Optimisation of Thermal Comfort of Building in a Hot and Dry Tropical Climate: A Comparative Approach between Compressed Earth/Concrete Block Envelopes

Compressed earth blocks (CEB) are an alternative to cement blocks in the construction of wall masonry. However, the optimal architectural construction methods for adequate thermal comfort for occupants in hot and arid environments are not mastered. This article evaluates the influence of architectural and constructive modes of buildings made of CEB walls and concrete block walls, to optimize and compare their thermal comfort in the hot and dry tropical climate of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Two identical pilot buildings whose envelopes are made of CEB and concrete blocks were monitored for this study. The thermal models of the pilot buildings were implemented in the SketchUp software using an extension of EnergyPlus. The models were empirically validated after calibration against measured thermal data from the buildings. The models were used to do a parametric analysis for optimization of the thermal performances by simulating plaster coatings on the exterior of walls, airtight openings and natural ventilation depending on external weather conditions. The results show that the CEB building displays 7016 hours of discomfort, equivalent to 80.1% of the time, and the concrete building displays 6948 hours of discomfort, equivalent to 79.3% of the time. The optimization by modifications reduced the discomfort to 2918 and 3125 hours respectively;i.e. equivalent to only 33.3% for the CEB building and 35.7% for the concrete building. More study should evaluate thermal optimizations in buildings in real time of usage such as residential buildings commonly used by the local middle class. The use of CEB as a construction material and passive means of improving thermal comfort is a suitable ecological and economical option to replace cementitious material.

Impact of Street Built Environment on Human Thermal Comfort in Summer

With the continuous intensification of the global greenhouse effect,thermal comfort has become a highly concerned issue in the living environment.The study explores the influencing factors and improvement strategies of urban street thermal comfort.The urban heat island effect,environmental parameters,building layout,and green planting all have a significant impact on the thermal comfort of streets.Improvement strategies include optimizing cultivating pattern of plants,adjusting street layout,and improving paving materials of road.The multi-layer vegetation structure provides green shade,reduces local temperature,and humidifies the surrounding environment.It should adjust the street orientation and aspect ratio to provide sunlight and ventilation,and reduce ambient temperature.Paving materials with low reflectivity and light color and permeable underlying surface should be chosen to reduce heat absorption,increase shading and greenery,and improve thermal comfort.

The Impact of Sun Radiation on the Thermal Comfort in Highly Glazed Buildings Equipped with Floor Heating Systems

Occupants of highly glazed buildings often suffer from thermal discomfort during the mid-seasons when no shadings are used in such buildings,especially when inertial heating systems are used.The present study is devoted to evaluating the impact of long solar beam exposure on the internal thermal discomfort in glazed spaces when heating is implemented through a floor system.A comprehensive experimental study is carried out using an experimental bi-climatic chamber which is fully monitored and controlled,allowing realistic simulations of the dynamic movement of the sun patch on a heated slab.The findings show that a period of discomfort as long as 8 h can occur,and persist far after the sunbeam exposure stops.During this period,the heating slab’s surface temperature,considered from an average point of view,can attain 34°C while the indoor temperature reaches 26°C.Simulations conducted using a previously developed model display a good fit with the measurements.

A behavior and physiology-based decision support tool to predict thermal comfort and stress in non-pregnant,mid-gestation,and late-gestation sows

