v9.4 Basement preprocessor fails with fatal error

[mjwitte]

Issue overview

Example file LgOffVAVusingBasement.idf fails with a fatal error when run the the basement.exe packaged with v9.4.0 (on Windows, maybe others?).

   ** Severe  ** Output:PreprocessorMessage="GroundTempCalc - Basement" has the following Severe conditions:
   **   ~~~   ** EPlusOutput: Calculations have resulted in invalid results (NAN). (Could be divide by zero.
   **   ~~~   ** Overflows. Other causes.) Check Input Parameters.  Hint: Start from defaults for each object
   **   ~~~   ** and work forward.
   ** Severe  ** Output:PreprocessorMessage="GroundTempCalc - Basement" has the following Fatal condition:
   **   ~~~   ** Program terminates due to preceding condition(s).
   **  Fatal  ** Preprocessor condition(s) cause termination.

The same file runs to completion using the v9.3.0 basement.exe Did something change with the Fortran build options for v9.4?

Workaround

Copy the v9.3 basement.exe file over the v9.4 basement.exe. It may be found in EnergyPlusV9-3-0\PreProcess\GrndTempCalc\

Details

Some additional details for this issue (if relevant):

• Platform Windows 10
• Version of EnergyPlus 9.4.0 release
• Direct e-mail from PNNL

Checklist

Add to this list or remove from it as applicable. This is a simple templated set of guidelines.

• Defect file added (list location of defect file here)
• Ticket added to Pivotal for defect (development team task)
• Pull request created (the pull request will have additional tasks related to reviewing changes that fix this defect)

[jmarrec]

I can't run that file but I'm not getting the same error on Unbut 18.04 with 9.4.0 official.

$ cp /usr/local/EnergyPlus-9-4-0/ExampleFiles/LgOffVAVusingBasement.idf .
   
$ energyplus -x -w /usr/local/EnergyPlus-9-4-0/WeatherData/USA_IL_Chicago-OHare.Intl.AP.725300_TMY3.epw -d out-ori LgOffVAVusingBasement.idf 
ExpandObjects Started.
 Begin reading Energy+.idd file.
 Done reading Energy+.idd file.
ExpandObjects Finished. Time:     0.112
EnergyPlus Starting
EnergyPlus, Version 9.4.0-998c4b761e, YMD=2020.10.16 11:29
**FATAL:GetSurfaceData: Errors discovered, program terminates.
EnergyPlus Run Time=00hr 00min  0.45sec
Program terminated: EnergyPlus Terminated--Error(s) Detected.
(py38)julien@8333_Basement_v940_crash (master *%=)$ cat out-ori/eplusout.err 
Program Version,EnergyPlus, Version 9.4.0-998c4b761e, YMD=2020.10.16 11:29,
   ************* Beginning Zone Sizing Calculations
   ** Severe  ** BuildingSurface:Detailed="UWB", invalid Outside Boundary Condition Object="SURFPROPOTHSDCOEFBASEMENTAVGWALL".
   **   ~~~   **  no OtherSideCoefficients of that name.
   ** Severe  ** BuildingSurface:Detailed="UWR", invalid Outside Boundary Condition Object="SURFPROPOTHSDCOEFBASEMENTAVGWALL".
   **   ~~~   **  no OtherSideCoefficients of that name.
   ** Severe  ** BuildingSurface:Detailed="UWF", invalid Outside Boundary Condition Object="SURFPROPOTHSDCOEFBASEMENTAVGWALL".
   **   ~~~   **  no OtherSideCoefficients of that name.
   ** Severe  ** BuildingSurface:Detailed="UWL", invalid Outside Boundary Condition Object="SURFPROPOTHSDCOEFBASEMENTAVGWALL".
   **   ~~~   **  no OtherSideCoefficients of that name.
   ** Severe  ** BuildingSurface:Detailed="UF", invalid Outside Boundary Condition Object="SURFPROPOTHSDCOEFBASEMENTAVGFLOOR".
   **   ~~~   **  no OtherSideCoefficients of that name.
   **  Fatal  ** GetSurfaceData: Errors discovered, program terminates.
   ...Summary of Errors that led to program termination:
   ..... Reference severe error count=5
   ..... Last severe error=BuildingSurface:Detailed="UF", invalid Outside Boundary Condition Object="SURFPROPOTHSDCOEFBASEMENTAVGFLOOR".
   ************* Warning:  Node connection errors not checked - most system input has not been read (see previous warning).
   ************* Fatal error -- final processing.  Program exited before simulations began.  See previous error messages.
   ************* EnergyPlus Warmup Error Summary. During Warmup: 0 Warning; 0 Severe Errors.
   ************* EnergyPlus Sizing Error Summary. During Sizing: 0 Warning; 5 Severe Errors.
   ************* EnergyPlus Terminated--Fatal Error Detected. 0 Warning; 5 Severe Errors; Elapsed Time=00hr 00min  0.45sec

