Thermal performance and optimized thickness of active shape-stabilized PCM boards for side-wall cooling and under-floor heating system
Phase change materials (PCMs) have the potential to maintain thermal comfort of occupants while reducing the energy consumption due to their high energy storage capacity. In this paper, thermal performance of active heat conduction–enhanced shape-stabilized phase change material (HCE-SSPCM) encapsulated boards, fitted with active hot/chilled water pipes were investigated for side-wall cooling and for incorporation in an under-floor heating system. Numerical model based on finite difference method was developed to study the effect of HCE-SSPCM on annual heating/cooling energy consumption saving and indoor air relative...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 15, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Zhou, Y., Zheng, S., Chen, H., Zhang, G. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Evaluation of intervention measures for respiratory disease transmission on cruise ships
This study integrated an individual-to-individual probability model, a susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered epidemic model at the individual scale, and an onboard indoor social contact network model for evaluating the infection risk on a typical cruise ship voyage. The integrated model was validated by data from a previous influenza outbreak and was able to simulate the infection spreading. The model was used to assess the effects of various intervention measures on controlling influenza on a cruise ship with one index passenger. The results show that individuals in crew cabins and restaurants faced the highest infection...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 15, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Zheng, L., Chen, Q., Xu, J., Wu, F. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Housing quality and risk of acute respiratory infections among hospitalized children under five in Ibadan, Nigeria
Acute respiratory infection is the fourth major cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five globally. However, information on housing characteristics that could predispose children under five to these infections is scanty in Nigeria. Therefore, this study assessed the quality of housing and its contribution to the acquisition of acute respiratory infections among children under five in Ibadan. A prospective case–control design was employed for this study. Two hundred and twenty children under five each with acute respiratory infection (cases) and without acute respiratory infection (controls) were sele...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 15, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Fakunle, A. G., Ana, G. R., Olaiya, M. T. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
An integrated fuzzy support vector regression and the particle swarm optimization algorithm to predict indoor thermal comfort
The thermal comfort indices are usually identified using empirical thermal models based on the human balanced equations and experimentations. In our paper, we propose a statistical regression method to predict these indices. To achieve this goal, first, the fuzzy support vector regression (FSVR) identification approach was integrated with the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Then PSO was used as a global optimizer to optimize and select the hyper-parameters needed for the FSVR model. The radial basis function (RBF) kernel was used within the FSVR model. Afterward, these optimal hyper-parameters were used to for...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 15, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Megri, F., Megri, A. C., Djabri, R. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Numerical investigation of wind-driven natural ventilation performance in a multi-storey hospital by coupling indoor and outdoor airflow
This study employed two ventilation indexes: local mean age of air and air change rate per hour, to investigate wind-induced natural ventilation of 260 wards of a multi-storey hospital building in suburb of Guangzhou using computational fluid dynamics simulations. Using the surface-grid extrusion technique, high-quality hexahedral grid cells were generated for the coupled outdoor and indoor airflow field. Turbulence was solved by the renormalisation group k- model validated against experimental data with grid independence studies. Homogeneous tracer gas emission was adopted to predict room age of air. The air change rate o...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 15, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Jin, R., Hang, J., Liu, S., Wei, J., Liu, Y., Xie, J., Sandberg, M. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Facility performance evaluation to develop heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system design and operation strategies for an office building in Mongolia
A facility performance evaluation (FPE) study was applied to an occupied office building in Mongolia that would be replaced by a new building. The purpose was to identify indoor environmental quality (IEQ) problems and possible solutions in the current building to inform the design and operation of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for the new building. The results show that the IEQ of the current building was poor due to high temperature, very low humidity and high CO2 concentration, and that the poor thermal uniformity and indoor air quality had caused the occupants’ discomfort. Opening w...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 15, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Rhee, K.-N. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Grey preference analysis of indoor environmental factors using sub-indexes based on Weber/Fechner's law and predicted mean vote
The purpose of this study was to determine the influences of environmental parameters on common health symptoms in office buildings. A grey preference analysis based on a new indoor environment quality (IEQ) index and a controlled field survey of 91 office occupants were conducted in an office building in Guangzhou, China. The new IEQ index based on Weber/Fechner’s law and predicted mean vote (PMV) was developed and validated by our survey. In the survey, the six environmental parameters (air temperature, illumination intensity, noise level, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and PM10) were measured. The subjects’ sa...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 15, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Li, N., Cui, H., zhu, C., Zhang, X., Su, L. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Removal efficiency of an integrated adsorption/photocatalysis system for reducing low concentrations of nitrogen oxides in microenvironments of museums for cultural relics conservation
