Search results for " COMFORT"
showing 10 items of 132 documents
Phase Change Materials Applications to Optimize Cooling Performance of Buildings in the Mediterranean Area: A Parametric Analysis
2015
Abstract Building integrated thermal energy storage systems cover a wide range of techniques and solutions depending on technology applications and aims. They however all have in common the concept behind: being able to store energy for later use in order to reduce the time mismatch between energy availability and demand. In this context, Phase Change Materials (PCMs) fit the above description, since they would allow for mostly isothermal phase change within normal thermal comfort range. In order to face the typical challenges of the Mediterranean climate, the following concept was elaborated: the idea is to use the phase change mechanics as a substitute to the thermal inertia of massive wa…
Air quality and relative humidity in commercial aircrafts: an experimental investigation on short-haul domestic flights
2013
Abstract Nowadays the achievement of a comfortable environment in aircraft cabins is a factor of paramount importance in air travel business competition; on the other hand, the need of reducing the propulsion fuel cost has driven the airline companies to adopt air handling systems that may reduce the levels of thermal comfort and air quality inside the cabins of commercial airliners. With the aim of contributing to a better knowledge of this matter, this paper reports the results of an experimental study upon the indoor air quality aboard commercial aircrafts for 14 domestic flights less than 1 h and half long. The parameters monitored were temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide …
Analysis of Thermal Comfort Conditions and Actual Energy Efficiency for Different Heating Systems in Test Buildings
2015
The aim of this study is detailed analysis of long-term monitoring data on thermal comfort conditions and energy efficiency in small test buildings equipped with different heating systems. Calculations of PPD index and local thermal discomfort factors, as well as actual energy efficiency ratios for different heat pump systems are provided for the test buildings during three weeks of the heating season. It is shown that the type of heating system has an influence not only on heating energy needs, but also on thermal comfort conditions in the room.
Modelling relationship among energy demand, climate and office building features: A cluster analysis at European level
2016
Abstract More than one-third of the energy demand of industrialised countries is due to achieving acceptable conditions of thermal comfort and lighting in buildings. Energy demand in buildings depends on a combination of several parameters, such as climate, envelope typologies, occupant behaviour, and intended use. Indeed, assessing a building’s energy performance requires substantial input data describing constructions, environmental conditions, envelope thermo-physical properties, geometry, control strategies, and several other parameters. This has been a very active area of research in recent years, and several numerical approaches have been developed for building simulation; furthermore…
APPLICATION OF MATHEMATICAL MODELS FOR THE SIMULATION OF THERMAL COMFORT CONDITIONS IN A LIVING ROOM
2005
The paper deals with the distributions of temperature and averaged turbulent airflows in living rooms in 2D and 3D approximations using Ansys/Flotran and Ansys/CFX software respectively. The distributions are calculated depending on the placement and temperature of heaters, heat transfer coefficients of the building structures and ventilation conditions. The authors analyse the influence of these factors on the air circulation and the related heat flows through building structures. The thermal balance of a room and its dependence on various external factors is also considered. As thermal comfort conditions’ parameters are analysed, the airflow velocities and indoor temperatures with its gra…
Thermal comfort condition assessment in test buildings with different heating/cooling systems and wall envelopes
2017
Abstract The main aim of this study is a comprehensive analysis of long-term monitoring data of thermal comfort and discomfort parameters in small identical test buildings equipped with different heating/cooling systems. Calculations of PPD index expressed the human perception of thermal comfort and such discomfort factors like draught rate and vertical air temperature difference are provided for the room in winter season running three different heating systems – electric heater, air-air heat pump and air-water heat pump, as well as for the summer cooling with split type air conditioning systems. It is shown that the type of heating/cooling system and its working regime has a significant im…
Long term energy efficiency study on different wall envelopes in Latvian climate conditions
2017
Abstract Five test stands have been built in Riga, Latvia equipped with sensors (temperature, solar radiation, humidity, etc.) to measure energy efficiency and thermal comfort conditions. Roof and floor constructions are made the same. For the walls building envelopes differ and typical materials used in Latvia (aerated concrete, ceramic building blocks, wooden log and plywood frame with rock wool insulation) are compared. Only rock wool is used for insulation to provide moisture transport through the construction. For study to be comparative thermal transmittance of all five test stands have been calculated equal (U=0.15…0.16 W/(m 2 ∙K)). The aim of research is to compare the integral calc…
Angle Factors and Projected Area Factors for Comfort Analysis of Subjects in Complex Confined Enclosures: Analytical Relations and Experimental Resul…
2008
This paper addresses an important problem in the evaluation of the thermal comfort of people living or working in the sort of confined spaces typical of current architecture. In the details, a new algorithm is proposed for the evaluation of the angle factors of people within rooms characterized by complex shapes, where the envelope components are not always mutually orthogonal. The algorithm is based on field data obtained by means of an experimental photographic apparatus which allows measurements of projected area factors of seated or standing people in such complex confined environments.
Comparing different control strategies for indoor thermal comfort aimed at the evaluation of the energy cost of quality of building
2010
Abstract The rapid improvement in the standard of living requires more detailed and sophisticated methods of evaluating comfort conditions. But, maintaining thermal comfort conditions in confined environments may require complex regulation procedures and the proper management of heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. In turn, the requirements for indoor thermal comfort do not necessarily coincide with those of energy saving purposes, which in the last years are becoming a crucial issue owing to the enactment of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The aim of this work is to compare different indoor control thermal comfort strategies in view of th…
Advanced refrigerating plants based on transcritical cycles working with carbon dioxide for commercial refrigeration
2012
Supermarkets and hypermarkets require a huge amount of energy to maintain chilled and frozen food in product display cases and cold storage rooms and thermal comfort in the whole building. Systems exploited require very large refrigerant charges for operation and suffer significant leakages. The challenge for advanced systems, based on equipment which reduce TEWI, suggests the proposal of carbon dioxide: a natural working fluid. This paper deals with a feasibility study of a refrigerating system for a big hypermarket in Sicily based on a three-stage transcritical cycle working with carbon dioxide which is compared with an alternative system composed of two cycles operating as a binary refri…