scholarly journals Barriers on Establishing Passive Strategies in Office Spaces: A Case Study in a Historic University Building

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4563
Author(s):  
Nuno Baía Baía Saraiva ◽  
Luisa Dias Dias Pereira ◽  
Adélio Rodrigues Gaspar ◽  
José Joaquim da Costa
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Hvac Systems ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
Full Capacity ◽  
Free Cooling ◽  
Passive Strategies ◽  
The University ◽  
Indoor Conditions

The adaptation of spaces to different usage typologies can be complex in heritage buildings. Facilities were initially planned for a specific type of use that, when changed, require additional measures to ensure a suitable indoor environment. Passive strategies—e.g., free cooling—are commonly used as an alternative without requiring equipment installation. However, its implementation often leads to unsatisfactory conditions. Therefore, it is important to clarify the main barriers to achieving thermal comfort in readapted historic buildings. The present work investigates the thermal comfort conditions reported by workers in office spaces of a historic building in the University of Coimbra. A monitoring campaign was carried out between May and September 2020 to assess indoor conditions’ quality. Due to the current pandemic of COVID-19, offices were not occupied at full capacity. A one-day evaluation of thermal comfort was made using a climate analyzer and six occupants were surveyed on 19 August 2020. The main results highlighted discomfort due to overheating of spaces. The causes were related to the combination of inadequate implementation of the free cooling actions and the building use. Furthermore, it was recommended the installation of HVAC systems in case of full capacity.

scholarly journals Indoor Thermal Comfort Analysis: A Case Study of Modern and Traditional Buildings in Hot-Arid Climatic Region of Ethiopia

Urban Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Haven Hailu ◽  
Eshetu Gelan ◽  
Yared Girma
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Thermal Sensation ◽  
Climatic Region ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Objective Measurements ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Adaptive Comfort

Indoor thermal comfort is an essential aspect of sustainable architecture and it is critical in maintaining a safe indoor environment. Expectations, acceptability, and preferences of traditional and modern buildings are different in terms of thermal comfort. This study, therefore, attempts to evaluate the indoor thermal comforts of modern and traditional buildings and identify the contributing factors that impede or facilitate indoor thermal comfort in Semera city, Ethiopia. This study employed subjective and objective measurements. The subjective measurement is based on the ASHRAE seven-point thermal sensation scale. An adaptive comfort model was employed according to the ASHRAE standard to evaluate indoor thermal comfort. The results revealed that with regards to thermal sensational votes between −1 and +1, 88% of the respondents are satisfied with the indoor environment in traditional houses, while in modern houses this figure is 22%. Likewise, 83% of occupants in traditional houses expressed a preference for their homes to remain the same or be only slightly cooler or warmer. Traditional houses were, on average, in compliance with the 80% acceptability band of the adaptive comfort standard. The study investigated that traditional building techniques and materials, in combination with consideration of microclimate, were found to play a significant role in regulating the indoor environment.

Simulation analysis and thermal comfort assessment of indoor environment of the heritage building in gate tower

2020 ◽  
pp. 1420326X2090892
Author(s):  
Qunli Zhang ◽  
Hongbao Zhai ◽  
Xinchao Zhang ◽  
Fang Liu
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Simulation Analysis ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Air Conditioning System ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
Heritage Building ◽  
Air Control

The thermal comfort inside heritage buildings in China is mostly achieved with the use of split air conditioning and radiator heating system. Due to inefficiencies in the design of those systems, the regulation of air temperature is generally inadequate. To meet the thermal comfort requirements of the partial significant room, which is the meeting hall area, and to preserve the external walls and facade, this paper simulates and analyses typical working conditions of air control schemes in the gate tower and suggests the use of a floor-type fan coil air conditioning system. The results show that the proposed air distribution system can maintain a temperature of 295 K in the summer, which meets the thermal comfort requirements of the meeting hall. This method takes into account the requirement for thermal comfort, as well as the requirements of heritage preservation. Our proposal contributes to the growing literature, which studies methods of improving the thermal comfort of the indoor environment of heritage buildings.

