Plus 2.X:Visualized Components

Visualized components

All components of the building requiring a definition of structure, material or environment are listed under "Visualized Components" and need to be edited here. Clicking on the respective component in the entry window table or the in the navigation tree opens the component to define. In the input window the component’s properties are defined. There are various tabs to input all necessary data:

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General

In the tab "General" the component it is named and assigned to a component type. There are three possible types:

• Opaque components (walls)
• Transparent components (windows)
• Openings (not relevant)

The type can either be changed this way or in the Properties of the component. For instance a french door could be converted into a opaque door this way.

A Zone needs to be assigned to inner and outer side of the component (read more:Properties). "Data" and "Parameters” inform about component data that can be adjusted in the other tabs.

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Assembly

In the next tab the "assembly" of the construction is set.

The project construction list is found under assembly. It contains all constructions (=assemblies) used in the project. The highlighted one is applied to the respective component. With "New" a new construction is created and appears in the list.

Assembly from Database

The appropriate assembly of the component can be loaded from the database. By "Select from database" you get to the

Database Assemblies LINK, where you can choose an assembly and either double click or "Apply" to assign it. 

This assembly can of course be alterd using the "Edit" button (see next chapter)

Creating a new assembly with "Edit"

In case the desired assembly does not exist in the database a new one can be defined by clicking on the "Edit" button. The "Edit Assembly" window opens.

The new assembly needs to be named. Again with "New" a layer of material can be added and chosen from the

"material database" LINK . A thickness must be given for each layer.

Setting of the size of the numerical grid (coarse, medium, and fine) is also possible adjusted.

Heat, moisture and air change occuring inside a component can be include in the calculation as an internal source. The sort of the source you select in the drop-down menu in the dialog "Inner Source". Heat and moisture sources can be attached to one or more layers or over the entire component. The

 GENAUER  intensity is defined as the percentage of solar radiation or of the incident rain. An air change is to be included as a constant value. In case of a transient occurring source, the can be loaded under "Files / Measured Data" and then be chosen. 

If "Group Components" was check marked in the Building Wizard components of the same type are automatically assigned to the same assembly. If this is not requested the components need to be ungrouped

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Surface

The hygrothermal transfer resistance must be either user-defined or generated, according to the component type. Other important information to the outer surface are absorption and emission. These factors are used to calculate the radiation. Are no user-defined values available you can select predefined values from a list with typical exterior surfaces. The shading factor is a reduction of solar radiation on the component, for example, by planting or other buildings. The factor is set to 1 (no shading) by default. The consideration of long-wave radiation can be added. In the tab "Moisture" hygric properties of the component surfaces are defined. A Sd-value can be specified for the interior and exterior surfaces of the component when the coating is not already included in the assembly. Again there is a list of predefined coatings to choose from. If the rain load is taken into account it is calculated from normal rain, wind and the driving rain coefficients. The rain absorption is generated dependent to the component orientation. As outer climate you select the preset external climate or the previously defined optional climate. Is there no heat transfer over the outer surface you can select “adiabatic”.

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Initial conditions

The "Initial Conditions" are important to start the calculation. Initial temperature and moisture in the building must be set. The humidity can be assumed constant over the component or the conditions in the material database are included.

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Numerics

In tab "Numerics" can be selected whether the heat and / or moisture to be calculated. Special hygrothermal options such as capillary or latent heat by evaporation or melting can be turned on and off. The incidence of convergence errors may require an adjustment of numerical parameters. By choosing increased accuracy and adapted convergence this can be avoided. However, before the adjustment of the numerical grid should be checked.

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Report

In tab "Report: Data & Results" all settings are shown again. If you select "Retain calculation results" the results according that component are saved after calculation. The resulting output is explained in more detail in the tutorial.