INTRODUCTION TO TRNSYS

MEC 4000 Presentation

2013-09-14

Michal Kummert

OUTLINE 2

What is TRNSYS

Philosophy and history

Applications

The TRNSYS suite of programs

TRNSYS components

Other features

Validation, standards

Some personal comments

WHAT IS TRNSYS 3

TRNSYS = TRaNsient SYstem Simulation program Started as a PhD thesis by Sanford A. Klein

Aim = flexible energy systems simulation program

First public version was 6.0 in March 1975 37 years of continuous support and development

TRNSYS or TRNSYS ideas used in/by other programs

Currently Version 17 (17.1 about to be released) TRNSYS is commercial software

Neither open-source nor free, but the source code is provided

Suite of programs Simulation engine + interfaces + libraries

THE TRNSYS COMMUNITY 4

4 developers in the US, Germany and France 11 distributors

Belgium, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Tunisia, US

A growing user base TRNSYS mailing list: 1300 users, 150 messages/month

Compare e.g. to EnergyPlus: 3000 users, 360 messages/month

Universities / Research Labs worldwide (55%)

Engineering companies (building or RE), other ( 45%) Examples:

NASA, NREL, LBL, NRCan, FSEC (SRCC), NIST, NREL GE, Johnson Controls, BMW, PSA, Utilities (e.g. EDF, GDF, SSE, Hydro-Qc)

TRNSYS PHILOSOPHY: A COMPONENT-BASED PROGRAM 5

Component equations Inputs Outputs

Parameters

Component 1 Component 2

Component 3

Components solve their own equations (inputs outputs)

Main solver links components outputs to inputs and solves the algebraic / differential system

Demo Doc

APPLICATIONS 6

SOME TRANSSOLAR PROJECTS 7

Bangkok intl airport 375000 m

TRNSYS Superlite, Radiance, CFD

Beijing Linked Hybrid 160000 m

One of the worlds largest GSHP 660 wells, 5000 kW cooling

Manitoba Hydro Tower Passive/active displacement ventilation

GSHP

www.transsolar.com

SOME TESS PROJECTS 8

Drake landing solar community 2250 m solar collectors (1.5 MW)

Ground heat storage

District heating loop

SRCC OG-300 (systems) ratings

Model development

Cogen library

High-T solar, PV/Thermal

Many executable applications

Wetlands!

www.tess-inc.com

THE TRNSYS SUITE OF TOOLS 9

Studio

Deck file

TRNEdit

Building files

TRNSYS 3d (Sketchup)

TRNBuild

TRNExe

TRNDll

UserLib DLLs

Online plot

Input files

Output files

TRNSED app

ESP-r

Other tools

TRNSYS COMPONENTS 10

Utilities From data reader / solar radiation processor to integrator, shading, etc.

Solar thermal Dozens of solar collectors, tanks, etc.

Concentrating Solar thermal Power: STEC library (60 components) Electrical

From PV and wind turbine to diesel engine to battery

Building From lumped capacitance single-zone to detailed 3-d model with airflow model,

cooled ceilings, PCMs, etc.

HVAC From conventional HVAC plants to enthalpy exchangers to ground-coupled systems

Hydrogen Fuel cells, H2 storage, Electrolyzers, etc.

TESS LIBRARIES 11

14 component libraries Applications Library

Cogeneration (CHP) Library

Controllers Library

Electrical Library

Geothermal Heat Pump (GHP) Library

Ground Coupling Library

High Temperature Solar Library

HVAC Library

Hydronics Library

Loads and Structures Library

Optimization Library (interface to Genopt)

Solar Library

Storage Tank Library

Utility Library

Individual components

About 300 components total

LINKS WITH OTHER TOOLS 12

* Simple SDHW exampleSimulation 1 8760 1 ! Start Stop StepUnit 1 Type 9 Data ReaderParameters 15-1 0 ! Mode, skip3 1.0 ! Nb of Columns, dt Data-1 1.0 0.0 ! 1st column (Ta)-2 1.0 0.0 ! 2nd column (Ti)-3 3.6 0.0 ! 3rd column (S), converted from W/m2 to kJ/h/m214 -1 ! Logical Unit, not used* Output order: 1=Ta (1st column), 2=Ti (2nd column), 3=S (3rd column)Unit 2 Type 1 Solar collectorParameters 111 2.0 ! Nb of coll. In series, Coll area4.19 2 40 ! Cp fluid, Efficiency Mode, test mass flowrate0.80 13.0 0.04 ! A0, A1, A2 (Quadratic efficiency)2 0.1 0.0 ! Optical mode, b0, b1 (ASHRAE incid. Angle modifier)Inputs 91,2 0,0 1,1 ! Tin, mass flowr. In, Tamb. 0,0 means constant... (other inputs)* Initial values40.0 80.0 20.0 ! Same order as the inputs... (Rest of the deck file)End

Wind Turbine

Grid - ControlsBackup

ElectrolyzerFuel Cell H2 Storage

DC/ACAC/DC

1Loads

Dump

ESP-r

GenOpt

ADDING TRNSYS COMPONENTS 13

Relatively easy to add new native components TRNSYS kernel in Fortran easier to use that language (share modules, etc.) Type-programming rules

Templates and automatic generation

Drop-in DLLs

Distribute a new component with or without the code, commercially or not

Send a proforma (Studio description) and a DLL

Copy the files to the appropriate directories

Simulate! No compilation, link, etc.

