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What's New in CONTAM 2.4?

CONTAM 2.4 is an update to the previously released version 2.1 (versions 2.1a, 2.2 and 2.3(a&b) were interim versions not released to the general public).

Each version of CONTAM maintains the same features as previous versions with some enhancements. CONTAM is backwards compatible back to version 1.0 meaning you can open existing projects created with previous versions of CONTAM.

New Features of CONTAM 2.4

(2.4c)

• New control types — Added new mathematical functions: exp, ln, log10, etc.
• TCP/IP socket simulation control — Enabled multi-day simulation control.

• Operating System Compatibility

  • CONTAM Fonts — ContamW SketchPad now utilizes internal bitmap patterns instead of font files.
  • HTML Help — The ContamW help system has been converted to HTML help for compatibility with the Windows Vista operating system.
  • CONTAM Log Files — The contamx2.log and contamw2.log files are now stored in the users application directory (home directory for Linux version of ContamX).

• Usability Enhancements

  • ContamX Non-Convergence Information — If the ContamX airflow calculation fails to converge, a list of airflow nodes that failed to converge will be provided in the contamx2.log file.
  • Error List — ContamW generates a list of problem icons that is displayed in the newly implemented Building Check Problems dialog box when a PRJ file does not pass the building check performed prior to a simulation. This includes airflow paths that do not have valid location data when working with WPC files.
  • Create WPC File Dialog — The WPC dialog box has been modified to enable "manual" generation of PLD files to aid in the creation of WPC files, and the Weather page of the Simulation Parameters property sheet has been modified accordingly.
  • Recent file list — Added list of recently opened project files to the File menu.
  • Open Project Input/Output Files — Provided the ability to open CONTAM-related input and output files from the File menu. Files are opened based on file extension associations of Windows.
  • Result Plotting — Right click on SketchPad icons when viewing results to activate result plotting.
  • SketchPad Navigator — Display a small icon SketchPad window to simplify navigation of the main SketchPad with larger icons: from main menu select View - SketchPad Navigator.
  • Duct Results Display — duct velocity calculated based on upstream air density.
  • CSM File Format — modified CSM file format to provide more detail related to source/sinks.

• Resolved Program Issues

  • Cubic Spline Elements — Enabled the use of cubic spline elements in duct segments.
  • CSM File — WPC file contaminants filtered by envelope flow paths were not being accounted for in the Contaminant Summary File.
  • DVF and WTH File — WTH file records were being skipped when using both a DVF and a WTH file.
  • Duct Balancing — After duct balance is performed the flow rates of "mass flow type" fans could be incorrectly set as though they were volume flow types.
  • Flow Limits — Flow limits of airflow paths were set back to none upon file read.
  • CVF/DVF Node Selection — Node drop down list was improperly sorted causing potential for setting of incorrect nodes.

(2.4b)

• Multiple Component Deletion — ContamW provides the ability to delete multiple building components in a single deletion operation.
• Gage Pressure and Zone Occupancy Sensors— Zone and junction sensors can sense gage pressure.  And occupant sensors can sense the occupancy of a zone. 
• Super Source/Sink Element — The super element allows multiple source/sink elements of the other types to be combined into a single element.
• New source sinks based on NRCC emission data base —
  • Power Law Model — Constant emission rate until specified time after which time the emmission rate decays according to the power law relationship.
  • Peak Model — Constant emission rate until specified time at which the peak emission rate is obtained after which time the emission rate decays according to the peak model relationship.
• Network Deletion (Ducts and Controls) — You can delete a set of connected ducts or controls using a single command.
• Checking WTH and WPC Wind Pressure Data— The data contained in WTH and WPC files can now be reviewed on the SketchPad.
• New Density Control Parameters — These parameters relate to the treatment of air density during simulations.
• Resolved Program Issues
  • Equations clarified for control elements that implement Gain and Scale.
  • Air mixture data corrected

(2.4)

