Assessing the wall effects of packed concentric cylinders and angular walls on granular bed porosity

The effect of added wall support on granular bed porosity is systematically studied to elucidate performance enhancements in filtration processes achieved by using inserts, as demonstrated experimentally (Bandelt Riess et al. in Chem Eng Technol 2018, 2021). Packed beds of spheres are simulated through discrete element method in cylinders with different internal wall configurations. Three containing systems are generated: concentric cylinders, angular walls, and a combination of both. Variations of particle size and wall friction and thickness are also considered, and the resulting granular bed porosities are analyzed. The porosity increase is proportional to the incorporated wall support; the combination of cylindrical and angular inserts displays the greatest effect (up to 26% increase). The sinusoidal porosity values near the walls are exhibited to clarify the effects. The presented method can change and evaluate granular bed porosity increments, which could lead to filtration process improvements, and the obtained behaviors and profiles can be used to explore additional effects and further systems. Graphical abstract

Efficacy of arterial spin labeling for detection of the ruptured micro-arteriovenous malformation: illustrative cases

BACKGROUND Diagnosis of a microarteriovenous malformation (micro-AVM) is difficult, especially in the acute stage of rupture because of the small size of the nidus and the existence of hematoma. We report two cases of ruptured micro-AVMs detected by arterial spin labeling (ASL). OBSERVATIONS In one case, a 45-year-old male was transported with a complaint of right hemiparesis. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a right parietal lobar hemorrhage. Standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed no abnormal findings as the cause of the hemorrhage. ASL 23 days after the onset demonstrated high signals on the medial wall of the hematoma. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) showed a micro-AVM in accordance with the site of high signals on ASL. In another case, a 38-year-old female was transported with a complaint of left hemianopsia. CT on admission revealed a right parietal lobar hemorrhage. Standard MRI showed no abnormal findings as the cause of the hemorrhage. ASL 15 days after the onset demonstrated high signals on the internal wall of the hematoma. DSA showed micro-AVM in accordance with the site of high signaling on ASL. Both cases were successfully treated with open surgery. LESSONS ASL can manifest micro-AVMs as high signals within the hematoma. ASL is a useful less-invasive screening tool for the detection of ruptured micro-AVMs.

Beacon-Based Individualized Hazard Alarm System for Construction Sites: An Experimental Study on Sensor Deployment

Researchers have proposed several forms of beacon sensor-based hazard alarm systems for increasing construction workers’ awareness of site hazards, but research on how to deploy beacon sensors so that the system is adequate for achieving timely individualized hazard alarms is scarce. Against this background, this research investigates the impact of different beacon sensor locations in a construction site on how quickly a worker can receive the individualized hazard alarms. This research took an experimental study approach to address this objective. After a prototype of a beacon-based hazard alarm system was developed, the system was tested in a concrete structure building under construction. In the experiment, the locations where the experimenter received the first hazard alarm were recorded in repetitive trials while the beacon sensor was located in four different locations, such as (1) at the entrance of the room, (2) behind the front side wall, (3) on the internal wall facing the access point, and (4) on the internal wall not facing the access point and in a partially enclosed room in the concrete structure. The rate of successful alarm notification (i.e., the rate that the person received the hazard alarm before arriving at the target location) was 89%, 68%, 48%, and 19%, respectively, for the four locations of the beacon sensor. Meanwhile, the heat maps indicating where the hazard alarm notification was received show that the “behind the front side wall” setting yielded the most desired pattern of notification reception, wherein the person received the hazard alarm just before arriving at the room. These results show that the hazard alarm function of the system could be severely affected by the beacon sensor’s location and implies that the locations of beacon sensors should be decided carefully based on the type of hazard involved and the workers targeted for receiving the alarms.

Analysis and evaluation of the effect of reflectance values on internal walls, internal roofs, and light shelf on optimal illumination levels in the diploma economics and business building of the vocational school UGM, Yogyakarta

