MATL problem

Βασίλης Καπόγιαννης

unread,

Feb 27, 2021, 8:56:35 AM2/27/21

to FDS and Smokeview Discussions

The program finds a problem at one of the MATL lines of the input file and I can't find where it is.

Any help is appreciated.

Below I include the MATL line where the problem seems to be and the response of FDS when i try to run the file.

&MATL ID='WOOD' <--- line 31

EMISSIVITY=0.9

DENSITY=570.0

CONDUCTIVITY=0.2

SPECIFIC_HEAT=2.3

N_REACTIONS=1.0

A(1)=1.89E+10

E(1)=1.51E+05

N_S(1)=1.0

MATL_ID(1,1)='CHAR'

NU_MATL(1,1)=0.18

SPEC_ID(1:4,1)='OXYGEN','WATER VAPOR','CARBON DIOXIDE','PYROLYZATE'

NU_SPEC(1:4,1)=0, 0, 0, 0.82

HEAT_OF_REACTION(1)=430.0

HEAT_OF_COMBUSTION(1)=14500.0/

Starting FDS ...

MPI Process 0 started on DESKTOP-HSLOOFL

Reading FDS input file ...

ERROR: Problem with MATL number1, line number31 (CHID: dokimh no.4)

ERROR: FDS was improperly set-up - FDS stopped (CHID: dokimh no.4)

Randy McDermott

unread,

Feb 27, 2021, 9:25:06 AM2/27/21

to FDS and Smokeview Discussions

please attach actual file. sometimes it's a problem with the editor. also, try using FDS-specific syntax highlighting, see third-party tools

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "FDS and Smokeview Discussions" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to fds-smv+u...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fds-smv/4dca10d4-6b7d-4c5e-b305-5890501cd0d9n%40googlegroups.com.

dr_jfloyd

unread,

Feb 27, 2021, 9:27:23 AM2/27/21

to FDS and Smokeview Discussions

A fairly quick brute force way to locate a syntax error in an input is to move the / to the midpoint of the input. In this case put it after E(1)=1.51E+05. If you no longer see the error "Problem with MATL type...", then you know that FDS was able to successfully read the line (you may get other errors but only Problem with MATL type means FDS couldn't read the input). Then you would know that the error is in the second half of the input line. If you do get the error, then you know the input is in the first half. Then based on the result move the / to the midpoint of the region where the error must sit (e.g. if it worked, you would put it at 3/4, and if it failed, you would put it at 1/4 of the input). Repeat until you figure out exactly what keyword is causing the problem.

I see two issues with your input:

N_REACTIONS is an integer input; it should be 1 and not 1.0.

HEAT_OF_COMBUSTION is a 2D array. You need to specify the H_O_C for all species on SPEC_ID.

Note you do not need to list gas species not produced in the reaction. You could just have

SPEC_ID(1,1)='PYROLYZATE'

NU_SPEC(1,1)=0.82.

HEAT_OF_COMBUSTION(1:1) = 14500.0

Βασίλης Καπόγιαννης

unread,

Feb 28, 2021, 12:28:57 PM2/28/21

to FDS and Smokeview Discussions

For some reason it doesn't let me to post the file, so i have to copy paste the lines.

I omitted the majority of the OBST lines since they are many.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

&HEAD CHID= 'dokimh no.4' , TITLE= 'dokimh_no.4' / line 1

&MESH IJK= 500 , 500 , 360 XB= -0.25 , 0.25 , -0.25 , 0.25 , -0.18 , 0.18 / line 3

&TIME T_END= 10 /

&SPEC ID= 'PYROLYZATE' , MW= 53.6 /

&SPEC ID= 'OXYGEN' , MASS_FRACTION_0= 0.23 /

&SPEC ID= 'WATER VAPOR' /

&SPEC ID= 'CARBON DIOXIDE' /

&SURF ID='ventilation' , VOLUME_FLOW= 0.024 /

&SURF ID='heat cone'

MATL_ID='STAINLESS STEEL'

INTERNAL_HEAT_SOURCE=100

THICKNESS=0.006

COLOR='RED' /

&SURF ID='steel'

MATL_ID='STAINLESS STEEL'

INTERNAL_HEAT_SOURCE=0

THICKNESS=0.006

COLOR='SILVER' /

&SURF ID='----Speciment-----'

MATL_ID= 'WOOD'

THICKNESS=0.05

COLOR='BROWN' /

&MATL ID='WOOD' line 31

EMISSIVITY=0.9

DENSITY=570.0

CONDUCTIVITY=0.2

SPECIFIC_HEAT=2.3

N_REACTIONS=1.0

A(1)=1.89E+10

E(1)=1.51E+05

N_S(1)=1.0

MATL_ID(1,1)='CHAR'

NU_MATL(1,1)=0.18

SPEC_ID(1:4,1)='OXYGEN','WATER VAPOR','CARBON DIOXIDE','PYROLYZATE',

NU_SPEC(1:4,1)=0, 0, 0, 0.82

HEAT_OF_REACTION(1)=430.0

HEAT_OF_COMBUSTION(1)=14500.0 /

&MATL ID='STAINLESS STEEL'

EMISSIVITY=0.9

DENSITY=8000

SPECIFIC_HEAT=0.5

CONDUCTIVITY=16.2 /

&MATL ID='CHAR'

DENSITY=200

CONDUCTIVITY=1

SPECIFIC_HEAT=1.6 /

&VENT XB= -0.2 , 0.2 , -0.2 , 0.2 , 0.18 , 0.18 SURF_ID= 'ventilation' COLOR= 'SKY BLUE'/

