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Why won't model approach ambient conditions?

asked 2017-02-13 11:12:40 -0500

DW's avatar

I am running an experiment with one of the BEST-TEST models in EnergyPlus (case 900). It is simply a box with two 6m2 windows on the south wall. I want to see the response of this structure when I hold outdoor conditions constant. I have modified a TMY file to hold the Tdb to 0C for all hours with no wind and no solar gains at all.

I have a heater inside the model maintaining indoor temperature 25oC for a few days, and then I force it off. I was hoping to see the model drift down to ambient conditions where the internal temperature slowly drops to meet the outdoor air temperature. However, the model cools down to 0C and then keeps on cooling! The model settles on a steady-state condition of -5C. I don't understand why it would cool below 0. There are no internal gains and no cooling equipment - it is simply a box.

What feature of the EnergyPlus heat transfer calculations could account for why the building reaches a steady state colder than the ambient temperature?

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answered 2017-02-13 11:18:44 -0500

Possibly due to radiation heat loss to the sky. You might try to output the Site Sky Temperature to verify.

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Thank you. That does seem to be the reason. I was able to override it using the weatherproperty object and it seems to be behaving now. Thank you!

DW's avatar DW  ( 2017-02-13 13:06:57 -0500 )edit

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Asked: 2017-02-13 11:12:40 -0500

Seen: 138 times

Last updated: Feb 13 '17