4D printing of wooden actuators: encoding FDM wooden filaments for architectural responsive skins

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rana El-Dabaa ◽  
Islam Salem

PurposeConventional motion mechanisms in adaptive skins require rigid kinematic mechanical systems that require sensors and actuation devices, hence impeding the adoption of zero-energy buildings. This paper aims to exploit wooden responsive actuators as a passive approach for adaptive facades with dynamic shading configurations. Wooden passive actuators are introduced as a passive responsive mechanism with zero-energy consumption.Design/methodology/approachThe study encodes the embedded hygroscopic parameters of wood through 4D printing of wooden composites as a responsive wooden actuator. Several physical experiments focus on controlling the printed hygroscopic parameters based on the effect of 3D printing grain patterns and infill height on the wooden angle of curvature when exposed to variation in humidity. The printed hygroscopic parameters are applied on two types of wooden actuators with difference in the saturation percentage of wood in the wooden filaments specifically 20% and 40% for more control on the angle of curvature and response behavior.FindingsThe study presents the ability to print wooden grain patterns that result in single and double curved surfaces. Also, printing actuators with variation in infill height control each part of wooden actuator to response separately in a controlled passive behavior. The results show a passive programmed self-actuated mechanism that can enhance responsive façade design with zero-energy consumption through utilizing both material science and additive manufacturing mechanisms.Originality/valueThe study presents a set of controlled printed hygroscopic parameters that stretch the limits in controlling the response of printed wood to humidity instead of the typical natural properties of wood.

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javad Riahi Zaniani ◽  
Shahab Taghipour Ghahfarokhi ◽  
Mehdi Jahangiri ◽  
Akbar Alidadi Shamsabadi

Purpose This paper, using energy softwares, designed of Iran and optimized a residential villa in Saman city located in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. Design/methodology/approach Having used the ideas of Climate Consultant software, the basic designing was conducted by Design Builder Software, and the cooling and heating loads and lighting tools and equipment were calculated. Then, the amount of consuming of heating, cooling and lighting load of the building was optimized through insulation of walls and ceiling, using green roof, double glazing UPVC windows, light intensity sensor and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system. Findings Simulation results for the stated scenarios showed an annual reduction in energy consumption of 21.1, 7.9, 26.41, 27.3 and 72.3 per cent, respectively. Also, by combining all the five scenarios, an optimal state was achieved which, from the results, brought about an annual reduction of 86.9 per cent in the energy consumption. Originality/value The authors hope that the results of the current paper could be helpful for designers and engineers in reduction of energy consumption for designing a building in similar climatic conditions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-270
Author(s):  
Firat Sal

Purpose The purpose of this paper presents the effects of actively morphing root chord and taper on the energy of the flight control system (i.e. FCS). Design/methodology/approach Via regarding previously mentioned purposes, sophisticated and realistic helicopter models are benefitted to examine the energy of the FCS. Findings Helicopters having actively morphing blade root chord length and blade taper consume less control energy than the ones having one of or any of passively morphing blade root chord length and blade taper. Practical implications Actively morphing blade root chord length and blade taper can be used for cheaper helicopter operations. Originality/value The main originality of this paper is applying active morphing strategy on helicopter blade root chord and blade taper. In this paper, it is also found that using active morphing strategy on helicopter blade root chord and blade taper reasons less energy consumption than using either passively morphing blade root chord length plus blade taper or not any. This causes also less fuel consumption and green environment.


Author(s):  
Rtimi Youness ◽  
Frederic Messine

Purpose The presented study aims to minimize the energy consumed by a Hall effect thruster (HET) under a constraint which makes it possible to generate a specified magnetic field in a target region of the thruster. Design/methodology/approach Herein topology optimization (TO) is used to reduce the energy consumption of an HET while keeping its performance unchanged. The design variables are the current densities in the coils and the distribution of materials in the polar pieces of the thruster. Intermediate values of material distribution are penalized using the solid isotropic material with penalization method to favor binary solutions. By means of the adjoint method, this paper provides the derivatives of the objective and constraint functions with respect to material distribution and current density variables. Findings The TO-based design methodology is developed and validated on a design example involving 2,051 variables. The approach shows its interest and its effectiveness of on a large scale two-criteria problem. Research limitations/implications In this paper, TO is presented as a tool that has allowed to explore new and innovative designs. However, although the design presented is original, its fabrication is not feasible. Despite this, the designs found give a good idea of the starting points for shape and parametric optimization tools. Practical implications Through the HET design problem, TO shows the ability to explore more original design possibilities of a complex magnetostatic design problem and to discover designs that make a HET more efficient with respect to several criteria at the same time. Originality/value A new way to reduce the energy consumption of a HET is presented. To achieve this, an adjoint-based TO method is developed and then implemented in a simple way. This approach shows that, for efficiency purposes, TO is a key tool for extending the state of the art of HET designs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 833-846
Author(s):  
Yasaman Yousefi ◽  
Mehdi Jahangiri ◽  
Akbar Alidadi Shamsabadi ◽  
Afshin Raeesi Dehkordi

