Thermal Applications Category
Thermal Applications Category
Thermal Applications Category
For the heat gains calculation the data provides hourly dry-bulb temperatures,
wet-bulb temperatures and solar data for one design day per month.
For thermal simulation the weather data is more extensive and is stored on a
simulation weather file. This file contains the values of the following weather
variables measured at hourly intervals over a year:
Dry-bulb temperature
Wet-bulb temperature
2.2. Constructions
The material composition of the walls, windows and other elements of the
building fabric are described using the program APcdb (Apache constructions
database manager). APcdb provides databases of materials and constructions
which may be imported into the building and edited as necessary.
Constructions are built up from layers with specified thermophysical properties
and widths. In the case of glazing constructions the layer properties include
solar transmittance, absorptance and reflectance characteristics.
Construction details may be passed between projects using a Construction
Template.
The following utilities are also provided:
Calculation of U-values and admittance parameters
Calculation of glazing angular solar transmission properties
Condensation analysis
2.3. Profiles
Profiles provide the means for describing the time variation of input variables.
They are used to specify how quantities such as casual gains, ventilation rates
and set-points vary over the hours of the day, the days of the week and the
months of the year. ‘Formula profiles’ allow inputs to vary in response to room
or external conditions arising during simulations.
Profiles are managed by the program APpro.
Room cooling loads and free-floating temperatures are calculated using the
CIBSE admittance procedure. The calculation is carried out for a user-selected
range of months using weather data provided in APlocate. The calculation
takes into account the timing and nature of each gain, applying the appropriate
radiant fraction to all sources of heat and cooling. Inter-room dynamic
conduction and ventilation heat transfer is accounted for. Glazing solar
transmission properties are treated using an analysis based on the Fresnel
equations. At the user’s option the effects of ventilation air exchanges and
external solar shading, as calculated by SunCast, may be incorporated.
The program Vista presents the results in tabular or graphical form in a variety
of formats. Gains are broken down by heat transfer mechanism and by type
(sensible or latent). Results may be displayed by room, by zone or totalled over
Room cooling loads and free-floating temperatures are calculated using the
ASHRAE Heat Balance Method. The calculation is carried out for a user-
selected range of months using weather data provided in APlocate. The
calculation takes into account the timing and nature of each gain, applying the
appropriate radiant fraction to all sources of heat and cooling. Inter-room
dynamic conduction and ventilation heat transfer is accounted for. Glazing
solar transmission properties are treated using an analysis based on the
Fresnel equations. At the user’s option the effects of ventilation air exchanges
and external solar shading, as calculated by SunCast, may be incorporated.
The program Vista presents the results in tabular or graphical form in a variety
of formats. Gains are broken down by heat transfer mechanism and by type
(sensible or latent). Results may be displayed by room, by zone or totalled over
the building and peak loads are identified. Various measures of room
temperature are displayed, together with room relative humidity. Data may be
Controllers may be configured for both on-off and proportional control, and may
be cascaded to simulate complex control functions. Time variation of
operational parameters is handled with profiles, and formula profiles offer
additional flexibility in control specifications.
If the MacroFlo check box is ticked at run-time the simulation will include natural
ventilation analysis. MacroFlo will then incorporate in its calculations any flow
imbalances arising in the system simulation, providing a route for the simulation
of mixed-mode systems.
ApacheHVAC generates an extensive range of outputs. At the detailed level it is
possible to trace individual psychrometric and control processes occurring
within a system. At the opposite extreme the program can supply aggregated
monthly energy loads and consumption totals, optionally broken down by fuel or
component type.
MacroFlo simulates the flow of air through openings in the building envelope.
Openings are associated with windows, doors and ‘holes’ created in the
geometry model and may take the form of cracks or larger apertures. Air flow is
driven by pressures arising from wind and buoyancy forces (stack effect). It also
takes account of mechanical air flows set up in ApacheHVAC.
Wind pressures on the building exterior are calculated at each simulation time
step from data read from the weather file. Wind speed and direction data is
combined with information on opening orientations and wind exposures to
generate wind pressures on each external opening. The calculation involves
wind pressure coefficients derived from wind tunnel experiments. Buoyancy
pressures, varying with height in accordance with temperature-dependent air
densities, are then superimposed.
The flow through each opening is calculated as a function of the imposed
pressure difference and the characteristics of the opening. The height
dependence of the buoyancy pressures means that two-way flow can occur
through a single opening either side of a neutral pressure plane. Special
situations such as the Rayleigh instability are detected and modelled
appropriately. A network of pressure-flow relationships is solved to balance the
flows in and out of each room.
MacroFlo exchanges data with ApacheSim and ApacheHVAC dynamically to
achieve the simultaneous solution of the inter-dependent thermal and air flow
balances.
Input data for MacroFlo is prepared in the MacroFlo application. Working from
an editable database of Opening Types the user assigns opening properties to
windows and doors in the model. This process follows the same pattern as the
assignment of construction types for the thermal analysis.
Opening Type properties allow for the specification of crack characteristics, the
The programs OutView and PlotView provide additional facilities for viewing
simulation results.