A Comparison of Energy Consumption in American Homes by Climate Region

The present research analyzes the impact of nine factors related to household demographics, building equipment, and building characteristics towards a home’s total energy consumption while controlling for climate. To do this, we have surveyed single-family owned houses from the 2015 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) dataset and controlled the analysis by Building America climate zones. Our findings are based on descriptive statistics and multiple regression models, and show that for a median-sized home in three of the five climate zones, heating equipment is still the main contributor to a household’s total energy consumed, followed by home size. Social-economic factors and building age were found relevant for some regions, but often contributed less than size and heating equipment towards total energy consumption. Water heater and education were not found to be statistically relevant in any of the regions. Finally, solar power was only found to be a significant factor in one of the regions, positively contributing to a home’s total energy consumed. These findings are helpful for policymakers to evaluate the specificities of climate regions in their jurisdiction, especially guiding homeowners towards more energy-efficient heating equipment and home configurations, such as reduced size.

A method of designing equipment for heat processing of polymer workpieces

The paper describes a method of designing heating equipment that maintains a predetermined temperature field. The method consists in sequential solution of two problems. At the first stage, the heat generation field was calculated using the stationary heat conduction equation. At the second stage, parametric optimization of the temperature field was performed with reference to the power and configuration limits of the heaters. To test this method, the problem of maintaining a predetermined non-uniform temperature field was solved. A practical example of the application of the method for designing a uniform heating plate used in vulcanizing presses was given. To assess the efficiency of the plate, the results of modeling the heat processing of a workpiece from a rubber mixture were presented.

Self-Heating Mould for Composite Manufacturing

The shipbuilding industry, engine manufacturing, aviation, rocket and space technology are promising fields of application for polymeric composite materials. Shape-generating moulding tools with internal heating are used for the creation of a more economically viable method of moulding of internally heated composite structures. The use of a fine-fibered resistive structure in the heated tools allows implementation of effective heating of the composite and elimination of the need for expensive and energy-intensive heating equipment. The aim of this paper was the reduction of energy consumption for internally heated moulding tools by choosing the optimal parameters for their resistive layer. A method for determination of the parameters of the moulding tool resistive layer was developed. This method allows calculation of the heating layer parameters and implementation of the specified time–temperature regime for moulding of the composite structure. It was shown that energy saving for the heated fiberglass shape-generating moulding tools was from 40 to 60%. It was found that the increase in the thickness of the moulded package of the polymeric composite material resulted not only in a higher supplied power for the heating system, but also in a complication of the method for system control, because of the growing exothermic effect of the binder curing reaction. For composite products based on Hysol EA 9396 binder, thicknesses more than 4 mm are critical, because it is not possible to cope with the self-heating effect only by cooling with ambient air already utilized at the twentieth minute of the moulding process. The influence of the physical and mechanical characteristics of the moulding tool material and stiffening ribs was analysed in terms of energy consumption and controllability of the heating system. Fiberglass shows the lowest energy consumption. Heating of the aluminium and steel moulding tools for the same purpose will require 20% and 45% more power, respectively. An increase in the number of stiffening ribs has a strong effect on the heat removal of the heating system. With a small number of aluminium ribs it is not possible to maintain the specified temperature–time regime for a fiberglass moulded package of 5 mm thick with the use of the equipment. However, when the number of stiffeners is increased to 10, the exothermic effect of the reaction becomes smoother and then the heating equipment can cope with the task. An experimental prototype of heating equipment of moulding tools for the manufacturing of structures of polymeric composite materials, as well as a flexible thermal blanket for repair of non-separable structures, were developed. The results can be the basis for a new method of optimal design of parameters of moulding tool structure at minimal heat removal to the environment.

Design and Implementation of an Integrated Central Heating Information Monitoring System for Smart Cities

Establishing and optimizing an integrated central heating information monitoring and energy conservation system can not only help reduce the waste of resources, but also allow us to identify and solve the instability and safety problems in the heating process, and thus this system is of certain research value. Existing automated heating equipment fail to truly monitor and regulate heating due to various reasons like the lack of comprehensive parameter measurement and serious hydraulic imbalance of the system. To this end, this paper studies the design and implementation of an integrated central heating information monitoring system for smart cities. First, the big data of central heating temperature monitoring in smart cities was reconstructed, and then three different central heating regulation modes were introduced. The experimental results verified the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. With an example of central heating monitoring shown, the energy efficiency analysis results regarding the energy conservation optimization of the system were given.

