VOLTRA - Previous versions

Previous versions

Version 9

VOLTRA v9.0.02

  • Error message is shown when STEP type functions D01 and/or G01 with radiation data contain physically impossible data (i.e. non-zero values before sunrise or after sunset). This thus pertains to all EPW and TMY3 weather data files, as well as external files (.fsg and .fsd) with STEP format.
  • Bugfixes:
    • Large negative solar absorption values could occur when the sunset time was exactly equal to the simulation time step.

VOLTRA v9.0.01

  • Bugfixes:
    • Earth position not read from custom function files (.FSG, .FSD).
    • Avoid faulty symbols on machines with non-western language settings.

VOLTRA v9.0

  • Calculation of the absorbed solar radiation of opaque surfaces behind transparent materials integrated (rendering the work-around of manually introducing a virtual layer in between superfluous).
  • External weather data files in EPW or TMY3 format can be read (for dry bulb temperature and solar radiation data).
  • Solar Data:
    • Angles to define north orientation are now defined as rotating the object around its own axes, instead of as moving the coordinate system.
    • Option to define a fixed sun position: the user can choose between 6 directions (along the 3 main coordinate axes).
  • Improved solar processor calculation (speeding up calculation time).
  • Increased calculation speed to due improved neighbouring nodes algorithm for view factor zones (RADCON).
  • Additional thermal palette ("ironbow") available for graphic comparison with IR-images.
  • Option to save Text Output in CSV format for post processing (e.g. MS Excel).
  • Warning issued if converting colours upon reading project data file created with unavailable add-on modules (RADCON).
  • Origin (Coordinates window) is saved to project data file.
  • Extended logging of application operation for diagnostic purposes.
  • Calculation parameters:
    • Simulations can start on any time of the day.
    • Introduce automatic clustering of view factors per view factor zone (through Calculation Parameter 'max. number of view factors per zone').
  • Improved navigation of tables in windows:
    • Row select (in Blocks window) by clicking (left mouse button) the row number (holding the <Shift> and <Ctrl> keys, a selection range can be defined).
    • Cell select (in Grid window) by clicking (left mouse button) while holding the <Shift> and <Ctrl> keys, a selection range can be defined.
    • Column select (Grid window) by clicking (left mouse button) the column header.
  • Colours window:
    • Revised Colour window to allow conformity with different EN standards. A new column 'Standard' replaces the former columns 'C1', 'C2' and 'C3'.
    • Implementation of the equivalent thermal conductivities for air voids and layers according to EN ISO 6946. 
    • Introduction of Colour database allowing to quickly adjust frequently used materials and boundary conditions (File → Open Colour Database…).
  • Image window:
    • Rotate 3D object (and pan 2D view) by holding the mouse wheel. 
    • Zoom factor as a user defined setting. 
    • Zoom out with right mouse click when zoom in is activated. 
    • Additional orthogonal (2D) viewing options available in Image window. 
    • Clip Off button added.
    • Added toolbar button for ‘Show North’.
    • Show the relevant node in Image window of active item in Controls window and Report window.
  • Non-consecutive blocks can be copied and moved.
  • 'Move before' function added for Blocks.
  • Graphic Output:
    • Revised legend with indication of material names and clustered cavities per EN ISO standard. The colour for each cluster of cavities can be defined by the user. 
    • Sun obstacles can be visualized.
  • Report:
    • Irradiation (total, direct, diffuse, ground reflected) as additional output. 
    • Max. temperature difference as additional output. 
    • Possibility to output temperature results of two colours combined. 
    • Colour name indicated in report. 
    • List box for easier selection in Report Definition window. 
    • Absorbed solar flux (qsol) available as output for all colours with interfaces where absorption could occur. 
  • Bugfixes:
    • Animations  in Graphic Output no longer play as an infinite loop.
    • Guard against unnecessary repetition of calculations on some machines.
    • Controls also work for Borderface BC.
PRESENTATION VOLTRA V9

Version 8

VOLTRA v8.1.03

  • Cloud-based floating licence not released when one of multiple instances of application is closed.

VOLTRA v8.1.02

  • Increased drawing speed in Graphic Output (new line draw algorithm).
  • Replace Help > How To's with link to website's Knowledge Base (which contains more information).
  • Retile windows every time the main application window size changes.
  • Improved navigation of tables in windows:
    • Mousewheel scroll.
    • Tab and arrow keys to move to adjacent table cells.
    • Column and row header of active cell highlighted with changed background color instead of bold font.
  • Bugfixes:
    • Avoid accidental very small zoom windows on left mouse click.
    • Avoid crash when opening Graphic Output after editing colour without closing edit with <Enter>.
    • OpenGL 3D visualisation crashes on Intel integrated GPU solved.
    • Automatically switch Tmin and Tmax in Temperature Range dialog box if Tmin>Tmax.
    • Tooltip uses correct font in table headers.
    • Allow double clicking to edit when the cell is too small to show all contents.

