optimisation of flow  

• Shortening of analysis time taken for thermal fluid, such as flow, temperature, and diffusion in large spaces. 
• Methods for extracting input parameters to achieve high spatial prediction accuracy of smoke behaviour.  

Please refer to the attached “Proposal template” for more information.

It is preferred that a minimally viable prototype is available. 

A 3-phase approach will be adopted for this challenge:

Phase 1: Demonstration of Prototype
Phase 2: Selection of the most favorable solution based on a financial feasibility study, application suitability, collaboration viability
Phase 3: Further co-development of Prototype to TRL8/9 + Test-bed and Launch within a few year at with Panasonic

Mode of Collaboration:

Different modes of collaboration can be explored ranging from co-innovation, licensing and white labelling depending on the Technology Readiness of the technology.