[esp-r] release of ESP-r version 11.6

[Ian Beausoleil-Morrison]

Dear ESP-r users and developers,

Version 11.6 of the ESP-r system is now available.  A summary of the changes
and new features included in this release is given at the bottom of this
e-mail.

The source code may be accessed via the ESP-r Central Subversion repository.
To do this, you must first install a Subversion client on your system.  Free
clients are available at http://subversion.tigris.org/project_packages.html.

Once you have installed the Subversion client you can download the source
code for version 11.6 of ESP-r anonymously using the following command:
	svn checkout https://esp-r.net/espr/esp-r/trunk
	OR
	svn checkout http://esp-r.net/espr/esp-r/trunk

If you already downloaded the source code of a previous version with the
above command, then you do not have to do a full download of version 11.6.
Rather, you can update the source code by executing the following command
from your "trunk" directory:
	svn update

(ESP-r developers who wish to make source code contributions to ESP-r should
contact Alex Ferguson at afersugo at nrcan.gc.ca who can configure an account
for you on ESP-r Central.  Further information on ESP-r Central for
developers is available on the ESRU web site.)

ESP-r source code is available exclusively through ESP-r Central.  However,
ESRU will continue to produce and post pre-compiled versions for specific
operating environments on its web site.  These binary versions will
generally be made available within a few days of a source code release and
will be announced to this e-mail list.  Release notes will also continue to
be posted on the ESRU web site.

Regards,
- Ian

Ian Beausoleil-Morrison
ESP-r Archivist on behalf of the ESP-r development team
Carleton University
Ottawa, Canada


Release Notes
11.6 (November 2008)
====================

Simulator
---------
- The convective heat transfer calculation algorithm taken from ISO 15099
for
  vertical ventilated channels has been added.
- A number of improvements have been made to the TRNSYS plant component
  "wrapper".  This includes restructuring the code used to read TRNSYS
  wrapper's input file in order to improve code readability and increase
  the input file's flexibility.  User-implemented function values are now
  supported as inputs in this file.  The use of TRNSYS storage variables
  is now also possible.  A number of coding errors have been addressed
  and the code documentation has been improved.
- Reading of bidirectional optical datasets from measurements has been
  expanded to include (and use) multiple datasets and different types
  of datasets. Controls have been also added to switch between 
  different datasets during simulation.
- The battery model was improved by adding a battery life calculation 
  and optional active battery life control.  The  model can now also be 
  used to simulate (Vanadium) Redox Flow batteries.
- Minor modifications were made to the electrolyzer model, the 
  hydrogen PEMFC model and the hydrogen compressor model to add inputs or to
  fix bugs.
- A multi-stage hydrogen compressor was added to the plant
  database.
- New plant components for a boiler and a radiator have been added.
- A new BASESIMP type '999' boundary condition has been added to allow
  results generated from NRCan's BASECALC program to be used in ESP-r
  simulations.
- The calculation of the heat addition rate to a plant component
  model of a humidifier has been corrected.  As well, additional
  outputs have been added to this model.
- Outputs have been added to the plant component models for a
  a damper and a value.  No calculation changes have been made to
  these models.
- Plant database entries have been added for models that represent
  a basic heat exchanger, a reversible heat pump, a basic radiator,
  a pump, an hydronic heat rejection device, a multi-junction, and
  a fan.  The static templates and coefficient generators for these
  models have existed in the source code for a long time; however,
  these models have not been accessible since their corresponding
  database entries were absent.
- A long-standing bug in the water storage tank plant components that were
  created and that have been used extensively for modelling cogeneration
  systems (plant components #57 and #78) has been repaired.
- A bug in the treatment of thermal bridges has been repaired.
- Improvements have been made to the iterative solution procedure for plant
  networks.
- The xml and csv results output facility has been expanded to consider
  additional simulation parameters.  Some formatting changes have also been
  made.
- A number of bugs in the idealized HVAC models have been repaired.
- Added logic to avoid numerical problems with one of the external
  convection correlations. This resolves a bug with Loveday's 
  "raw wind speed" external convection correlation (listed 
  in the ESP-r simulation toggles menu).


Project Manager
---------------
- The display of help messages in the GTK version has been improved and a
  number of bugs have been repaired.
- The functionality of the tdf module has been merged into the Project
  Manager to facilitate the use of temporal data.  Temporal data need no
  longer be described at the same frequency as the simulation, and
  can be used with simulations of differing time resolution.
- Additional functionality has been added in preparation for demonstrating
  compliance with the UK building regulations.  A sub-folder has been
  included to support UK building code compliance requirements for specific
  occupancy, lighting and small power loads for standard room types in
  buildings. Users will use these definitions if they have selected the
  UK_NCM method in the interface.
- Alterations in the treatment of day types for operations have been made.
- A number of bugs related to the importation of DXF version 12 files have
  been repaired and associated help messages have been improved.
- The interface for defining scheduled air flows has been improved.
- Support for reading optical data generated by Window 5.1 and 5.2 has
  been added.
- A check has been added to ensure that specified day-types correspond to
the
  current simulation year.


Climate Data
------------
 - Climate files for Cuban and Mexican locations have been added.


Additional Changes
------------------
- Many additional changes have been made that are transparent to the user.
  Information on these, as well as further details on all the
above-mentioned
  changes, can be found in ESP-r Central's change log by providing the
  following URL to your web browser:
     https://esp-r.net/vvc/espr/esp-r/branches/development_branch.