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Multi-zone with ideal heating

The previous sections focused on simulating the building envelope without a system, providing insight into constructing Trano's YAML input files. This section shifts to simulating a building with a heating system. The building consists of three zones, equipped with an ideal heating system.

Below is the YAML configuration file describing the building's heating system. The main difference in this configuration compared to previous ones is the inclusion of a heating system in one of the building's spaces, as shown in the following YAML code snippet:

emissions:
  - radiator:
      id: RADIATOR:001
      variant: ideal
      parameters:
        nominal_heating_power_positive_for_heating: 5000
      control:
        emission_control:
          id: EMISSION_CONTROL:001
          parameters:
            schedule: 3600*{10, 20}
            temperature_heating_setpoint: 295.15
            temperature_heating_setback: 291.15

The emissions field signifies the link to the emission system. The variant field specifies the type of radiator—in this case, an ideal radiator. Additionally, the control object of the radiator is detailed within the control field, where parameters like setpoints, schedule, and the heating power of the ideal radiator are defined.

Input configuration file

The described configuration outlines a building with the following characteristics:

  1. Material Composition: The building employs a thermal insulating construction made up of layered materials with relatively low thermal conductivity, suggesting energy-efficient design considerations.

  2. Spaces: The building consists of multiple spaces (rooms) with varying floor areas (80 m² for a smaller room and 120 m² for larger rooms) and heights (2.5 to 2.7 meters). The internal configuration includes internal walls separating some of these spaces.

  3. Window Features: Glazing includes double-glazed units with air in between, indicating a focus on reducing heat loss while allowing natural light.

  4. External Walls and Terrain: The walls are insulated, and there are multiple external wall orientations with specific areas, suggesting a carefully considered design relevant to the site’s solar exposure.

  5. Heating System: The presence of a radiator system indicates an intention for regulated indoor climate control.

In summary, this building configuration describes an energy-efficient, multi-room structure designed for controlled heating and sustainable thermal management, typical of modern residential or small commercial buildings.

material:
  - id: MATERIAL:001  # facing brick
    thermal_conductivity: 0.9
    density: 1700.0
    specific_heat_capacity: 840.0
  - id: MATERIAL:002  # mineral wool
    thermal_conductivity: 0.035
    density: 30.0
    specific_heat_capacity: 1030.0
  - id: MATERIAL:003  # concrete block
    thermal_conductivity: 1.1
    density: 1400.0
    specific_heat_capacity: 840.0
  - id: MATERIAL:004  # concrete
    thermal_conductivity: 1.7
    density: 2300.0
    specific_heat_capacity: 1000.0

constructions:
  # cavity wall filled with 12 cm of mineral wool, U = 0.26 W/m2K
  - id: CONSTRUCTION:001
    layers:
      - material: MATERIAL:001
        thickness: 0.09
      - material: MATERIAL:002
        thickness: 0.12
      - material: MATERIAL:003
        thickness: 0.14
  # concrete slab on 8 cm of insulation
  - id: SLAB:001
    layers:
      - material: MATERIAL:002
        thickness: 0.08
      - material: MATERIAL:004
        thickness: 0.15

glass_material:
  - density: 2500.0
    id: GLASS:001
    longwave_emissivity: 0.82
    shortwave_emissivity: 0.65
    specific_heat_capacity: 860.0
    thermal_conductivity: 1.1

gas:
  - density: 1.18
    id: AIR:001
    longwave_emissivity: 0.0
    shortwave_emissivity: 0.0
    specific_heat_capacity: 1005.0
    thermal_conductivity: 0.026

glazings:
  - id: INS2AR2020:001
    layers:
      - glass: GLASS:001
        thickness: 0.005
      - gas: AIR:001
        thickness: 0.014
      - glass: GLASS:001
        thickness: 0.005

spaces:
  - parameters:
      floor_area: 80.0  # 10 m x 8 m
      average_room_height: 2.5
    id: SPACE:001
    external_boundaries:
      external_walls:
        - surface: 25.0
          azimuth: 3.14
          tilt: wall
          construction: CONSTRUCTION:001
        - surface: 20.0
          azimuth: 1.57
          tilt: wall
          construction: CONSTRUCTION:001
        - surface: 20.0
          azimuth: 4.71
          tilt: wall
          construction: CONSTRUCTION:001
      floor_on_grounds:
        - surface: 80.0
          construction: SLAB:001
      windows:
        - surface: 4.0
          azimuth: 3.14
          tilt: wall
          construction: INS2AR2020:001
          width: 2.5
          height: 1.6
        - surface: 4.0
          azimuth: 1.57
          tilt: wall
          construction: INS2AR2020:001
          width: 2.5
          height: 1.6

