[rkbest]

This is my first post and I don't know if it should be under JE+ or JE+EA, but he is my query.

I modeled a thermal energy storage tank that is giving results as expected. I have these objectives, and I am still not sure how to setup JE+ to go about it.

1. How should the IDF be modified so that the simulation sizes the system based on the weather file and not the location set in the IDF? I wish to run the same idf for various locations. My initial batch run gave me very high unmet hours for heating and cooling for locations different that the original Chicago. (Image attached)
2. The TES tank capacity in idf is fixed, and I want to get an optimal size for each weather location, and I think JE+ or JE+EA might help to find the correct capacity for each location.

Thanks

[Yi]

First, you shall use sizing periods defined in the EPW files if you are modelling different climates. See http://bigladdersoftware.com/epx/docs/8-...erfiledays and http://bigladdersoftware.com/epx/docs/8-...ditiontype

About TES tank sizing is a good application of jE+ and jE+EA. If your tank model is similar to the one below, you can turn any fields such as tank volume, xx heights, and setpoint temperatures into paraemters by place @@param_name@@ tags in the object.

Code:

 ThermalStorage:ChilledWater:Stratified,
   Chilled Water Storage Tank 1,  !- Name
   @@tank_volume@@,                    !- Tank Volume {m3}
   8.0,                     !- Tank Height {m}
   VerticalCylinder,        !- Tank Shape
   ,                        !- Tank Perimeter {m}
   CW Tank Temp Schedule,   !- Setpoint Temperature Schedule Name
   2.5,                     !- Deadband Temperature Difference {deltaC}
   6.5,                     !- Temperature Sensor Height {m}
   1.0,                     !- Minimum Temperature Limit {C}
   50000,                   !- Nominal Cooling Capacity {W}
   Zone,                    !- Ambient Temperature Indicator
   ,                        !- Ambient Temperature Schedule Name
   ZN_1_FLR_1_SEC_5,        !- Ambient Temperature Zone Name
   ,                        !- Ambient Temperature Outdoor Air Node Name
   0.5,                     !- Uniform Skin Loss Coefficient per Unit Area to Ambient Temperature {W/m2-K}
   CoolSysPrimary TES Use Inlet Node,  !- Use Side Inlet Node Name
   CoolSysPrimary TES Use Outlet Node,  !- Use Side Outlet Node Name
   1.0,                     !- Use Side Heat Transfer Effectiveness
   ALWAYS_ON,               !- Use Side Availability Schedule Name
   7.85,                    !- Use Side Inlet Height {m}
   0.15,                    !- Use Side Outlet Height {m}
   autosize,                !- Use Side Design Flow Rate {m3/s}
   ,                        !- Source Side Inlet Node Name
   ,                        !- Source Side Outlet Node Name
   0.9,                     !- Source Side Heat Transfer Effectiveness
   TES Charge Schedule,     !- Source Side Availability Schedule Name
   0.15,                    !- Source Side Inlet Height {m}
   7.85,                    !- Source Side Outlet Height {m}
   5.0E-3,                  !- Source Side Design Flow Rate {m3/s}
   4.0,                     !- Tank Recovery Time {hr}
   Seeking,                 !- Inlet Mode
   6,                       !- Number of Nodes
   0.0;                     !- Additional Destratification Conductivity {W/m-K}

The high number of discomfort hours may or may not indicate sizing problem on its own. More revealing is setpoint not met hours...

Yi

[rkbest]

Thank you Yi,
I will try the weather file design days. The weather files(ex Golden-CO) have 18 objects for design days specified for each location 6 for winter and 12 for summer.  Is there a way JE+ to limit the design day to one winter and one summer day? And how to pick that design day. Cos my objective is to replace all location specific object from weather files while keeping the idf independent of any location. Can I have the design day set as a ##iclude object while picking only that relevant weather file for parametric's instead of using design day parameter to simulate with all weather file in batch run? This was I can call design day input from outside idf file and combine with the same location weatehr file for reducing the simulations that are use all weather file with designday selected in next level.

