Question-and-Answer Resource for the Building Energy Modeling Community
Get started with the Help page
Ask Your Question
1

Empty eplusout.err File

asked 2021-05-07 12:55:23 -0600

Draza's avatar

Hello,

I'm working on a OpenStudio Energy Model as a school project. My team and I have finished most of the model but received different errors that prevented the simulation from running. Using this forum as a resource, we were able to work through most if the errors that we received, but after running the model the last time, the .err file was blank and the model failed to run. I am unsure where to go next. What could be the reason for the .err file to be left blank? The model is a two story classroom/laboratory building. We are using Ideal Air loads for the initial analysis.
Here is a google drive link to the model. OSModel Thank you

edit retag flag offensive close merge delete

Comments

If this is a school project, I can volunteer a couple of hours! Send me an email to luis@lara.engineering.

Luis Lara's avatar Luis Lara  ( 2021-05-07 14:31:26 -0600 )edit

Just sent it. Thank you!

Draza's avatar Draza  ( 2021-05-07 15:43:51 -0600 )edit

2 Answers

Sort by ยป oldest newest most voted
2

answered 2021-05-08 17:29:05 -0600

This specific problem was related to the OpenStudio model having over 200+ DefaultConstructionSet objects. We found out that this was added due to how the team was working in parallel in the project and then tried to combine the problem.

The solution was to run the remove method on all the DefaultConstructionSetobjects with the command line. Some of the red flags where

  • The building was only 40,000 sf, but the osm had over 100k lines.
  • EnergyPlus was crashing right at the beginning, so I suspected it was related to the section where the CTF values.

I think this is an EnergyPlus bug (it ideally should handle all of those construction sets, but maybe there are some memory allocation restrictions currently. In a real world scenario, we would not have that many construction sets.

edit flag offensive delete link more
0

answered 2021-08-30 14:33:54 -0600

Alejandro Lopez's avatar

Hi Luis, I am working on a model for a research project. I am encountering the same problem: simulation immediately fails and there is no error log on the eplusout.err file.

I built the model from scratch using the Highrise Apartment prototype offered in the "Create DOE Prototype Building" as a reference point. Except for naming conventions (spaces, thermal zones, etc.), some minor changes to load parameters, and 5 additional floors, the model is the same.

The prototype runs absolutely fine, but my model does not even start simulating when I run it. I removed 5 floors (at this point my reduced model had exactly the same number of spaces as the DOE prototype building, 90 - 9 per floor) and ran the simulation again - the same problem. I do not think my problem is associated with the number of spaces as even the full model only has 135 spaces.

I think I am missing something but I just don't know what it is...

edit flag offensive delete link more

Comments

1

Hi Alejandro,

You should add this as a comment rather than an answer. It turns out that the main reason this error was occurring in this model was that there was a thermal zone created with no spaces assigned to it. Eplus didn't generate a warning but it was preventing the model from running and not providing any output files. I would start by making sure there are no thermal zones that do not have spaces assigned to them.

Draza's avatar Draza  ( 2021-08-30 14:56:35 -0600 )edit

Thank you Draza, It worked! I had assigned the same thermal zone to two different spaces, thereby leaving one of the thermal zones I had created unassigned. Apologies for not posting my problem in the comments, my script was over 600 characters.

Alejandro Lopez's avatar Alejandro Lopez  ( 2021-08-30 17:19:56 -0600 )edit

I'm glad it worked. Good Luck with the rest of your project.

Draza's avatar Draza  ( 2021-08-31 17:31:06 -0600 )edit

Your Answer

Please start posting anonymously - your entry will be published after you log in or create a new account.

Add Answer

Training Workshops

Careers

Question Tools

1 follower

Stats

Asked: 2021-05-07 12:55:23 -0600

Seen: 423 times

Last updated: Aug 30 '21