Purpose Reducing energy consumption of a building may have a significant effect on the energy and environmental costs. Nowadays, energy simulations have come to the aid of engineers in the design and implementation of buildings with a perspective on energy consumption. Design/methodology/approach In the current study, the suggested volume of a residential building in the Savadkuh City, Iran, is modeled using Ecotect® software, and the amount of radiation on the sides during various months of the year is studied. Then, using EnergyPlus™ software, climate analyses are performed on the suggested design, and finally, the amount of heating and cooling loads of the building are examined under two difference scenarios of mediator space. Findings Results indicated that nearly at all times of the year, both the heating and cooling loads were reduced in the scenario where mediator space had two functions, i.e. as greenhouse and as a space for higher ventilation, compared to the scenario where mediator space did not have a climate role and merely served as an entrance and passageway with rigid dividers. Originality/value Nowadays, energy simulations have come to the aid of engineers in the design and implementation of buildings with a perspective on energy consumption. Therefore, in the current study, the suggested volume of a residential building in the Savadkuh City, Iran, is modeled using Ecotect® software, and the amount of radiation on the sides during various months of the year is studied. Then, using EnergyPlus™ software, climate analyses are performed on the suggested design, and finally, the amount of heating and cooling loads of the building are examined under two difference scenarios of mediator space.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Sajad Rezaei Nasab ◽  
Abbasali Tayefi Nasrabadi ◽  
Somayeh Asadi ◽  
Seiyed Ali Haj Seiyed Taghia

PurposeDue to technological improvement and development of the vehicle-to-home (V2H) concept, electric vehicle (EV) can be considered as an active component of net-zero energy buildings (NZEBs). However, to achieve more dependable results, proper energy analysis is needed to take into consideration the stochastic behavior of renewable energy, energy consumption in the building and vehicle use pattern. This study aims to stochastically model a building integrating photovoltaic panels as a microgeneration technology and EVs to meet NZEB requirements.Design/methodology/approachFirst, a multiobjective nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) was developed to optimize the building energy performance considering panels installed on the façade. Next, a dynamic solution is implemented in MATLAB to stochastically model electricity generation using solar panels as well as building and EV energy consumption. Besides, the Monte Carlo simulation method is used for quantifying the uncertainty of NZEB performance. To investigate the impact of weather on both energy consumption and generation, the model is tested in five different climatic zones in Iran.FindingsThe results show that the stochastic simulation provides building designers with a variety of convenient options to select the best design based on level of confidence and desired budget. Furthermore, economic evaluation signifies that investing in all studied cities is profitable.Originality/valueConsidering the uncertainty in building energy demand and PV power generation as well as EV mobility and the charging–discharging power profile for evaluating building energy performance is the main contribution of this study.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Li ◽  
Jianzhong Shang ◽  
Zhuo Wang

Purpose The paper aims to promote the development of intelligent materials and the 4D printing technology by introducing recent advances and applications of additive layered manufacturing (ALM) technology of intelligent materials and the development of the 4D printing technology. Also, an arm-type ALM technology of shape memory polymer (SMP) with thermosetting polyurethane is briefly introduced. Design/methodology/approach This paper begins with an overview of the development and applications of intelligent materials around the world and the 4D printing technology. Then, the authors provide a brief outline of their research on arm-type ALM technology of SMP with thermosetting polyurethane. Findings The paper provides the recent developments and applications of intelligent materials and 4D printing technology. Then, it is suggested that intelligent materials mixed with different functional materials will be developed, and these types of materials will be more suitable for 4D printing. Originality/value This paper overviews the current developments and applications of intelligent materials and its use in 4D printing technology, and briefly states the authors’ research on arm-type ALM technology of SMP with thermosetting polyurethane.