Background:Although thermal indices have been proposed for swine,none to our knowledge differentiate by reproductive stage or predict thermal comfort using behavioral and physiological data.The study objective was to develop a behavior and physiology-based decision support tool to predict thermal comfort and stress in multiparous(3.28±0.81)non-pregnant(n=11),mid-gestation(n=13),and late-gestation(n=12)sows.Results:Regression analyses were performed using PROC MIXED in SAS 9.4 to determine the optimal environmental indicator[dry bulb temperature(TDB)and dew point]of heat stress(HS)in non-pregnant,mid-gestation,and lategestation sows with respiration rate(RR)and body temperature(TB)successively used as the dependent variable in a cubic function.A linear relationship was observed for skin temperature(T_(S))indicating that TDB rather than the sow HS response impacted T_(S)and so T_(S)was excluded from further analyses.Reproductive stage was significant for all analyses(P<0.05).Heat stress thresholds for each reproductive stage were calculated using the inflections points of RR for mild HS and TB for moderate and severe HS.Mild HS inflection points differed for non-pregnant,mid-gestation,and late gestation sows and occurred at 25.5,25.1,and 24.0℃,respectively.Moderate HS inflection points differed for non-pregnant,mid-gestation,and late gestation sows and occurred at 28.1,27.8,and 25.5℃,respectively.Severe HS inflection points were similar for non-pregnant and mid-gestation sows(32.9℃)but differed for late-gestation sows(30.8℃).These data were integrated with previously collected behavioral thermal preference data to estimate the TDB that non-pregnant,mid-gestation,and late-gestation sows found to be cool(TDB<TDB preference range),comfortable(TDB=TDB preference range),and warm(TDB preference range<TDB<mild HS).Conclusions:The results of this study provide valuable information about thermal comfort and thermal stress thresholds in sows at three reproductive stages.The development of a behavior and physiology-based decision support tool to predict thermal comfort and stress in non-pregnant,mid-gestation,and late-gestation sows is expected to provide swine producers with a more accurate means of managing sow environments.

Personal Thermal Management by Radiative Cooling and Heating

Maintaining thermal comfort within the human body is crucial for optimal health and overall well-being.By merely broadening the setpoint of indoor temperatures,we could significantly slash energy usage in building heating,ventilation,and air-conditioning systems.In recent years,there has been a surge in advancements in personal thermal management(PTM),aiming to regulate heat and moisture transfer within our immediate surroundings,clothing,and skin.The advent of PTM is driven by the rapid development in nano/micro-materials and energy science and engineering.An emerging research area in PTM is personal radiative thermal management(PRTM),which demonstrates immense potential with its high radiative heat transfer efficiency and ease of regulation.However,it is less taken into account in traditional textiles,and there currently lies a gap in our knowledge and understanding of PRTM.In this review,we aim to present a thorough analysis of advanced textile materials and technologies for PRTM.Specifically,we will introduce and discuss the underlying radiation heat transfer mechanisms,fabrication methods of textiles,and various indoor/outdoor applications in light of their different regulation functionalities,including radiative cooling,radiative heating,and dual-mode thermoregulation.Furthermore,we will shine a light on the current hurdles,propose potential strategies,and delve into future technology trends for PRTM with an emphasis on functionalities and applications.

Comfortable Travel to Sichuan,the First Bend of the Yellow River

During the Yellow River Tourism Overseas Promotion Season 2023,Sichuan Province displayed the rich and vivid cultural and tourism image of the part of the Yellow River in Sichuan,specifically the cultural and tourism resources of 2 prefectures and 5 counties in Sichuan where the Yellow River flows,fully demonstrating the beautiful scenery of Sichuan.

Improvement strategy on thermophysical properties of A_(2)B_(2)O_(7)-type rare earth zirconates for thermal barrier coatings applications:A review

The A_(2)B_(2)O_(7)-type rare earth zirconate compounds have been considered as promising candidates for thermal barrier coating(TBC) materials because of their low sintering rate,improved phase stability,and reduced thermal conductivity in contrast with the currently used yttria-partially stabilized zirconia (YSZ) in high operating temperature environments.This review summarizes the recent progress on rare earth zirconates for TBCs that insulate high-temperature gas from hot-section components in gas turbines.Based on the first principles,molecular dynamics,and new data-driven calculation approaches,doping and high-entropy strategies have now been adopted in advanced TBC materials design.In this paper,the solid-state heat transfer mechanism of TBCs is explained from two aspects,including heat conduction over the full operating temperature range and thermal radiation at medium and high temperature.This paper also provides new insights into design considerations of adaptive TBC materials,and the challenges and potential breakthroughs are further highlighted for extreme environmental applications.Strategies for improving thermophysical performance are proposed in two approaches:defect engineering and material compositing.

