A calculation program as instrument
In order to perform tasks imposed by European regulations in practice, the qualified planner, designer, or expert needs a calculation program which:
- meets the demands of the European Standards with respect to input data and - more importantly - output data requirements (evaluation results),
- is capable of executing calculation with high precision (i.e. - validated according to EN ISO 10211:2007: qualified as a "Class A" tool – as for two- and three-dimensional, stationary precision method),
- and is sufficiently convenient to the user in application (providing ease and clarity of operation, as well as speed).
Detailed consideration of thermal bridges during passive house calculations, low energy building planning or renovation and during energy certificate creation need not be complex nor time consuming excercise!
AnTherm® possesses these instrumental characteristics
With respect to input data, AnTherm
- facilitates the generation of geometrical models by supporting a graphic input display of building structures, as well as by providing an entirely independent, fully automatic method of fine subdivision (which can also be influenced by the user through manual manipulation of parameters).
- delivers complete input model documentation (geometry of material elements, thermal design values of materials, spaces, heat sources...) upon request.
- allows the precision of numerical solutions to be influenced and controlled by the user (definition of calculation parameters).
Evaluation results yielded by AnTherm are conformant to European Standards and include:
- generally applicable results in the form of g-values and conductance matrices. These conform to the temperature weighting factors and "thermal coupling coefficients" defined in the European Standards, including the required information on calculation precision.
- specific results, applicable to particular air temperature conditions in spaces thermally coupled by the building components analyzed, in the form of surface temperature minima and maxima as well as respective dewpoints.
and
- graphic plots and prints of isotherms, surface temperatures or temperatures along an edge (2- or 3-dim. models), as well as heat flow diagrams (not limited to 2-dim. models only, but also in 3D).
- and, by employing the VAPOR-Option, 2- and 3-dimensional evaluation of the distribution of vapor pressure and vapor flux.
Experience collected so far while working with AnTherm proves, that all parts of the program, i.e. its input, calculation and evaluation components, suffice to the highest requirements as such grow with the complexity of cases analyzed.
Furthermore, fully automatic execution of calculation with AnTherm is given even in the event of poorly conditioned calculation cases. The maximum quantity of balanceable cells is nearly unlimited (many millions), thus making the thorough analysis of large, three-dimensional models feasible. Complex cases are given, for example, by
- components or spaces in contact with ground.
- entire spatial envelopes or groups of spaces.
- detailed modeling of complicated assemblies (window frame and installation details, steel structures, etc.).
The thermal performance of building assemblies with overall dimensions of up to app. 100 m can be simulated with AnTherm.
Limitations to the scope of evaluation depend on the PC hardware implemented.
Both situations as of very high resolution, e.g. modeling at 1/10 mm level of detail, as well as modeling of large domains, like those of components in contact with ground or whole envelopes, can be easily mastered.
Weaknesses of some other programs, which painfully come to light within demanding projects (limited number of elements; none or long-winded graphical evaluation of very large simulation cases; lacking the direct calculation of the matrix of coupling coefficients and temperature weighting factors, ...) have been carefully avoided during the development of AnTherm.
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