Enhancing Hygrothermal Performance in Multi-Zone Constructions through Phase Change Material Integration

As buildings evolve to meet the challenges of energy efficiency and indoor comfort,phase change materials(PCM)emerge as a promising solution due to their ability to store and release latent heat.This paper explores the transformative impact of incorporating PCMon the hygrothermal dynamics of multi-zone constructions.The study focuses on analyzing heat transfer,particularly through thermal conduction,in a wall containing PCM.A novel approach was proposed,wherein the studied system(sensitive balance)interacts directly with a latent balance to realistically define the behavior of specific humidity and mass flow rates.In addition,a numerical model implemented in MATLAB software has been developed to investigate the effect of integrating PCM on the hygrothermal balances inside the building.The obtained results indicate a consistent response in internal temperatures,specific humidity,and mass flow rates,with temperature differences ranging from 5℃to 13℃and a maximum phase shift of 13 h.In addition,the findings provided valuable insights into optimizing the design and performance of multi-zone constructions,offering a sustainable pathway for enhancing building resilience and occupant well-being.

MAQMC:Multi-Agent Deep Q-Network for Multi-Zone Residential HVAC Control

The optimization of multi-zone residential heating,ventilation,and air conditioning(HVAC)control is not an easy task due to its complex dynamic thermal model and the uncertainty of occupant-driven cooling loads.Deep reinforcement learning(DRL)methods have recently been proposed to address the HVAC control problem.However,the application of single-agent DRL formulti-zone residential HVAC controlmay lead to non-convergence or slow convergence.In this paper,we propose MAQMC(Multi-Agent deep Q-network for multi-zone residential HVAC Control)to address this challenge with the goal of minimizing energy consumption while maintaining occupants’thermal comfort.MAQMC is divided into MAQMC2(MAQMC with two agents:one agent controls the temperature of each zone,and the other agent controls the humidity of each zone)and MAQMC3(MAQMC with three agents:three agents control the temperature and humidity of three zones,respectively).The experimental results showthatMAQMC3 can reduce energy consumption by 6.27%andMAQMC2 by 3.73%compared with the fixed point;compared with the rule-based,MAQMC3 andMAQMC2 respectively can reduce 61.89%and 59.07%comfort violation.In addition,experiments with different regional weather data demonstrate that the well-trained MAQMC RL agents have the robustness and adaptability to unknown environments.

Effect of Hydrogen Addition on Methane HCCI Engine Ignition Timing and Emissions Using a Multi-zone Model

Ignition timing control is of great importance in homogeneous charge compression ignition engines. The effect of hydrogen addition on methane combustion was investigated using a CHEMKIN multi-zone model. Results show that hydrogen addition advances ignition tim- ing and enhances peak pressure and temperature. A brief analysis of chemical kinetics of methane blending hydrogen is also performed in order to investigate the scope of its appli- cation, and the analysis suggests that OH radical plays an important role in the oxidation. Hydrogen addition increases NOx while decreasing HC and CO emissions. Exhaust gas recir- culation （EGR） also advances ignition timing; however, its effects on emissions are generally the opposite. By adjusting the hydrogen addition and EGR rate, the ignition timing can be regulated with a low emission level. Investigation into zones suggests that NOx is mostly formed in core zones while HC and CO mostly originate in the crevice and the quench layer.

Particle size distribution in a multi-zone circulating fluidized bed polymerization reactor

This research focuses on modeling a multi-zone circulating reactor(MZCR)in the polypropylene production process.In these reactors,designed for polyolefin production,small catalyst particles(20–300μm)initiate polymerization in the presence of monomer gas.The reactor consists of two main regions:the riser and the downer.The riser operates in the fast fluidization and the downer is in the moving bed regime.Employing the two-fluid model with the Eulerian-Eulerian approach,the dynamics of both solid and gas phases were modeled by applying Newton's laws of motion and assuming spherical particles.The population balance of particles within the reactor was also coupled with the equations of motion.The simultaneous solution of these equations provides valuable insights into particle and fluid behavior,revealing trends such as the growth of polymer particles.Furthermore,the impact of various operating conditions was explored.This study also examined the effects of design parameters(gas inlet velocity,average inlet diameter,and temperature)on the system performance.For instance,it was shown that in the case where the solid circulation flux is 30 kg/(m^(2) s)the velocity of particles in the bed increases from 0.4 at the inlet to 1.1 m/s in the fully developed zone,when it is 43 kg/(m^(2) s)the velocity of particles increases from 0.3 to 1.4 m/s,and when it is 55 kg/(m^(2) s),it is increased from 0.22 to 1.5 m/s.Additionally,trends in particle size distribution based on temperature adjustments were revealed.This study showed that higher temperatures accelerate the polymerization reaction rate,promoting faster growth kinetics and the formation of larger particles.

