AnTherm Documentation Update

The software AnTherm is equipped with extensive Help and Documentation. AnTherm-Blog offers supplemental information. Picture gallery (Picasa) and Video gallery (YouTube) provide visual impression.
This documentation is not only included with the program's installation but it can be also viewed on internet.

We've made efforts to provide documentation suitable for every user - an engineer, architect or student - making the starting the use of an application as easy as possible. Theoretical background of building physics and engineering calculations, used algorithms and procedures but also normative information have found their way into the documentation.

Extensive tutorials enable an easy start for new user leading him through a calculation of a two dimensional and then three dimensional thermal bridge component. The study of examples provides a quick overview of major application's functions. We've selected few common construction components for chosen  simulations and thermal heat/cold bridge analyses. Evaluations of heat stream (heat flux) lines, temperature on component's surfaces or throughout an interior of construction or even evaluations of condensing humidity (dew point) to answer the question about the risk of mould growth have been considered in examples chosen.

• Complete application's documentation (HTML, requires HTML-Help navigation component and JavaScript within your browser)
• Complete application's documentation (HTML, without navigational elements)
• The Handbook as PDF-File (9,78 MBytes) Note: Version 6.114 to 8.131 - current version available as HTML above
• Demonstrational videos and examples of results
• Further pictures and examples
   
• Tutorials / Cook-Books
• FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is the "TRANSIENT" Option of AnTherm

The TRANSIENT option of AnTherm calculates, evaluates and visualizes heat flows and temperature distributions in building components under boundary conditions changing in time periodically. By that it allows modeling and analysis of effects of heat storage in building construction and their response to changing conditions due to heat capacity of materials.

Such simulation approach is also known by “Transient periodic”, “Transient harmonic” or “quasi steady periodic”.
The efficiency and precision of this simulation approach results from the assumption of periodicity. By assuming periodicity of the processes the proper of periodic simulation does not need any starting distribution of temperature field. This is especially true for climatic boundary conditions (year, day), utilization scenarios (including the period of one week) or any other “repetitive” situation, e.g. periodically tuning on and off electric heating appliance.

Respective boundary conditions, periodically variable in time, can be modeled as series of values at specific time points or as series of mean values valid for several intervals of equal or variable lengths. Modeling periodic boundary conditions is not limited to air temperature but also possible for volumetric heat sources or sinks. The later will often be modeled as step (switch) functions while the other will result from some long term data measurements. The set of tools provided for modeling periodic data includes for example: values at equidistant points (regular points), mean values at equally or irregularly distributed time intervals (regular means, irregular means), values in steps (switching) on irregularly tiled intervals (irregular steps). Furthermore any periodic distribution given by complex coefficients of Fourier series can be employed too.

Compared to HARMONIC option (this earlier option of AnTherm is available already for years) the TRANSIENT option adds higher precision of results, ability to evaluate higher harmonics of the main period requested (up to 1000 harmonics), evaluate timelines of temperatures at arbitrary probe points or visualize time dependant animations in 3D (by employing the already well known techniques of “standard” steady state AnTherm to chosen time series) and record them for movie reproduction.

The strength of the HARMONIC/TRANSIENT tool relies on the fact, that harmonic thermal conductances (complex number, amplitude and the phase lag) can be calculated without the need to enter nor to know any boundary conditions.

The TRANSIENT Option goes much further by adding the ability of modeling periodic boundary conditions (fully automated Fourier analysis) for the purpose of time dependant evaluations (either a 3D view at some point in time, then available to creating time series animation, or timelines of temperature changing in time at selected location of the 3D model).

The Beauty of Thermal Bridges - Part V

Thermal bridge assessment can be sexy and beautiful. This is the last (fifth) part of the image collection created during the preparation of AnTherm’s exhibition (http://antherm.eu/) as presented on PicasaWeb of AnTherm.

Enjoy Understanding Thermal Bridges with Antherm

The Beauty of Thermal Bridges - Part IV

Thermal bridge assessment can be sexy and beautiful. This is the fourth part of the image collection created during the preparation of AnTherm’s exhibition (http://antherm.eu/) as presented on PicasaWeb of AnTherm.

Enjoy Understanding Thermal Bridges with Antherm

The Beauty of Thermal Bridges - Part III

Thermal bridge assessment can be sexy and beautiful. This is the third part of the image collection created during the preparation of AnTherm’s exhibition (http://antherm.eu/) as presented on PicasaWeb of AnTherm.

This image collection shows variations of visual assessment by looking at surface distribution of thermal properties like temperature or heat flux (stream density) and interstitial behavior of heat and vapor streams. The emphasis is on qualitative enjoyment of the conclusive and intuitive insight process.

Enjoy Understanding Thermal Bridges with Antherm

The Beauty of Thermal Bridges - Part II

Thermal bridge assessment can be sexy and beautiful. This is the second part of the image collection created during the preparation of AnTherm’s exhibition (http://antherm.eu/) as presented on PicasaWeb of AnTherm.
This image collection shows variations of visual assessment by looking at surface distribution of thermal properties like temperature or heat flux (stream density) and interstitial behavior of heat and vapor streams. The emphasis is on qualitative enjoyment of the conclusive and intuitive insight process.

Enjoy Understanding Thermal Bridges with Antherm

The Beauty of Thermal Bridges - Part I introduced

Thermal bridge assessment can be sexy and beautiful.

During the preparation of AnTherm’s exhibition (http://antherm.eu/) large collection of impressive images have been created as presented on PicasaWeb of AnTherm.

This image collection shows variations of visual assessment by looking at surface distribution of thermal properties like temperature or heat flux (stream density) and interstitial behavior of heat and vapor streams. The emphasis is on qualitative enjoyment of the conclusive and intuitive insight process.

Enjoy Understanding Thermal Bridges with Antherm

New AnTherm 4.81 deploys Hedgehog (Arrows) and Image Underlay features

As of today the new version of AnTherm 4.81 has been made available to the public.

In addition to the well known and extremely powerfull simulaiton and visualization features (see earlier posts and the website http://www.kornicki.com/) the new version now adds ability to

• include image underlay supporting data input and
• visualize hedgehog showing vector field as arrows or cones following the heat or vapour stream

enjoy & understand AnTherm!

On visualization of heat and vapour diffusion stream in three dimensional models

The difficulties in the depiction of the flow of heat and vapour through three-dimensionally modelled building constructions are taken up. A method well suited for practical use in finding regions which are critical with regard to heat and water vapour transport is presented. The pseudo colour image of the absolute values of the flow densities of heat and/or diffusion of water vapour immediately shows the regions of increased heat or vapour diffusion flow. Furthermore the plot of single flow lines clearly shows the three-dimensional path of the heat or water vapour through the building construction. The expressiveness of this method is demonstrated by an example representing a building construction which was analyzed by a three-dimensional calculation using the new thermal bridge program AnTherm.
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