Article
Biology
Shuai Zhang, Neng Zhu
Summary: Some studies have shown that steady-uniform thermal environments are not the most optimal for ensuring thermal comfort, and temperature ramps may offer advantages over traditional air conditioning methods. Gender differences in thermal responses have also been observed, but the differences and causal relationships in ramped conditions are unclear.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Shuai Zhang, Neng Zhu
Summary: Current studies show that stable indoor thermal environments don't guarantee the thermal comfort of residents, and unreasonable temperature settings can lead to discomfort and high energy consumption. Temperature ramps in indoor environments can affect human thermal responses. Female participants are more sensitive to humidity perception during temperature ramps, while a 2 degrees C temperature ramp-up doesn't significantly impact the thermal comfort of participants. Male participants are more receptive to ambient temperatures, while female participants are more sensitive to cool environments. Good fitting relationships between thermal sensation and thermal comfort, as well as thermal sensation and facial thermal sensation, were observed.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bonggeun Song
Summary: Pedestrian spaces play important roles in promoting health and social interactions, but the deteriorating thermal comfort in cities due to the urban heat island calls for improvements. By evaluating the characteristics of urban thermal environments, we analyzed physical environment types and their correlations with thermal comfort at pedestrian spaces. Our results demonstrated the importance of creating adequate physical environments and provided necessary evidence for policy-making in urban planning to improve thermal comfort.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Se Woong Kim, Robert D. Brown
Summary: Rapid urbanization has changed the impact of micro-thermal environment on residents' comfort level, leading to the need for planners to understand and ameliorate these effects. Researchers must also identify pedestrians' thermal comfort levels in street canyons to inform urban physical factor improvements. Pedestrian behavior in micro-thermal environments is influenced by factors like the sky view factor and tree canopy coverage ratio, highlighting the importance of data collection and three-dimensional thermal environment analysis for future research.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Naoe Nishihara, Jing Xiong, Jungsoo Kim, Hui Zhu, Richard de Dear
Summary: This study investigates the impact of thermal adaptive opportunities on cognitive performance and mental workload of building occupants. The findings suggest that the availability of adaptive opportunities can improve cognitive task performance and reduce mental fatigue, especially in a moderately warm environment.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Sijing Liu, Bin Cao, Yingxin Zhu
Summary: To holistically assess the urban environment, consideration of both indoor and outdoor thermal environments is crucial. Outdoor thermal parameters have a significant impact on the quality of urban life. This study focuses on the differences between indoor and outdoor thermal comfort, excluding visual and acoustic interference. Through an experiment conducted in an indoor climate chamber and three types of outdoor spaces, subjective evaluations and physiological parameters of participants were explored. The findings indicate that individuals experience higher thermal comfort and are less sensitive to changes in thermal parameters outdoors. Subjects tend to prefer staying outdoors in a wide range of outdoor thermal environments. Furthermore, the use of VR glasses between 27.5 and 33.5 degrees Celsius under direct sunlight provides a significantly cooler sensation. This study pioneers the use of VR glasses and noise-canceling earphones to comprehensively compare indoor and outdoor thermal comfort while excluding the influence of visual and auditory factors. The results highlight the greater comfort brought by outdoor thermal environment compared to indoor air conditioning, emphasizing the importance of improving outdoor thermal environments. The potential benefits of comfortable outdoor thermal environments in comparison to neutral indoor environments can be further explored.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY
(2023)
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Runming Yao, Shaoxing Zhang, Chenqiu Du, Marcel Schweiker, Simon Hodder, Bjarne W. Olesen, Jorn Toftum, Francesca Romana D'Ambrosio, Hansjuergen Gebhardt, Shan Zhou, Feng Yuan, Baizhan Li
Summary: This paper reviews the historical evolution of thermal comfort research, focusing on adaptive thermal comfort studies and evaluating representative prediction models. Based on the analysis, three thermal environment assessment approaches are classified and their strengths and constraints are analyzed.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Xiaowen Su, Ongun Berk Kazanci, Zhaojun Wang, Bjarne W. Olesen, Liangliang Sun, Yanping Yuan
