The Study of Thermal Mass as a Passive Design Technique for Building Comfort and Energy Efficiency

The day/night （diurnal） changes in temperature and solar radiation pose challenges for maintaining human thermal comfort in buildings. Passive and energy-conserving buildings seek to manage the available thermal energy by lowering peaks and dampening the fluctuations in order to maintain conditions for human comfort. Appropriate use of thermal mass moderates the internal temperatures by averaging diurnal extremes. Thermal mass is one of the powerful tools which architects and designers can use to control temperature. It can be used to optimize the performance of energy-conserving buildings that rely primarily on mechanical heating and cooling strategies. Massive building envelopes-such as masonry, concrete, earth, and insulating concrete forms （ICFs） can be utilized as one of the simplest ways of reducing building heating and cooling loads. This article analyses the role and effectiveness of thermal mass as a strategy for providing indoor thermal comfort for passive solar and energy conserving buildings.

Research on the Definition and Influence of New Production of Ship Industry Index of Energy Efficiency on the Ship Design Process

In this paper, we conduct research on the definition and influence of new production of ship industry index of energy efficiency on the ship design process. Ship energy saving is the key to energy saving ship form optimization design. In the ship under the conditions of use, and to optimize the design of the hull lines with boat, minimize the ship resistance, with the final choice of ship host fuel-sipping. Our research combine the characteristics of the energy efficiency with the shipbuilding industry with the novel and innovative design pattern which will be meaningful.

Discussion on the Intelligent Design of Ultra-Low Energy Consumption Passive Buildings

With the continuous development of science and technology and the gradual improvement of modem building technology, people pay more and more attention to the introduction of advanced technology in architectural design, such as the application of intelligent technology. With the increasingly severe environmental situation, people are increasingly demanding the environmental performance and green performance of buildings. The establishment of ultra-low energy consumption passive buildings has become one of the key construction contents of construction projects. This paper mainly analyzes the design points and architectural forms of related buildings from the perspective of intelligent control.

Research on the Definition and Influence of New Production of Ship Industry Index of Energy Efficiency on the Ship Design Process

In this paper, we conduct research on the definition and influence of new production of ship industry index of energy efficiency on the ship design process. Ship energy saving is the key to energy saving ship form optimization design. In the ship under the conditions of use, and to optimize the design of the hull lines with boat, minimize the ship resistance, with the final choice of ship host fuel-sipping. Our research combine the characteristics of the energy efficiency with the shipbuilding industry with the novel and innovative design pattern which will be meaningful.

An Innovative Architectural Strategy for the Integration of Energy Issues into the Design Process of a Commercial Center in Switzerland

In a context of growing efforts to develop sustainability strategies, energy-related issues occupy central stage in the built environment. Thus, the energy performance of housings has improved radically over the past decades. Yet other types of buildings, in particular commercial centers, haven’t received the same level of interest. As a result, there is a need for effective and practical measures to decrease their energy consumption, both for heating and electricity. The objective of the paper is to demonstrate that it is possible, through coherent strategies, to integrate energy issues and bioclimatic principles into the design process of commercial centers. It analyzes the exemplary case study of Marin Commercial Center (Switzerland). The interdisciplinary approach, based on integrated design strategies, aimed at increasing the energy efficiency while keeping the cost comparable to the market cost. The main design principles include natural ventilation, nighttime cooling with energy recovery and natural lighting, as well as optimization of mechanical systems. The results of the simulations show that Marin Center attains the best energy performance observed so far among Swiss commercial centers. It also meets the Swiss Minergie standard. The paper thus questions traditional design processes and outlines the need for interdisciplinary evaluation and monitoring approaches tailored for commercial centers. Even though most crucial decisions are taken during the early stages, all phases of the process require systematic optimization strategies, especially operating stages. Recommendations include legal measures, in particular in the fields of ventilation and air-conditioning, education, professional development and technology transfer, and financial incentives for the replacement of energy intensive installations.

