2.4. Description of building partitions<br>

## 2.4. Description of building partitions

This part of program is used for defining of partitions, edition of partitions and for calculation of their „Uo” (or „R”) coefficients. Defined partitions will be then used as construction elements of compartments after declaration of their usage in building structure.

After filling in of all fields in „General data” of the building, just go to the next project data, clicking the mouse button on position „Partitions definitions”. In lower left window a list of declared partitions will appear – for a new project this list will be empty. On the right side appears a partitions table – also empty.

To insert a new partition you must click the icon ”Add partition definition” or using the button „Pop-up the Menu” select the command „Add the partition definition”. This command is also available in pop-up menu, which can be open by clicking the right mouse button.

To insert a partition you can also use keys F7 and INS (F7 will insert a new partition at the end of list, INS on cursor’s position).

For every partition appears a table with data to be completed and the window for edition of partition construction is as follows:

Edition window consists of two main parts: general data of partition and partition layers table.

General data of partition include: name of partition (short name identifying the partition during inserting it into compartments), comment to the name in field „Description”, method of partition definition and its type selected from a list, normative addition DUo taking into account corrections to heat transfer coefficient „Uo” and other data depending on type of partition and calculation option. The program, depending on partition type and calculations option, gives automatically the heat flow direction and resistance values of heat taking over on both internal and external side of partition Rsi and Rse. For internal partitions such as windows and doors, it is necessary to select the heat flow direction “up”, “down” or “levels”, depending on location in a building. For internal ceiling the value of penetration coefficient “U0” is automatically calculated for two possibilities of heat flow: “down” and “up”. During inserting of internal ceilings in building structure they will have automatically assigned heat flow direction on the basis of temperature difference between compartments, that means also – adequate value of U0 coefficient.

! Fields filled with yellow colour means, that they are not available for edition by the User and their content is calculated by the program according to other data.

Fields indispensable for calculation of seasonal energy demand for individual types of partitions have been described in detail in chapter 4.4.

After completion of general data and selection of partition defining method , the thermal features of partition are to be determined. This can be done in following ways: by defining the partition without layers by clicking the mouse button in window “Partition with enforced U”, defining laminar partitions in partition layers table or declare an inhomogeneous partition.

Partitions with enforced “U” are defined by selection of partition type, entering the value of heat transfer coefficient and completing other data in edition fields.

Partition with defined layers can be described by selection of partition type and completing the layers table, declaring this way its construction. Majority of edition fields will be completed on the basis of entered layers of building materials.

Inhomogeneous partitions are defined by selection of previously defined partition elements and determining their share in length of repeatable inhomogeneous unit. Elements of inhomogeneous partition are selected from partitions previously defined as laminar or with enforced “U” coefficient.

In external walls layer table the partitions are to be defined from internal to external partition – according to heat flow direction. This sequence is also shown on icons in column No. First (inner) layer is designated by icon , last (outer) partition layer is designated by icon . Proper declaration of layers order has essential meaning by defining of partitions being in contact with external environment.

The program contains a catalogue of building materials, so it is not necessary to enter manually the thermal features of every partition layer. The User can also input by himself a partition layer not included in catalogue entering its name and features in following columns of partition layers table.

To open the list of building materials just click the mouse button on material name field „Select material from the list”. In this list there is available a mode of quick material search – just write some first letters in field “Enter first letters of name of searched material”, marked with cursor. Selection can be confirmed with key Enter or just by clicking the OK button.

Now we are to input the layer thickness – column „d”. It is possible here to select the layer thickness unit (m, cm, mm) using pop-up list under the button . Program will automatically calculate partition thickness in selected units. Default unit is meter.

In this way all layers in partition can be completed. After every change of data the program will recalculate the “Uo” coefficient. If there is an aerial gap in partition, it should also be selected from the list of building materials.

In this column “d” – layer thickness the User can also select the program option „Partition lagging” by means of which he can insulate the partition to receive required „Uo” coefficient. Correction of thermal parameters of partition can be obtained by change of thickness of selected material layer, using the button at selected layer. Displayed window will then include a field “Uo – heat transfer coefficient” enabling input of required value of heat transfer coefficient. After confirmation of entered “Uo” value the program will calculate required partition thickness fulfilling the requirement of change of thermal parameter of partition to the required value of “Uo”. In most cases a thermal insulation layer is selected.

In this way all layers in partition are to be completed. After every change the program will calculate from the beginning the “Uo” coefficient. If there is an aerial gap in the partition, it must be also selected from the list of building materials.

Defined partition will be put on the partitions list under a name defined by the user. If the User wants to change the name of defined partition being already used in building structure (is already present in any compartment), a warning message will appear. After this message appears, the program will give the opportunity to confirm or reject the change of partition name. Confirmation means saving of partition definition under new entered name.

To define a partition without using the layers, mark the field „Partition with enforced „U” and enter the value of „Uo” coefficient. In this manner are defined windows and doors in a building. To make the work with program more effective, dimensions of windows and doors can be entered here. During the work these dimensions will be shown automatically after entering the partition name. Height and width of internal partitions are to be given according to dimensions in axes and of doors and windows – according to external dimensions.

In case of selection of heat loss calculation option, taking into consideration temporary temperature reduction in heated compartments it is necessary to complete additional data of partitions defined as with enforced “U” coefficient. It is still the partition thickness Sd and its heat capacity C/A related to 1m2 of this partition’s area to be determined. Heat capacity for windows and doors will not be given. Other data required for calculations should be completed in compartment edition window.

More detailed description of data input for calculation of seasonal energy demand you can find in chapters 4.3 and 4.5.

If the User has declared the calculation option of seasonal energy demand and if he has declared the interruptions in central heating system operation, it is enough to give only once the data concerning thermal capacity of partition and its thickness.

! Names of partitions and compartments identify them unequivocally, so they have to be unique in entire project.

For external walls with declared layer construction an active field has been designated with icon located in lower right field of edition window of partition definition. It is used for presentation of temperature drop diagram. If the User in will select in „General data” an additional calculations option „Calculate condensation inside the partition”, on the same diagram will be displayed the diagram of partial pressures and diagram of water vapour saturation in partition. This option does not concern partitions being in contact with the ground.

If the icon appears, it means, that there is the condensation in partition and that suggests to the User the necessity of partition redesign.

If the icon appears, it means, that the condensation in partition is occurring on the inner side of it.

After clicking the icon appears a window for edition of air temperature and humidity on inner and outer side of partition as data for condensation control (without connections with real usage of a partition in building project).

! Both on the partition list and in layers table after clicking the right mouse button the pop-up menu will open. This menu contains many functions which are helpful in partitions edition.

The User can also omit this stage of data input and define the name and properties of partitions directly in compartments table (see also chapter 2.6.4).

Nevertheless for such defined partitions the program will not perform calculations of seasonal energy demand, because it does not contain required information concerning thermal features of partitions.