| """ | |
| User documentation for the Enhanced HVAC Load Calculator. | |
| This document provides detailed instructions for using the calculator. | |
| """ | |
| # Enhanced HVAC Load Calculator - User Guide | |
| ## Table of Contents | |
| 1. Introduction | |
| 2. Getting Started | |
| 3. Building Information | |
| 4. Internal Loads | |
| 5. Calculation Results | |
| 6. Building Manager | |
| 7. Import/Export | |
| 8. Troubleshooting | |
| 9. Glossary | |
| ## 1. Introduction | |
| The Enhanced HVAC Load Calculator is a comprehensive tool for calculating cooling loads in buildings based on ASHRAE methods. This calculator helps HVAC engineers, architects, and building designers determine the appropriate cooling system size for a building by calculating the peak cooling load and monthly energy consumption. | |
| ### Key Features | |
| - Accurate cooling load calculations based on ASHRAE methods | |
| - Support for different activity levels, lighting types, and equipment types | |
| - Monthly breakdown of cooling loads and energy consumption | |
| - Interactive visualizations with multiple chart options | |
| - Multiple building comparison capabilities | |
| - Data import/export in various formats | |
| ## 2. Getting Started | |
| ### Navigation | |
| The application has five main pages, accessible from the sidebar: | |
| - **Building Information**: Enter building properties and components | |
| - **Internal Loads**: Configure people, lighting, and equipment loads | |
| - **Results**: View calculation results with interactive visualizations | |
| - **Building Manager**: Manage multiple buildings and compare them | |
| - **Import/Export**: Save and load building data and results | |
| ### Creating a New Building | |
| 1. Click "Create New Building" in the sidebar | |
| 2. Navigate to the "Building Information" page | |
| 3. Enter building details and components | |
| ### Loading an Existing Building | |
| 1. Click "Load Selected Building" in the sidebar | |
| 2. Select a building from the dropdown menu | |
| 3. The building will be loaded and ready for viewing or editing | |
| ## 3. Building Information | |
| The Building Information page allows you to enter the basic properties of your building and its components. | |
| ### Building Settings | |
| - **Name**: Enter a descriptive name for the building | |
| - **Floor Area**: Enter the total floor area in square meters | |
| - **Ceiling Height**: Enter the ceiling height in meters | |
| - **Indoor Temperature**: Set the indoor design temperature in °C | |
| - **Indoor Humidity**: Set the indoor design relative humidity in % | |
| ### Location | |
| - **City**: Select the city where the building is located | |
| - **Latitude/Longitude**: These will be automatically filled based on the city, but can be adjusted if needed | |
| ### Walls | |
| Add walls for each orientation (North, South, East, West): | |
| 1. Click "Add Wall" | |
| 2. Enter the width and height in meters | |
| 3. Set the U-value (thermal transmittance) in W/m²·K | |
| 4. Select the construction type (Light, Medium, Heavy) | |
| 5. Click "Save Wall" | |
| ### Roof | |
| - **Area**: Enter the roof area in square meters | |
| - **U-value**: Set the U-value in W/m²·K | |
| - **Construction Type**: Select the roof construction type | |
| ### Glass | |
| Add glass (windows) for each orientation: | |
| 1. Click "Add Glass" | |
| 2. Enter the width and height in meters | |
| 3. Set the U-value in W/m²·K | |
| 4. Set the SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) | |
| 5. Select the shading type | |
| 6. Click "Save Glass" | |
| ## 4. Internal Loads | |
| The Internal Loads page allows you to configure the internal heat sources in the building. | |
| ### People | |
| - **Count**: Enter the number of occupants | |
| - **Activity Level**: Select the activity level from the dropdown menu | |
| - Different activity levels have different heat gain values | |
| - The heat gain per person will be displayed based on the selected activity | |
| ### Lighting | |
| - **Power**: Enter the total lighting power in watts | |
| - **Lighting Type**: Select the lighting type from the dropdown menu | |
| - Different lighting types have different heat emission factors | |
| - The heat emission factor will be displayed based on the selected type | |
| ### Equipment | |
