Beta version glazing calc crash

juncalixihan · Posts: 31

Dear DB support,

I get a DB crash when I clone then edit a coated pane and calculate its u-value as single glazing. It crashes when I click Update. I just edited the pane thickness from 5 to 3mm. I use beta ver 1.5.1.009. Please check this out.

thanks!
Jun

Andy Tindale · Posts: 1149 Location: Stroud

Jun,

I tried to reproduce this and did manage to get a crash, but this was caused by clicking on the 'update' link while an existing update calculation was taking place. I've made some changes to DB to prevent this in future versions.

Could you check to see if the crash on your computer is perhaps caused by the same thing? Try waiting for the automatic update caused by clicking on the 'Calculated' tab to finish before clicking on the Update link and see if you still get a crash.

Andy

juncalixihan · Posts: 31

Andy,

I cloned a glass pane with spectral data from IGDB (the spectral data does not get copied just like Windows 5) just to decrease its thickness, then create a glazing using that pane, the Edit Glazing window would cease responding after I click the Calculated tab (I think it still thinks its calculating). Then DB would crash if I hit "update data".

Which means we are not allowed to clone IGDB glass? Some calculations would not work if we do this? I sometimes try changing glass thickness because I get a change in u-value that I need but still want the same SC/SHGC and VT without having to wait for spectral data from glass suppliers. Would you know anything about any guidelines that advises not to clone/change thickness of IGDB glasses?

thanks,
Jun

Andy Tindale · Posts: 1149 Location: Stroud

You should be able to clone panes with spectral data and use them in your own glazing components. Remember that the spectral data itself cannot be changed though.

Does the crash happen with glazing systems not using spectral data?

How long did you wait before between clicking on the Calculated tab and clicking the Update button? DesignBuilder is running a mini simulation at this point (just to calculate the glazing properties!) so there can be a delay of several seconds while this happens. In current versions you will always get a crash if you don't wait for this to finish before clicking update.

Also are you successfully running other EnergyPlus simulations? I ask to check that your EnergyPlus selections are generally working. Are you using the default recommended EnergyPlus dll version?

If this does not help perhaps you could check the contents of the eplusout.err file in the EnergyPlus folder for clues as to why the simulation does not finish. If you post the in.idf file I can look at it to see if there is a clue.

Andy

juncalixihan · Posts: 31

Andy,

Yes I clone the panes with spectral data but the cloned panes do not contain any data on the spectral data tab. Somehow the spectral data does not get copied during cloning. I tried copying and pasting the original spectral data into the cloned pane but it does not save the pasted data.

The crash only happens when I use panes without data on the spectral data tab. DB does not crash when I clones panes from old DB pane database like "Generic CLEAR 3MM". Those panes I can use and change thickness without any problems.

Just like in my experience running old DB panes (those not included in IGDB) I wait several seconds before clicking the Calculated tab and clicking the Update button. Again the crash only happend using panes listed in IGDB.

Unfortunately DB also crashes when trying to write the idf file using the cloned pane without spectral data, so I cannot send you the in.idf and could not check out eplusout.err. I have not had severe problems running EnergyPlus using recomended DOE before.

Anyway, I attached here a sample model with the cloned IGDB pane I mentioned. Please see where I made a mistake in the model.

thanks!
Jun

Andy Tindale · Posts: 1149 Location: Stroud

Jun,

Thank you for the clarification - the problem occurs because the spectral data is not held in the model (to keep the size of model down) and the cloning operation loses track of the source spectral data in the library. The next beta release will fix this problem. It also fixes a problem with a small number of pane types where reflectance is zero at some wavelengths causing problems with E+. look out for DesignBuilder v.1.5.2.005 and later.

You can get round the cloning problem for now by cloning the library data instead of the model data.

Andy

juncalixihan · Posts: 31

It's working now... Thanks!
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