Experimental Full-Scale Test Cell Optimizing for Research of Novel Concepts towards Climatically Active Solar Façade Design

2016 ◽  
Vol 861 ◽  
pp. 213-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslav Čekon ◽  
Richard Slávik ◽  
Karel Struhala ◽  
Marian Formánek

The passive solar test facilities have recently been created in many research centers all over the world to analyse dynamic outdoor phenomena on buildings and their components. The main objective of these research activities is primarily to evolve a methodology, improve test methods, validate numerical models and measure real thermodynamic properties of building components under outdoor climate conditions. An integration of advanced material solutions into buildings need to be investigated within specific conditions related specifically to outdoor test methods. A research project on Contemporary concepts of climatically active solar facades at the Brno University of Technology does have an ambition to create an experimental full-scale test cell for research of thermal aspects in progressive advances of future solar façade concepts exposed to the real climate conditions. This paper describes the design optimization phase preceding the test cell assembly. This phase includes the analysis of energy and thermal properties based on parametric study features. Computer simulations based on finite element and volume methods are involved in the optimization process. The proposed optimized test cell design is confronted with parametrization of typical thermal aspects to present final test cell demonstration.

Author(s):  
Monica Galdo-Vega ◽  
Rafael Ballesteros-Tajadura ◽  
Carlos Santolaria-Morros

In this work, a numerical 3D simulation of a longitudinal ventilation system is developed to analyze the fire behavior inside a road tunnel. Recent disasters, like crashes in the Mont Blanc tunnel (France, 1999) or San Gottardo (Italy, 2001), have shown the need for better integral actions during possible fire incidents. The minimum delay time, required for starting the jet fans, or the evolution of the smoke patterns inside the tunnel are critical issues when rescue plans are designed. Some methods to study the smoke propagation during a fire are: pseudo-thermal scale models, full scale test and numerical models. Several contributions using the first method can be found in references [1], [2] and [3]. However it is very difficult to extrapolate the results from this kind of models. The second method (full scale test) is the most expensive of all and only two of them have been conducted recently: EUREKA Project [4] and the Memorial Tunnel Fire Ventilation Test Program [5]. The last method (numerical models) it is now under development. The objective of this work is to validate a numerical model, to predict the behavior of the smoke generated during a fire incident inside a road tunnel, comparing its results with previous experimental data collected in the Memorial Tunnel Project. In addition, a good agreement was achieved, so a methodology to predict the performance of a longitudinal ventilation system in case of fire was accurately established.


Author(s):  
Brian N. Leis

The consequences of a dynamic fracture in a gas-transmission pipeline require that they be designed to avoid such incidents with great certainty. Because of the complexity of this fracture process, the only certain approach to determine fracture-arrest conditions involved full-scale experiments. As time passed empirically calibrated balance equations between the crack-driving conditions and the line-pipe steels crack-arrest capabilities were developed. Such models worked well until the introduction of high-toughness line pipe, for which to full-scale test predictions were non-conservative, and increasingly so as toughness increased. Problems with early CVN-based models led to development of alternative schemes. This paper presents results of experiments done to evaluate plausible alternatives to the CVN practice, which rely on an impact test identical to or adapted from the drop-weight tear-test (DWTT). As this practice is comparable to that of the CVN practice save for using an up-scale specimen geometry, results are presented and contrasted for these test methods, for pipe grades from B to X70, and toughness from less than 10 J in excess of 300 J. Data are analyzed to reveal trends not typically reported for such testing. It is shown that there is no essential difference between data developed from the CVN and DWTT practices, provided the results are compared at similar levels of impact-machine excess-energy capacity. Further, it is shown that non-conservative predictions of full-scale test behavior for higher-toughness steels can be traced to using the early CVN-based models at toughness levels well outside the range of their empirical calibration.


2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-91
Author(s):  
Thor Hansen ◽  
Eva B Møller ◽  
Torben Tvedebrink

It is often assumed that reduced heat flux to a ventilated attic reduces the temperature and thereby increases the relative humidity. Consequently, the importance of having a tight air and vapour barrier in the ceiling becomes more important with increased insulation. Therefore, in Denmark, the recommendation is to have a tight vapour barrier when re-insulating ceilings against cold ventilated attics to a total of 150-mm insulation material. The recommendation is independent of the insulation material’s hygroscopic properties or the indoor moisture level. The aim of this project was to test the relevance of the recommendation through testing in a full-scale test building (7 × 22 m) with a series of six different ceilings with or without a vapour barrier and variation in the insulation material comprising insulation thickness and its hygroscopic properties. The examination was performed with a controlled indoor climate after an European humidity classes 1–3 and a natural outdoor climate. The study showed very little differences in temperature and relative humidity in the cold ventilated attics, while the humidity class of the indoor climate significantly affects the absolute moisture content in the attic. However, the climate in the attic did not cause mould growth in the test sections, even for humidity class 3. Consequently, in the test building the thickness or hygroscopic properties of the insulation material did not have a significant effect on the moisture level in attics and did not determine whether a vapour barrier should be installed. In this study with the given climate, a vapour barrier is unnecessary in well-ventilated attics if the ceiling is airtight.


1994 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-83
Author(s):  
Yoshiji Moro ◽  
Tomoo Fujita ◽  
Takeshi Kanno ◽  
Akira Kobayashi

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kichul Kim ◽  
Pil-Ju Park ◽  
Soomi Eo ◽  
Seungmi Kwon ◽  
Kwangrae Kim ◽  
...  

1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 977-985 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. G. Gebremedhin ◽  
J. A. Bartsch ◽  
M. C. Jorgensen

2020 ◽  
pp. 1420326X2097902
Author(s):  
Hai-Xia Xu ◽  
Yu-Tong Mu ◽  
Yin-Ping Zhang ◽  
Wen-Quan Tao

Most existing models and standards for volatile organic compounds emission assume that contaminants are uniform in the testing devices. In this study, a three-dimensional transient numerical model was proposed to simulate the mass transport process based on a full-scale test chamber with a mixing fan, and the airflow field and contaminants concentration distribution were obtained within the chamber under airtight and ventilated conditions. The model was validated by comparing the numerical results with experimental data. The numerical results show that the contaminant source position and the airflow field characteristics have significant impact on the contaminant mixing, and the fan rotation has an important role in accelerating mixing. In the initial mixing stage, the concentration distribution is obviously uneven; as the mixing progresses, it gradually reaches acceptable uniformity except for some sensitive regions, such as high concentration region at the injection point of the contaminants and low concentration region at the air inlet. To ensure test accuracy, the monitor should avoid above sensitive regions; and some special regions are recommended where contaminant concentration uniformity can be reached sooner. The ventilated chamber results indicate that the mixture of contaminants in the chamber is actually better than the results shown by conventional test method.


2002 ◽  
Vol 218 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 169-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.G Liu ◽  
H.L Xiao ◽  
C.P Li

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