HVAC CAD Layout Tools: A Case Study of University/Industry Collaboration

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Cagan ◽  
Richard Clark ◽  
Pratip Dastidar ◽  
Simon Szykman ◽  
Paul Weisser
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Hvac Systems ◽  
Design Tools ◽  
Industry Collaboration ◽  
Effective Partnership ◽  
Number Of Bends ◽  
The University ◽  
University Industry ◽  
Traditional Manner

Abstract An effective partnership between industry and the university resulted in the system of design tools for the layout of HVAC systems presented in this paper and illustrated with the design of a heat pump. The system provides tools to assist in the placement of components and routing of tubes between the components. Traditional tubes, tubes that have minimized length and number of bends, and those that are impossible to route in the traditional manner, are generated. The paper provides insight on both the collaborative research interaction and the resulting set of tools.

scholarly journals Studying Energy Performance and Thermal Comfort Conditions in Heritage Buildings: A Case Study of Murabba Palace

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 12250
Author(s):  
Abobakr Al-Sakkaf ◽  
Eslam Mohammed Abdelkader ◽  
Sherif Mahmoud ◽  
Ashutosh Bagchi
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Air Gap ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Passive Design ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
Double Wall

Heritage buildings are significant historical and architecture added value, which requires deep and precise preliminary brainstorming when considering upgrading or retrofitting these valuable buildings. In this study, we opted to highlight some passive design architecture interventions to improve the thermal comfort and the required cooling energy for buildings. The Murabba Palace in Riyadh was selected as a case study. DesignBuilder software was used to evaluate the energy performance of ten passive architectural design alternatives throughout different seasons in an attempt to improve the energy performance and thermal comfort of heritage buildings. The ten passive design scenarios encompassed double low-E glass, double reflected glass, double low-E glass and double wall with an air gap, double low-E glass and double wall with thermal insulation, double low-E glass and double wall with lightweight thermal insulation, double low-E glass and double wall with sprayed foam insulation, double reflected glass and double wall with an air gap, double reflected glass and double wall with thermal insulation, double reflected glass and double wall with lightweight thermal insulation, and double reflected glass and double wall with sprayed foam insulation. The results show that using double low-E glass and applying a double wall with polystyrene thermal insulation can enhance the thermal comfort inside the building and reduce the energy performance and CO2 emissions to 17% and 9%, respectively.

scholarly journals An IoT framework for the assessment of indoor conditions and estimation of occupancy rates: results from a real case study

ACTA IMEKO ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Rinaldi ◽  
Alessandra Flammini ◽  
Lavinia Chiara Tagliabue ◽  
Angelo Luigi Camillo Ciribini
Keyword(s):  
Energy Savings ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Occupancy Rate ◽  
Energy Consuming ◽  
The University ◽  
Occupancy Rates ◽  
Indoor Conditions ◽  
Average Occupancy

<p class="Abstract">In recent years, energy-savings policies have affected many aspects of everyday life. Considering a typical building, the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is the most energy-consuming system. This consideration is especially true for large public-access buildings, such as schools, and public administrations. In these cases, the energy saving of buildings depends on the capability to optimise the behaviour of the HVAC. Typically, the HVAC control system is based on static models of the building, which consider the average occupancy rate of each of the rooms. On the contrary, in this research work, a cognitive system based on an occupancy rate model that is able to take into consideration user habits and indoor air quality (IAQ) provided by IoT sensors is considered for the control of HVAC systems. This approach has been applied to the eLUX lab building of the University of Brescia, Italy. Data provided by IoT IAQ sensors (temperature, relative humidity, CO<sub>2</sub>) is used to refine the results of the occupancy rates for the models of the rooms of this building. The experimental results show, as in 22.15 % of the samples, the CO<sub>2</sub> concentration exceeded the 1,000 ppm threshold of the perception of fresh air and good conditions.</p>

scholarly journals HVAC systems and thermal comfort in buildings climate control: An experimental case study

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 269-277
Author(s):  
J.C. Solano ◽  
E. Caamaño-Martín ◽  
L. Olivieri ◽  
D. Almeida-Galárraga
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Hvac Systems ◽  
Climate Control

Development of an indoor environment evaluation model for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning control system of office buildings in subtropical region considering indoor health and thermal comfort

2021 ◽  
pp. 1420326X2110355
Author(s):  
Miaohong Huang ◽  
Yundan Liao
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Model ◽  
Hvac Systems ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
Weighting Factors

Office occupants spend most of their time in an enclosed indoor environment, controlled by heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems especially in subtropical regions owing to the hot and humid climate. A reasonable indoor environment evaluation model is necessary to achieve the reliable control of HVAC systems that satisfies the occupants’ health and comfort needs. However, traditional HVAC systems are controlled based on a simple index that does not consider the synthesis of indoor air quality, thermal comfort and occupant preferences. In this paper, we develop a comprehensive evaluation model that encompasses these three aspects based on field survey. Field surveys were conducted to investigate indoor environmental conditions and preferences of the occupants. Collected data were then verified for model hypothesis rationality and reviewed to identify weighting factors using Pearson and regression analysis. Results showed that these parameters had significant correlations without noticeable collinearity and can be integrated using regression method. The weighting factors of each parameter were calculated using occupants’ sensation and expectation to reflect the subjective preferences in model. Finally, an evaluation model expressing the indoor thermal, air quality and occupant preferences was developed to provide an HVAC intelligent control system that is more responsive to occupant needs.

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