KoZiBu

The KoZiBu functionalities described in this web page are not necessary implemented in the current prototype version : only the "converter file" module and partially the "building explorer" are currently available. In fact KoZiBu is the successor of CoDyBa and the functionalities envisaged will be developed little by little.
KoZiBu is a design tool on classical PC for buildings dynamic thermal simulation and it's aimed for design offices, teaching and research organisms.

KoZiBu is designed to be multi-languages but currently only French and English are fully implemented, and texts in German, Italian and Spanish are partially translated.

KoZiBu is a software used to analyze dynamic hygrothermal performance of building. It is aimed to conduct studies of heating and cooling strategy, air conditionning or ventilation options, insulating materials to be installed. The main objective of KoZiBu is to forecast the energy consumption, and temperature and humidity evolution range.

It permits to estimate the instant heating or cooling powers needed to maintain a given set-point, or to calculate the indoor temperatures when the heating or cooling system is insufficient. Humidity is treated in the same way.

KoZiBu can be used to investigate the energy performance of buildings of almost any type and size. In addition to performing peak load calculations necessary for mechanical equipment design, KoZiBu also estimates the annual energy performance of the building.

KoZiBu is based on simply bricks assembled to form a complex building with its equipment. Through the graphical interface, users construct a model of the building's geometry using basic elements (air volumes, walls, windows). Users can add internal loads and HVAC-systems into the created model of the building and perform thermal calculations.

The building have to be described accurately : the building description is given by the use of a graphical interface, which includes a building tree, similar to Windows Explorer. Within the interface, each "entity" is associated to a graphical representation, that permits to manipulate it by operations of "copy", "paste", "drag-and-drop" type. The explorer makes it possible to reach and to edit each entity.

KoZiBu has no limit in air volumes number (thermal zones) : it can simulate building of any size. The only real limit is the time used for the data input.

The file converter
As a part of KoZiBu a tool was developed to convert data from other software into CoDyBa or KoZyBu format. The conversion possibilities are described in the following scheme (red for the JNLOG tool, black for another tool provided by CSTB, IZUBA or BBS SLAMA).

NBDM means "Neutral Building Data Model" (see a sample or posters 1 2). The NBDM project was sponsored by ADEME, French Environment and Energy Management Agency.

NFMT is the KoZiBu "neutral language" (see a sample, "Mozart" house from the CSTB typology).

ROWA and TRNSYS are two commercial softwares : ROWA is a tool of the german editor ROWA-Soft and TRNSYS a well-known simulation tool.

Note that the swiss firm PLANCAL realizes an exportation of the data of its CAD software NOVA to the ROWA format.
Geometrical data are now integrated in the KoZiBu data model.

The converter makes it possible to extract the geometrical data from the export file of NOVA and to display the shape of the building in a 3D view ('wire' mode for the moment).

Free download from Shareware Connection - The KoZiBu functionalities described in this web page are not necessary implemented in the current prototype version : only the "converter file" module and partially the "building explorer" are currently available.