Reducing electric and thermal energy needs in buildings by using innovative envelope materials - Laboratory results of bio-composites embodying tomato plant stems

The life style of building occupants is continuously arising towards conditions that are more comfortable involving, on turn, the growing of the electric energy consumptions for climatization purposes. This calls for the improvement of the efficiencies of equipment along with environmental performance of building materials. Laboratory analyses of samples of mixed materials, utilizing tomato stems harvested in Sicily and Cataluña, have been conducted Thermal conductance and mechanical properties have been detected for different rates of bio-component and inert materials. First results of the thermal properties seem to situate such bio-composites among the insulating building materials, for a…

Study of Influence of the LED Technologies on Visual and Subjective/Individual Aspects

The general aim of this paper is that to further deepen and elaborate the results obtained in a previous study of the authors, in which the relationship between the characteristics of five different types of LED lamps and the humans non-image-forming reactions were investigated, by conducting a more detailed statistical analysis and by highlighting the neurological aspects.

On the assessment of the environmental comfort in operating theatres

IAQ monitoring in heritage buildings

Heritage buildings often operate in free conditions, as they are not equipped with HVAC systems. This calls for the interventions of proper measurements with the aim of monitoring and controlling indoor physical parameters. As matter of fact, the control of indoor conditions in museums is of paramount importance for the proper preservation of artefacts. Moreover, in such buildings another requirement should be achieved, that is the maintenance of the comfort and safety conditions for visitors. In this work the results of a survey carried out on a hall of a historical palace to estimate the people occupancy by making use concentration of CO(2) are reported.

Assessment of the Trend of Albedo: a Case Study of Palermo

In this paper we propose a case study of urban heat island applied to Palermo. The urban heat island (UHI) is the most studied of the climate effects of settlements. The UHI refers to the generally warm urban temperatures compared to those over surrounding, non-urban, areas. The aim of this paper is to find a connection among the average rise in temperature and the modification of albedo.

Impianti di ventilazione meccanica controllata con recupero di calore ad elevata efficienza nell'edilizia residenziale. Valutazione sperimentale delle prestazioni energetiche e dell'IAQ.

Determinazione sperimentale dei ricambi d’aria per ventilazione naturale in base alla concentrazione di CO2

STUDIO SPERIMENTALE DI SONDE GLOBOTERMOMETRICHE DI DIMENSIONI RIDOTTE PER MISURE IN AMBIENTI INTERNI

The preservation of the artistic heritage within the seat of the Chancellorship of the University of Palermo. A proposal on a methodology regarding an environmental investigation according to the Italian Standards

The correct maintenance of artworks of historical and artistic value requires a wide and detailed analysis of all the information relevant for preserving them, such as identification of the main deterioration factors, knowledge of the climatic history of the object, set-up of measuring methods and statistics of the guide parameters, and definition of a set of recommended environmental aspects to be controlled within a stable climate condition linked to the particular kind of object or its surface. In Italy, the basic laws UNI 10829 and UNI 10969 impose a reference methodology for the in-field measurement and data analysis. This paper reports the first results of a measuring campaign, carrie…

Ventilation rates and unsatisfied percentage from indoor CO2 concentration.

This work reports the results of a survey carried out on a hall in a historic building in Palermo (Italy) with the aim of assessing the air quality by means of objective measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and its subjective evaluation through a questionnaire. The measured values of CO2 concentration were compared with those evaluated using the Meckler equation under steady-state conditions, having verified necessary parameters such as the constancy of the indoor and outdoor CO2 levels and the uniformity of the CO2 generation rate for all the occupants. The positive correspondence between measured and calculated results allowed us to utilise, under differing circum- stances, t…

Determinazione sperimentale delle caratteristiche termiche di materiali a base biologica usati nell'edilizia tradizionale cinese

Reducing Electric and Thermal Energy Needs in Buildings by Using Innovative Envelope Materials

The life style of building occupants is continuously arising towards conditions that are more comfortable involving, on turn, the growing of the electric energy consumptions for climatization purposes. This calls for the improvement of the efficiencies of equipment along with environmental performance of building materials. Laboratory analyses of samples of mixed materials, utilizing tomato stems harvested in Sicily and Cataluna, have been conducted Thermal conductance and mechanical properties have been detected for different rates of bio-component and inert materials. First results of the thermal properties seem to situate such bio-composites among the insulating building materials, for a…

Outdoor Mean Radiant Temperature Estimation: Is the Black-Globe Thermometer Method a Feasible Course of Action?