Contact stress non-uniformity of wafer surface for multi-zone chemical mechanical polishing process

A finite element analysis(FEA)model is developed for the chemical-mechanical polishing(CMP)process on the basis of a 12-in five-zone polishing head.The proposed FEA model shows that the contact stress non-uniformity is less dependent on the material property of the membrane and the geometry of the retaining ring.The larger the elastic modulus of the pad,the larger contact stress non-uniformity of the wafer.The applied loads on retaining ring and zone of the polishing head significantly affect the contact stress distribution.The stress adjustment ability of a zone depends on its position.In particular,the inner-side zone has a high stress adjustment ability,whereas the outer-side zone has a low stress adjustment ability.The predicted results by the model are shown to be consistent with the experimental data.Analysis results have revealed some insights regarding the performance of the multi-zone CMP.

Combustion simulation and key parameter optimization for opposite axial piston engine in small-scale

As potential alternative power sources used in portable electric generators, opposite axial piston engines in small-scale were investigated to show their advantages in power density. A novel cylinder charge system was introduced, based on which a quasi-dimension model and a CFD(computational fluid dynamics) model were established. Comparison of those two models was carried out to validate the quasi-dimension model. Furthermore, optimal diameter of charge cylinder and speed were determined after evaluating the quasi-dimension model based on different parameters. High agreement between the quasi-dimension model and the CFD model validates the quasi-dimension model. Further studies show that the power of engine increases with the diameter of charge cylinder. However, a too big charge cylinder lowers the fuel efficiency instead. Taking economic influence into consideration the charge cylinder should be 1.4 times power cylinder, which could ensure the power density, volumetric efficiency and fuel economic at the same time. Axial piston engine running at 1.0×104 r/min could achieve a better overall performance. The maximal power of engine with optimal parameters is 0.82 k W, which fits the power need of the portable electric generators completely.

Structural behaviors of steel roof truss exposed to pool fire

Experimental research was conducted to study the structural behaviors of a steel roof truss model without fire-proof coating under pool fire conditions. The data of temperature distribution and displacements of typical members were obtained. It is found that the temperature distribution of environment inside the structure, which is found to be in accordance with the multi-zone model with height, has a decisive effect on the tempera^tre evolution of steel members. Besides, it can also be observed that due to the restriction and coordination among the truss members in the localized fire, the maximum relative deflection, which occurs at the mid-span of the top chord, is relatively slight and has not exceeded 1 mm under experimental conditions. On the other hand, the column experiences a notable thermal expansion during the test. Then, a finite element model is presented and validated by the test results.

Contact dynamics of elasto-plastic thin beams simulated via absolute nodal coordinate formulation

Under the frame of multibody dynamics, the contact dynamics of elasto-plastic spatial thin beams is numerically studied by using the spatial thin beam elements of absolute nodal coordinate formulation（ANCF）. The internal force of the elasto-plastic spatial thin beam element is derived under the assumption that the plastic strain of the beam element depends only on its longitudinal deformation.A new body-fixed local coordinate system is introduced into the spatial thin beam element of ANCF for efficient contact detection in the contact dynamics simulation. The linear isotropic hardening constitutive law is used to describe the elasto-plastic deformation of beam material, and the classical return mapping algorithm is adopted to evaluate the plastic strains. A multi-zone contact approach of thin beams previously proposed by the authors is also introduced to detect the multiple contact zones of beams accurately, and the penalty method is used to compute the normal contact force of thin beams in contact. Four numerical examples are given to demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed elasto-plastic spatial thin beam element of ANCF for flexible multibody system dynamics.

Quantitative Characterization of Interlayer Interference in Multi-Layered Sandstone Reservoirs Offshore China

X oilfield is a typical multi-layer sandstone reservoir in offshore China. In the early stage, in order to obtain economic oil production, directional well was used to adopt a set of multi-layer combined production, which resulted in serious interlayer interference, water injection inrush and low reserve utilization. Based on the theory of single-phase unstable seepage flow and the theory of oil-water two-phase non-piston displacement, the author innovatively established a mathematical model of interlayer dynamic interference in multilayer sandstone reservoirs, revealed the influence law of main controlling factors such as permeability, viscosity, starting pressure gradient and reservoir type on interlayer interference, and innovatively formed a quantitative characterization theory of interlayer interference in multilayer combined oil production. The technical demarcation of offshore multi-zone combined oil production reservoir system is formulated and the recombination of oil field development system is guided.

Study on peak overpressure and flame propagation speed of gas deflagration in the tube with obstacles

The on-way peak overpressure and flame propagation speed of gas deflagration in the tube with obstacles are important data for process safety. Based on carbon monoxide deflagration experiments, the paper presents a multi-zone integration model for calculation of on-way peak overpressure, in which the tube with obstacles is considered as a series of venting explosion enclosures which link each others. The analysis of experimental data indicates that the on-way peak overpressure of gas deflagration can be correlated as an empirical formula with equivalence ratio of carbon monoxide oxidation, expansion ratio, flame path length, etc., and that the on-way peak overpressure exhibits a linear relationship with turbulence factor and flame propagation speed. An empirical formula of flame propagation speed is given.