Attached is a screengrab...
When you right-click a zone in detailed edit mode under 'Air-Side HVAC,'
you get the option to define a "thermal link" to another zone.
What exactly does this do in terms of modeling behavior?
Does it create an "air wall" (or some other construction) between the
two zones?
NICK CATON, E.I.T.
I've used links in eQUEST, but never on the thermal zone. Basically a
link allows you to link the properties of an item to another similar
item. For instance - when you use it in windows, it allows you to derive
the properties of a window from another window (the parent item has to
be defined before the child item in the inp file otherwise you will get
an error). So for instance with windows - if I have a series of punched
openings on different facades, and I want to modify them all, I just
need to modify one, and they will all change.
I assume with thermal zones you will link to the properties of another
zone. Probably useful if you have identical zones running on different
systems (otherwise you'd probably want to use the multiplier).
I should add - if you link, you can modify individual properties within
the item.
Vikram Sami, LEED AP
When you link elements in eQUEST, then the "linked" element takes on all
of the properties of the element it is linked to except those which are
explicitly set. I use this for identical boilers and chillers -- when I
change efficiency or capacity in the linked boiler, it is set for all of
the boilers. Linked fields are dark purple (violet). You can override
any field in which case it becomes red (typical eQUEST).
Hope this helps.
Brian and Vikram beat me to it. I'll just add that there is more about
this in the "Modeling Procedures Quick Reference Guide" available
through the Help menu.
~Bill
William Bishop, EIT, LEED(r) AP
Bill/Brian/Vikram/Jim:
I appreciate your quick and resonant (?) responses!
Thanks very much!
NICK CATON, E.I.T.
Nick,
A "link" basically is a copy of the the zone you choose. simply put. any default value in the zone that has the link will be the exact value of the zone it was chosen to link to. If you look at it in the .inp file it makes a lot of sense. The example below shows that the second zone has all the properties of the first zone, and any attributes that are different are listed below the "LIKE" command. When you define a link, the keyword "LIKE" is made in the .inp file.
This is extremely useful for zones that are identical when it comes to set points that you will want to change often.
"E1 WNW Perim Zn (B.WNW2)" = ZONE
TYPE = CONDITIONED
MIN-FLOW-RATIO = 0.3
FLOW/AREA = 0.4
OA-FLOW/PER = 20
DESIGN-HEAT-T = 72
HEAT-TEMP-SCH = "S1 Sys1 (VAVS) Heat Sch"
DESIGN-COOL-T = 75
COOL-TEMP-SCH = "S1 Sys1 (VAVS) Cool Sch"
SIZING-OPTION = ADJUST-LOADS
TERMINAL-TYPE = SVAV
SPACE = "E1 WNW Perim Spc (B.WNW2)"
..
"E1 SE Perim Zn (B.SE3)" = ZONE
LIKE = "E1 WNW Perim Zn (B.WNW2)" $This is what happens when I tell the program to link "E1 SE Perim Zn (B.SE3)" to "E1 WNW Perim Zn (B.WNW2)"
SPACE = "E1 SE Perim Spc (B.SE3)"
..
John Grando LEED AP