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Best way to model toplighting through plenum zone?

asked 2016-11-17 13:11:53 -0500

willyJohan's avatar

updated 2017-04-16 11:29:27 -0500

I would like to add top lighting (ideally tubular daylighting devices) to some spaces in my model that have plenum zones separating them from the exterior.

Is there a straight forward way to do this in OpenStudio?

It looks like I can add add sub surfaces of type "TDD-diffuser" and "TDD-Dome", but am missing the pipe (the "DaylightingDevice:Tubular" EPlus object). Is the best approach to add the domes and diffusers in SketchUp and then add the pipes directly in the IDF file?

Is there anyway to do this fully within OS without manipulating the IDF directly, or if I do change the IDf is there a simple way to ensure the changes persist if I update the OSM?

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I guess basically I am wondering if there is an update to this question?

willyJohan's avatar willyJohan  ( 2016-11-17 14:38:47 -0500 )edit

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answered 2016-11-18 12:14:14 -0500

willyJohan's avatar

updated 2016-11-18 13:58:41 -0500

ok, so the best i came up with is:

1) use sketchup to place skylights of type TubularDaylightDome in the roof and "skylights" of type TubularDaylightDiffuser int eh zone to be daylighted.

2) create and assign all necessary constructions within OS (or how ever you prefer). Here are the materials and constructions from the TDD example idf file (i did not verify these properties):

Construction,
TDD Pipe,                !- Name
Very High Reflectivity Surface;  !- Outside Layer

Construction,
TDD Dome,                !- Name
Clear Acrylic Plastic;   !- Outside Layer

Construction,
TDD Diffuser,            !- Name
Diffusing Acrylic Plastic;  !- Outside Layer

WindowMaterial:Glazing,
Clear Acrylic Plastic,   !- Name
SpectralAverage,         !- Optical Data Type
,                        !- Window Glass Spectral Data Set Name
0.003,                   !- Thickness {m}
0.92,                    !- Solar Transmittance at Normal Incidence
0.05,                    !- Front Side Solar Reflectance at Normal Incidence
0.05,                    !- Back Side Solar Reflectance at Normal Incidence
0.92,                    !- Visible Transmittance at Normal Incidence
0.05,                    !- Front Side Visible Reflectance at Normal Incidence
0.05,                    !- Back Side Visible Reflectance at Normal Incidence
0.00,                    !- Infrared Transmittance at Normal Incidence
0.90,                    !- Front Side Infrared Hemispherical Emissivity
0.90,                    !- Back Side Infrared Hemispherical Emissivity
0.90;                    !- Conductivity {W/m-K}

WindowMaterial:Glazing,
Diffusing Acrylic Plastic,  !- Name
SpectralAverage,         !- Optical Data Type
,                        !- Window Glass Spectral Data Set Name
0.0022,                  !- Thickness {m}
0.90,                    !- Solar Transmittance at Normal Incidence
0.08,                    !- Front Side Solar Reflectance at Normal Incidence
0.08,                    !- Back Side Solar Reflectance at Normal Incidence
0.90,                    !- Visible Transmittance at Normal Incidence
0.08,                    !- Front Side Visible Reflectance at Normal Incidence
0.08,                    !- Back Side Visible Reflectance at Normal Incidence
0.00,                    !- Infrared Transmittance at Normal Incidence
0.90,                    !- Front Side Infrared Hemispherical Emissivity
0.90,                    !- Back Side Infrared Hemispherical Emissivity
0.90;                    !- Conductivity {W/m-K}

Material,
Very High Reflectivity Surface,  !- Name
Smooth,                  !- Roughness
0.0005,                  !- Thickness {m}
237,                     !- Conductivity {W/m-K}
2702,                    !- Density {kg/m3}
903,                     !- Specific Heat {J/kg-K}
0.90,                    !- Thermal Absorptance
0.05,                    !- Solar Absorptance
0.05;                    !- Visible Absorptance

3) use this measure to assign daylighting control objects

4) create an idf snippet with all the necessary pipe objects defined and use this measure to insert the idf text in to the output idf. Pipe definitions should be like:

DaylightingDevice:Tubular,
TDD_Pipe_61,                   !- Name
TDD_Dome_61,                   !- Dome Name
TDD_Diff_61,               !- Diffuser Name
TDD Pipe,                !- Construction Name
0.5334,                  !- Diameter {m}
1.0,                     !- Total Length {m}
0.28,                    !- Effective Thermal Resistance {m2-K/W}
Thermal Zone: C_Plenum_F2,       !- Transition Zone 1 Name
0.66;                     !- Transition Zone 1 Length {m}
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Comments

I could not figure out how to include the object types (eg "DaylightingDevice:Tubular,") along with their properties in that nice little box. Would appreciate some one telling me know how to do that. I got them how they are now by just hitting enter after the object type text.

willyJohan's avatar willyJohan  ( 2016-11-18 12:18:23 -0500 )edit

@willyJohan, how's that formatting? PS: 4 leading spaces to get inside the code box.

ericringold's avatar ericringold  ( 2016-11-18 13:59:09 -0500 )edit

perfect, thanks.

willyJohan's avatar willyJohan  ( 2016-11-18 14:19:19 -0500 )edit

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Asked: 2016-11-17 13:11:53 -0500

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Last updated: Nov 18 '16