Buildingphysics.com

Software for heat transfer and ground heat

HEAT3 - Heat transfer in three dimensions

 Support and manuals also available in German, see www.buildingphysics.de


Current version 5.1             Please see this link for update info for HEAT3

Free light version: Click here to download a free light version   (new version 5.1, April 2, 2009)

Tips for reading for beginners: For a quick start read Chapter 4 in Manual HEAT3 4.0. The examples in Chapter 5

would also be useful. After this, look at Update manual for HEAT3 5.0. Also see [ISO 10211 validation test cases].

 

· What's new in version 5 

 

· Update manual for HEAT3 5 (PDF), 1.1 MB, 28 pages, revised Oct 10, 2005

· Manual for HEAT3 4.0 (PDF), 2.3 MB, 153 pages, revised Sept 28, 2001

 

· Frequently asked questions

 German:

· Überblick

· Updatemanual für HEAT3 5 (PDF), 1.1 MB, 28 Seiten, Stand 10. Okt. 2005

· Programmbeschreibung HEAT3 4.0 (PDF), 2,7 MB, 153 Seiten

References

· List of universities using HEAT2/HEAT3

· Theory of HEAT2/HEAT3, (Doctorate thesis, Blomberg), (PDF), 2.5 MB, 202 pages, 1996

A separate program that reads HEAT2 6+7 reports is available for free here:
ReportPreview.zip (600 kB)   (also contains an example of a generated report)

Special versions

 

The basic version with 2 million cells is sufficient for most applications. We do however provide special versions of HEAT3 (the basic license of HEAT3 is required). The amount of  numerical nodes are limited by the primary memory (RAM). The following list shows recommended  configurations:

PC memory (RAM)	Number of nodes
512 MB	12 000 000
1GB	27 000 000
2 GB	50 000 000

 

Older versions

Version 4

· Overview

 

· Info sheet (PDF), 130 kB

 

· Manual (PDF), 2.3 MB, 153 pages, revised Sept 28, 2001

· Screen video of input - (A bath tub), 1.5 MB

Old version 3 

· Manual (PDF), 1.4 MB, 95 pages, revised Feb 10, 1999

 

Overview

HEAT3 is a PC-program for three-dimensional transient and steady-state heat transfer. The program is along with the two-dimensional version HEAT2 used by more than 1000 consultants and 100 universities and research institutes worldwide. The program is validated against the standard EN ISO 10211.  [click here for ISO 10211 validation test cases]

Examples of applications [click here for graphical examples]

· General heat conduction problems

· Thermal bridges

· Calculation of U-values for building construction parts

· Estimation of surface temperatures (condensation risks)

· Calculation of heat losses to the ground from a house

· Optimization of insulation fitting

· Analysis of floor heating systems

· Analysis of window frames

Features

· Well tested and robust pc-program. Well documented with a succinct theory. Easy to learn to use. Handy and rapid input due to an integrated pre-processor.  Automatic mesh generation. Quick numerical method with optimization. Both steady-state and dynamic analysis. Multiple consecutive simulations may be started externally (batch mode).  

· Post-processor with extensive graphical capabilities in 2D and 3D of geometry, materials, numerical mesh, boundary conditions, temperature field, heat flow arrays and isotherms. Features: zooming, panning, rotation, color/gray-scale, high resolution printing. Arbitrary heat flows and temperatures can be recorded (transient calculations).  Charts can be printed and exported in different formats (text, Excel, HTML, XML, Metafile, bitmap). The Movie Maker captures graphical output data, such as temperatures, isotherms, and heat flows to an AVI-file.

· Any structure consisting of adjacent or overlapping rectangles with any combination of materials may be simulated. Up to 2,2 million nodes (130·130·130) nodes may be used (requires about 100 Mb RAM). Special versions with up  to 50 million nodes are also available (requires a PC with 2 GB RAM).

· Boundary conditions may be a given heat flow, or a temperature with a surface resistance. Temperatures and heat flows may vary in time (sinusoidal, stepwise constant, stepwise linear). Several formats with climatic data such as TRNSYS, DOE, METEONORM, HELIOS, TMY2, SUNCODE, MATCH, and EXCEL can be imported for dynamic calculations

· Available modifications: heat sources/sinks, internal boundaries of prescribed temperature.

· The Report Generator produces on-the-fly a printable document with optional text and figures with project info, and input/output data.

· Automatic calculation of thermal coupling coefficients (L^3D) according to EN ISO 10211 for a wide variety of problems involving thermal bridges.

· Material properties may easily be edited and added. Several material list are available. The default list Default.mtl contains about 200 common building materials. The list General.mtl has over 1200 defined materials. Another file with over 200 materials (in German) from the German standard DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung, DIN V 4108-4) is also available.