Development of an Energy Efficiency Design Index for Inland Vessels of Bangladesh

More than 10000 different types of ship ply the waters of Bangladesh all year round,but the performance of these ships in terms of CO2 emission is not known and regulations related to energy efficiency of inland waterway ships remain nonexistent.This paper attempts to assess the present situation of inland class vessels in terms of Energy Efficiency Design Index(EEDI).With the use of a developed database of inland vessels in Bangladesh,EEDI reference lines for different types of inland vessels in Bangladesh were established and then compared with those of other countries.The present EEDI of existing inland vessels was investigated.Results indicate that most of the existing vessels do not meet the current EEDI baseline.Hence,new guidelines are necessary to achieve EEDI compliance in the near future.Some recommendations were proposed for improving CO2 emissions,with the socioeconomic and technical factors in Bangladesh taken into consideration.

Smart Building Design to Improve the Energy Consumption at an Office Room

Buildings are becoming smarter as a result of a variety of advanced technologies that enable energy management, optimal space utilization, and smart surveillance for safety, among other things. Energy-efficient smart building ideas and execution are of great interest and top priority due to the building’s occupants’ misused and high-power consumption. This paper addresses the design and execution of an energy management system that includes a solar power system for generating power for the building’s needs and a PIR-based automation system for efficient power use. This project was carried out at the Military Technological College (MTC) in Muscat, in the system engineering department’s offices. This project seeks to generate power for the building’s energy needs using solar photovoltaic panels and reduce energy consumption within the office using a PIR-based automation system. The results demonstrate that after the breakeven point (the time it takes to recoup the initial investment), it can provide power to the building for another 17 years. The calculations and practical results presented in this study approve that the system is extremely helpful.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY:DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENCY OF HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDINGS

Tall buildings are being designed and built across a wide range of cities.A poorly designed tall building can tremendously increase the building’s appetite for energy.Therefore,this paper aims to determine the design strategies that help a high-rise office building to be more energy efficient.For this purpose,a comparative study on twelve case buildings in three climate groups(temperate,sub-tropical&tropical)was performed.The exterior envelope,building form and orientation,service core placement,plan layout,and special design elements like atria and sky gardens were the subject of investigation.effectiveness of different design strategies for reducing the cooling,heating,ventilation and electric lighting energy usage.Finally,lessons from these buildings’were defined for the three climates.Furthermore,a compari-son of building energy performance data with international benchmarks confirmed that in temperate and sub-tropical climates sustainable design strategies for high-rise buildings were performing well,as a result leading to lower energy consump-tion.However,for the tropics the design of high-rise buildings needs additional consideration.

Developing and Applying a Ship Operation Energy Efficiency Evaluation Index Using SEEMP: a Case Study of South Korea

The CO2 emission reduction policy of the International Maritime Organization(IMO)recommends that the operation of ships,managed by maritime transport companies,should be energy-efficient.An evaluation method that can determine how successfully a ship implements the energy efficiency plan is proposed in this study.To develop this method,the measures required for energy-efficient ship operations according to the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan(SEEMP)operational guidelines were selected.The weights of the selected measures,which indicate how they contribute to the energy-efficient operation of a ship,were derived using a survey based on the analytic hierarchy process(AHP)method.Consequently,using these measures and their weights,a new evaluation method was proposed.This evaluation method was applied to shipping companies in South Korea,and their ship operation energy efficiency indices were derived and compared.This evaluation method will be useful to the government and shipping companies in assessing the energy efficiency of ship operations.

Study on the influence of armature on the efficiency of reluctance accelerator

The armature is an important part affecting the energy conversion efficiency of a reluctance accelerator.In this paper,six kinds of soft magnetic materials are chosen and four structures are designed for the armature.At first,the circuit and magnetic force are theoretically analyzed.Then the armatures with different materials and structures are used in the simulation,and the performances are compared and analyzed.At last,the experiment verifies the theory analysis and simulation design.It is concluded that the saturation flux density and conductivity of the material are the key factors affecting the armature force,and the optimization of armature structure can effectively restrain the eddy current,reduce negative force and improve efficiency.Compared with cutting slits in solid armatures,laminating the sheets radially can reduce the eddy current more efficiently.Although slitting can prevent the eddy current to a certain extent,meanwhile,it will decrease the magnetic force because of the losing of magnetized volume and the surface area.Hence,choosing the high saturation flux density material and making out the armature with radially_laminated sheets will improve the efficiency of the reluctance accelerator.In this paper,the silicon steel radially_laminated armature is a better choice for the armature design of the reluctance accelerator.