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) could pose a threat to the conservation of cultural relics and could also enhance the corrosion induced by other pollutants such as sulphur dioxides and organic acids. The NOx removal rate was studied through a combination of adsorption onto bamboo charcoal and photocatalysis. The integrated NOx removal efficiency by both methods was evaluated in both lab and pilot scales. The studies have shown that the direct use of biomass can remove moderate level of NOx; while higher level of NOx removal was achieved by using bamboo charcoal carbonized at 520℃. The photocatalytic oxidation of NOx was found...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 15, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Wang, D., Zhang, D., Wu, Y., Wei, H., Luo, J., Wu, L., Xu, F., Xiu, G. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Performance criteria system for passive nearly zero energy buildings in China
(Source: Indoor and Built Environment)
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 15, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Xu, W., Sun, D., Liu, Z. Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
Traffic modelling in cities - Validation of space syntax at an urban scale
To understand and facilitate modal shift to more sustainable modes of transport, there is a need to model accessibility and connectivity at an urban scale using data collection and modelling procedures that require less data and specialist input than traditional transport models. The research described in this paper uses spatial analysis modelling procedures based on space syntax to investigate the potential to model aggregate traffic flows at an urban scale. The research has demonstrated that space syntax modelling is an effective means of representing an urban scale motor traffic network; however, modifications to the or...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 29, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Patterson, J. L. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Parametric study on energy and thermal performance of school buildings with natural ventilation, hybrid ventilation and air conditioning
This study aimed to identify the effectiveness of natural ventilation, hybrid ventilation and air conditioning on energy saving and overheating prevention under the climate conditions of Taiwan. The impact of architectural design on cooling energy and thermal comfort of a typical school building were quantified by parametric analysis. Priority parameters for each building condition were proposed as reference. Lastly, suggestions on air conditioning management scheme were proposed to enhance thermal comfort. (Source: Indoor and Built Environment)
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 29, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Huang, K.-T., Hwang, R.-L. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
The effect of soil sealing on the urban heat island phenomenon
Indisputably, urban design and soil sealing are parameters that can either aggravate or mitigate the urban heat island phenomenon, observed in dense urban environments around the world. Large sealed surfaces have been extensively reported to induce higher surface temperatures. The aim of this work is to answer a critical scientific question: on what extent do actually sealed soils contribute to the urban heat island. As an example, a case study was developed for the case of Nicosia – a city that experiences high urban heat island intensities due to its geographical location and its continuous urban growth. Three scen...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 29, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Fokaides, P. A., Kylili, A., Nicolaou, L., Ioannou, B. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Assessing the green potential of existing buildings towards smart cities and districts
Buildings represent about 40% of the total primary energy consumption and contribute approximately to one-third of the total greenhouse gas emissions. Green building standards and certification systems include requirements for both new and existing buildings. However, a vast part of the existing building stock in cities was built with limited consideration for green design, energy efficiency and low carbon emissions, yet its refurbishment can help reach national energy reduction goals, decreasing environmental impact. Furthermore, retrofitting existing buildings can often be more cost-effective than building new facilities...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 29, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Capeluto, I. G., Ben-Avraham, O. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Revisiting household energy rebound: Perspectives from a multidisciplinary study
In this paper, an interdisciplinary team of economists and anthropologists study the perplexing case of Norwegian households’ heat pump ownership. The heat pump is a technology that has the potential to reduce electricity consumption by up to 25% compared to conventional electric heating, but, as we demonstrate in this study, when taken into use it results in little or no change in electricity consumption. To explain this large rebound effect, we use a quantitative economic analysis combined with qualitative interviews attuned towards examining the effect of heat pumps on people’s everyday practices. We find th...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 29, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Halvorsen, B., Larsen, B. M., Wilhite, H., Winther, T. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Forecasting future demand for domestic thermal insulation in Wales
This paper provides a methodology to quantify the demand for building insulation based on present conditions of the housing stock, the estimated future rates of construction and the legislative requirements. The method has been applied to forecast the maximum potential demand for insulation generated in Wales by the domestic sector between 2016 and 2050 in line with the target set to reduce the UK greenhouse gas emissions of 80% from the 1990 level. The areas of building envelopes that could be insulated are calculated for future retrofit interventions and new dwellings. These areas are then associated to the thermal resis...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 29, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Varriale, F. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