Summary: This study emphasizes the importance of a unified quantitative index for non-uniform environments and adopts the equivalent temperature (teq) as an integral evaluation index. The study analyzes data from laboratory measurements of different types of non-uniform environments in offices and vehicles, and develops a new teq comfort chart. The results show that overall sensible heat loss of the human body remained constant, but local thermal discomfort and sensation changed with non-uniform environments.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Chao Jia, Yonghua Rong, Xiaoying Geng, Menghan Wang, Zhicheng Zhang, Shengnan Han, Xihao Bie
Summary: Both olfactory and thermal environments have significant effects on thermal sensation, thermal comfort, and total comfort. The olfactory environment has a stronger influence on total comfort compared to the thermal environment. However, the thermal environment affects physiological indicators such as skin temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure, while the olfactory environment does not have a significant impact on these indicators.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sijie Liu, Negin Nazarian, Melissa Anne Hart, Jianlei Niu, Yongxin Xie, Richard de Dear
Summary: This study investigated thermal pleasure dynamics in outdoor environments based on the concept of thermal alliesthesia, and found that predicting temporal pleasure change could be achieved using thermal sensation change. Different prediction models were proposed for subjects in strong alliesthesial potential zones and those in thermoneutral zones, contributing to a more nuanced interpretation of outdoor urban spaces in terms of thermal pleasure and delight.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Taocheng Wan, Yan Bai, Lulu Wu, Yine He
Summary: This study investigated the impact of supply vane angles and supply air temperature on ventilation performance, considering human factors and a 13-value thermal comfort scale. The experiments confirmed the relationship between thermal comfort votes and supply vane angle, supply air temperature, gender, and metabolic rate. The study utilized Nishi's 8-point method to calculate thermal comforts and SPA-TOPSIS method to optimize performance.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Kai Rewitz, Dirk Mueller
Summary: This study provides a high-resolution dataset to develop and validate scalable modeling approaches for predicting thermal sensation. Results indicate that BMI and body fat percentage are significant influencing factors on physiological responses, emphasizing the need for individualized modeling.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Meng Zhen, Zilin Chen, Qishu Zou
Summary: Urban outdoor public spaces are complex systems, with the thermal and acoustic environments being the two main factors affecting overall comfort. The study revealed that thermal evaluation is mainly affected by PET and acoustic evaluation is mainly affected by LAeq. Linear regression analysis showed discrepancies between predictions and actual conditions for both thermal and acoustic evaluations. Further research is needed to confirm the reliability and accuracy of predicting human comfort based on the current thermal and acoustic environment.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yingdong He, Thomas Parkinson, Edward Arens, Hui Zhang, Nianping Li, Jinqing Peng, John Elson, Clay Maranville
Summary: The study compared the effectiveness of Personal Comfort Systems (PCS) heating with traditional Air Conditioning (AC) heating, finding that PCS was more effective at alleviating occupant discomfort and providing immediate pleasantness. The thermal pleasantness and sensation were equivalent across different initial room temperatures when PCS was present.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Graham Coulby, Adrian K. Clear, Oliver Jones, Suzanne McDonald, Alan Godfrey
Summary: This study aims to monitor the impact of long-term changes in individuals and their environment on indoor environmental quality, and proposes a new approach to environmental perception gathering. The protocol has the potential to reveal the correlation between environmental changes and individual behavioral and physiological responses, which is significant for building performance monitoring and individual health and well-being.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria Cristina Collivignarelli, Sara Todeschini, Alessandro Abba, Paola Ricciardi, Marco Carnevale Miino, Vincenzo Torretta, Elena Cristina Rada, Fabio Conti, Giacomo Cillari, Silvia Calatroni, Giuseppe Lumia, Giorgio Bertanza
Summary: The research aims to identify a tool to analyze the performance and environmental context of sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants, providing evaluation and financial planning tools for optimizing system performance.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Chiara Quintaliani, Francesca Merli, Costanza Vittoria Fiorini, Marco Corradi, Emanuela Speranzini, Cinzia Buratti
Summary: This paper investigates the influence of adding vegetal fibers on thermal and acoustic performance in natural hydraulic lime. Different types and sizes of fibers were used, and it was found that rice husk and Khorasan wheat chaff can significantly reduce thermal conductivity. Ground fibers showed good thermal and acoustic absorption performance. However, the addition of fibers reduced sound insulation properties.