Design of low-energy building and energy consumption analyses

In China,a new "Design standard for energy efficiency of residential buildings (for cold region)" was introduced in 2006. In this new standard,more high level insulation of the building envelope is required,yearly energy requirement for heating must be less than 55 kWh/(m2·a)(regarded as a low-energy house). The new attempt was carried out in the process of architecture design with an evaluation on energy consumption of the building. The design plan was brought forward and compared. PHPP software from German was applied to calculate energy consumption of the passive residential building. The optimum design planning was discussed and model of passive house suited to China's national conditions were attempted. The compactness,solar air collector and the window-wall ratio have essential influence on the energy consumption of buildings. The annual heat demands for the buildings with the window-wall ratio 0.35 and 0.50 are 48 kWh/(m2·a) and 46 kWh/(m2·a),respectively. The yearly auxiliary heat of building with the wall-mounted solar air collectors and the window-wall ratio 0.35 is just 4.8 kWh/(m2·a).

Research on Energy Efficiency Design Index for Sea-going LNG Carriers

This paper describes the characteristics of liquefied natural gas （LNG） carriers briefly. The LNG carrier includes power plant selection, vapor treatment, liquid cargo tank type, etc. Two parameters fuel substitution rate and recovery of boil of gas （BOG） volume to energy efficiency design index （EEDI） formula are added, and EEDI formula of LNG carriers is established based on ship EEDI formula. Then, based on steam turbine propulsion device of LNG carriers, mathematical models of LNG carriers＇ reference line value are established in this paper. By verification, the EEDI formula of LNG carriers described in this paper can provide a reference for LNG carrier EEDI calculation and green shipbuilding.

Design on rural eco-house in cold areas of Northern China

Many kinds of factors that influence rural housing construction in Northern China are analyzed systematically and the connections between them are weighed from ecology and sustainable angles, so that an optimized green house can be built. At the same time, the energy efficient envelope structure and the method of choosing insulation material in the cost of unit thermal resistance are proposed. Integrated quality evaluation by computer shows that thermal comfort in the house would be improved remarkably for the value of PPD drops from 35%-40% to 15%, the rate of saving energy is 51.73%, much higher than the third goal of saving energy in China, and the comprehensive ecological benefit achieves good effect so as to promote the sustainable development of rural housing and community in cold areas of Northern China.

Design Analysis of DC-DC Converters Connected to a Photovoltaic Generator and Controlled by MPPT for Optimal Energy Transfer throughout a Clear Day

The DC-DC converters are widely used in photovoltaic generating systems as an interface between PV module and the load. These converters must be chosen to be able to match the maximum power point (MPP) of PV module when climatic conditions change with different resistive load values. So DC-DC converters must be used with MPPT controller in order to reduce losses in the global PV system. This article focuses on the effect of climatic conditions on design of two components (inductance, capacitance) for three topologies of DC-DC converters commonly used in PV systems. When climatic conditions change, the boundary of inductance and capacitance parameters of DC-DC converter will change. These two parameters must be properly sized to achieve optimal efficiency for each converter. The design optimization is based on two principles: 1) for a steady-state operation in a continuous conduction mode, the inductance value for all choppers must be greater than the maximum value of boundary inductance, and 2) in order to limit the output voltage ripple of DC-DC converter below a desired value, the filter capacitance must be larger than the maximum value of boundary capacitance.

Passive Design and Building Renovation in the Mediterranean Area： New Sensitive Approach for Sustainability

The criteria of sustainable design have been already received for reducing heating energy consumption （i.e. Passivhaus standard and first fulfillment of the EPDB Directive）. Nowadays, many research are being involved to extend the passive standard to buildings in mild climate areas. Compared to building efficiency in the middle European area, the requirements for sustainable development of construction in the Mediterranean area imply an higher and more articulated passive control of outside/inside energy flows in order to extend energy efficiency measures to the whole year. This is based on an intense interaction between external climatic conditions and the building whole performance, with a dynamic behavior according to climate seasonal changes and inside comfort. Consequently, the integrated design of building fabrics, conceived not as separated components but as complex organism and system of interaction, increases its potential and strategic aim for reducing building consumptions of whole year in the mild climate. This paper demonstrates, both in new constructions and in the renovation of existing buildings, that the whole performance approach is the most suitable for sustainable design in a typical Mediterranean climate in order to increase the efficiency with controlled investments. The aim of this research is to show, through some case studies in Sardinia, that this sensitive and performance approach could optimize the ratio between economic costs and energy and environmental benefits. Only through an integrated and intelligent design of the architectural organism it is possible to achieve the new targets for sustainable building development, even for mild climate areas, required by European Directive 2002/91/EC.

