CICA 1992 November

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ CICA 1992 November / CICA_MS_Windows_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_November_1992.iso / win3 / misc / sunpow11 / sunpo.doc next >

Wrap

Text File | 1992-03-01 | 19.9 KB | 383 lines

******* WARNING ***** WARNING ***** WARNING ***** WARNING ********* * * * THE AUTHOR OF THIS SOFTWARE DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY WARRANTY WHAT- * * SOEVER! YOU USE IT OR TRY IT ENTIRELY AND STRICTLY AT YOUR OWN * * RISK. THE AUTHOR EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY FOR DAMAGE * * TO YOUR COMPUTER, FILES OR ASSOCIATED ELECTRO-MECHANICAL * * DEVICES. NOR IS THERE ANY GUARANTEE AS TO THE ACCURACY OF THE * * RESULTS OR AS TO THE FITNESS OF THE SUNPO PROGRAMS FOR ANY PAR- * * TICULAR PURPOSE. * * * * REMEMBER, YOU USE IT OR TRY IT SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK! * * * ******* WARNING ***** WARNING ***** WARNING ***** WARNING ********* 1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION SUNPO will calculate the azimuth and elevation of the sun as a function of the date and time of day at any place on the earth (with the possible exception of the poles and precisely where the 0 or 180 degree meridians cross the equator). It will also compute the approximate times of sunrise and sunset and the azimuth of the sun at those times. SUNPO does not take careful account of the fact that a year isn't composed of exactly 365 twentyfour hour days, so you may expect errors of a few degrees over a leap year cycle. Why would you want to know such things? Use your imagination! Maybe you would like to know where the sun sets on June 21 (the approximate date of the summer solstice in the northern hemi- sphere) so that you can figure out where to plant a tree to put the shade just where you want it on the longest day of the year. Maybe you want to decide how big to make some awnings so that they will block the sun's direct rays (or pass them) in some particular season. SUNPO will tell you what you need to know about the sun's position if you can figure out a reason to know it! SUNPO's results are displayed as a table showing the local and GMT time in a 24 hour "military" format (for example, 6:34 PM would appear as 1834). Azimuth angles are measured clockwise from north (so, due south corresponds to an azimuth angle of 180 degrees). Elevations are measured from a level horizon (straight up is a 90 degree elevation angle). Results may be saved in an ascii formatted file for later printing if desired. There is no internal print command (at least not yet). In order to actually run SUNPO you need to know your geographical longitude and latitude in at least degrees and minutes. You also need to know or figure out a "time zone" value for your location. Data for a few cities may be found below. SUNPO is distributed as Shareware. That means you may try it for a reasonable period (say three weeks) at no cost, but that you should register it and pay the registration fee if you use it after the trial period. SUNPO is available as both a Windows (3.0) appli- cation and as a DOS executable program. The Windows version was written using Borland International's Turbo Pascal for Windows. The DOS version was compiled using Borland's Turbo Pascal version 4.0. Windows and MS-DOS are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Turbo Pascal is a trademark of Borland International,Inc. 2.0 INSATLLATION INFORMATION 2.1 STANDARD FILES The SUNPO files included in the authorized archive are: SUNPOW11.EXE - Windows 3.0 executable application file. SUNPO.INI - Initialization file for SUNPOW10.EXE. SUNPO.DOC (this file) SUNPOD10.EXE - DOS executable program file. Antivirus valiation data obtained using the McAfee Associates' VALIDATE program are: SUNPOW11.EXE: Check Method 1 1D25; Check Method 2: 19AF SUNPOD10.EXE: Check Method 1: 4013; Check Method 2: 10BF 2.1 INSTALLATION HINTS SUNPO is so simple that no installation program is provided. To install it about all you need to recover the files from the SUNPOW11.ZIP (which you must have already done if you are reading this), copy them to an appropriate directory, and "run" them. 2.1.1 DOS Version If you want to run from a fixed disc, then copy SUNPOD10.EXE to any directory you choose. Start it in the usual fashion for DOS programs either from the fixed disc or a diskette. The DOS version is interactive and queries you for needed data as it runs. However it might be helpful to read some of the comments later in this file. 2.1.2 Windows Version The Windows version may also be run from either a diskette or a fixed disc. A) Copy the SUNPOW11.EXE file to any handy directory. To run it use the Program Manager File Run menu options and type in the complete path name. Or add it to a program group. See your Windows manual for details. B) As an option, copy the SUNPO.INI file to your base Windows directory (the one where WIN.INI is found) and edit it to replace the sample data with that appropriate to your geographical location (also see discussion below). Doing that will make it unnecessary for you to re-enter your location data each time you want to run the Windows version of SUNPO (SUNPO.INI is ignored by the DOS version of SUNPO). If you use SUNPO.INI, be sure to set the "TIMZON" parameter. Your time zone is the number of hours you need to add to Greenwich Mean Time (or more properly UTC) to get your local 24-hour time. West longitudes have negative (or zero) TIMZON values (they are "earlier"), while East longitudes have positive values. If you do not enter a value, one will be calculated from your longitude, but it may not be correct since local time zones don't adhere very closely to the way the earth rotates. 