SURF_ID does not exist

michael heck

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Mar 25, 2018, 2:05:18 PM3/25/18

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Ok guys, so i'm pretty new and just learning FDS, so I hope I don't get laughed out of this forum for my very basic question.

When i run a my file, it tells me that SURF_ID CEILING does not exist. If I try different things it may tell me the same thing about SURF_ID SIDE_WALL as well. I can't figure out if there's some really basic formatting mistake I'm making. Or if my fundamental process with my mesh and obstructions is wrong. Any troubleshooting help would be appreciated!

thanks in advance

Here's what I believe to be the relevant lines of code

&MESH IJK=190,120,60 XB=0.0,18.0,0.0,12.0,0.0,6.0/

&MATL ID=‘MARINITE’, EMISSIVITY = 0.8, DENSITY = 737.,

SPECIFIC_HEAT=0.3, CONDUCTIVITY=0.17/

&MATL ID = 'CONCRETE', CONDUCTIVITY=0.125, DENSITY=525,

SPECIFIC_HEAT=1.05,/

&SURF ID='FLOOR', MATL_ID='CONCRETE', THICKNESS=1./

&SURF ID=‘SIDE_WALL’, MATL_ID=‘MARINITE’, THICKNESS=0.025/

&SURF ID=‘CEILING’, MATL_ID=‘MARINITE’, THICKNESS=0.025 /

&OBST ID='wall',XB=0.0,18.0,0.0,0.0,0.0,6.0, SURF_ID=‘SIDE_WALL’/ ACTUAL WALLS

&OBST ID='wall',XB=0.0,0.0,0.0,12.0,0.0,6.0, SURF_ID=‘SIDE_WALL’/

&OBST ID='wall',XB=0.0,18.0,12.0,12.0,0.0,6.0, SURF_ID=‘SIDE_WALL’/

&OBST ID='wall',XB=18.0,18.0,0.0,12.0,0.0,6.0, SURF_ID=‘SIDE_WALL’/

&OBST ID='ceiling',XB=0.0,18.0,0.0,12.0,6.0,6.0, SURF_ID='CEILING' / CEILING

&OBST ID='floor',XB=0.0,18.0,0.0,12.0,0.0,0.0, SURF_ID='FLOOR' / FLOOR

I thought the problem was that these are thin obstructions and my surf id has a thickness. But i've tried to fix that by using thick obstuctions and vent surf id over these. did not work

Salah Benkorichi

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Mar 25, 2018, 2:14:23 PM3/25/18

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This forum wasn't meant to be laughing at users. If anyone can help, they will comment.

Your issue has to do with the ' name' the single quote isn't right. The one you are using is probably copied from some pdfs or latex files. You need to retype those single quotes. One way, to trouble shoot those type of error, is to use an appropriate text editor. Currently, there is notepad++, and Sublime. You can use either of them. Once you open your file in them, you will spot those errors immediately.

Hope this helps.

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Kevin

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Mar 25, 2018, 2:15:16 PM3/25/18

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Here's what you wrote

&SURF ID=‘CEILING’, MATL_ID=‘MARINITE’, THICKNESS=0.025 /

and here's how it should be written

&SURF ID='CEILING',MATL_ID='MARINITE', THICKNESS=0.025 /

Did you use Word or something similar to edit your input file? The FDS User's Guide warns against this. Use plain ASCII text. Single quotes are made using the apostrophe key.

michael heck

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Mar 26, 2018, 7:19:15 AM3/26/18

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Thank you all very much! I thought the text editor i was using was plain text, but it seems it was still not using the proper single quotes. I've spent way too much time trying to figure out what was wrong here. Thank you for the help!

On Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 2:05:18 PM UTC-4, michael heck wrote:

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