Urban planning has become one of the crucial action in order to address and mitigate the effect and the consequences of the global warming and it also entails different sectors of the urban context. The survey and control of the outdoor climatic conditions are among the involved sectors and mean radiant temperature is amid the most analyzed parameters. The aim of the paper is to investigate the effective suitability of one of the most used method in the assessment of the mean radiant temperature, namely the globe-thermometer method, in outdoor urban environment, singling out possible shortcomings and actual efficacy. Specifically, data obtained by measurement campaigns performed by means of…

Il benessere termoigrometrico in degenze ospedaliere climatizzate mediante impianto ad aria primaria integrato con pannelli radianti

UN APPARATO SPERIMENTALE PER LO STUDIO DEI FENOMENI DI INQUINAMENTO FISICO, CHIMICO E MICROBIOLOGICO IN SALE OPERATORIE

Valutazione della temperatura interna mediante sonda timpanica in pazienti sottoposti ad intervento operatorio

La salvaguardia dei beni artistici e culturali. Un caso studio: la sede del Rettorato dell'Università di Palermo

Determinazione della qualita’ dell’aria all’interno di sale operatorie mediante “naso elettronico”

Thermo-hygrometric comfort in hospital rooms conditioned by means of a primary air system and ceiling radiant panels

In this work the first results of experimental research are described, which began in the 2006 summer season and is still underway, on the performance of a primary air system integrated with radiant ceiling panels that runs in the hospital rooms in the maternity ward of the Maggiore Hospital of Bologna. The choice of this kind of environment is based the fact that there is more and more attention toward literature on comfort standards that must be guaranteed in the hospital environment, due to the presence of typically weak users, both from the clinical and psychological point of view. The performance of the air conditioning system is taken into account in relation to the conditions of comf…

Preservation of the artistic heritage within the seat of the Chancellorship of the University of Palermo

The correct maintenance of artworks of historical and artistic value requires a wide and detailed analysis of all the information relevant for preserving them, such as identification of the main deterioration factors, knowledge of the climatic history of the object, set-up of measuring methods and statistics of the guide parameters, and definition of a set of recommended environmental aspects to be controlled within a stable climate condition linked to the particular kind of object or its surface. In Italy, the basic laws UNI 10829 and UNI 10969 impose a reference methodology for the in-field measurement and data analysis. This paper reports the first results of a measuring campaign, carrie…

Thermal characterisation of Bio Based Building Materials

This paper describes how the characterization of indigenous renewable biomass sources that are applicable for making bio-based building (BBB) materials is crucial as it can significantly affect the cost of production and the quality of material. Nowadays, in any specific area, wide ranges of biomass sources are usually available but only a few sources may be suitable for making BBB material. Therefore the suited sources should be determined. In this paper, the use of BBB materials is focused on Insulation Materials which are widely used in the buildings. Compared with currently used materials, these materials are bio-degradable. Insulation material with a good energy-adsorbing property and …

Studio sperimentale della qualità dell'aria in una unità abitativa dotata di impianto di ventilazione con scambiatore di recupero ad alta efficienza

Assessment of ventilation equipment of groups of building by means of IAQ questionnaires

A survey for the conservation of the wooden ceiling of the Hall of Barons of the Steri

A Proposed Methodology to Control Body Temperature in Patients at Risk of Hypothermia by means of Active Rewarming Systems

Hypothermia is a common complication in patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia. It has been noted that, during the first hour of surgery, the patient’s internal temperature (Tcore) decreases by 0.5–1.5°C due to the vasodilatory effect of anesthetic gases, which affect the body’s thermoregulatory system by inhibiting vasoconstriction. Thus a continuous check on patient temperature must be carried out. The currently most used methods to avoid hypothermia are based on passive systems (such as blankets reducing body heat loss) and on active ones (thermal blankets, electric or hot-water mattresses, forced hot air, warming lamps, etc.). Within a broader research upon the environment…

La qualità dell'aria negli edifici storici. Un caso studio: la sede del rettorato dell'Università di Palermo

Ventilation Rates and Unsatisfied Percentage from Indoor CO2 Concentration

This work reports the results of a survey carried out on a hall in a historic building in Palermo (Italy) with the aim of assessing the air quality by means of objective measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and its subjective evaluation through a questionnaire. The measured values of CO2 concentration were compared with those evaluated using the Meckler equation under steady-state conditions, having verified necessary parameters such as the constancy of the indoor and outdoor CO2 levels and the uniformity of the CO 2 generation rate for all the occupants. The positive correspondence between measured and calculated results allowed us to utilise, under differing circumstances, t…

A survey on the thermal conditions experienced by a surgical team

The complex environment of the operating theatre is shared by a group of people having highly different needs: on one side, there is a surgical team whose work may last many hours and, on the other, an anaesthetized patient often subject to liquid infusion. Up to now, little consideration has been given to the different needs of the surgical team who may be affected according to their positions with respect to the scialytic lamp and their particular task. Clothing influences the comfort of the surgical team to a considerable degree: in fact, in some surgery (orthopaedics, neurosurgery and so on), surgeons and assistants must wear paper overalls beneath non-breathable plastic overalls and p…