&OBST XB= 0.048 , 0.054 , -0.012 , 0.012 , 0.06 , 0.065 COLOR= 'GRAY' SURF_ID= 'heat cone' / 1st ring

&OBST XB= 0.042 , 0.048 , 0.012 , 0.03 , 0.06 , 0.065 COLOR= 'GRAY' SURF_ID= 'heat cone' /

&OBST XB= 0.042 , 0.048 , -0.03 , -0.012 , 0.06 , 0.065 COLOR= 'GRAY' SURF_ID= 'heat cone' /

&OBST XB= 0.036 , 0.042 , 0.024 , 0.036 , 0.06 , 0.065 COLOR= 'GRAY' SURF_ID= 'heat cone' /

&OBST XB= 0.036 , 0.042 , -0.036 , -0.024 , 0.06 , 0.065 COLOR= 'GRAY' SURF_ID= 'heat cone' /

&OBST XB= -0.108 , -0.102 , -0.036 , 0.036 , -0.0032 , 0 COLOR= 'GRAY' SURF_ID= 'heat cone' /

&OBST XB= -0.114 , -0.108 , -0.012 , 0.012 , -0.0032 , 0 COLOR= 'GRAY' SURF_ID= 'heat cone' /

&OBST XB= -0.053 , -0.05085, -0.053 , 0.053 , -0.0821 , -0.0571 COLOR= 'BLUE' SURF_ID= 'steel' / Speciment Holder

&OBST XB= 0.05085 , 0.053 , -0.053 , 0.053 , -0.0821 , -0.0571 COLOR= 'BLUE' SURF_ID= 'steel' /

&OBST XB= -0.05085, 0.05085 , 0.05085 , 0.053 , -0.0821 , -0.0571 COLOR= 'BLUE' SURF_ID= 'steel' /

&OBST XB= -0.05085, 0.05085 , 0.053 , 0.05085 , -0.0821 , -0.0571 COLOR= 'BLUE' SURF_ID= 'steel' /

&OBST XB= -0.05085, 0.05085 , -0.05085, 0.05085 , -0.0821 , -0.07995 COLOR= 'BLUE' SURF_ID= 'steel' /

&OBST XB= -0.0555 , -0.047 , -0.0555 , 0.0555 , -0.03 , -0.0281 COLOR= 'COBALT' SURF_ID= 'steel' / Retainer Frame

&OBST XB= 0.047 , 0.0555 , -0.0555 , 0.0555 , -0.03 , -0.0281 COLOR= 'COBALT' SURF_ID= 'steel' /

&OBST XB= -0.047 , 0.047 , 0.047 , 0.0555 , -0.03 , -0.0281 COLOR= 'COBALT' SURF_ID= 'steel' /

&OBST XB= -0.047 , 0.047 , -0.0555 , -0.047 , -0.03 , -0.0281 COLOR= 'COBALT' SURF_ID= 'steel' /

&OBST XB= -0.0555 , -0.0536 , -0.0555 , 0.0555 , -0.0821 , -0.03 COLOR= 'COBALT' SURF_ID= 'steel' /

&OBST XB= 0.0536 , 0.0555 , -0.0555 , 0.0555 , -0.0821 , -0.03 COLOR= 'COBALT' SURF_ID= 'steel' /

&OBST XB= -0.0536 , 0.0536 , 0.0536 , 0.0555 , -0.0821 , -0.03 COLOR= 'COBALT' SURF_ID= 'steel' /

&OBST XB= -0.0536 , 0.0536 , -0.0555 , -0.0536 , -0.0821 , -0.03 COLOR= 'COBALT' SURF_ID= 'steel' /

&OBST XB= -0.05 , 0.05 , -0.05 , 0.05 , -0.07995 , -0.03 COLOR= 'GREEN' SURF_ID= '----Speciment-----' / Speciment

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glenn Forney

unread,

Feb 28, 2021, 1:42:19 PM2/28/21

to fds...@googlegroups.com

add a .txt extension to your file

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "FDS and Smokeview Discussions" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to fds-smv+u...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fds-smv/f9cc986d-b9e1-419f-91c8-23f869e70670n%40googlegroups.com.

--

Glenn Forney

Βασίλης Καπόγιαννης

unread,

Feb 28, 2021, 1:49:29 PM2/28/21

to FDS and Smokeview Discussions

no.4.txt

Randy McDermott

unread,

Feb 28, 2021, 2:21:06 PM2/28/21

to FDS and Smokeview Discussions

The problem was your HEAT_OF_COMBUSTION line. Use this:

&MATL ID = 'WOOD'
EMISSIVITY = 0.9
CONDUCTIVITY = 0.2
SPECIFIC_HEAT = 1.3
DENSITY = 570.
N_REACTIONS = 1
A(1) = 1.89E10
E(1) = 1.51E5
N_S(1) = 1.0
MATL_ID(1,1) = 'CHAR'
NU_MATL(1,1) = 0.18
SPEC_ID(1:4,1) = 'OXYGEN','WATER VAPOR','CARBON DIOXIDE','PYROLYZATE'

NU_SPEC(1:4,1) = 0,0,0,0.82
HEAT_OF_REACTION(1) = 430.

HEAT_OF_COMBUSTION(4,1)= 14500. /

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fds-smv/16256d77-b0a9-42d6-a22f-645f4606fee2n%40googlegroups.com.

Βασίλης Καπόγιαννης

unread,

Mar 1, 2021, 6:52:53 AM3/1/21

to FDS and Smokeview Discussions

Thanks everyone for the help !!!

Reply all

Reply to author

Forward