  - parameters:
      floor_area: 120.0  # 12 m x 10 m
      average_room_height: 2.7
    id: SPACE:002
    external_boundaries:
      external_walls:
        - surface: 32.4
          azimuth: 3.14
          tilt: wall
          construction: CONSTRUCTION:001
        - surface: 27.0
          azimuth: 1.57
          tilt: wall
          construction: CONSTRUCTION:001
        - surface: 32.4
          azimuth: 0.0
          tilt: wall
          construction: CONSTRUCTION:001
      floor_on_grounds:
        - surface: 120.0
          construction: SLAB:001
      windows:
        - surface: 4.0
          azimuth: 3.14
          tilt: wall
          construction: INS2AR2020:001
          width: 2.5
          height: 1.6
        - surface: 10.0
          azimuth: 0.0
          tilt: wall
          construction: INS2AR2020:001
          width: 5.0
          height: 2.0
  - parameters:
      floor_area: 120.0  # 12 m x 10 m
      average_room_height: 2.7
    id: SPACE:003
    external_boundaries:
      external_walls:
        - surface: 32.4
          azimuth: 3.14
          tilt: wall
          construction: CONSTRUCTION:001
        - surface: 27.0
          azimuth: 1.57
          tilt: wall
          construction: CONSTRUCTION:001
        - surface: 32.4
          azimuth: 0.0
          tilt: wall
          construction: CONSTRUCTION:001
      floor_on_grounds:
        - surface: 120.0
          construction: SLAB:001
      windows:
        - surface: 4.0
          azimuth: 3.14
          tilt: wall
          construction: INS2AR2020:001
          width: 2.5
          height: 1.6
        - surface: 10.0
          azimuth: 0.0
          tilt: wall
          construction: INS2AR2020:001
          width: 5.0
          height: 2.0

    emissions:
      - radiator:
          id: RADIATOR:001
          variant: ideal
          parameters:
              nominal_heating_power_positive_for_heating: 5000
          control:
            emission_control:
              id: EMISSION_CONTROL:001
              parameters:
                schedule: 3600*{10, 20}
                temperature_heating_setpoint: 295.15
                temperature_heating_setback: 291.15

internal_walls:
  - space_1: SPACE:002
    space_2: SPACE:001
    construction: CONSTRUCTION:001
    surface: 18.0

The following code snippet demonstrates how to create a model using Trano. This process is somewhat redundant, as the interface remains consistent. The generated model is primarily derived from the YAML configuration file.

Test tutorials
    from trano.main import create_model

    create_model(
        path_to_yaml_configuration_folder / "three_zones_ideal_heating.yaml",
    )

Code Snippet Explanation

This code snippet imports a function called create_model from the trano.main module and then calls this function, passing a YAML configuration file as an argument. The configuration file likely contains parameters that define a model related to a heating system with three zones.

General Description of Parameters

  • path_to_yaml_configuration_folder:

  • Presumably a variable that holds the path to the folder containing the YAML configuration files.

  • three_zones_ideal_heating.yaml:

  • Specific YAML file that contains model configurations for an ideal heating system with three zones.

Parameters for create_model

  • Configuration File Path:
  • The file path to the YAML file providing model specifications.

Outputs

The figure below illustrates the building components of the generated model. In addition to the building envelope sub-component, an emissions-related component has also been generated.

Envelope components using IDEAS

Opening this component will display an ideal heating system linked to Space 3. We have defined a single heating system for one of the spaces.

Envelope components using IDEAS

Opening the building envelope component, we notice three distinct spaces defined in the model.

Envelope components using IDEAS

Ideal heating and cooling with scheduled set points

When a zone needs both heating and cooling towards given set points, with no control element to describe, the ideal_heating_cooling emission replaces the ideal radiator and its control. It holds a PI controller per mode, delivering up to the given capacities to the zone air. The set points are day schedules repeated every day: rows of time since midnight in seconds and set point in kelvin, a single row for a constant set point.

emissions:
  - ideal_heating_cooling:
      id: HVAC:001
      parameters:
        heating_setpoint_schedule: "[0, 283.15; 25200, 283.15; 28800, 293.15; 82800, 293.15; 82800, 283.15; 86400, 283.15]"
        cooling_setpoint_schedule: "[0, 300.15]"
        maximum_heating_power: 10000
        maximum_cooling_power: 10000

The schedule above heats to 20 °C from 08:00 to 23:00 with a set-back to 10 °C at night, ramping up between 07:00 and 08:00, and cools above 27 °C at all hours. A capacity of zero switches a mode off. The element outputs the heating and cooling powers (QHea_flow, QCoo_flow) and their integrals (EHea, ECoo) for post-processing. This is the system of the ASHRAE 140 (BESTEST) cases in validation/bestest.