ApacheHVAC Interface Overview

 

Figure 1 - 8 : The ApacheHVAC view or module within the IES Virtual Environment.

 

The ApacheHVAC view comprises the interface features described below.

 

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These menus provide functions used throughout the Virtual environment. Please refer to the Virtual Environment User Guide for further information.

These pull-down menus provide functions specific to the ApacheHVAC view.

The toolbars provide quick access to menu functions, selection of components and controllers to be placed on the system schematic, creation and editing of system of multiplexes, and access to system prototypes.

·     New

·     Open

·     Save

·     System schedules and setpoints

·     System parameters

·     Zones tabular edit view

·     Global system parameter assign

·     Room and zone-level sizing

·     System equipment and plant sizing

·     System loads, sizing, and ventilation reports

·     Move

·     Copy

·     Query item

·     Check network

·     Assign zones

·     Apache profiles

·     Delete

·     Enable/disable component tooltips

·     Show/hide link for all overlays

·     Show/hide overlays

·     Remove all overlays

·     Preferences

·     Add new loop

·     Edit selected loop

·     Copy selected loop

·     Remove selected loop

·     Open loop list dialog

The last ten of the toolbar buttons above will be available along with the graphic waerside interface in ApacheHVAC and detailed component-level results in Vista-Pro as of VE 2012 Feature Pack 2.

This provides functions for manipulating the view of the system schematic, including zoom to HVAC network extents, window, in, out, pan, previous, and next.

Figure 1 - 10 : There are also three parallel waterside graphic views, as shown above with a range of possible options engaged. These are accessed via the three corresponding toolbar buttons shown below:

 Hot water loops

 Heat transfer loops

 Chilled water loops

These three buttons are toggles that take you back to the airside view when un-clicked.

 

The Performance Curves Library is the first of a set of tools for loading, visualizing, and customizing polynomial fit curve performance data for HVAC equipment. Initially, this covers a large number of generic (entering condenser temperature based) and actual (leaving condenser temperature based) electric water-cooled chiller models. It will later be expanded to include other HVAC plant equipment.

The n ew curves interface provide s exceptional visualization and access to curve parameters. Articulated 3D plot and two different 2D plots are provided for each of Capacity – temperature dependence, EIR – temperature dependence, and EIR – part-load dependence curves.

 

The Zone Airflow Distribution table provides for viewing all zone airflows and for viewing and editing the default distribution of airflow among rooms within each zone.

·       As with the outcome of duct sizing and testing & balancing procedures in an actual buildings, airflow from a zone-level VAV box or similar must be appropriately distributed among the rooms that it serves.

·       Distribution of air among rooms within a zone for space conditioning is by default according to the relative load in each space.

·       Users can override this by editing either the distribution percentages or the individual room airflow values, if desired. (Zone-level airflow overrides are provided in the System Parameters and Zones Tabular Edits dialogs where that airflow is otherwise determined.)

·       Rather than directly overwriting user edits, the autosizing process maintains the proportional relationship among rooms in each zone, as established by manual user edits of the default values.

·       Ventilation columns are included only when one or more systems has Dual-Inlet Zones. Ventilation air is otherwise distributed as mixed with Primary Air from the air handler for heating and cooling.

·       The designation of the Master Room in each zone is also visible and can be edited here.

 

 

  Browser show/hide toolbar button.

 

The component browser provides a listing of all components in the current ApacheHVAC file. This can be used to locate and/or select a particular type of component or controller within a large or complex HVAC network. Selecting the component or controller within the browser causes it to be highlighted on the network in the model space. The browser can also be useful in determining how many of a particular component or controller type are present.

It is not necessary to hide the component browser for most HVAC system networks, as the speed of this has been significantly improved over earlier versions. When working on exceptionally large or complex HVAC networks, if the opening of component and controller dialogs does begin to slow noticeably, the component browser can be turned OFF by clicking the browser show/hide button on the toolbar. This will further increase the speed with which component and controller dialogs open.

 

The left mouse button is used for selecting and placing component and controllers. When placing these, the current selection persists until cancelled by clicking the right mouse button. The mouse scroll wheel can be used to zoom in and out of the systems view. The pan function accessed provided by moving the mouse while depressing the scroll wheel.

The combined keyboard and mouse actions described in the left column below can be used to complete the corresponding operations listed in all capital letters in the right column.

Drag                            MOVE

Ctrl + Drag                  COPY

Ctrl-C                          COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Ctrl-V                          PASTE FROM CLIPBOARD   (within current HVAC session)

 

Click & Drag               MOVE NODE (round sensor bulb or control lead end with arrowhead)

Shift + Drag                MOVE CONTROL BOX

 

Click on object or in blank cell               START NEW PATH

Click object after starting path              CONNECT or CREATE JUNCTION

Click bare end after starting path          CONNECT or CREATE JUNCTION 

Click bare end after starting path          CREATE CUSP or 90° BEND

Double-click in a blank cell                    TERMINATE CURRENT PATH (as bare end)

Ctrl-Z (up to 10 times)                          UNDO SECTION to PREVIOUS CUSP/OBJECT