HVAC Base class

[nealkruis]

@chipbarnaby I'm going to use this space to put down some ideas for an HVAC base class that we can use for the preconditioning components of a central ventilation system.

Basically, anything that sits on a fluid stream would inherit this base class. Examples instances include:

• Fans and pumps
• Coils
• Heat recovery
• Ducts and pipes

I envision a way to also combine sub-components into a composite component. For example, a heat pump composite component would have a coil component, a fan component, and a back up component.

Data members:

• An array of inlet air states ( > 1 for heat exchangers or mixers)
• An array of outlet air states (> 1 for heat exchangers or splitters)
• An array of inlet liquid states (e.g., chilled/hot water)
• An array of outlet liquid states
• An array of meters (length zero if the component does not use energy)
• An array of pointers to inlet sub-components
• An array of pointers to outlet sub-components
• Sensible/latent energy added/removed

Methods:

• DoHour, DoSubhour, etc.
• Energy balances on air streams
• Sizing functions?
• Accumulate meters?

I think(?) we could revise RSYS to be built up this way.