""" 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