• Number of building components — The limit on the total number of each type of building component (i.e., zones, paths, ducts, sources/sinks, etc.) that can be created within a single project has been increased from 32,767 to 2,147,483 647.
• Short time-step method — A new simulation mode that solves contaminant dispersal equations using an explicit solution method.
  • 1D Zones — The ability to simulate selected zones as one-dimensional convection/diffusion zones has been implemented. This provides the ability to more realistically simulate the transport of contaminants through "long" or "tall" zones, e.g., hallways and shafts, better accounting for transport times through these 1D zones.
  • 1D Duct Model — Implementation of one-dimensional convection/diffusion elements in the ductwork, thus providing more realistic contaminant transport results through the duct system. This requires the use of the short time-step method.
  • Duct temperature calculations — When simulating 1D ducts in the short time-step mode, CONTAM can now calculate duct temperatures based on the "mixing" of air streams at the duct junctions and the source (zone) air temperatures from which air is introduced into the duct system.
• Simulation results data — Modified the zone and junction pressures as reported to the simulation results file to more closely resemble gage pressures. Zone pressures are now referenced to the ambient pressure at the level on which the zone is located. Junction static pressure is now referenced to the zone in which the junction is located at the height of the junction within the zone.
• Automated duct balancing — Simulation option to automatically balance duct systems. This will greatly simplify the task of defining detailed duct systems in CONTAM.
• Building model verification tests
  • Building pressurization test — Simulation option to automatically determine building envelope airtightness based on a simulated fan pressurization test.
  • Building airflow test — Simulation option that generates a set of data, mostly related to building ventilation, that can be used to gauge the reasonableness of model inputs before beginning analysis of a building.
• Contaminant Filters
  • New filter models — CONTAM has added particle and gaseous filter models that greatly increases the user's flexibility to create models based on measured filter performance data, e.g., MERV and breakthrough curves.
  • Filter super elements — enables multiple filter models to be combined into a single filter element, e.g., a particle pre-filter combined with a gaseous filter.
• Contaminant summary file — This file is generated when simulating contaminants to provide information related to source/sink contaminant generation and removal, filter loading and breakthrough, and contaminant transport between building zones and ambient.
• Deposition sink models — Added Deposition Velocity and Deposition Rate sink models to simplify the definition of sinks based on more familiar deposition terminology.
• Control super elements — The task of creating building control systems has been improved by reducing the amount of user input required, increasing the amount of flexibility in defining control systems and enabling the sharing of control elements, e.g., custom sensors, within and between projects.
• TCP/IP Socket Simulation Control — ContamX can be controlled via the TCP/IP Socket communication protocol based on a pre-defined set of messages that include control commands and data exchange. ContamX can also be compiled and run under UNIX-based operating systems.
• Usability enhancements
  • Find dialog — search for items on SketchPad by Name and Number
  • Find-and-Replace — search for and replace properties of building components within a project
  • SketchPad movement
    • Shift + arrow key => skip 10 cells in direction of arrow
    • Ctrl + arrow key => move to next icon in the direction of arrow
    • Mouse wheel for scrolling:
      Wheel => up/down
      Shift+Wheel => page up/down
      Alt+Wheel => left/right
      Shift+Alt+Wheel => page left/right
  • Keyboard icon placement — use keyboard to place icons on the SketchPad
  • Floating Status Bar
  • User-defined zone and duct colors
  • SketchPad Color Customization
  • User-defined duct colors and automated duct tracing/coloring tool
  • Generate bitmap file (.bmp) of SketchPad
• ContamX Specific Enhancements
  • ContamX will create multiple CONTAMX2.log files if multiple instances of the program are run concurrently. The file name will be modified to CONTAMX-##.log for up to 20 concurrent instances.
  • Provide PRJ file name in title bar of ContamX Simulation Control Dialog box. This will also be displayed in the Windows Task Bar
  • Created new 2.4 WPC file format that allows for the specification of wind pressures as opposed to the absolute pressure at the paths.  The old 2.1 format is still valid too.
• Resolved Program Issues
  • Repaired zone volume adjustment calculation performed after changing level height via recently modified Level Data dialog box. Calculation was correct in versions prior to modification of the Level Data dialog box.
  • Calculate "Absolute Pressure" of Steady State Weather properties every time the user modifies the "Altitude" on the Location tab of the Weather and Wind Parameters property sheet.
  • Could not delete duct junctions connected both upward, downward and horizontally. Attempts to do so left an undefined junction on the SketchPad.
  • NS duct segments could be inadvertently created on single-cell length EW ducts.
  • Program crashed when opening schedules in the Library Manager.
  • File - Save As now provides current file name as the default
  • Update default concentration of species when properties affecting this value are changed.
  • Enable placement of contaminant sensors in the ambient zone.
  • Change default terminal loss coefficient from 0.001 to 0.125
  • Enable use of "F" key to place flow paths in the floor above a zone.
  • Copy/paste of a level below current level now maintains the height of the copied level.
  • Corrected the stack pressure calculation for duct terminals which were modified with the introduction of version 2.4. This could have caused airflow oscillations within passive stack ducts, i.e., no forced airflow through the duct, with terminals in the ambient and using CONTAM weather files to affect a varying outdoor temperature.
  • Corrected error determining max contaminant concentrations while reading WPC file.
  • Mass of contaminants leaving the conditioned zones was being incorrectly reported in the CSM file.
  • Removed "Max relative imbalance" message when air change rates are "very low."
  • Contaminants of WPC files were not being accounted for during simulation.
  • Interpolation of contaminant concentrations was not taking place between records in CTM files.
  • Enable use of DVF and WPC files in the same simulation.

