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What's new in the current Version of Software AnTherm
Thermal bridge heat and vapor transfer simulation program AnTherm in its version 5 available since March 2010 provides vast amount of functions and abilities which perfectly support the user in his daily work. Further improvements have been applied to the new version adding additional efficiencies when working with the software.
Continuous further development of the software up to its current version has been strongly influenced by users' feedback. Thanks to all subscribers for showing their trust to the project.
Since the project start in 2003 and the initial release of version 1 (deployed on 6th June 2005) further continuous improvements to the program have been achieved. In September 2007 the version 3 has followed the version 2 which has been made available in January 2007. After the version 4 has been deployed in November 2008 the current newest version 5 has been made available in March 2010 (further intermediary versions are available to subscribers of the update-subscription program).
Complete Documentation, Manual, Short Reference and Tutorial make starting the work with this powerful application easy and straight forward.
The capability matrix of the program functions has been significantly extended with additional options. In front of all the transient, harmonic, periodic extension together with high performance multiprocessor capability complete the next major milestone in continuous development of the application.
Transient, fast and immersive - the new version 5 (March 2010):
New functional results:
- Fully automatic calculation of the transient, harmonic thermal coupling coefficients (with HARMONIC-Option).
The Coupling Coefficients Report displays matrices of harmonic thermal coupling (one matrix for each chosen period given as complex number and as matrix of value and argument ). That output allows easy readout of Lpe (coupling coefficient exterior to interior) or time lag (phase shift) values. Diagonal elements are significant (contrary to steady state case) and can be used for calculating effective heat capacities.
Same as with steady state case there is no need to know nor to apply any boundary conditions to obtain these results! - New Secondary function „Relative Core Humidity %“ (with VAPOUR-Option)
- Within the Boundary Conditions window can be decided if secondary functions for the Results3D-Evaluation shall be calculated.
Performance, speed, quality:
- The default setting of Solver precision lowered to 10-9 (earlier 10-6 to 10-11).
- The application setting "Run solver on multiple processors“ controls the subdivision of complex computation onto many (or all available) processors or processor cores installed (with MULTICORE-Option).
- Time needed to create the results report has been reduced nearly to nop (< 1 second!!! earlier sometimes >1 minute).
- Te calculation of the field of condensing surface humidity runs faster by a factor of 8 to 10.
- Much better interactive experience due to significant reduction of redundant renderings while interacting with control panels of the Results3D window.
- Memory management of the 3D visualization has been improved. Memory demands of Elements3D window reduced without performance impact.
Benchmarks and conformity with standards:
- Updated validation benchmark report for EN ISO 10211:2007 and EN ISO 10077:2003 can be viewed online. All benchmark data (AnTherm project files) is included with the installation (Help->Example Load…).
- Operations on systems with non Western European character sets.
- Operations on Windows 7 (32bit and 64bit).
New and faster, more efficient 3D evaluations and visualizations:
- HedgeHog (Vector Arrows) visualization of heat- or vapor stream vector field added. The vector field can be shown with arrows, cones or lines of fixed length or scaled by vector norm, at points on uniform, regular mesh. .
- The display of the Probe-Cross can now be controlled independently from Slice Planes .
- Adjusted default setting for streamlines allow visualizations with more detail at higher precision - also in the case of components connected with ground.
- Additional color table RGB_INV added.
- Recent setup of the visualization settings (Result3D Parameter) can be restored automatically on initial display of the Result3D Window (new application setting „Restore Result3D Params“).
- Recent setup of the camera position (the Isometry) can be restored automatically on initial display of the Result3D Window (new application setting „Restore Camera Position“).
- Binocular 3D stereo view (addition hardware my be required) available (with STEREO3DVIEW-Option).
More flexibility during data entry and model input:
- Input of Rho (mass density) und Ce (heat capacity) available (with HARMONIC-Option)
- automatic update of material color on change of lambda value (the default behavior) can be turned off.
- The context menu of element editing function extended with many new operations (stretch, assign to ... new group, etc).
- Stretching (thickening) of elements allows easy adjustment of insulation thicknesses.
- Swapping coordinate pairs (X1<->X2, Y1<->Y2, etc.) within Element Editor and while "Duplicating“ has been automated.
- The Building Physics Database http://WWW.BPHDB.COM (Kurt Battisti) can be included within Materials Database.
- The listing of standardized surface properties updated conformant to ISO 6946 and 13788.
