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

Revision history [back]

Inter-zone airflow EnergyPlus

Hi all,

I'm modelling naturally ventilated residential buildings using EnergyPlus 8.6 airflow network in New Zealand. What makes this research interesting is that we are also simulating moisture loads, using the EMPD for buffering effects so our hourly zone RH is trustworthy, and then exporting our results as climate files into WUFI 1D to investigate interstitial moisture and mould risk using WUFIBIO. Happy to share...

I've got the external natural ventilation and infiltration using the effective leakage area sorted using the AirFlowNetwork.

What I'm stuck with is how to model inter-zone airflow. Reading up on the subject, many users say that you should model internal doors or windows between zones. I did this in the same way I modelled external natural ventilation for a 3 zone model row model, and it made no difference to zone air temperature or to the AFN Infiltration ACH. I tried doors, windows, crack, and effective leakage areas.

What am I doing wrong? Should I be modelling room air models? Nodes and hooking it up as a set/defined path? I have no idea where to go from here.

Inter-zone airflow EnergyPlus

Hi all,

I'm modelling naturally ventilated residential buildings using EnergyPlus 8.6 airflow network in New Zealand. What makes this research interesting is that we are also simulating moisture loads, using the EMPD for buffering effects so our hourly zone RH is trustworthy, and then exporting our results as climate files into WUFI 1D to investigate interstitial moisture and mould risk using WUFIBIO. Happy to share...

I've got the external natural ventilation and infiltration using the effective leakage area sorted using the AirFlowNetwork.

What I'm stuck with is how to model inter-zone airflow. Reading up on the subject, many users say that you should model internal doors or windows between zones. I did this in the same way I modelled external natural ventilation for a 3 zone model row model, and it made no difference to zone air temperature or to the AFN Infiltration ACH. I tried doors, windows, crack, and effective leakage areas.

What am I doing wrong? Should I be modelling room air models? Nodes and hooking it up as a set/defined path? I have no idea where to go from here.