VOLTRA v8.1.01

  • Bugfixes:
    • Numerical error in solar processor for very small values of radiation corrected.
    • EQUIMAT always assigned solar reflection factor of 0 and solar transmission factor of 1.
  • Automatic selection of high-performance GPU (AMD or Nvidia) if present to ensure high quality 3D visualisation.
  • Off line activation of software licence keys added.
  • Cloud-based licences automatically activated when opening application.

VOLTRA v8.1

  • Feature 'Unlimited nodes' replaces old 64-bit version
  • Documentation accessible from the VOLTRA menu ‘Help’: Manual, How to’s and Tutorials.
  • More documentation (example projects, validation projects and training material) available via the online Physibel Portal (www.physibel.be/en/knowledge)
  • Extended software protection options:
    • Hardware licence key (USB): stand-alone
    • Software licence key: stand-alone, network floating and cloud-based floating.

VOLTRA v8.0

  • Functions compatible with TRISCO v14.0w: recalculation of blocks (Blocks > Arrange Blocks); clip blocks (Blocks > Reduce to Clip); detect void space (Blocks > Convert Void to Blocks); show materials as transparent blocks (Image > Show Transparent), display grid unit; simulation of adiabatic surface of transparent material (type TRANSMAT), graphic output of single isothermal line.
  • Show north direction and sun paths (function Image > Show North from main menu) and sun position (function View > Sun Position from graphic output window).
  • Controls which allow to replace boundary condition functions (temperature, heat power, heat flux, heat transfer coefficient, ventilation) or material property functions (thermal conductivity, infrared emissivity, solar reflection factor, solar transmission factor) with other functions (of the same type), dependent on the temperature in a sensor node compared to a temperature target function (of time) and desired heating or cooling.
    The replacement of a ventilation function can also be dependent on a minimum required temperature difference between two ventilation zones.
  • Control functions can also refer to constant functions.
    The constant function is reintroduced as function type in the Functions window.
  • The infrared emissivity of a material surface and the solar transmission factor of a material can be a function of time (intended for use with controls, e.g. for the simulation of solar screens).

Version 7.0w

  • Default data file Voltra.vtr with initialisation values for thermal properties per colour.
  • Time dependent functions for thermal conductivity, total surface heat transfer coefficient and convective heat transfer coefficient.
  • Functions compatible with TRISCO v12.0w: automatic split for grid refinement;
    equivalent thermal conductivities for cavities with different surface emissivities.
  • Show temperature or heat flux under the cursor in the graphic output.
  • 3D visualisation of sun position at any time step.
  • Show temperature profile along a grid line at any time step.

Version 6.2w

  • Diffuse solar reflection also possible in solar zone (of type BC_SKY).
  • Sun obstacles (as in CAPSOL and BISTRA), defined as sky hemisphere regions, which block direct solar radiation and decrease diffuse solar irradiation.
  • Import BISTRA data.

Version 6.1w

  • Solar processor adapted to use of 2D geometries (SECTRA).
  • Adjust coordinates of output nodes and output blocks after any grid operation.

Version 6.0w

  • Contains 3D solar processor

  • Same solar radiation climate data files as in CAPSOL (global and diffuse radiation on a horizontal surface).

  • Input required of north orientation.

  • Calculation of sun position and visualization of shadows cast by direct sun light.
    Creation of AVI animation file of shadows over calculation period.

  • Additional material properties required: reflection factor (may be a function of the angle of incidence), transmission factor (to indicate a transparent material).

  • Calculation and visualization of absorbed solar fluxes on material surfaces due to solar radiation.
    Direct solar radiation on an exterior material surface depends on geographical location, solar radiation climate data, day of year, clock time, surface orientation.
    Diffuse solar radiation on an exterior material surface depends on the view factor to the open sky and is calculated using Muneer's radiation model (also used in CAPSOL).
    Reflected radiation (of direct and diffuse incident radiation) at an exterior material surface is lost (as in CAPSOL).  An input parameter (ground reflection factor) allows to take into account the reflected radiation from the environment.
    Radiation on transparent materials are transmitted to internal zones.
    Direct radiation is projected on internal walls following the solar rays.
    Diffuse radiation is distributed on all internal walls proportional to the view factors.
    All reflected radiation at an interior material surface is diffuse and is redistributed to the other interior surfaces proportional to the view factors.
    The scheme of successive internal reflections and transmissions is solved using a radiosity method.
    The view factors can be obtained from a prior view factor calculation using a coarser grid (to speed up the processing time and reduce the required memory space).
    The absorbed solar fluxes can be output to an AVI animation file or output to a text file.

  • The absorbed solar fluxes can be used as boundary conditions for a thermal simulation (calculation of temperatures).  In this way solar heat gains on the thermal behaviour of a construction can be studied.

  • The format of view factor file is modified.

Version 6.3w

  • Improved more stable calculation of systems with ventilation flows.