HAM-Tools - An Integrated Simulation Tool for Heat, Air and Moisture Transfer Analyses in Building Physics

Doktorsavhandling, 2004

‘HAM-Tools’ is a building simulation software. ‘HAM’ stands for Heat, Air and Moisture transport processes in a building and building envelope that can be simulated by this program, and ‘Tools’ describes its modular structure. The main objective of this tool is to obtain simulations of transfer processes related to building physics, i.e. heat and mass transport in buildings and building components in operating conditions. The tool is to be used as a research and educational tool for the investigation of the mechanism of the above mentioned processes and of the degree of their correlation when they are coupled. Using the graphical programming language Simulink®, the code is developed as a library of predefined calculation procedures (tools) where each supports the calculation of the HAM transfer processes in a building part or an interacting system. Tools are grouped according to their functionality into five sub-systems: Constructions (building envelope parts), Zones (air volume of the room), Systems (HVAC systems), Helpers (weather data) and Gains (casual gains). When all sub-systems are coupled together and solved simultaneously, the resulted simulation represents the highest level of integration in the HAM-Tools. The modular structure in Simulink, using systems and subsystems and the graphical approach, facilitate handling and control of a very complex interaction between different parts of the model. This thesis encloses a presentation of HAM-Tools structure, mathematical and numerical models that it is based on, selected examples of the application of the code and results of validation tests. As a part of the International Building Physics Toolbox, HAM-Tools is an open research tool and publicly available for a free downloading. Any researcher can use, expand and develop the contents of the library.