Get Thermal Zone Supply Terminal

asked 2016-05-23 11:42:02 -0600

Adam Hilton

3465 ●1 ●15

updated 2017-08-05 07:59:00 -0600

__AmirRoth__

4436 ●5 ●17 http://bleedinggreenna...

I'm trying to grab thermal zone supply terminals with the following code.

thermalZones = model.getThermalZones

thermalZones.each do |thermalZone|
    supplyTerminal = thermalZone.airLoopHVACTerminal
    runner.registerInfo("For '#{thermalZone.name}' the supply terminal '#{supplyTerminal}' was found.")
end

Running the previous results in the following.

image description

It seems as though I'm not actually capturing the object because when I try to use supplyTerminal.name it returns undefined. I assume I'm just missing something rudimentary that should be blatantly obvious and after it's pointed out to me I'll have to hold my head in shame for the rest of the day.

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answered 2016-05-23 11:49:19 -0600

Julien Marrec

29706 ●94 ●76 http://www.effibem.com/

updated 2016-05-23 12:02:14 -0600

This is because OpenStudio::Model::ThermalZone::airLoopHVACTerminal() returns an optional HVACComponent, see SDK doc. You have to get it first.

Try this:

model.getThermalZones.each do |zone|
  # this returns an optional HVACComponent
  supplyTerminal = zone.airLoopHVACTerminal
  if supplyTerminal.empty?
    runner.registerInfo("Cannot find an airloop terminal for #{thermalZone.name}")
  else
    supplyTerminal = supplyTerminal.get
    runner.registerInfo("For '#{thermalZone.name}' the supply terminal '#{supplyTerminal.name}' was found.")
  end
end

Like I said supplyTerminal, even after ".get" will be an HVACComponent, not an actual object such as OpenStudio::Model::AirTerminalSingleDuctUncontrolled for example. If you need to work with the actual underlying object, you'll have to cast it into what it's really.

The clean way is to use to_XXXX method, but you have to test potentially a lot of cases...

if supplyTerminal.to_AirTerminalSingleDuctUncontrolled.is_initialized
  supplyTerminal = supplyTerminal.to_AirTerminalSingleDuctUncontrolled.get
elsif supplyTerminal.to_AirTerminalSingleDuctVAVNoReheat.is_initialized
  supplyTerminal = supplyTerminal.to_AirTerminalSingleDuctVAVNoReheat.get
else
  runner.registerInfo("I don't know what this object is because there are too many possible ones!")
end

You want the dirty way? I knew it! But I shall not be liable for any problems you might get :)

Anyways, just add this method to the class ModelObject...

# Extend ModelObject class to add a to_actual_object method
# Casts a ModelObject into what it actually is (OS:Node for example...)
class OpenStudio::Model::ModelObject
  def to_actual_object
    obj_type = self.iddObjectType.valueName
    obj_type_name = obj_type.gsub('OS_','').gsub('_','')
    method_name = "to_#{obj_type_name}"
    if self.respond_to?(method_name)
      actual_thing = self.method(method_name).call
      if !actual_thing.empty?
          return actual_thing.get
      end
    end
    return false
  end
end

Then you can do supplyTerminal = supplyTerminal.to_actual_object

It'll work with anything, since everything in OpenStudio::Model is after all a ModelObject: ModelObject instances, HVACComponent, even objects such as AirTerminalSingleDuctVAVNoReheat themselves (though that's completely pointless)

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Comments

Right. I actually had that structure but I was neglecting the .get. Well now I'll also be less confused when I see 'optional' next to the object type. You're the best.

Adam Hilton ( 2016-05-23 11:55:07 -0600 )edit

I have a feeling there might be like 9 openstudio developpers out of ten that just threw up in their mouth a bit after I posted that to_actual_object method, didn't they?

Julien Marrec ( 2016-05-23 12:03:28 -0600 )edit

Ha, you enjoy this too much! I just needed the HVAC Component to get the parent air loop. Although, there's no way to get the air loop directly from the thermal zone, right? I didn't see a path other than jumping through the terminal.

Adam Hilton ( 2016-05-23 12:11:52 -0600 )edit

@adhiltonThermalZone inherits from the HVACComponent class, which has a method to get the Air Loop HVAC that the component is attached to (if applicable). See here for all valid ThermalZone methods.