Components written in any programming language

Templates available in Fortran, C++ and Delphi

You own your developments

TRNSED APPLICATIONS 14

TRNSED Add html-like language to your TRNSYS input file to create a

simple interface

Distribute it with the required DLLs etc.

* Simple SDHW exampleSimulation 1 8760 1 ! Start Stop StepUnit 1 Type 9 Data ReaderParameters 15-1 0 ! Mode, skip3 1.0 ! Nb of Columns, dt Data-1 1.0 0.0 ! 1st column (Ta)-2 1.0 0.0 ! 2nd column (Ti)-3 3.6 0.0 ! 3rd column (S), converted from W/m2 to kJ/h/m214 -1 ! Logical Unit, not used* Output order: 1=Ta (1st column), 2=Ti (2nd column), 3=S (3rd column)Unit 2 Type 1 Solar collectorParameters 111 2.0 ! Nb of coll. In series, Coll area4.19 2 40 ! Cp fluid, Efficiency Mode, test mass flowrate0.80 13.0 0.04 ! A0, A1, A2 (Quadratic efficiency)2 0.1 0.0 ! Optical mode, b0, b1 (ASHRAE incid. Angle modifier)Inputs 91,2 0,0 1,1 ! Tin, mass flowr. In, Tamb. 0,0 means constant... (other inputs)* Initial values40.0 80.0 20.0 ! Same order as the inputs... (Rest of the deck file)End

Demo

VALIDATION AND STANDARD COMPLIANCE 15

Validation Part of all major IEA validation studies (e.g. BESTEST, HVAC-BESTEST, Annex 21

/ Task 12, Annex 43 Task 34) No automated testing suite

Solar thermal systems Reference tool in many IEA SHC Tasks (combisystems, storage, solar-assisted

heat pumps, large-scale systems)

Reference tool for SRCC ratings in the US and Canadian ratings

Reference tool in European standard on solar thermal systems (ENV-12977-2)

Buildings ASHRAE 140 compliant

Can be used for ASHRAE 90.1 compliance and for project that go beyond (e.g. LEED buildings)

European directive: no technical barriers

SOME PERSONAL WORDS OF WARNING 16

Some components are terrible Always test-drive a component before using it Ask experts (or the mailing list) for advice on which component to use The TESS libraries are a must

Original building model (Type 56) was unusual Detailed and well validated but non-geometrical 3-d modeling with graphical input from Sketchup is in its infancy very few users

master it

The systems you are simulating are rarely simple Your simulations wont be simple You will learn more about the systems themselves The first time will be a real pain. The second time you will have a template

SOME PERSONAL WORDS OF WARNING 17

You will experience non-convergences Build your projects step-by-step and test subsystems There is always a way out: clean, not so clean, or dirty trick

Do look at time-step results

Yearly results dont tell you if the simulation makes sense

Thats true for any program. It is exacerbated in TRNSYS

TRNSYS main strength is a tremendous flexibility

Flexibility has a price (time, expertise). If you cant accept that, dont use TRNSYS

TRNSYS most important feature

A good user. It takes time to become one. A good user knows how the system works, how the model works and how to interpret the results.

TRNSYS expertise is a valuable asset in the job market

WEB LINKS 18

TRNSYS

Main web site (SEL): sel.me.wisc.edu/trnsys

TESS: www.tess-inc.com, www.trnsys.com

Other developers/distributors: sel.me.wisc.edu/trnsys/sales/distributors.html

Mailing list: sel.me.wisc.edu/trnsys/mailinglist/trnsysmailinglist.htm

Report comparing simulation tools: www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory/pdfs/contrasting_the_capabilities_of_building_en

ergy_performance_simulation_programs_v1.0.pdf (one line!)

Introduction to TRNSYSOutlineWhat is TRNSYSThe TRNSYS communityTRNSYS philosophy: a component-based programApplicationsSome Transsolar projectsSome TESS projectsThe TRNSYS suite of toolsTRNSYS componentsTESS librariesLinks with other toolsAdding TRNSYS componentsTRNSED applicationsValidation and standard complianceSome personal words of warningSome personal words of warningWeb links

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