The use of natural light as a source of lighting in buildings is an option in energy saving. One of the efforts that has been made is the installation of a light shelf. The light shelf installed in the UGM Vocational School Economics and Business Diploma (DEB SV) building is not fully working optimally. As many as 83% of the light shelf in lecture rooms is covered by curtains because it is considered to produce excess light (glare). This results in a greater consumption of lighting electricity. This study was conducted to analyze and evaluate the effect of the reflectance value (color) attached to the internal walls, internal roof, external light shelf, and internal light shelf on the indicator of illumination levels Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI). Furthermore, this study aims to determine the optimum reflectance value (color) parameter. The research was conducted with a simulation method using RadianceIES in the IESVE 2021 software. The first simulation results show the value of reflectance (color) installed (base case) on the internal wall, internal roof, external light shelf, and internal light shelf in one of the lecture rooms of the DEB SV UGM building resulting in a very large value of the UDI>2000lux indicator, which is 84,9% (not according to the criteria). The results of the second simulation provide two variations of the optimum reflectance (color) parameters in the independent variable. The first variation is the internal walls, internal roof, external light shelf, and internal light shelf, each of which has a reflectance value (color) of 90,67% (beige), 100% (white), 90,67% (beige), and 100% (white). The second variation is the internal walls, internal roof, exte rnal light shelf, and internal light shelf, each of which has a reflectance value (color) of 90,67% (beige), 100% (white), 90,67% (beige), and 90,67% (beige).

Evaluating the Impact of Indoor Insulation on Historic Build-Ings: A Multilevel Approach Involving Heat and Moisture Simulations

The energy refurbishment of historic buildings is a complex task for building envelope designers who need to carefully consider building conservation guidelines and principles. In most cases, external wall insulation techniques can determine an unacceptable alteration of the historical value of a building. For this reason, internal wall insulation techniques have been used widely in the last few decades. Nevertheless, dealing with internal wall insulation requires a complex design to avoid the risk of condensation and moisture-related pathologies. Moreover, an internal wall insulation may have a relevant impact on indoor comfort conditions. In this paper, the Monastery of Santa Maria de Monfero in Galicia (Spain) has been adopted as a building case study to compare different technological solutions based on: (i) an insulating plaster layer, (ii) dry counter wall systems. In the first step, heat and moisture transfer simulations of the wall components were performed to analyze the hygrothermal behavior of the different alternatives considering two different climate conditions. In a second step, a simulation of the whole building was performed to analyze the impact of the retrofitting strategies on the indoor climate and on the building heating and cooling demand. The obtained results show that the counter wall solution leads to higher energy savings during the heating season in the colder winter climate. However, the use of insulating thermal plaster could also be a viable solution since they lead to several advantages in summer because of their higher thermal inertia. Therefore, the selection of the most appropriate insulation technique has to be evaluated carefully considering the outdoor/indoor climate and using a case-by-case approach.

Barriers to domestic retrofit quality: Are failures in retrofit standards a failure of retrofit standards?

Thermal retrofits of homes are central to the UK's fuel poverty and net zero carbon policies but there are concerns about poor quality installation and so new standards are to be introduced (PAS2035). We have explored retrofit installers' perceptions of the barriers to installing internal wall insulation (IWI) and of current regulations and standards for retrofits. We conducted four focus groups with retrofit installers. Thematic analysis identified three themes. (1) IWI is viewed as impractical in situations other than new builds, extensions and conversions as it is too time-consuming and expensive. (2) Installing IWI is perceived as an unskilled job with no need for training or referring to standards during installation. (3) Because standards lack credibility, installers can be sceptical of potential problems caused by on-site installation adaptations, for example thermal bridging. Our results show that retrofit standards have not improved retrofit quality. Awareness and credibility of standards is low, and new standards (PAS2035) will introduce additional costs which may reduce the pool of installers willing to engage in the retrofit market. Policies need to address installer training, professional identity and social practices, and reduce barriers to change in order to increase success.

The effect of the airflow pattern inside air gaps on the assessment of interstitial mould: A theoretical approach

Internal wall insulation is one of the few, possibly, the only feasible solution to efficiently reduce heat losses through the external walls of buildings where the application of external insulation is not an option, for example, in conservation areas. However, the application of this intervention may lead to unintended consequences, such as moisture accumulation and mould growth. Currently, no international standards and regulations exist to evaluate these hazards via non-destructive inspections. Air sampling through impaction and culture-based analysis was suggested in previous research as a potential non-disruptive methodology for interstitial mould testing. The method requires the perforation of the inner side of a wall and the creation of airflow through the operation of a pump, to allow the collection of particles from the confined space of interest. The present study aimed to assess the location of perforations and their effect on the airflow created and the airflow pattern variations due to changes in the airflow velocity at the outlet. Results regarding airflow features such as the turbulence intensity, dynamic pressure and volume-averaged velocity were also extracted and discussed. Practical application: The rapid changes in climate and net-zero emissions targets call for major improvements of the existing building stock towards a more sustainable future. The installation of internal wall insulation is one of the few and might be the only feasible solution for the efficient reduction of heat losses through uninsulated walls. However, this intervention might lead to moisture accumulation and thus moisture-related problems such as mould growth. This study aims to build upon previous work on interstitial mould growth assessment and contribute to the development of a well-defined testing protocol for building professionals.