3.0 RUNNING SUNPO 3.1 DOS Version Once you have started execution of SUNPOD10.EXE, you will be queried for various information by the program and just enter the needed data when asked to do so. Before starting, however, you will need to calculate your latitude and longitude as fractional numbers. Use a formula like: longitude = # of degrees + ( # of minutes / 60). Make longitude positive if your longitude is "East" and negative if it is "West". Likewise, make yor latitude negative if you are south of the equator.In addition, you will be asked to enter a value for your "time zone". See Section 5.0 below for some hints. You will be asked if you want to store the results in a file. If your response is a letter Y (which means YES) then you will be asked to enter a file name. The file name can include a DOS "path" if you like. If you choose the "file output" option you will not see anything on the screen until the calculation and file writing are complete. If you opt for screen output, then you will, of course, see the data as they are generated. You will also be asked to enter the month (1-12), day (1-??), a "start" hour, a "stop" hour and am "increment" in MINUTES. The "start" hour is the hour at which the first calculation of solar position is made. The next one will be calculated at a time which is later by the "increment" you enter. The last result is calculated at the "Stop" hour. At the end of each run you are asked whether you want to restart. Answer with a Y or an N as you prefer. 3.2 WINDOWS Version When you run the Windows version you must somehow enter most of the same data required by the DOS version, but the manner of entry conforms more to Windows style than the "stream" style of the DOS version. When you start SUNPO you will be greeted by a more or less blank screen. There is no "cursor". There is a standard menu bar at the top of the screen. The menu choices are as follows: File Control Data Run Sunrise Reset Graph Help 3.2.1 The "File" Menu Item Clicking on the "File" option brings up a popup menu composed of three items: "New", "SaveAs" and "Exit". Selecting "new" simply clears any previous results from the screen and memory and resets some in ternal flags. The File "SaveAs" option is chosen to initi- ate saving of the current results into an ascii file. It works pretty much as you would expect. The "Exit" option terminates SUNPO. 3.2.2 The "Control Data" Menu Item This item also brings up a popup menu with two sub-choices: "Observer Position" and "Time of Day". If you have not copied the SUNPO.INI file to your Windows directory you should click on the "Observer Position" choice and enter your geographical data, and a time zone value in the spots provided. (See section 2.1.2 B (above) for a few comments on time zones, and Section 5.0 (below) for sample data.) If you have made a change in the observer position or time zone data, then when you exit from the dialog via the "Ok" button you will be asked if you wish to save the changes in the SUNPO.INI file. If you answer "yes" then the file will be updated. You will need to execute the "Time of Day" dialog to set the month and day of the month for which you want solar position data. Within that dialog you also set the hours for the first and last times of day and the increment in minutes for the calculations. All the input numbers are expected to be integers with no decimals, etc. Some, but not all, parameters are checked before a run, so if you enter any oddball values (like ~23 degrees), all bets are off. 3.2.3 The "Run" Menu Item Choosing the "Run" menu item is the action which actually causes something to happen to produce data to be displayed in the blank window. There will probably be something of a delay before you see any results because SUNPO does all calculations before it displays any results. 3.2.4 The "Sunrise" Menu Item This item initiates iterative calculations which attempt to find the APPROXIMATE times at which the sun crosses the horizon (or for which the elevation angle is zero). These calculations may also take a while if you do not have a fast computer. Those times and the approximate solar azimuth at those times are then shown in a popup window. The results should be moderately valid if you live in an area which is pretty "flat". If there are any trees, houses, mountains in the direction of sunrise or sunset the accuracy may not be very high. 3.2.5 The "Reset" Menu Item Choosing the "Reset" menu item erases the "worksheet" and prepares some internal flags for "new" calculations. "Reset" does not, however, alter the observer or time of day data. "Reset" performs the same actions as the "File New" choice (see above). 