Building Energy Simulation for Dynamic Control of HVAC in an Airport Terminal Integrating Agent-Based Model

As important infrastructure and transition spaces, airport terminals have a significant impact on the sustainable development of cities. In terminals, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are usually constant and uniformly distributed, ignoring the dynamic changes of passenger flow, thereby resulting in wasteful energy consumption and thermal discomfort. Therefore, this paper adopted an integrated agent-based model approach to building energy modeling to dynamically partition thermal zones and regulate HVAC systems based on the thermal demand and occupancy status of the terminal. The occupancy status simulated by Anylogic was inputted into Energyplus, using the thermal zone size, the time interval for adjustment, and the temperature setpoint as variables that were analyzed in terms of energy-saving benefits and thermal comfort. The findings of this study identified the significant energy-saving potential of regulating HVAC systems based on the changes in occupant status, guiding design, and optimization of HVAC systems in airport terminals.