| - **Power**: Enter the total equipment power in watts | |
| - **Equipment Type**: Select the equipment type from the dropdown menu | |
| - Different equipment types have different sensible and latent heat factors | |
| - The heat factors will be displayed based on the selected type | |
| ## 5. Calculation Results | |
| The Results page displays the cooling load calculation results with interactive visualizations. | |
| ### Calculating Cooling Load | |
| 1. Navigate to the Results page | |
| 2. Click "Calculate Cooling Load" | |
| 3. The calculation will run and display the results | |
| ### Peak Cooling Load | |
| The peak cooling load section shows: | |
| - Sensible Load (W) | |
| - Latent Load (W) | |
| - Total Load (W) | |
| - Peak Hour | |
| - Sensible Heat Ratio (SHR) | |
| ### Load Breakdown | |
| The load breakdown section provides multiple visualization options: | |
| - **Pie Charts**: Shows the distribution of external and internal loads | |
| - **Stacked Bar**: Displays the composition of cooling load components | |
| - **Treemap**: Provides a hierarchical view of all load components | |
| - **Detailed Breakdown**: Shows detailed tables of all load components | |
| ### Monthly Breakdown | |
| The monthly breakdown section shows: | |
| - Monthly peak cooling loads | |
| - Monthly average cooling loads | |
| - Monthly energy consumption | |
| - Correlation with outdoor temperature | |
| ### Hourly Load Profile | |
| The hourly load profile shows the cooling load variation throughout the day for the peak month. | |
| ### Energy Efficiency Recommendations | |
| Based on the calculation results, the system provides recommendations for improving energy efficiency. | |
| ## 6. Building Manager | |
| The Building Manager page allows you to manage multiple buildings and compare them. | |
| ### Building List | |
| The building list shows all saved buildings with key metrics: | |
| - Building name | |
| - Location | |
| - Floor area | |
| - Peak cooling load | |
| - Annual energy consumption | |
| ### Building Actions | |
| - **Rename Building**: Change the name of a building | |
| - **Remove Building**: Delete a building from the manager | |
| - **Duplicate Building**: Create a copy of a building with a new name | |
| - **Calculate Building**: Calculate cooling load for a building | |
| - **Compare Buildings**: Compare multiple buildings side by side | |
| ### Building Comparison | |
| The building comparison page provides multiple visualization options: | |
| - **Overview**: Shows key metrics for all buildings | |
| - **Peak Loads**: Compares peak cooling loads and their components | |
| - **Monthly Comparison**: Shows monthly cooling load patterns | |
| - **Energy Consumption**: Compares annual and monthly energy consumption | |
| - **Detailed Comparison**: Provides a detailed side-by-side comparison of building properties | |
| ## 7. Import/Export | |
| The Import/Export page allows you to save and load building data and results. | |
| ### Export Options | |
| - **Building Data**: Export building data to JSON format | |
| - **Results**: Export calculation results to JSON format | |
| - **Monthly Data**: Export monthly breakdown data to CSV format | |
| - **Complete Project**: Export all data as a ZIP archive | |
| ### Import Options | |
| - **Building Data**: Import building data from JSON file | |
| - **Complete Project**: Import a complete project from ZIP archive | |
| ## 8. Troubleshooting | |
| ### Common Issues | |
| - **Calculation errors**: Ensure all required fields are filled correctly | |
| - **Missing results**: Make sure you have calculated the cooling load before viewing results | |
| - **Import errors**: Check that the file format is correct and contains valid data | |
| ### Getting Help | |
| If you encounter any issues, please: | |
| 1. Check the documentation for guidance | |
| 2. Run the debug script to identify and fix issues: | |
| ``` | |
| python tests/debug.py | |
| ``` | |
| 3. Contact support with details of the problem | |
| ## 9. Glossary | |
| - **ASHRAE**: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers | |
| - **CLTD**: Cooling Load Temperature Difference | |
| - **CLF**: Cooling Load Factor | |
| - **SHGC**: Solar Heat Gain Coefficient | |
| - **U-value**: Thermal transmittance (W/m²·K) | |
| - **SHR**: Sensible Heat Ratio | |
| - **CDD**: Cooling Degree Days | |