3.2.6 The "Graph" Menu Item Select this item by mouse click or Alt+G to get simple graphs of elevation and azimuth angles (in degrees) vs local time (hours). They are displayed in an independent window. Negative elevation angles will not appear on the graph. Instead of using the 0 to 360 degree range, azimuth angles are shifted into the - 180 to + 180 range. After shifting, an azimuth angle of 0 is still North and + 90 is still East, but West becomes - 90. Both - 180 and + 180 mean due South. In order to avoid the fairly complicated task of deciding exactly which data are to be plotted if you have changed observer position ot times, etc, only the FIRST "case" will be used for graphs. By "first case" is meant the data produced by the first "Run" made after initial startup of SUNPO, or just after a "Reset" or "File New" option selection. Use thσ Alt + Spacebar keys and then select the CLOSE popup menu item to close the graph window if you don't havσ a mouse. 3.2.7 The "Help" Menu Item This one brings up another popup menu from which you can select the display of a few terse descriptions of various SUNPO related items. It does not (as yet) bring up a full-fledged Windows style help window. 3.2.8 Last But Not Least You can begin execution of SUNPOW11.EXE by clicking the Windows Program Manager's "File" menu item and then the "Run" item from the popup menu. Then you simply enter the complete path name needed to locate SUNPOW11.EXE. If you placed SUNPOW11.EXE in your base Windows directory you can omit the directory portion of the file name. SUNPO has no command line parameters. If you added SUNPOW11 to a program group, then just start it in the usual fashion. *********************** WARNING No. 2 ****************************** * * * The behavior of SUNPOW11.EXE in the REAL mode of Windows has * * been a little unpredictable: It seems to run just fine on a * * Zenith Z386/16 (circa 1987) machine, but the author has found * * that it may cause "hang up" of an IBM PS-2/70 (16 MHz) machine, * * or it may run fine. Which thing happens appears to depend on the * * contents of the CONFIG.SYS file. It has not been tested on a * * machine using 8088, 8086 or V20 CPU's. * * * * No "hang ups" have been encountered in the STANDARD or ENHANCED * * modes. * *********************** WARNING No. 2 ****************************** 4.0 OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION SUNPO is distributed as Shareware. If you use it after some reasonable trial period, please send the author $ 5.00 for his trouble. Its the right thing to do! That will also make you feel better and will get you on a mailing list for information about any fixup versions or future enhanced versions (such as perhaps one that will find lunar position data as well). You may not incorporate SUNPO into any commercial package without express written approval of the author, but you may feel free to give away unmodified copies of the original files (all or none, however) or post copies on any BBS which will accept them AND which makes no charges other than those made on the basis of connect time. Send your $5 as well as any constructive comments or suggestions to: A. Miller P.O.Box 3512 Las Cruces, NM 88003-3512 (internet: miller@nmsu.edu or gmiller@andes.nmsu.edu) IF YOU ENCOUNTER ANY "ABNORMAL" BEHAVIOR, PLEASE SEND AS MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT ITS NATURE AND CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH IT WAS OBSERVED TO AUTHOR. 5.0 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION In case you don't know where you are, here are a few clues: Latitude Longitude TimeZone ------------- ------------ -------- Atlanta, GA 33D 21M North 84D 22M West - 5 Boston, MA 41D 21M North 71D 3M West - 5 Chicago, IL 41D 52M North 87D 37M West - 6 Dallas, TX 32D 47M North 96D 47M West - 6 Denver, CO 39D 44M North 104D 59M West - 7 El Paso, TX 31D 45M North 106D 29M West - 7 Fairbanks, AK 64D 48M North 147D 51M West - 9 Las Cruces, NM 32D 19M North 106D 47M West - 7 Los Angeles,CA 34D 3M North 118D 14M West - 8 New Orleans, LA 29D 56M North 90D 3M West - 6 Phoenix, AZ 33D 26M North 112D 3M West - 7 San Francisco, CA 37D 47M North 122D 25M West - 8 Seattle, WA 47D 37M North 122D 19M West - 8 London 51D 32M North 0D 4M West 0 Hamburg 53D 33m North 10D 2M East + 1 Capetown 33D 55M South 18D 22M East + 2 Guayaquil 2D 10M South 79D 56M West - 5 Irkutsk 52D 30M North 104D 19M East + 7 Bangkok 13D 45M North 100D 30M East + 7 Manila 14D 34M North 120D 56M East + 9 (I think) Mexico City 19D 26M North 99D 7M West - 6 Rio de Janeiro 22D 56M South 43D 11M West - 3 Tokyo 35D 45M North 139D 45M East + 10 wherein, "D" means degrees and "M" means minutes. Some of time zone values are based on longitude alone. They may be off by an hour or so either way in a few cases due to the author's ignorance of local customs. 6.0 DISPLAY INFORMATION For an observer located as in the sample SUNPO.INI file, the screen display and the ascii output files look something like: Local Global Solar Solar Observer time time Azimuth Elevation Parameters 600 600 65 -8 21 Jun 700 700 67 5 8.15 N 800 800 68 19 12.57 W 900 900 67 33 1000 1000 64 46 1100 1100 57 59 1200 1200 37 70 1300 1300 353 75 1400 1400 315 68 1500 1500 300 56 1600 1600 294 43 1700 1700 292 29 1800 1800 292 15 1900 1900 293 1 2000 2000 296 -12 REMARKS: The 353 degree azimuth value means that the sun appeared north of the observer at some time close to 1300 hrs. The negative eleva- tion values indicate that sunrise occurs between 6 AM and 7 AM local standard time and that sunset occurs just after 7 PM local standard time. (V1.01)