Development of an integrated HVAC design environment.

COMBINE's first step towards developing IIBDSs is to specify and implement a building project model based on the product modelling approach of the computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) research community. This product model, called the integrated data model (IDM), allows information about a building to be passed between different design professionals (e.g. architect, HVAC design engineer, etc.). Data exchange through the IDM is tested using various software design prototypes. One of these prototypes is the HVAC-Design prototype. The aims of the HVAC-Design prototype are to: 1. Demonstrate and validate the exchange of information with other prototypes (via the IDM); 2. Develop a software design environment which helps HVAC engineers in the design of preliminary HVAC systems.

The work in this thesis involves the realisation of the HVAC-Design prototype. The results are as follows: 1. The current state of world research into the development of the class of IIBDSs, which are involved in the energy efficient design of buildings, is reviewed; 2. An analysis of the role of the engineer in the design of preliminary HVAC systems is performed; 3. A software design environment (i.e. HVAC-Design prototype) which helps an engineer in the design of preliminary HVAC systems is specified based on the needs of the HVAC engineer as identified in 2. The specification for this environment is captured using formal methods; 4. The user interface for the HVAC-Design prototype is designed based on the workplace environment idea as promoted by IBM's SAA/Common User Access. It is thought that MS Windows applications will adopt this workplace environment idea in the future; and 5. A formal approach (i.e. object oriented approach) is taken to developing the software in the prototype. This results in software which is more reliable and more easily maintained.