Improving the design process using simulations and multicriteria decision making

This paper introduces a newly developed multi-criteria decision making tool called RR-PARETO and its application to HVAC design. As an illustration, five criteria have been selected, namely, power consumption, thermal comfort, risk of infection of influenza and tuberculosis and effective differential temperature (Δteq) of body parts, with the objective of selecting the optimal air exchange rate that makes reasonable trade-offs among the criteria. Two scenarios have been studied:(i) an influenza outbreak with the objective  to prevent the spread of infection, and (ii) energy prices are high and the primary objective is to reduce mean load.