Editorial Material
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Cinzia Buratti, Francesca Merli
Article
Energy & Fuels
V. Costanzo, F. Nocera, G. Evola, C. Buratti, A. Lo Faro, L. Marletta, P. Domenighini
Summary: This research provides new insights into the application of colored stained glasses in architecture through on-site spectral measurements of colored glasses in a winter garden, and analysis of the perceived chromaticity using the CIE Color Space. The study found that indoor light is perceived as color-neutral despite the majority of glass elements being colored, thanks to the strategic placement of clear panes. Additionally, good reliability in daylight simulation was achieved through a simplified modeling approach.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Costanza V. Fiorini, Francesca Merli, Elisa Belloni, Ann M. Anderson, Mary K. Carroll, Cinzia Buratti
Summary: This study investigates the effect of accelerated aging on the optical and color rendering properties of monolithic aerogel. The results show that after 2.6 years of accelerated aging, there are no significant changes in the optical transmission properties of the aerogel, but the color tends to yellow and exhibit a bluish hue.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Flavio Scrucca, Domenico Palladino
Summary: Energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are two crucial issues in fighting climate change. Current strategies for reducing building energy consumption mainly focus on energy reduction without considering environmental impact. This study assesses the energy and environmental impacts of insulation materials for building envelope refurbishment, and introduces a new Economic and Environmental Sustainability Index (EESI) that considers both economic and environmental aspects. The research shows that sustainable insulation materials can be as affordable as traditional ones when considering their environmental impact, despite their higher initial cost.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Francesca Merli, Costanza Vittoria Fiorini, Marco Barbanera, Giorgia Pietroni, Francesco Spaccini, Cinzia Buratti
Summary: This study investigates the thermal, acoustic, and hygrothermal properties of innovative panels made from leather waste in a bag factory. The panels were compared with other insulation panels made from residual materials. The results show that the panels have good thermal conductivity, sound absorption coefficient, and water vapor resistance factor values, making them a viable alternative to standard materials.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
A. R. Hassani, P. Domenighini, E. Belloni, T. Ihara, C. Buratti
Summary: Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) is a significant factor in heating and cooling loads for transparent and translucent building elements. There is limited research on estimating SHGC for innovative highly insulating solutions like aerogel-based windows, and existing data lack accuracy. This paper presents a new analytical model for calculating the solar factor of granular aerogel-filled glazing systems. Experimental and simulation results were compared to validate the model, and it was found that the simulation method was more suitable due to its lesser dependence on weather conditions.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Domenico Palladino, Nicolandrea Calabrese
Summary: Solar photovoltaic systems will play a crucial role in the country's energy mix as they can meet growing energy demands while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, challenges such as intermittency and land use need to be addressed. This study evaluates the potential of photovoltaic installations on existing buildings' rooftops without additional land consumption. The findings suggest that rooftops have significant potential, but additional measures and incentives are required to achieve national targets by 2050.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Costanza Vittoria Fiorini, Francesca Merli, Elisa Belloni, Ann M. Anderson, Mary K. Carroll, Cinzia Buratti
Summary: This study investigates the influence of 3-mm monolithic aerogel in the gap of small-scale prototype glazing systems on optical, thermal, and color rendering performance. The results show that thin aerogel glazing systems can increase visible spectral transmittance, reduce thermal transmittance, and improve color rendering.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Domenico Palladino, Silvia Di Turi
Summary: Residential buildings are leading the way in energy refurbishment towards clean energy transition. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), based on asset rating, often provide different results from actual energy consumption and savings. A tailored approach considering actual building operation conditions and users' behavior yields more consistent results. This study evaluates heating energy needs of Italian multi-family houses in different climate zones and retrofitting scenarios using both asset and tailored ratings. A cost-benefit analysis is also conducted to assess affordability of refurbishment actions. The analysis shows that asset energy outcomes are slightly higher than tailored ones, but the affordability of energy efficiency measures is significantly overrated, emphasizing the need for a tailored approach for accurate energy savings assessment and economic evaluation.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Domenico Palladino
Summary: Italy aims to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, using renewable energy and energy savings. This study investigates the potential of retrofit measures in the Umbria region to achieve this goal. Results show that with current policies, a reduction of 28% is possible, but the integration of artificial neural networks could accelerate progress.