weatherlocation.epw(all selected)>Desdinday#1(all locations).idf> idf

2. I already set the following object as and varied the parameter from 50  to 800 GJ-
ThermalStorage:Ice: Detailed,
        TES Tank,                !- Name
        ALWAYS_ON,               !- Availability Schedule Name
        @@tankCap@@,                      !- Capacity {GJ}
        TES Tank Inlet Node,     !- Inlet Node Name
         TES Tank Outlet Node,    !- Outlet Node Name
        QuadraticLinear,         !- Discharging Curve Object Type
        DischargeCurve,          !- Discharging Curve Name
        QuadraticLinear,         !- Charging Curve Object Type
        ChargeCurve,             !- Charging Curve Name
        1,                       !- Timestep of the Curve Data {hr}
         0.0001,                  !- Parasitic Electric Load During Discharging {dimensionless}
        0.0002,                  !- Parasitic Electric Load During Charging {dimensionless}
        0.0003,                  !- Tank Loss Coefficient {dimensionless}
        0,                       !- Freezing Temperature of Storage Medium {C}
        InsideMelt;              !- Thaw Process Indicator

When I ran parametric, I found the number of warnings/errors reduced as the capacity increased while the cooling:  energy usage remained same. I interpret this as the storage capacity did not reduce energy usage for an annual simulation. I am trying to get the comfort hour extracted, but the eso does not have this variable in it as I use system timestamp as the interval for I am using EMS.
3. The comfort hours are available in EP-compare, where do you think I can pull that number through JE+?( I did not see in sql, or eso files)

[Yi]

I am pretty sure that you can pick any day/period for sizing, using the sizing period objects in E+. Cannot recall off my head; so you will have to read the E+ docs yourself :-)

Apparently there are many possible explanations of why the changes in ice storage capacity were not reflected annual consumption. The best way to see if your model is working correctly or not is to look at its operation. Did you see the storage shifting cooling load in hourly results? If your HVAC is controlled by setpoints, the discomfort hours are unlikely to be affected by the system configurations...

Since you are using EMS, you can actually make E+ produce any output variables in ESO as you wish. On the other hand, to get comfort hours the easiest way is by using CSVs in RVX. See instructions here: http://www.jeplus.org/wiki/doku.php?id=d...lar_report -- Just make sure your model produce eplustbl.csv and comfort reports.

Which tool did you use to create the bar chart, by the way? EP-compare?

Regards,

Yi

[rkbest]

Thanks Yi,

Will look into the suggestion you made for checking the shifting loads from hourly data as well as look for making E+ produce any output variables in ESO as i was missing the variables defines as time step instead of hourly. Most eso viewers failed to open the eso file due to header mismatch.

I looked at the document for pulling data from the eplustbl.csv but somehow, this csv is not generated in my model output folder and just the eplustbl.html. Maybe this is being deleted as post process by E+. I will look into this as well.

Thank again.

[rkbest]

To your question that I missed, I just used Ep-COmpare for quick review of the simulation results.
Just checked again my model is not producing eplustbl.csv but only the eplistbl.html provide the comfort hours.

[rkbest]

I tried to include the following in the idf file to make sure the CSV is generated but I getting fatal errors every time. I tried Comma, Tab,Commaandhtlm

!- =========== ALL OBJECTS IN CLASS: OUTPUTCONTROL:TABLE:STYLE ===========

OutputControl:Table:Style,
CommaAndHTML, !- Column Separator
JtoKWH; !- Unit Conversion

Any clue why this is happening.

[Yi]

What's the fatal error?

[rkbest]

I get this error log with Fatal error

Program Version,EnergyPlus, Version 8.5.0-c87e61b44b, YMD=2016.09.21 16:31,IDD_Version 8.5.0
** Severe ** IP: IDF line~10399 Did not find "Tab" in list of Objects
** ~~~ ** Possible Invalid Numerics or other problems
** Fatal ** IP: Errors occurred on processing IDF file. Preceding condition(s) cause termination.
...Summary of Errors that led to program termination:
..... Reference severe error count=1
..... Last severe error=IP: IDF line~10399 Did not find "Tab" in list of Objects
************* Warning: Node connection errors not checked - most system input has not been read (see previous warning).
************* Fatal error -- final processing. Program exited before simulations began. See previous error messages.
************* EnergyPlus Warmup Error Summary. During Warmup: 0 Warning; 0 Severe Errors.
************* EnergyPlus Sizing Error Summary. During Sizing: 0 Warning; 0 Severe Errors.
************* EnergyPlus Terminated--Fatal Error Detected. 0 Warning; 1 Severe Errors; Elapsed Time=00hr 00min 0.39sec

[Yi]

Hmm, not sure what this is... It could be a simple typo in or near the block. What's in line 10399? If you want me to take a look at your model, go to server2.ensims.com, log in as 'public'/'test', and upload your model there...