[mjwitte]

It looks like the basement preprocessor didn't run at all. There should be messages from the preprocessor to std out.

[jmarrec]

Seems like there is no option to run basement / slab from the CLI. https://unmethours.com/question/29916/issues-running-energy-plus-through-windows-command-prompt-with-groundheattransfer-objects/

Should we open an enhancement request to add that capability or something? runenergyplus/ RunEPlus.bat is marked deprecated as of August 2015. Or rather than opening an issue, re-title #7097

[jmarrec]

TL;DR

I ran it successfully on both Ubuntu 18.04 and Windows 10, with E+ 9.4.0 official.

Ubuntu Testing

So, I've used runenergyplus on Ubuntu and it works

export ENERGYPLUS_DIR=/usr/local/EnergyPlus-9-4-0
/usr/local/EnergyPlus-9-4-0/runenergyplus LgOffVAVusingBasement.idf USA_IL_Chicago-OHare.Intl.AP.725300_TMY3.epw

basement ran fine, took 10 years to converge

[...]
 Year:           9 Day:         365 Converge Status: F
 3-D Solution Has Not Converged, Delta T>0.1
 Max DeltaT=8.169E-002
 Elapsed time: 759.16 seconds
 Year:          10 Day:          30 Converge Status: T
 Year:          10 Day:          60 Converge Status: T
 Year:          10 Day:          90 Converge Status: T
 Year:          10 Day:         120 Converge Status: T
 Year:          10 Day:         150 Converge Status: T
 Year:          10 Day:         180 Converge Status: T
 Year:          10 Day:         210 Converge Status: T
 Year:          10 Day:         240 Converge Status: T
 Year:          10 Day:         270 Converge Status: T
 Year:          10 Day:         300 Converge Status: T
 Year:          10 Day:         330 Converge Status: T
 Year:          10 Day:         360 Converge Status: T
 Year:          10 Day:         365 Converge Status: T
 3-D Solution Has Converged
 Elapsed time: 844.59 seconds
 IYR=          10   Program Terminated
STOP GroundTempCalc Completed Successfully

Then energyplus worked as well:

(py38)julien@8333_Basement_v940_crash (master *+%=)$ cat Output/LgOffVAVusingBasement.err 
Program Version,EnergyPlus, Version 9.4.0-998c4b761e, YMD=2020.10.19 12:56,
   ** Warning ** Output:PreprocessorMessage="ExpandObjects" has the following Warning condition:
   **   ~~~   ** Cannot find Energy+.idd as specified in Energy+.ini.
   ** Warning ** Output:PreprocessorMessage="ExpandObjects" has the following Warning conditions:
   **   ~~~   ** Since the Energy+.IDD file cannot be read no range or choice checking was
   **   ~~~   ** performed.
   ** Warning ** Output:PreprocessorMessage="ExpandObjects" has the following Warning conditions:
   **   ~~~   ** The Site:GroundTemperature:BuildingSurface object present in the file will
   **   ~~~   ** not be used. Intead the values from Slab will be used.
   ************* Beginning Zone Sizing Calculations
   ** Warning ** SetUpZoneSizingArrays: Sizing for Zone="PER-2T" will use Sizing:Zone specifications listed for Zone="PER-1T".
   ** Warning ** SetUpZoneSizingArrays: Sizing for Zone="PER-3T" will use Sizing:Zone specifications listed for Zone="PER-1T".
   ** Warning ** SetUpZoneSizingArrays: Sizing for Zone="PER-4T" will use Sizing:Zone specifications listed for Zone="PER-1T".
   ** Warning ** SetUpZoneSizingArrays: Sizing for Zone="COR-T" will use Sizing:Zone specifications listed for Zone="PER-1T".
   ** Warning ** SetUpZoneSizingArrays: Sizing for Zone="PER-1F" will use Sizing:Zone specifications listed for Zone="PER-1T".
   ** Warning ** SetUpZoneSizingArrays: Sizing for Zone="PER-2F" will use Sizing:Zone specifications listed for Zone="PER-1T".
   ** Warning ** SetUpZoneSizingArrays: Sizing for Zone="PER-3F" will use Sizing:Zone specifications listed for Zone="PER-1T".
   ** Warning ** SetUpZoneSizingArrays: Sizing for Zone="COR-F" will use Sizing:Zone specifications listed for Zone="PER-1T".
   ** Warning ** SetUpZoneSizingArrays: Sizing for Zone="PER-1I" will use Sizing:Zone specifications listed for Zone="PER-1T".
   ** Warning ** SetUpZoneSizingArrays: Sizing for Zone="PER-2I" will use Sizing:Zone specifications listed for Zone="PER-1T".
   ** Warning ** SetUpZoneSizingArrays: Sizing for Zone="PER-3I" will use Sizing:Zone specifications listed for Zone="PER-1T".
   ** Warning ** SetUpZoneSizingArrays: Sizing for Zone="PER-4I" will use Sizing:Zone specifications listed for Zone="PER-1T".
   ************* Beginning System Sizing Calculations
   ************* Beginning Plant Sizing Calculations
   ************* Testing Individual Branch Integrity
   ************* All Branches passed integrity testing
   ************* Testing Individual Supply Air Path Integrity
   ************* All Supply Air Paths passed integrity testing
   ************* Testing Individual Return Air Path Integrity
   ************* All Return Air Paths passed integrity testing
   ************* No node connection errors were found.
   ************* Beginning Simulation
   ************* Simulation Error Summary *************
   ************* EnergyPlus Warmup Error Summary. During Warmup: 0 Warning; 0 Severe Errors.
   ************* EnergyPlus Sizing Error Summary. During Sizing: 12 Warning; 0 Severe Errors.
   ************* EnergyPlus Completed Successfully-- 15 Warning; 0 Severe Errors; Elapsed Time=00hr 00min  1.27sec

Windows testing

I used EP-launch with 9.4.0 official, LgOffVAVusingBasement.idf, weather USA_IL_Chicago-OHare.Intl.AP.725300_TMY3.epw

I got exactly the same as on Ubuntu. Basement convergence after 10 days, and E+ simulated successfully.

[mjwitte]

@jmarrec Interesting. Here's what I see with 9.4.0 (64-bit) on Windows 10.

 1-D solution has not converged, Delta T>0.05
 1-D solution has converged, MaxDeltaT=   0.0000000000000000
 Year:           1 Day:          30 Converge Status: F
 Year:           1 Day:          60 Converge Status: F
 Year:           1 Day:          90 Converge Status: F
 Year:           1 Day:         120 Converge Status: F
 Year:           1 Day:         150 Converge Status: F
 Year:           1 Day:         180 Converge Status: F
 Year:           1 Day:         210 Converge Status: F
 Year:           1 Day:         240 Converge Status: F
 Year:           1 Day:         270 Converge Status: F
 Year:           1 Day:         300 Converge Status: F
 Year:           1 Day:         330 Converge Status: F
 Year:           1 Day:         360 Converge Status: F
 Year:           1 Day:         365 Converge Status: F
 3-D Solution Has Not Converged, Delta T>0.1
 Max DeltaT=-99999.000
 Elapsed time: 65.13 seconds
Note: The following floating-point exceptions are signalling: IEEE_INVALID_FLAG IEEE_DIVIDE_BY_ZERO IEEE_DENORMAL
STOP GroundTempCalc Terminated--Error(s) Detected.

[cskarupa]

I am getting this same error - was anything ever figured out?

[mjwitte]

Not yet, use the workaround:
Copy the v9.3 basement.exe file over the v9.x basement.exe. It may be found in EnergyPlusV9-3-0\PreProcess\GrndTempCalc\

[mjwitte]

Well, actually, it depends on which error you are referring to and which platform.

[cskarupa]

Yeah I think that's what I'm going to do. I'm referring to the same issue as your first post - running 9.4 and 9.5 produces same fatal error on Windows. But runs with 9.3 Basement.exe file. Thanks!