2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 338-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Kacher ◽  
Hanane Zermout

Purpose – The control of the environmental impacts of buildings and constructions has certainly progressed in recent years in Europe, but very little in Algeria. The purpose of this paper is to identify and to introduce old environmental systems in the Algerian traditional house which could inspire designers to come up with new constructions with enhanced comfort. Design/methodology/approach – In this work, the authors used the “HQE” French certification grid to gauge the environmental implication of the vernacular architecture. Findings – Environmental systems in the traditional house respect the environment but have to be adapted to the current perception of comfort in order to be applied to the new architecture. Research limitations/implications – The main advantage is that the old environmental systems found in the Algerian traditional houses do not require any machinery to enhance the comfort. Thus they do not need any energy to be useful. Practical implications – As the Canadian Well inspired and influenced the architecture produced around the world to improve the comfort inside the houses, or as the thatched roof which inspired the vegetative roof used today to improve and regulate the energy consumption, the authors hope that some old systems used in the vernacular architecture will inspire architects or regular people who would like to enhance their comfort and life quality. Originality/value – Passive solutions used to improve comfort, with reduced energy consumption in houses, are increasingly sought all around the world. This work can play a part in introducing some environmental solutions used in the vernacular architecture which are nowadays left aside.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nima Amani ◽  
Abdul Amir Reza Soroush ◽  
Mostafa Moghadas Mashhad ◽  
Keyvan Safarzadeh

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the feasibility and design of zero-energy buildings (ZEBs) in cold and semi-arid climates. In this study, to maximize the use of renewable energy, energy consumption is diminished using passive solar architecture systems and techniques. Design/methodology/approach The case study is a residential building with a floor area of 100 m2 and four inhabitants in the cold and semi-arid climate, northeast of Iran. For thermal simulation, the climate data such as air temperature, sunshine hours, wind, precipitation and hourly sunlight, are provided from the meteorological station and weather databases of the region. DesignBuilder software is applied for simulation and dynamic analysis of the building, as well as PVsyst software to design and evaluate renewable energy performance. Findings The simulation results show a 30% decrease in annual energy consumption of the building by complying with the principles of passive design (optimal selection of direction, Trombe wall, shade, proper insulation selection) from 25,443 kWh to 17,767 kWh. Then, the solar energy photovoltaic (PV) system is designed using PVsyst software, taking into account the annual energy requirement and the system’s annual energy yield is estimated to be 26,291 kWh. Originality/value The adaptive comparison of the values obtained from the energy analysis indicated that constructing a ZEB is feasible in cold and semi-arid conditions and is considered an effective step to achieve sustainable and environmentally friendly construction.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 3686
Author(s):  
Soonmyung Lee ◽  
Sanghoon Park

The objective of this study is to derive a design methodology for a zero-energy building considering the energy production and consumption of the building. In order to establish the design methodology, various factors affecting the energy production and consumption of the building are derived, and the effect of the heat transmission rate, the surface to volume ratio (S/V ratio), the location and the orientation of the building are analyzed by simulation method. As a result, the S/V ratio and the heat transmission rate are the most important factors in the central region of Korea where consumes large amounts of heating and cooling energy. This is because the final energy consumption varies depending on the heat loss through the envelope. It was confirmed that solar power generation is the most important factor in the southern regions of Korea where the energy consumption is relatively small. The final energy consumption varies depending on the solar power generation in these areas. Therefore, when designing a zero-energy building, the zero-energy of the building can be achieved by using the design methodology established in this study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 270-292
Author(s):  
John Dadzie ◽  
Goran Runeson ◽  
Grace Ding

Purpose Estimates show that close to 90% of the buildings we will need in 2050 are already built and occupied. The increase in the existing building stock has affected energy consumption thereby negatively impacting the environment. The purpose of this paper is to assess determinants of sustainable upgrade of existing buildings through the adoption and application of sustainable technologies. The study also ranks sustainable technologies adopted by the professionals who participated in the survey with an in-built case study. Design/methodology/approach As part of the overall methodology, a detailed literature review on the nature and characteristics of sustainable upgrade and the sustainable technologies adopted was undertaken. A survey questionnaire with an in-built case study was designed to examine all the sustainable technologies adopted to improve energy consumption in Australia. The survey was administered to sustainability consultants, architects, quantity surveyors, facility managers and engineers in Australia. Findings The results show a total of 24 technologies which are mostly adopted to improve energy consumption in existing buildings. A factor analysis shows the main components as: lighting and automation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HAVC) systems and equipment, envelope, renewable energy and passive technologies. Originality/value The findings bridge the gap in the literature on the adoption and application of sustainable technologies to upgrade existing buildings. The technologies can be adopted to reduce the excessive energy consumption patterns in existing buildings.


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