Energy Benefits of Heat Pipe Technology for Achieving 100% Renewable Heating and Cooling for Fifth-Generation, Low-Temperature District Heating Systems

This paper addresses the challenges the policymakers face concerning the EU decarbonization and total electrification roadmaps towards the Paris Agreement set forth to solve the global warming problem within the framework of a 100% renewable heating and cooling target. A new holistic model was developed based on the Rational Exergy Management Model (REMM). This model optimally solves the energy and exergy conflicts between the benefits of using widely available, low-temperature, low-exergy waste and renewable energy sources, like solar energy, and the inability of existing heating equipment, which requires higher exergy to cope with such low temperatures. In recognition of the challenges of retrofitting existing buildings in the EU stock, most of which are more than fifty years old, this study has developed a multi-pronged solution set. The first prong is the development of heating and cooling equipment with heat pipes that may be customized for supply temperatures as low as 35 °C in heating and as high as 17 °C in cooling, by which equipment oversizing is kept minimal, compared to standard equipment like conventional radiators or fan coils. It is shown that circulating pump capacity requirements are also minimized, leading to an overall reduction of CO2 emissions responsibility in terms of both direct, avoidable, and embodied terms. In this respect, a new heat pipe radiator prototype is presented, performance analyses are given, and the results are compared with a standard radiator. Comparative results show that such a new heat pipe radiator may be less than half of the weight of the conventional radiator, which needs to be oversized three times more to operate at 35 °C below the rated capacity. The application of heat pipes in renewable energy systems with the highest energy efficiency and exergy rationality establishes the second prong of the paper. A next-generation solar photo-voltaic-thermal (PVT) panel design is aimed to maximize the solar exergy utilization and minimize the exergy destruction taking place between the heating equipment. This solar panel design has an optimum power to heat ratio at low temperatures, perfectly fitting the heat pipe radiator demand. This design eliminates the onboard circulation pump, includes a phase-changing material (PCM) layer and thermoelectric generator (TEG) units for additional power generation, all sandwiched in a single panel. As a third prong, the paper introduces an optimum district sizing algorithm for minimum CO2 emissions responsibility for low-temperature heating systems by minimizing the exergy destructions. A solar prosumer house example is given addressing the three prongs with a heat pipe radiator system, next-generation solar PVT panels on the roof, and heat piped on-site thermal energy storage (TES). Results showed that total CO2 emissions responsibility is reduced by 96.8%. The results are discussed, aiming at recommendations, especially directed to policymakers, to satisfy the Paris Agreement.

Analysis of Flue Gas Emission from Gas-fired Wall-mounted Boilers

With the continuous promotion of the coal-to-gas policy in major towns in Beijing and its counties, Hebei, Shandong, and some provinces in Northwestern China, the proportion of household heating in the winter heating market has increased year by year. As one of the main heating equipment, the sales of wall-mounted gas boilers are also increasing year by year. Due to the concentration of installations in cities, the NOx and CO emissions generated by the operation of a huge number of gas-fired wall-mounted boilers gradually appear to have an impact on the environment. This article will measure NOx and CO in the emissions of common gas wall-mounted boilers on the market (including conventional atmospheric gas wall-mounted boilers, low-NOx wall-mounted boilers, secondary condensation low-NOx wall-mounted boilers and fully premixed gas wall-mounted boilers). Through the quantitative analysis and comparison of the data, a reference is given to the selection of the gas wall-mounted boiler.

Energy efficiency of heating equipment and resources in the implementation and adaption of lean manufacturing tools LLC TATNEFT-AZS center

THE PURPOSE. Consider the introduction and implementation of lean production technology in the branches of OOO Tatneft - AZS Center. Describe the essence of the technology, consider the problems, the complexity of implementation and propose an algorithm for introducing the technology and involving each employee in the process of optimizing the business and maximizing customer focus. METHODS. At the initial stage, it was decided to start implementing the Lean philosophy with two of its tools: kaizen and 5S. Using the philosophy of continuous improvement Kaizen, a system of kaizen sentences was developed and formalized. In order to provide material incentives for employees at each workplace, the Regulation on the system of continuous improvement of the production system of OOO Tatneft-AZS Center was adopted, which regulates and regulates the process of submitting and evaluating kaizen proposals. For the implementation of the 5S system, the standard "Application of the 5S system in the organization of a workplace" was developed, discussed in all labor collectives and adopted, on the basis of which the implementation of the 5S system was started in all branches of OOO Tatneft-AZS Center. RESULTS. The article describes the use of a fairly wide and varied range of Lean manufacturing tools: kaizen proposals, 5C, standardization, TPM, visualization, SFM-visual management, value stream maps. The tools differ in both the time and duration of implementation and their effectiveness. CONCLUSION. Within the framework of adapting the principles of Lean production to the retail and sales network of oil products of OOO Tatneft-AZS Center, the primary factors are industry and organizational specifics.

Economic analysis of wind power consumption promoted by regenerative electric heating with high proportion of renewable energy

With the rapid development of wind power, the randomness and volatility of wind power have also caused severe problems of wind power consumption. The phenomenon of wind abandonment is particularly prominent in the "three north" areas. The environmental protection and controllability of regenerative electric heating provide a way for wind absorption and abandonment. Therefore, this paper proposes a model to promote wind power consumption by using regenerative electric heating. Firstly, the principle and advantages of the heat storage electric heating equipment are described; secondly, the fine modeling of regenerative electric heating is carried out;then, the mode of using regenerative electric heating to promote wind power consumption is designed;finally, an example is given to analyze the wind power consumption effect and the revenue of load aggregators.Therefore, it is verified that this mode can effectively promote wind power consumption and reduce wind abandon generation, and provide reference for alleviating wind abandon and power limit problem.