SIMULATION

An Interactive, Web-based Computer Program
for Thermal Design of Roof Ponds

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES:

The purpose of this work was to create a functional, spreadsheet-based computer program that can serve as a means for designers and other interested parties to determine the optimum size and performance of a roof pond design and to evaluate its thermal feasibility for a residential-size building in any climate.

This work is preliminary to the future development of an integrated roof pond computing module, compatible with existing, approved energy analysis programs.

A Java version of the program was created to work on the World Wide Web. Access to the Web on any computer platform is all that is required for anyone to use the computer program. No software other than a widely available, Java-compliant web browser is necessary. The application works on either a Macintosh or a Windows platform personal computer. For the Mac the requirements are Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 or higher, and the latest MRJ (Macintosh Run-time environment for Java) which can be downloaded from http://www.apple.com/java/.

CLIMATE PROGRAM

Graphical presentation of climate data has been essential for making scientific data accessible to the architectural community for use in energy efficient design. This project created web-based tools for generating climate charts based on the work of Dr. Paul Siple who published similar graphs in a joint effort between the American Institute of Architect's and House Beautiful magazine series in the late 1940s.

A web based software application has been written at Cal Poly that accepts various climate data formats (such as TMY2) as input and creates Siple charts as output.

CANYON MODULE

In the Cal Poly tradition, physical models are surely one of the best ways to design and test innovative building ideas. The Hay Fund has supported a research project which has explored improvements to the original Skytherm House through new plastics and mechanisms for the movable insulation. To this end, a full-scale mock-up to refine the construction system for the Skytherm principles was designed, built and installed ready for testing in Poly Canyon. Transport of the unit is also part of this study such that similar full scale modules could be delivered to other universities spanning representative climate zones for their own use in education, testing and refinement. Project P.I.: Brian Kesner.

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