Enhancements in 2.1

• Wind pressure and contaminant fields — The ability to incorporate data from exterior airflow and pollutant transport models, e.g., plume and puff dispersion models, to utilize detailed ambient wind pressure and contaminant data fields to provide boundary conditions on the airflow paths of the envelope of built structures
• Control elements — New control elements to simulate time delays associated with spin-up/down of fans and the opening/closing of dampers and to perform integration, peak determination of sensor output over time, maximum, minimum and exponential operations
• Particle analysis — Modified contaminant properties to simplify the analysis of airborne particles
• Mass release calculation — The calculation of total mass released by contaminant sources during a simulation

Enhancements in 2.0

• Building Controls — Controls include sensors, actuators, modifiers and links. Control actuators can be used to modify various characteristics of building components based on control signals obtained from sensors and even modified by signal modifiers. For example, a sensor can be used to obtain a contaminant concentration within a zone, and a proportional control actuator can be used to adjust supply airflow into the zone based on the sensed concentration.
• Scheduled Zone Temperatures — Zone temperatures can now be varied by associating user-defined schedules with a zone. This allows for the change in zone pressures due simply to the change in temperature within the zone according to the ideal gas relationship.
• Contaminants
  • Non-trace contaminants — You can now simulate contaminants that are considered to be components of the air, so the concentrations of those contaminants will affect the density of the air, e.g., water vapor.
  • Unlimited number of contaminants — CONTAM no longer restricts the number of contaminants you can simulate. The previous limitation was 10.
  • Contaminant-related libraries — Contaminant related elements can now be shared through CONTAM library files. These elements include contaminant species, filters, source/sinks and kinetic reactions.
• Numerical Methods
  • Variable air density — CONTAM now provides the ability to simulate non-flow related processes that can lead to the accumulation/reduction of mass within building zones, e.g., due to non-trace contaminant sources and to variations in the zone pressure due to the change in zone temperature.
  • Improved solver — The solver can implement sparse matrix techniques to greatly reduce transient simulation times for geometrically large scale problems.
  • Separate solver — The solver has been separated from graphical user interface to provide for batch execution of simulations and to directly utilize .PRJ files as opposed to the previous solver that worked from a node definition file (.NDF).
• Transient weather
  • Separate transient weather and contaminant files — Weather files (.WTH) no longer contain contaminant concentrations (except for humidity ratio for water vapor). This means you don't have to create different weather files depending on the types of contaminants you are simulating. CONTAM now provides you with the option of simulating transient ambient contaminant concentrations using a contaminant file (.CTM).
• Weather file creation/conversion software — NIST has developed a software tool that allows you to convert existing weather files to CONTAM 2.0 compatible weather files. You can convert your existing 1.0-compatible files, TMY2 and EnergyPlus weather files.
• User Interface
  • Longer zone names — Zone names can now be up to 31 characters long.
  • SketchPad zooming feature — You can now reduce the icon size of the SketchPad to allow the display of larger projects on the screen.
  • Net flow rate — CONTAMW now displays the net inter-zonal airflow results of a highlighted zone icon.
  • Distinct simple air-handling system zones — The implicit zones of multiple simple air-handling system are now distinguished from each other to allow for the plotting of individual system zones.
  • Airflow direction indicators — The direction of airflow and pressure drop (high to low) are now displayed in the Status Bar when viewing airflow path results as was done in CONTAM96.

System Requirements

CONTAM runs under Windows 98, NT/2000, and XP.

Page Updated : 10/03/2008
Page Created : 09/05
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