Effect of external thermal insulation layer on the Chinese solar greenhouse microclimate

In order to optimize the heat preservation capacity of Chinese solar greenhouse (CSG) and further reduce energy consumption, we clarified the mechanism of the external thermal insulation layer that affects the microclimate environment of CSG. The most suitable external insulation layer thickness (EILT) of the solar greenhouse envelope structure in high latitude and cold region has been indicated. A three-dimensional mathematical model was developed based on computational fluid dynamics and verified using experimental measurement. The temperature variations, heat variations and economic benefit were analysed. The results indicated that covering the outer surface of the enclosures with a thermal insulation layer could effectively increase the greenhouse temperature by 1.2–4.0°C. The influence degree of the external thermal insulation layer on the greenhouse microclimate was as follows: sidewall (SW) > north wall (NW) > north roof (NR). In high-dimensional and cold areas, covering the outer surface of all enclosures with insulation layer as the suitable solution could raise the greenhouse air temperature maximally. The suitable EILT of each maintenance structure was obtained as follows: NW 80 mm, SW 80 mm, NR 100 mm.

Thermal-comfort evaluation of and plan for public space of Maling Village, Henan, China

The thermal environment of village public space affects the comfort of people ’ s outdoor activities, and then affects the willingness of residents to outdoor activities, which has an important impact on the villagers’ quality of life. Previously published studies of thermal comfort mostly focused on the evaluation of thermal comfort index, few studies on the application of thermal comfort planning. The study was carried out in Maling Village, Changdai Town, Mengjin County, Luoyang City, Henan Province, China. Square, street, green space were chosen as three typical public spaces where thermal comfort indexes were measured by questionnaire survey and field measurement during summer. Subsequently, the village’s microclimate environment was simulated with ArcGIS 10.6 and ENVI-met. The results indicate that during the summer, the influences of temperature, solar radiation, wind speed, and relative humidity on the subjective comfort conditions of the outdoor environment gradually decreased. The spatial form of village has an important influence on thermal comfort. Finally, based on the results, this study put forward the thermal comfort process and planning scheme of the village outdoor space.

Factors influencing the rating of low-rise wooden houses as “green” buildings

The article presents a program of scientific and practical research on the assessment of “green” technologies in wooden low-rise housing construction in the field of energy efficiency and resource conservation. The objects of research are two identical experimental buildings built in 2020 in Murmansk and Petrozavodsk using different technologies of wooden housing construction and various thermal insulation materials. Attention is focused on assessing the factors affecting the energy efficiency class and the internal microclimate of a wooden building, taking into account the changing environmental conditions and operating modes of buildings in cold climates. The stages of the study were determined, the tasks for each type of experiment and the expected results were formulated. Methods fixed in the regulatory documents of the Russian Federation are considered as the main ones. A method for monitoring the parameters of the internal microclimate, environment and temperature and humidity in the layers of the enclosing structures of model objects is proposed and implemented. The implementation of the research program will allow assessing the influence of the factors under study on the energy efficiency class of a wooden building and developing recommendations for the design, construction and operation of low-rise wooden buildings in a cold climate, taking into account the criteria of “green” construction.

Microclimate Environmental Assessment and Impact of Mountain City Pedestrian Streets in Summer

In mountainous cities, walking is an important form of transportation. The microclimate environment of pedestrian streets in summer affects the comfort of pedestrians, especially in hot summer cities. Besides, there are many height differences in mountainous city pedestrian streets, while existing researches of the thermal environment were mainly aimed at plain cities. We used typology to analyze different spatial patterns and tested microclimate of five kinds of streets in the Shanchengxiang of Chongqing. Then the universal thermal climate index (UTCI) was used to evaluate the thermal comfort of different spatial spaces. Firstly, the thermal environment of the mountain city street in summer is extremely uncomfortable and needs to be improved. Secondly, the sky view factor (SVF) has a great impact on the street thermal environment. Among all kinds of streets, the one-sided open B-N (SVF = 0.474) has the worst thermal environment, with an average UTCI of 44.7℃. However, the two-sided enclosed B2-B2 (SVF = 0.052) represents a better thermal environment, with an average UTCI of 35.5℃. The R2 value of 0.88 reflects that the linear correlation between UTCI and SVF is larger than that of H/W, whose R2 value is mere 0.04. Finally, different interfaces and enclosure forms have a great impact on space thermal comfort. This study quantifies the parameters that influence the design of pedestrian streets in mountain cities from the perspective of outdoor microclimate environmental assessment and provide a reference for the sustainable design of regional streets.

Thermal and moisture control performance of different mastectomy bras and external breast prostheses

This paper introduces a project involving a thermoregulation performance experiment design to evaluate the different responses of research subjects to a range of mastectomy bras and external breast prostheses. A set of newly designed heat-reduction mastectomy bras and prostheses were mix-matched with a set of conventional mastectomy bras and prostheses for the experiment. Four combinations of mastectomy bras and external breast prostheses were used: (a) Com A: conventional mastectomy bra and conventional prosthesis; (b) Com B: conventional mastectomy bra and heat-reduction prosthesis; (c) Com C: heat-reduction mastectomy bra and conventional prosthesis; and (d) Com D: heat-reduction mastectomy bra and heat-reduction prosthesis. Nine healthy male subjects (mean age: 31.9 ± 5.9 y and mean under-bust circumference: 35.3 ± 2.8 in) participated in this study in lieu of women who had undergone surgery for double mastectomy and were too self-conscious to expose their scars for sensor attachment. Eight sets of temperature and humidity sensors were placed between the surface of the skin and the prostheses and bra to measure the changes in both temperature and humidity data in a microclimate environment while the participants performed physical activity. The results showed that Com D demonstrated better thermal and moisture control, resulting in lower body temperature and lower humidity increment throughout the entire experiment. The study proved that the heat-reduction mastectomy bra and external breast prosthesis were effective in releasing the trapped heat and perspiration underneath the bra, and thus would provide a positive impact on clothing comfort and wearing experience for women who had undergone mastectomies.

Integrated Approach To Determining Sizes Of Light Openings In Buildings Taking Into Account Safety Requirements

Enclosing structures with openings play an important role in regulating the microclimate environment in the premises. At the same time, calculations on requirements for thermal comfort, natural lighting and also safety in construction should be solved together in the design process. An integrated approach to the design of openings intersects with different factors from different fields of the studies. When considering the physics of the environment in buildings, to ensure human comfort, lighting and cooling, heating in rooms a high amount of energy is required. Within the framework of this article, the influence of the window to floor ratio in calculations of natural lighting is also estimated in terms of increasing fire resistance and reducing the impact of internal explosive loads. As a result, the value of window to floor ratio of 15–22 % was obtained for a normalized artificial illumination of 300–500 lux. The integrated approach to the design of openings in enclosing structures makes it possible to create a microclimate in the premises, providing comfortable conditions for visual works and safety.