Search results for "Building"

Analysis and optimization of fuel cell cogeneration systems for application in single-family houses

2010

The world’s demand of energy is projected to double by 2050 in accordance with population growth and with the industrialization of developing countries. The supply of fossil fuel could be limited and even worse is concentrated in a few regions of world, while demand is growing everywhere. One promising alternative to fossil fuel is hydrogen which is abundant and generously distributed through the world without regard for national boundaries. The aim of this paper is to explore this early market opportunity for fuel cell cogeneration systems in buildings and to determine the conditions under which they might compete with the alternative of purchased power. It is suitable to identify and to p…

'Not as safe as I believed': Differences in perceived and self-reported cycling behavior between riders and non-riders

2021

Cycling behavior remains a key issue for explaining several traffic causalities occurring every day. However, recent studies have shown how the assessment of the own safety-related behaviors on the road may substantially differ from how third parties assess them. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the differences between cyclists’ self-reported behavior and the proxy-reported behavior that other (non-cyclist) road users perceive from bike riders. For this purpose, this study used data from two samples: (i) 1064 cyclists (M = 32.83 years) answering the Cycling Behavior Questionnaire—CBQ, and (ii) 1070 non-cyclists (M = 30.83 years) answering an adapted version of the CBQ for externa…

Human error contribution to accidents in the manufacturing sector: A structured approach to evaluate the interdependence among performance shaping fa…

2023

Since the 1970s, Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) methods have received a great interest for the quantification of the Human Error Probability (HEP) in Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). To this purpose, the second-generation HRA methods consider contextual and cognitive factors - named Performance Shaping Factors (PSFs) - that may influence the workers’ performance during tasks execution. Despite the recent extension of HRA methods to different fields, only few studies refer to the manufacturing sector. In addition, the majority of contributions assume the independence among PSFs, which may result in an over or under estimation of HEP. Therefore, the present paper focuses on the manufacturing se…

Mapping Seasonal Variability of Buildings Electricity Demand profiles in Mediterranean Small Islands

2023

In communities with a high tourist influx and warm climate, such as Mediterranean small islands, the energy demands for space cooling and domestic hot water are expected to significantly increase during summer. Considering the current energy context, for succeeding energy transition and reducing the dependency on not endogenous fossil fuels, it is paramount to increase the deployment of renewable sources of energy, especially wind and solar which, however, are aleatory and unpredictable. Hence, to reduce the high costs for energy supply in these contexts, the analysis of the variation of energy consumption is fundamental. Moreover, mapping the spatial distribution of energy profiles can be …

Le «31 biblioteche più belle del mondo». Dalla Real Biblioteca del Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial di Madrid al trasferimento, nella nuova s…

2021

Gabriella De Marco propone un saggio sulla centralità dell'istituzione biblioteca nella società contemporanea. Il contributo, che prosegue alcuni precedenti progetti di ricerca avviati dall'autrice sin dai primi anni duemila, è centrato sullo spazio abitabile e sul potenziale identitario di un edificio. Punto di partenza del suo ragionamento è il presupposto che lo spazio misurabile è anche spazio mentale. Ciò attiva una serie di considerazioni legate al rapporto tra il tempo della storia e il tempo del fruitore. Un edificio, pertanto, e nello specifico una biblioteca sia pubblica o privata sia nazionale o di quartiere, si percepisce ed esiste anche nel tempo soggettivo di chi la fruisce.

Il Generative Design nel processo architettonico

2009

An Innovative Structural Dynamic Identification Procedure Combining Time Domain OMA Technique and GA

2022

In this paper an innovative and simple Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) method for structural dynamic identification is proposed. It combines the recently introduced Time Domain–Analytical Signal Method (TD–ASM) with the Genetic Algorithm (GA). Specifically, TD–ASM is firstly employed to estimate a subspace of candidate modal parameters, and then the GA is used to identify the structural parameters minimizing the fitness value returned by an appropriately introduced objective function. Notably, this method can be used to estimate structural parameters even for high damping ratios, and it also allows one to identify the Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the structural excitat…

Improving energy efficiency of commercial buildings by Combined Heat Cooling and Power plants

2020

Abstract Commercial buildings play a key-role in the energy consumption of the building sectors. Recent statistics have shown that as the number of commercial buildings is continuously increasing, their effects on energy consumption are expected to grow. These buildings are characterized by high energy demand mainly due to lighting and HVAC requirements. Rooms of energy saving exist by considering that: (i) electricity demands and HVAC requirements occur simultaneously during the day and (ii) both demands are currently satisfied by using separate energy systems. It is apparent that the adoption of polygeneration systems could represent a valid solution to achieve energy savings. To this aim…

Sustainable Infrastructure Projects: Systemic versus Traditional Delivery Models

2021

Sustainability involves multiple environmental, technical, social and economic factors, and such complex analysis requires systemic solutions. Delivery models are key to achieving system benefits and enhancing sustainable development in infrastructure investments. They define the phases of a project, incentive structures, risk sharing and the relationships among the actors in it. They are usually developed early in the project and determine the project dynamics and outcomes. We compared traditional delivery models with systemic ones. We identified and illustrated elements that differ between them through two cases. The contribution is an increased understanding of how systemic infrastructur…

Reliability Analysis of a Controlled Stage-Constructed and Reinforced Embankment on Soft Ground Using 2D and 3D Models

2020

Geosynthetic reinforcement has become a very practical technique to improve geotechnical structure safety. In spite of improved soil behavior, structures are affected by uncertainties related to soil and reinforcement material properties. This paper aims to present a reliability analysis in order to take statistical information (uncertainties) into account in a safety analysis of reinforced embankments. The analysis was used in a case study on a controlled stage-constructed embankment on soft ground in order to investigate its probabilistic stability. Modeling was performed by commercial geotechnical software usage (GeoStudio and RocScience packs, SIGMA/W+SLOPE/W and SLIDE³, respectively) a…