IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v17y2024i2p529-d1323789.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Machine Learning-Based Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics in Building Systems

Author

Listed:
  • William Nelson

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Energy Systems Laboratory, Texas AM University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

  • Christopher Dieckert

    (Facilities and Energy Services, Texas AM University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

Abstract

Automated fault detection and diagnostics analysis in commercial building systems using machine learning (ML) can improve the building’s efficiency and conserve energy costs from inefficient equipment operation. However, ML can be challenging to implement in existing systems due to a lack of common data standards and because of a lack of building operators trained in ML techniques. Additionally, results from ML procedures can be complicated for untrained users to interpret. Boolean rule-based analysis is standard in current automated fault detection and diagnostics (AFDD) solutions but limits analysis to the rules defined and calibrated by energy engineers. Boolean rule-based analysis and ML can be combined to create an effective fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) tool. Three examples of ML’s advantages over rule-based analysis are explored by analyzing functional building equipment. ML can detect long-term faults in the system caused by a lack of system maintenance. It can also detect faults in system components with incomplete sets of sensors by modeling expected system operations and by making comparisons to actual system operations. An example of ML detecting a failure in a building is shown along with a demonstration of the soft decision boundaries of ML-based FDD compared to Boolean rule-based FDD analysis. The results from the three examples are used to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of using ML for AFDD analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • William Nelson & Christopher Dieckert, 2024. "Machine Learning-Based Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics in Building Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-23, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:2:p:529-:d:1323789
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/2/529/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/2/529/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bode, Gerrit & Thul, Simon & Baranski, Marc & Müller, Dirk, 2020. "Real-world application of machine-learning-based fault detection trained with experimental data," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    2. William Nelson & Charles Culp, 2023. "FDD in Building Systems Based on Generalized Machine Learning Approaches," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-16, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pinciroli, Luca & Baraldi, Piero & Zio, Enrico, 2023. "Maintenance optimization in industry 4.0," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    2. Du, Zhimin & Liang, Xinbin & Chen, Siliang & Zhu, Xu & Chen, Kang & Jin, Xinqiao, 2023. "Knowledge-infused deep learning diagnosis model with self-assessment for smart management in HVAC systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PD).
    3. Zhong, Fangliang & Calautit, John Kaiser & Wu, Yupeng, 2023. "Fault data seasonal imbalance and insufficiency impacts on data-driven heating, ventilation and air-conditioning fault detection and diagnosis performances for energy-efficient building operations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    4. Schreiber, Thomas & Netsch, Christoph & Eschweiler, Sören & Wang, Tianyuan & Storek, Thomas & Baranski, Marc & Müller, Dirk, 2021. "Application of data-driven methods for energy system modelling demonstrated on an adaptive cooling supply system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    5. Shin, Won & Han, Jeongyun & Rhee, Wonjong, 2021. "AI-assistance for predictive maintenance of renewable energy systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    6. Simon P. Melgaard & Kamilla H. Andersen & Anna Marszal-Pomianowska & Rasmus L. Jensen & Per K. Heiselberg, 2022. "Fault Detection and Diagnosis Encyclopedia for Building Systems: A Systematic Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-50, June.
    7. Østergaard, Dorte Skaarup & Smith, Kevin Michael & Tunzi, Michele & Svendsen, Svend, 2022. "Low-temperature operation of heating systems to enable 4th generation district heating: A review," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    8. Weigert, Andreas & Hopf, Konstantin & Günther, Sebastian A. & Staake, Thorsten, 2022. "Heat pump inspections result in large energy savings when a pre-selection of households is performed: A promising use case of smart meter data," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    9. Ferrara, Maria & Della Santa, Francesco & Bilardo, Matteo & De Gregorio, Alessandro & Mastropietro, Antonio & Fugacci, Ulderico & Vaccarino, Francesco & Fabrizio, Enrico, 2021. "Design optimization of renewable energy systems for NZEBs based on deep residual learning," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 590-605.
    10. Tabar, Vahid Sohrabi & Ghassemzadeh, Saeid & Tohidi, Sajjad, 2021. "Increasing resiliency against information vulnerability of renewable resources in the operation of smart multi-area microgrid," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    11. William Nelson & Charles Culp, 2022. "Machine Learning Methods for Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics in Building Systems—A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-20, July.
    12. Li, Guannan & Chen, Liang & Liu, Jiangyan & Fang, Xi, 2023. "Comparative study on deep transfer learning strategies for cross-system and cross-operation-condition building energy systems fault diagnosis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PD).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:2:p:529-:d:1323789. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.