The Subway Environment Simulation Program, Version 4.1

The Subway Environment Simulation (SES) Computer Program is a designer-oriented tool which provides estimates of airflows, temperatures, and humidity, as well as air conditioning requirements, for both operating and proposed multiple-track subway systems.

 

What's New In Version 4.1

*** SES Main Program ***

- Fixed problem with vehicle line current when using the implicit train performance option, on cam controlled trains, during partial power operation, above base speed.

- Additional error checking for train area exceeding tunnel area.

- Fixed array bounds error when the environmental control load evaluation option (form 1c) is set to 1 or 2 and the number of environmental control zones is set to 0.

- Fixed small windows display problems.

- Library changes to allow for use of Visual Fortran Compiler.

 

*** Input Manager ***

New Features:

- An update menu option on the Node data panel performs semiautomatic update of node data. To use this option, enter all the line section and vent section data first. Then, on the Node Data panel, select Update on the menu. The line and vent sections are checked and nodes are added and deleted as required. This may be used to generate initial node data or to update node data after adding or deleting line and vent sections.
Most probable node types are selected based upon the number and type of attached sections, the attached section numbers are updated and default values are used for data such as angles and aspect ratios. If angle and aspect ratio data has already been entered, it is not changed. It is very important for the users to review the node data which is generated.

- A most recently used file list has been added to the file menu and the path for the first file in the list becomes the default directory for "File Open". The program saves the last few file names used and shows them at the bottom of the file menu.

- On the Line segment and vent shaft panels, the file menu has a global temperature item that allows the user to copy the wall temperature and initial dry and wet bulb temperatures from the current segment to all other segments. This provides a quick initial update of temperatures when changing from winter to summer. Individual variations may then be defined where applicable.

- On the EC Data tab of the line segment screen, a “Set as Default” button has been added that copies the data from the current segment to all other segments which have not been defined. This is useful when adding the Environmental Control Simulation option to a previously existing file. Individual variations may then be entered where applicable.

 

Bugs Fixed:

- Fixed problems with line segment and vent segment add/delete/copy functions. 

- Fixed problems with the copy/paste functions for vent segment.

- Fixed problems deleting the last item in segment, vent shaft and node lists.

- If the title is left blank for a train type, route, or fan, the item will be ignored (deleted.) Users are now warned that the title is required before the train, route or fan is deleted.

- Fixed problem in several of the data forms that use "pick lists" to select the item being edited (e.g. segments, vent shafts and nodes), where a value could be entered into the wrong record if the pick list was used to change the item before the data field was exited.

- Deletion of line segments is reflected in the line section list.

- The "Cut" function on the segment panel has been disabled for the last remaining line segment of a section, similar to "Delete".

- The number of vent shaft segments was not written to the file correctly for multiple segment vent shafts.

- The restart file name was not written to the data file for the Read Restart Data option.

- Several problems were fixed in the handling of EC Zones.

- Fixed problems with the Insert and Delete functions in Route Data tables.

- Input file was not always saved before running the simulation from the menu. Now it is always saved.

- Turning off some options, such as the environmental control load option, causes loss of the associated data. The program now warns the user.

- The upper limit was incorrect in the prompt for vent shaft head losses.

-     "Thermodynamic" was  misspelled on the restart file output option list.

- All data fields are now left-justified in the input fields on the forms.

- Decimal points were sometimes displayed on integer values after validation of input fields.

- Use of the right mouse button on pick lists brought up the pop-up menu but did not change the current segment.

 

Installation

It is recommended that any previous installation of SES be removed before installing SES Version 4.1.

 

To install, simply run the SETUP.EXE program from within Windows. The setup program will install all necessary files to a directory of your choice, and then create icons for you.

 

If you later decide that SES does not fit your needs, you may uninstall the program by using "Add/Remove Programs" applet in the control panel.

 

Requirements

- Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000.

- 32 MB RAM

- Pentium class cpu.

 

Program Compilation

The SES41.EXE program was compiled using the Compaq Visual Fortran Standard Edition Compiler Version 5.0.D.

 

The SESIN.EXE and SESBATCH.EXE were compiled using the Microsoft Visual Basic Compiler Version 6.0 Service Pack 3 with some components and controls from Visual Basic Version 4.

 

The Help Files SESIN.HLP and SESBATCH.HLP were compiled using the Microsoft Help Workshop Version 4.02.0060.

 

Contacts

Jeffrey G. Mora

Transportation Systems Manager

Office of Technology, TRI-20

Federal Transit Administration

400 7th Street, SW

Washington, DC 20590

202-366-0215

 

Alison Thompson

Technical Staff

Railroad Systems Division, DTS-75

Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

55 Broadway

Cambridge, MA 02142

617-494-2108

thompsona@volpe.dot.gov

 

Web Site:

http://www.fta.dot.gov/research/equip/adsim/ses/ses.htm

 

Programming Team

SES Program developed by Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade and Douglas, Inc.

Lead Programmer(s):      William Kennedy

Silas Li

Tom O'Dwyer

 

SES Input Manager and Batch Manager developed by Earth Tech, Inc. (formerly Kaiser Engineers)

Lead Programmer(s):      Paul Miclea

Dan McKinney