- A 3D project can be converted to 3D layered type.
- Lately unused corners of Elements 2D windows (also Elements23 window) now contain buttons used to „Fit“, „Zoom In“, Zoom Out“ and „Image-Export“.
Improved data import and import functions:
- Import of Image underlay/overlay: For 3D projects there are up to three image underlay slots available - to the planes XY, YZ und ZX. The image will be displayed within the Elements2D window (either as underlay or transparent overlay).
- DXF-Importer shall now read all common text file line endings: Windows (CR LF) - Macintosh (CR) - Unix (LF)
- Within the DXF-Import Dialog one can set the number of decimal places at which coordinate values imported shall be rounded. DXF coordinates are read in double precision.
Furthermore:
- U-Value Calculator display R-Value too (above the U-Value).
- The documentation (manual, reference, etc) has been fully updated and extended as it has been done always at each release (done also for any intermediary release deploymed).
- and more...
Culmination of improvements in the new version 4 (November 2008):
The License Model has been extended with update-subscription program providing instant access to newest developments during the subscription period to all subscribers. Furthermore, time limited one year licenses allow better budgeting of license fees simultaneously connected to the newest available version at each entrance to the next year subscription.
- Fully automatic calculation of the linear thermal transmittance correction term Psi for two dimensional two-space cases (Psi-Value Determination).
- Output of characteristic U-Values at adiabatic cut-off planes for two- and three dimensional heat bridges.
- Characteristic indicators (coupling coefficients, points of critical temperatures, fRsi etc.) can be evaluated even for equations of many millions of cells (i.e. tens of millions of nodes) - thanks to better memory management implementation (remark: graphical evaluations can be switched off).
- In calculations of models with power sources it is sufficient to supply one space (temperature) for successful simulation.
- Projects can be saved within very deep directory structures or even onto network drives.
- Processing of layered 3D projects is better supported with the new layer editor. Layered 3D models can be mirrored along Z-direction also.
- Reordering functions of elements have been improved and extended (for better support of overlapping)
- Graphical selection and editing functions have been improved (Lasso, Sizer)
- 2D images (e.g. all 2D windows) can be saved or transferred via the clipboard (in addition to 3D views)
- The material database can be extended with a download of modest ÖBOX materials
- Material- and surface properties can be easily picked from other projects; The projects materials and surfaces lists can be sorted.
- The calculation is reinitiated after any changes to solver parameters (e.g. precision settings)
- The grid (equation) generator at material boundaries processes material changes (e.g. lambda ratio) at higher precision. The calculation will restart automatically if required.
- The precision of the solver has been improved by the significant order of magnitude. Close-Up errors of less then 10-10 can be reached without any additional computational time. Same applies to temperature deviation (termination condition). Solution result of earlier calculations will be transformed to higher precision automatically.
- The performance of the solver has been further improved (especially within the equation generator). Status view onto the solver process is not delayed anymore.
- The calculation process (the solver) can be aborted at any time
- The term „adiabatic cutoff planes“ introduced consequently instead of "wonder foils"
- Higher precision of super fine grid of temperatures within areas of power sources.
- Streamlines at corners of the boundary or adiabatic planes will not be missed.
- Responsiveness and the level of interactivity of the 3D result view has been further improved even for extremely complex visualizations.
The quality of colorful images has been increased even further. - The position of the colorbar can be arbitrarily changed.
- The number of decimal digits for labels on isolines (t.g. isotherms) and colobar can be set arbitrarily
- The mobility of licenses has be extended with the "hardware dongle option" (adjustment to the license model).
- The English version of the program is supported with complete documentation in English.
- The VAPOUR-option (if licensed) can be turned off temporarily.
- The new tool "Simulation Folder Cleaner" supports quick removal (deletion) of simulation results created during earlier runs and not needed anymore
- An alternative location of the license file can be set within extended application settings. The path can contain any valid URI (ie. http://server/path/AnTherm.HID).
Essential improvements in the September 2007 version 3:
- DXF (Acad) Import has been reengineered to gain significant performance gain (factor of 10.000 !). This allows efficient and easy integration of very detailed CAD models into AnTherm. Such very complex models come into existence if, within CAD program, orthogonalization of modeled slopes and curvatures has been performed (this is required for AnTherm import).
- Repaints of element list for very large and complex projects has been sped up significantly (now about 10 times faster). This allows efficient processing of models of even many thousand elements without disturbing latencies.
