Synopsis

This ECOTECT tutorial explains how to calculate dynamic spatial comfort for a thermal zone using the analysis grid.

Duration

You will need about 8.273 minutes to complete this tutorial.

Training and Accreditation

Successfully completing this tutorial fulfills one of the practical skills required for completing Level 3 of the Thermal Analysis + Energy training module.

Resources Required

To complete this tutorial, open the AttachedSunSpace.eco file located in the Examples folder of your ECOTECT installation.

Tutorial

1. Open the example file, and configure the analysis grid to cover the floor area of the model, as shown in the following image. Use a grid cell size of 100 in both the X and Y grid directions.
   

   Configure the analysis grid as shown.
2. 
   To initiate the spatial comfort calculation, go to the Calculate»Comfort Analysis menu. Alternatively, in the Analysis Grid panel under the Calculations' section, select the Spatial Comfort option, and then click the Perform Calculation button.
3. ECOTECT calculates the range of thermal comfort values over the analysis grid in incremental time steps over the entire year. Depending on the complexity of the grid, This will take a few minutes to complete.
   

   It will take a few moments to calculate the range of thermal values for the entire year.
4. Once completed, spatial comfort values will be displayed for the current date and time. To see comfort values for other dates and times of the year, use the date/time toolbar to select the required date; the corresponding spatial comfort values will be displayed on the analysis grid.
   

   Adjust the time/date spinner to display spatial comfort values for various times of the year.
5. Spatial comfort can be displayed in a number of different ways. Under the Analysis Grid panel, go to the Data & Scale section. From the first drop-down list, select from one of the following options: Mean Radiant Temp, Predicted Mean Vote, Percent Dissatisfaction, Required Air Velocity and Solar Gains. The analysis grid will automatically update to display the new spatial comfort units and scale.
   

   Select from the various Data

   

   Mean Radiant Temperature.
   

   Predicted Mean Vote.

   

   Percentage Dissatisfaction.
6. You can also use the standard analysis grid controls for adjusting the display of the analysis grid, such as showing node values, adjusting minimum and maximum data values, and changing the colour range scale. For more information on how to manipulate the analysis grid, please refer to the Analysis Grid tutorial.
   

   Use the display settings for controlling the display of the analysis grid.

Useful Tips

• If you use the Set Current Time and/or location button to select a pre-defined date such as a solstice, the analysis grid may not automatically update to show the correct spatial comfort values. To manually update the analysis grid display, adjust the time spinner manually, and the analysis grid will update to display the correct spatial comfort values.
• Spatial comfort values can be mapped over the analysis grid in any axis direction. In the following image, the analysis grid has been aligned to the YZ axis, displaying comfort values vertically. You can also use the Visualise tab to display the model and analysis grid.
  

  Analysis grid configured to YZ axis, and displayed using the Visualise tab with a cut-away section.