Bionic Design and Simulation Analysis of Energy⁃Efficient and Vibration⁃Damping Walking Mechanism

African ostrich can run for 30 min at a speed of 60 km/h in the desert,and its hindlimb has excellent energy saving and vibration damping performance.In order to realize the energy⁃efficient and vibration⁃damping design of the leg mechanism of the legged robot,the principle of engineering bionics was applied.According to the passive rebound characteristic of the intertarsal joint of the ostrich foot and the characteristic of variable output stiffness of the ostrich hindlimb,combined with the proportion and size of the structure of the ostrich hindlimb,the bionic rigid⁃flexible composite legged robot single⁃leg structure was designed.The locomotion of the bionic mechanical leg was simulated by means of ADAMS.Through the motion simulation analysis,the influence of the change of the inner spring stiffness coefficient within a certain range on the vertical acceleration of the body centroid and the motor power consumption was studied,and the optimal stiffness coefficient of the inner spring was obtained to be 200 N/mm,and it was further verified that the inner and outer spring mechanism could effectively reduce the energy consumption of the mechanical leg.Simulation results show that the inner and outer spring mechanism could effectively reduce the motor energy consumption by about 72.49%.

Verification of the Passive House Concept to the South of Brazil Climate

The high impact of the building＇s sector on energy consumption and on the environment has led to increased concerns on the performance of indoor thermal buildings, and led many countries to define stricter requirements for their building legislation. In 2010, the European Union has established that by the end of 2020 all new buildings must have energy consumption close to zero （NZEBs （nearly zero energy buildings））, increasing the pursue for more efficient building design. One way to achieve buildings with low energy consumption while maintaining a high thermal comfort is the passive house concept. The paper presents an architectural project designed to meet the Passive House requirements for the climate of southern Brazil. The energy balance was carried out using the energy balance toot-PHPP （passive house planning package）, that verified the compliance of the prerequisites required for certification, which are related to the primary energy consumption, heating, cooling demand and overheating rate of the building.

Towards Enhancing the Effectiveness of Classroom Designs for Natural Ventilation Comfort in Yola, Nigeria

Given the perennial incidence of thermal discomfort, health issues, as well as energy costs associated with naturally ventilated classrooms in Yola, the study aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of classroom designs for natural ventilation comfort by examining the effects of six architectural design variables—size and position of openings, form of buildings, orientation of buildings, site planning, topography, and physical features, on the ventilation coefficients of 61 classrooms selected from nine stratified clusters in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. Data were analyzed using percentages, ratios, means as well as standard deviation, and then sorted in groups using tables. The study revealed that the form and orientation of the classroom-buildings, as well as topography, site planning and other physical features, have no significant effect on ventilation coefficient. In addition, a new mean ventilation coefficient was obtained in ten classrooms against an earlier claim that ventilation coefficient cannot exceed a fixed average regardless of the ratio of wall opening to floor area.

Evaluation of Radon Indoor Pollution Risk in High Efficiency Energy Buildings

The target of achieving high energy efficiency standard in order to comply with the EU Directives is leading to remarkable efforts to improve the performance of the building envelope. Excellent thermal insulation and airtight sealing of leakages are of the utmost importance to fulfil the expected targets. Unfortunately, airtightness produces the negative effect of increasing the indoor concentration of air pollutants like radon. Despite the seriousness of the problem is generally misconceived, long-term exposition to radon is acknowledged to be the second cause of lung cancer after smoke. The paper outlines the implications for the building sector and focuses on design and preventive criteria as well as on mitigation and remedial techniques.

Discussion on Electrical Design of Passive Residential Building

As the national buildings in each climate zone and passive low energy consumption building demonstration projects expand,there has been a wave of innovation across the construction industry.China is also becoming a hot zone for energy-efficient and high-performance passive buildings.Along with the traditional passive building structure,steel structure passive construction,assembled PC structure passive construction such as the emergence of various types of passive construction,as well as a variety of new building materials,doors and Windows,and air conditioning air equipment,put forward a new challenge for building electrical engineering design personnel and requirements.