Article
Polymer Science
Costanza Vittoria Fiorini, Francesca Merli, Elisa Belloni, Mary K. Carroll, Ann M. Anderson, Cinzia Buratti
Summary: Monolithic silica aerogel shows great potential as a material for innovative glazing systems due to its excellent properties. This study investigates the long-term performance of silica aerogel by subjecting samples to artificial aging using temperature and solar radiation effects. The results show a deterioration in the aerogel properties after a natural service life of 12 years, equivalent to 4 months in the experiment. The presence of aerogel also leads to slight reductions in optical and acoustic performance and color changes.
Article
Acoustics
P. Domenighini, C. Buratti
Summary: This study investigates the influence of air temperature and relative humidity on the tune of pipe organs by monitoring a real pipe organ over the course of a year. Normalized frequency and absolute humidity parameters were introduced to analyze the data and fitting models and their equations were extracted. The study confirms the slight influence of humidity on the sounding frequency.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Domenico Palladino
Summary: Energy Performance Gap (EPG) is a critical issue in the building sector as it can lead to an overestimation of national energy policies. This study aims to quantify the theoretical deviation of EPG in the Italian residential building stock by performing parametric energy simulations. The study identifies a range of EPG variability and quantifies an average EPG as a function of usage profile, which could help correct national energy policies implemented in the building sector.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shitong Fang, Houfan Du, Tao Yan, Keyu Chen, Zhiyuan Li, Xiaoqing Ma, Zhihui Lai, Shengxi Zhou
Summary: This paper proposes a new type of nonlinear VIV energy harvester (ANVEH) that compensates for the decrease in peak energy output at low wind speeds by introducing an auxiliary structure. Theoretical and experimental results show that ANVEH performs better than traditional nonlinear VIV energy harvesters under various system parameter variations.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wei Jiang, Shuo Zhang, Teng Wang, Yufei Zhang, Aimin Sha, Jingjing Xiao, Dongdong Yuan
Summary: A standardized method was developed to evaluate the availability of solar energy resources in road areas, which combined the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Geographic Information System (GIS). By analyzing critical factors and using a multi-indicator evaluation method, the method accurately evaluated the utilization of solar energy resources and guided the optimal location selection for road photovoltaic (PV) projects. The results provided guidance for the application of road PV projects and site selection for route corridors worldwide, promoting the integration of transportation and energy.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Chang Liu, Jacob A. Wrubel, Elliot Padgett, Guido Bender
Summary: The study investigates the effects of coating defects on the performance of the anode porous transport layer (PTL) in water electrolyzers. The results show that an increasing fraction of uncoated regions on the PTL leads to decreased cell performance, with continuous uncoated regions having a more severe impact compared to multiple thin uncoated strips.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Marcos Tostado-Veliz, Xiaolong Jin, Rohit Bhakar, Francisco Jurado
Summary: In this paper, a coordinated charging price mechanism for clusters of parking lots is proposed. The research shows that enabling vehicle-to-grid characteristics can bring significant economic benefits for users and the cluster coordinator, and vehicle-to-grid impacts noticeably on the risk-averse character of the uncertainty-aware strategies. The developed pricing mechanism can reduce the cost for users, avoiding to directly translate the energy cost to charging points.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Duan Kang
Summary: Building an energy superpower is a key strategy for China and a long-term goal for other countries. This study proposes an evaluation system and index for measuring energy superpower, and finds that China has significantly improved its ranking over the past 21 years, surpassing other countries.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Fucheng Deng, Yifei Wang, Xiaosen Li, Gang Li, Yi Wang, Bin Huang
Summary: This study investigated the synergistic blockage mechanism of sand and hydrate in gravel filling layer and the evolution of permeability in the layer. Experimental models and modified permeability models were established to analyze the effects of sand particles and hydrate formation on permeability. The study provided valuable insights for the safe and efficient exploitation of hydrate reservoirs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hao Wang, Xiwen Chen, Natan Vital, Edward Duffy, Abolfazl Razi
