Exercise purpose:

To investigate optional facilities which may prove useful in projects with a specific technical focus.

Task

Instruction

1

Explore blind/ shutter control.

Choose "Lighting & blind control" from the "Zones Definition" menu. Blind/ shutter control can be done by creating a blind/ shutter control definition in the case of a "default window", or by adding the control information to the TMC information in the case of more detailed glazing treatment. The definition facilities for the case of a zone with default windows are in the "Lighting & blind control" menu. For transparent surfaces you will need to use the "construction" facility of the "Zone Definition" menu. See on-line tutorial for details.

2

Explore options for timestep imposition of data.

The possibilities include the imposition of measured air flow values and measured casual gains. The appropriate files containing the timestep information are identified in the problem description. See on-line tutorial for details.

3

Create a viewfactor file.

Invoke the viewfactor module for detailed viewfactor calculation via "viewfactors & radiant sensors" selection of the "Zones Definition" menu. This may be required for complex geometries where analytical solution or simple area-weighted shape factors are not adequate. Note that this module will also calculate the mean radiant temperature for any position within a zone.

4

User defined convection coefficients.

User defined convection coefficients can be imposed on a simulation for selected surfaces by use of the "convection coefficients" selection of the "Zones Definition" menu. This will create a zone convection coefficients file.

Exercise result:

Initial idea of some of ESP-r's additional facilities.

Exercise purpose:

To investigate ESP-r facilities which are prototypical at present but will be available for general release in the near future. Please note (and hopefully appreciate) that these facilities are still under development (often in the context of postgraduate projects).

Task

Instruction

1

Explore ESP-r linkage with CAD tools.

For defining the building description it is now possible to invoke 3rd party CAD packages such as AUTOCAD which may be used to define geometry and topology. Please note that these 3rd party packages may or may not be installed at your site. Please refer to your local ESP-r representative.

2

Investigate the psychrometric analyses features for plant simulation results.

It is now possible to display plant simulation results in a psychrometric chart in order to aid the process of analysis. Note that you need to run explicit plant simulation for generating these detailed plant simulation results. (The default results file relates to a building only problem.)

3

Explore nodal placement and use of non-linear, time-dependent thermal properties.

In order to model non-trivial constructions, and/or thermal properties which change over time or as a function of hygroscopic phenomena, ESP-r offers various features with respect to wall nodal placement (including automatic adjustment) and the time-dependent (and non-linear) modification of properties such as conductivity. In the future these facilities will be the basis of combined heat and moisture transfer modelling. See also `event profiles database' and `Combined zone, mass flow & plant problems'.

4

Examine ESP-r's modelling of AI based controllers.

ESP-r has a number of options for modelling controllers based on Artificial Intelligence techniques. These include fuzzy-logic based, self-learning and time-rewind controllers.

5

Investigate ESP-r's power modelling features.

In order to be able to model (electrical) power elements, ESP-r is being endowed with a power modelling module. This enables modelling of an electrical grid incorporating loads (lights etc) and generators. This enables the prediction of electricity consumption and the modelling of, for example, Combined Heat and Power system and the like which involve the interaction of electrical and heat flows.

6

Examine ESP-r's modelling and simulation capabilities in terms of renewable energy systems.

Since its inception ESP-r has been equipped to model solar thermal systems. This development means that it is now possible to model (renewable energy) electrical components such as PV (Photo-Voltaic) cells, wind turbines and the like.

7

Explore ESP-r in the context of the COMBINE system.

ESP-r is one of the design tools being deployed within the COMBINE (Computer Models for the Building Industry in Europe) project. Within COMBINE's Intelligent, Integrated Building Design System, ESP-r cooperates with other design tools under rules which define the purpose of the session.

8

Explore the use of ESP-r's CFD module.

In ESP-r there is a module for CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis of air flows within a space. This module enables prediction of detailed air velocity and temperature distributions. The module can be operated in isolation or in fully integrated mode.

9

Explore ESP-r's RADIANCE interface.

ESP-r allows you to export (choose "Export model" from the main menu) problem description data to various other packages, one of which is RADIANCE. In addition to that ESP-r also features a "RADIANCE desktop" which is an interface for running RADIANCE. (Obviously this will only work if RADIANCE has been installed at your site.)

Exercise result:

Appreciation of recent developments, ongoing work and features expected to mature in the near future.