[TRNSYS-users] Other buildings shadows

[M.Malekzadeh]

Hi there,
I am just starting to use TRNSYS and a very important factor for me to go on 
with this program is to be sure about its ability of considering the effect 
of other buildings on mine. When I tried simulating a very simple 
central-courtyard building (without any windows, any heating or cooling 
etc), after using Building Wizard to divide my building in 8 zones (4 on the 
sides of the courtyard and 4 on the corners) and running the simulation, I 
got exactly the same results for the air temperature in the 2 zones situated 
on my courtyard's north and south sides. This is kind of strange, because I 
would assume that the other three wings would produce some shadow on the 
northern one and therefore reduce the solar heat gain in there. But it 
didn't happen.
So the only conclusion I can make is that while simulating different zones, 
TRNSYS treats them separately and not in relation to each other (apart from 
their adjacency effect of course). Is this true? Because if this is the 
case, I need to find another simulation program helping me in assessing the 
shadowing effect of other buildings as well as different parts of the same 
building.
Thanks
Masoud

Masoud Malekzadeh
PhD Student
Department of Civil and Building Engineering
Loughborough University
Leicestershire, UK
LE11 3TU

Tel: +44 1509 223434
Fax: +44 1509 223981
E-mail: M.Malekzadeh at lboro.ac.uk