CONTAM results export tool

CONTAM is a multizone indoor air quality and ventilation analysis program developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (Dols and Polidoro 2015). CONTAM generates a wide range of different simulation outputs in the form of binary and text-based files. CONTAM provides the ability to view a limited set of these results via the CONTAM graphical user interface, but many users require access to a much broader range of results. The CONTAM Results Export Tool (subsequently referred to as Export Tool ) was created to provide access to all of the results that can be generated by a CONTAM simulation. It does so by reading the binary result files and converting them to tab-delimited text files that can be read using a spreadsheet program. The results that can be exported include contaminant concentrations; zone temperatures; weather conditions; airflows through individual paths, ducts and duct leakages; temporal and spatial averages of zone concentrations; and exposure results. The Export Tool also includes the ability to export infiltration rates for use in simulations performed with the EnergyPlus whole-building energy simulation program. This document describes five features of the Export Tool: (1) general conversion of binary results to text, (2) computing temporal and spatial averages of zone contaminant concentrations, (3) exporting occupant exposure results, (4) exporting whole-building air change rates from a CONTAM simulation for use in EnergyPlus, and (5) exporting zone-specific air change rates from a CONTAM simulation for use in EnergyPlus. The Export Tool is available, along with CONTAM and other NISTdeveloped software, on the NIST Multizone Modeling Website http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/IAQanalysis.