# Boundaries¶

Definitions related to the boundary conditions of the ground domain.

Example:

Boundaries:
Far-Field Width: 40.0  # [m]
Deep-Ground Depth: 40.0  # [m]
Deep-Ground Boundary Condition: ZERO-FLUX  # AUTO | CONSTANT-TEMP | ZERO-FLUX
Indoor Air Temperature: 295.0  # [K]


## Indoor Air Temperature Method¶

Allows the user to choose between having a constant indoor temperature for the duration of the simulaiton or to reference temperatures from a file.

 Required: No Type: Enumeration Values: FILE or CONSTANT Default: CONSTANT

## Indoor Air Temperature File¶

If Indoor Air Temperature Method is FILE the indoor dry-bulb temperature (in Kelvin) will be set using hourly values defined in a comma separted value (CSV) file.

Example:

Indoor Air Temperature File:
Name: ../path/to/file.csv
Index: [1,1]

 Required: No Type: Compound object

### Name¶

Path (relative or absolute) file.

 Required: Yes Type: File Path

### Index¶

A list of two values corresponding to the row and column where the hourly data begins in the file. A value of [0, 0] starts at the first row and first column. A value of [0,1] starts at the first row and second column.

 Required: Yes Type: List [2] of integers

## Indoor Air Temperature¶

If Indoor Air Temperature Method is CONSTANT the indoor dry-bulb temperature will be set using this value. If Indoor Air Temperature Method is FILE, then this is not required.

 Required: Depends Type: Numeric Units: K

## Outdoor Air Temperature Method¶

Allows the user to choose between having a constant outdoor temperature for the duration of the simulaiton or to reference temperatures from the weather file.

 Required: No Type: Enumeration Values: WEATHER-FILE or CONSTANT Default: WEATHER-FILE

## Outdoor Air Temperature¶

If Outdoor Air Temperature Method is CONSTANT the outdoor dry-bulb temperature will be set using this value. If Outdoor Air Temperature Method is WEATHER-FILE, then this is not required.

 Required: Depends Type: Numeric Units: K

## Local Boundary Layer Thickness¶

Local boundary layer thickness used for calculating local wind speeds from weather file wind speeds.

 Required: No Type: Numeric Units: m Default: 370

## Local Terrain Exponent¶

Local terrain exponent used for calculating local wind speeds from weather file wind speeds.

 Required: No Type: Numeric Units: dimensionless Default: 0.22

## Far-Field Width¶

Distance from the interior wall surface to the edge of the domain.

 Required: No Type: Numeric Units: m Default: 40

## Deep-Ground Depth¶

Distance from the grade level to the bottom of the domain.

 Required: No Type: Numeric Units: m Default: 40

## Deep-Ground Boundary Condition¶

Specifies the type of boundary condition to apply at the deep-ground boundary. Options are:

• ZERO-FLUX, which applies a zero heat flux boundary,
• AUTO, which applies a constant temperature equal to the average outdoor dry-bulb temperature from the weather file, and
• CONSTANT-TEMP, which applies a user-specified constant temperature (see Deep-Ground Temperature).
 Required: No Type: Enumeration Values: ZERO-FLUX, AUTO, or CONSTANT-TEMP Default: ZERO-FLUX

## Deep-Ground Temperature¶

If Deep-Ground Boundary Condition is CONSTANT-TEMP, then this value specifies the temperature applied to the deep-ground boundary.

 Required: Depends Type: Numeric Units: K

## Convection Calculation Method¶

Specifies how convection coefficients are calculated. Options are:

• AUTO, which calculates dynamic convection coefficients based on temperature difference, wind speed, and wind direction.
• CONSTANT, which applies a user-specified convection coefficients to interior and exterior surfaces (see Interior Convection Coefficient and Exterior Convection Coefficient). This is used primariliy for IEA BESTEST calculations.
 Required: No Type: Enumeration Values: AUTO or CONSTANT Default: AUTO

## Interior Convection Coefficient¶

If Convection Calculation Method is CONSTANT, then this value specifies the convection coefficient applied to interior surface boundaries (slab floor, interior foundation wall, and interior insulation).

 Required: Depends Type: Numeric Units: W/m2-K

## Exterior Convection Coefficient¶

If Convection Calculation Method is CONSTANT, then this value specifies the convection coefficient applied to exterior surface boundaries (grade, exterior foundation wall, and exterior insulation).

 Required: Depends Type: Numeric Units: W/m2-K

## Wall Top Boundary Condition¶

Specifies how the boundary condition along the wall top is calculated. Options are:

• ZERO-FLUX, which applies a zero heat flux boundary condition along the wall top. This implies that heat flux above the wall top is one dimensional and does not flow through the wall top boundary.
• LINEAR-DT, which applies a linear change in temperature across the wall top (see Wall Top Temperature Difference_). This is used only to represent the constraints of the IEA BESTEST analytical solution in case GC10a.
 Required: No Type: Enumeration Values: ZERO-FLUX or LINEAR-DT Default: ZERO-FLUX

## Wall Top Interior Temperature¶

If Wall Top Boundary Condition is LINEAR-DT, then this value specifies the interior temperature at the wall top. This is used only to represent the constraints of the IEA BESTEST analytical solution in case GC10a.

 Required: Depends Type: Numeric Units: K

## Wall Top Exterior Temperature¶

If Wall Top Boundary Condition is LINEAR-DT, then this value specifies the exterior temperature at the wall top. This is used only to represent the constraints of the IEA BESTEST analytical solution in case GC10a.

 Required: Depends Type: Numeric Units: K