Abstract

Different co-simulation interfaces providing loose and strong coupling based on the Functional Mockup Interface (FMI), the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB) and a Component Object Model (COM, Type155) are compared with respect to user-friendliness and flexibility, computational costs and accuracy. The thermal engineering case study considered includes a compact thermal energy storage modelled in Trnsys and a heat sink modelled in Simulink. Practical aspects like means for accuracy improvement and estimation of the accuracy in real applications are discussed as well.