<HTML><BODY> Dear Javier   below some answers and comments.   > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > Von: esp-r-bounces@lists.strath.ac.uk [mailto:esp-r- > bounces@lists.strath.ac.uk] Im Auftrag von jmazo@unizar.es > Gesendet: Freitag, 11. Februar 2011 11:48 > An: esp-r@lists.strath.ac.uk > Betreff: [esp-r] radiant floor model in ESP-r > > Dear Sir or Madam, > I am Javier Mazo, a PhD student at the University of Zar! agoza (Spain). > My research work is focused in the study of Phase Change Materials in > buildings. I am interested in the simulation of the performance of > these phase change materials in thermally activated building systems > such as a radiant floor. > I am very interested in using ESP-r becouse it enables the simulation > of PCM, treated as special materials. I would like to know if it is > possible to simulate in ESP-r a radiant floor with PCM.   Yes, this is surely possible. There are two basic approaches to model radiant floors (or other surfaces). a) There is a model "radiant heat injection" for combination with a plant b) you can define a thin zone and control this to the desired temperature and thus generate a radiant surface in adjacent zones   Both approaches should work with the special material PCM. Method b) will work, for sure.   > I also would like to know some features of the radiant floor model > that is used in ESP-r such as: > -Numerical aproach, is it based in the finite difference method?, or > does it use other methods like RC-models of transfer function models?   Generally, ESP-r uses finite difference methods, not transfer function models. For the "radiant heat injection" I am not sure as to the exact approach, however. But, as the source code is available, you can easily check and know for sure what approach is used.   > -Does it take into account the bidimensional efect of heat conduction > in the radiant floor slab?   No. However, there is a "3d" possibility hidden in the ESP-r code (designed, as far as I am aware, for direct modelling of thermal bridges where two surfaces meet, using a finite element approach). If this can be used for your needs I do not know, though.<! /p>   >Thank you very much for your attention. I am looking forward to your >answer. >Regards, >Javier _______________________________________________ esp-r mailing list <a href="mailto:esp-r@lists.strath.ac.uk" class="autolink">esp-r@lists.strath.ac.uk</a> <a href="http://lists.strath.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/esp-r" target="_blank" class="autolink">http://lists.strath.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/esp-r</a> </BODY></HTML>