Summary: This study proposes a HVAC energy optimization model based on deep reinforcement learning algorithm. It achieves 37% energy savings and ensures thermal comfort for open office buildings. The model has a low complexity, uses a few controllable factors, and has a short training time with good generalizability.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Moyue Cong, Yongzhuo Gao, Weidong Wang, Long He, Xiwang Mao, Yi Long, Wei Dong
Summary: This study introduces a multi-strategy ultra-wideband energy harvesting device that achieves high power output without the need for external power input. By utilizing asymmetry, stagger array, magnetic coupling, and nonlinearity strategies, the device maintains a stable output voltage and high power density output at non-resonant frequencies. Temperature and humidity monitoring are performed using Bluetooth sensors to adaptively assess the device.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Tianshu Dong, Xiudong Duan, Yuanyuan Huang, Danji Huang, Yingdong Luo, Ziyu Liu, Xiaomeng Ai, Jiakun Fang, Chaolong Song
Summary: Electrochemical water splitting is crucial for hydrogen production, and improving the hydrogen separation rate from the electrode is essential for enhancing water electrolyzer performance. However, issues such as air bubble adhesion to the electrode plate hinder the process. Therefore, a methodology to investigate the two-phase flow within the electrolyzer is in high demand. This study proposes using a microfluidic system as a simulator for the electrolyzer and optimizing the two-phase flow by manipulating the micro-structure of the flow.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shuo Han, Yifan Yuan, Mengjiao He, Ziwen Zhao, Beibei Xu, Diyi Chen, Jakub Jurasz
Summary: Giving full play to the flexibility of hydropower and integrating more variable renewable energy is of great significance for accelerating the transformation of China's power energy system. This study proposes a novel day-ahead scheduling model that considers the flexibility limited by irregular vibration zones (VZs) and the probability of flexibility shortage in a hydropower-variable renewable energy hybrid generation system. The model is applied to a real hydropower station and effectively improves the flexibility supply capacity of hydropower, especially during heavy load demand in flood season.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zhen Wang, Kangqi Fan, Shizhong Zhao, Shuxin Wu, Xuan Zhang, Kangjia Zhai, Zhiqi Li, Hua He
Summary: This study developed a high-performance rotary energy harvester (AI-REH) inspired by archery, which efficiently accumulates and releases ultralow-frequency vibration energy. By utilizing a magnetic coupling strategy and an accumulator spring, the AI-REH achieves significantly accelerated rotor speeds and enhanced electric outputs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yi Yang, Qianyi Xing, Kang Wang, Caihong Li, Jianzhou Wang, Xiaojia Huang
Summary: In this study, a novel hybrid Quantile Regression (QR) model is proposed for Probabilistic Load Forecasting (PLF). The model integrates causal dilated convolution, residual connection, and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) for multi-scale feature extraction. In addition, a Combined Probabilistic Load Forecasting System (CPLFS) is proposed to overcome the inherent flaws of relying on a single model. Simulation results show that the hybrid QR outperforms traditional models and CPLFS exceeds the best benchmarks in terms of prediction accuracy and stability.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wen-Jiang Zou, Young-Bae Kim, Seunghun Jung
Summary: This paper proposes a dynamic prediction model for capacity fade in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). The model accurately predicts changes in electrolyte volume and capacity fade, enhancing the competitiveness of VRFBs in energy storage applications.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yuechao Ma, Shengtie Wang, Guangchen Liu, Guizhen Tian, Jianwei Zhang, Ruiming Liu
Summary: This paper focuses on the balance of state of charge (SOC) among multiple battery energy storage units (MBESUs) and bus voltage balance in an islanded bipolar DC microgrid. A SOC automatic balancing strategy is proposed considering the energy flow relationship and utilizing the adaptive virtual resistance algorithm. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in achieving SOC balancing and decreasing bus voltage unbalance.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Raad Z. Homod, Basil Sh. Munahi, Hayder Ibrahim Mohammed, Musatafa Abbas Abbood Albadr, Aissa Abderrahmane, Jasim M. Mahdi, Mohamed Bechir Ben Hamida, Bilal Naji Alhasnawi, A. S. Albahri, Hussein Togun, Umar F. Alqsair, Zaher Mundher Yaseen
Summary: In this study, the control problem of the multiple-boiler system (MBS) is formulated as a dynamic Markov decision process and a deep clustering reinforcement learning approach is applied to obtain the optimal control policy. The proposed strategy, based on bang-bang action, shows superior response and achieves more than 32% energy saving compared to conventional fixed parameter controllers under dynamic indoor/outdoor actual conditions.