- Speed of bulk operations (e.g. material assignment to many selected elements) has also been improved significantly. This allows efficient processing of models of even many thousand elements without disturbing latencies.
- Context menus of element editing show names of spaces/rooms, power sources, groups, materials and surfaces in alphabetically sorted lists (according to the current language setting). This provides much easier element selection on these criteria.
- f*Rsi is calculated by normalized definition f*Rsi = (T*si - Te)/(Ti - Te) (instead of 1-g0) – delivering same result for two-space-case for which, and only for which, it shall be used (for three- and more space cases g-values must be reported according to normalization - g-values are reported without any change compared to earlier program versions).
- Mouse wheel can be used to Zoom or Roll within the 3D-evaluation (now consistent with graphical 2D input)
- Zooming with the mouse wheel (within graphical input and evaluation) can be executed more precisely (the sensitivity of wheel movement have been lowered and configured more precisely).
- The license file is being stamped with asymmetrical signature barring any transport errors.
- Installation and execution within Microsoft Windows™ Vista has been ensured.
Mature functions published in earlier version 2:
Streamlines in equidistant intervals of heat stream (or vapor stream) from the space edge in 2D case. This evaluation is possible for 2D projects or other project types in which the modeled construction is fully homogenous in the Z-direction an no space connections exist in this direction.
Speedup and stabilization of Streamline evaluations. The „kernel“ of streamline evaluation has been reengineered significantly resulting in much better quality of results an high stability. Much energy has been brought into finding a compromise between speed, memory requirements and quality.
The integration step factor now relates to minimum step size of the Runge-Kutta method. Actual step size is controlled and adapted automatically – from one fine grid cell to the next. This provides very detailed and precise presentation of streamlines for heat stream fields and vapor diffusion streams too!
User interface of project specific material- and surface lists has been reworked and improved. IBO BTK2006 materials (preliminary content) have been included into material database.
Accessing material properties (the material list) from element editor has been simplified and made much more intuitive.
Pressing F1-key shows context dependant help and information for currently active window.
Conductance matrix (coupling coefficients, Leitwertmatrix) can be exported to CSV file.
Within translate window the duplication can be initiated simultaneously. This is the main starting point for entering of more complex constructions, especially when modeling sloped ones.
Element choice list is shown in tabular form containing type- and coordinate columns (past versions where shown unstructured).
Execution performance of element list has been significantly improved for showing very large lists and supporting massive bulk selections. This allows modeling and processing of constructions built of many thousands of elements.
Captions on axes and labels on isolines can be adjusted easily.
Selected isolines can be emphasized (as Tubes) (Bold each N).
3D visualizations can be controlled by 3D-keyboard navigation in addition to mouse control.
An Airspace calculator can be started from "Tools" menu - calculates equivalent heat transfer coefficient for small cavities. Many functions of this airspace calculator have been deeply integrated into the program (automatic takeover of extents, transfer of resulting value onto selected elements, etc.)
A U-value calculator has been loosely integrated.
Actually power density (entry of boundary condition) of a power source is used for evaluation. Provisioning of power density in W/m³ can be easily derived from manufacturer's data.
Result reports for power sources display the power, power density and the volume (result report, probe points report).
In addition to absolute coordinate entry for elements (X1 to X2, Y1 to Y2, Z1 to Z2) relative thickness (dX, dY, dZ) can be entered.
Within surface editor and element editor characteristics of the surface (element type "Space") can be provided as Alpha (surface transfer coefficient) or alternatively as Rs (transfer resistance).
Clipboard can be used to copy/cut/paste one or more selected elements. Clipboard can be used between projects or even separate program instances.
Drag-Drop of materials from the material list onto elelemts is supported now.
Prior to calculation start various validations are executed and, if data available is insufficient to start the computation error messages are shown - in addition or instead of those shown in solver window (e.g. (none or not enough space attachments, 0- or 1-dimensional construction, empty construction, etc.)
Further secondary functions (within Results3D) added: saturation vapor pressure distribution within the construction (hPa).
Features of the extended option „vapor diffusion“ have been integrated (partial pressure field, pressure difference field, vapor diffusion stream vector field).
Annotations of isolinies can be placed dense (proximity and step size shall be as small as 1mm from now on).
The radius of the tube emphasizing selected isolines (Bold each-Nth) can be set to less then 1mm (even 0) too. Both adjustments together allow visualization of strongly magnified construction areas.
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