Inherent thermal-responsive strategies for safe lithium batteries

Safe batteries are the basis for next-generation application scenarios such as portable energy storage devices and electric vehicles,which are crucial to achieving carbon neutralization.Electrolytes,separators,and electrodes as main components of lithium batteries strongly affect the occurrence of safety accidents.Responsive materials,which can respond to external stimuli or environmental change,have triggered extensive attentions recently,holding great promise in facilitating safe and smart batteries.This review thoroughly discusses recent advances regarding the construction of high-safety lithium batteries based on internal thermal-responsive strategies,together with the corresponding changes in electrochemical performance under external stimulus.Furthermore,the existing challenges and outlook for the design of safe batteries are presented,creating valuable insights and proposing directions for the practical implementation of safe lithium batteries.

A Modest But Comfortable Life

It’s been 10 days since I arrived in Eritrea,and during this time,I have been staying at the Midian Hotel in its capital,Asmara.Despite being a hotel,there was no water for shower,so I had to make do with sleeping fully clothed.During the stay of more than 10 days.

Coupling effect on the thermal hazard assessment of hazardous chemical materials via calorimetric technologies and simulation approaches

The coupling effect of heat absorption and release exists in the thermal decomposition of a few chemical materials.However,the impact of the above coupling on thermal hazard assessment is not considered in the literature studies.In this work,nitroguanidine(NQ)and 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine(RDX)are selected as representative materials to explore the influence of the coupling effect on the thermal hazard assessment of chemical materials.The linear heating experiments of NQ and RDX are carried out by a microcalorimeter and synchronous thermal analyser.The thermal decomposition curves are decoupled by advanced thermokinetics software.The thermal decomposition and kinetic parameters before and after decoupling are calculated.The results of TG experiment show that both NQ and RDX began to lose mass during the endothermic stage.The endothermic melting and exothermic decomposition of NQ and RDX are coupled within this stage.The coupling effect has different degrees of influence on its initial decomposition temperature and safety parameters.Compared with the parameters in the coupling state,the initial decomposition temperature and adiabatic induction period after decoupling decrease.The self-accelerating decomposition temperature increases,and internal thermal runaway time decreases.In the thermal hazard assessment of chemical materials with coupling effects,the calculated parameters after decoupling should be taken as an important safety index。

General three-dimensional thermal illusion metamaterials

Thermal illusion aims to create fake thermal signals or hide the thermal target from the background thermal field to mislead infrared observers,and illusion thermotics was proposed to regulate heat flux with artificially structured metamaterials for thermal illusion.Most theoretical and experimental works on illusion thermotics focus on two-dimensional materials,while heat transfer in real three-dimensional(3D)objects remains elusive,so the general 3D illusion thermotics is urgently demanded.In this study,we propose a general method to design 3D thermal illusion metamaterials with varying illusions at different sizes and positions.To validate the generality of the 3D method for thermal illusion metamaterials,we realize thermal functionalities of thermal shifting,splitting,trapping,amplifying and compressing.In addition,we propose a special way to simplify the design method under the condition that the size of illusion target is equal to the size of original heat source.The 3D thermal illusion metamaterial paves a general way for illusion thermotics and triggers the exploration of illusion metamaterials for more functionalities and applications.

Mechanism of internal thermal runaway propagation in blade batteries

Blade batteries are extensively used in electric vehicles,but unavoidable thermal runaway is an inherent threat to their safe use.This study experimentally investigated the mechanism underlying thermal runaway propagation within a blade battery by using a nail to trigger thermal runaway and thermocouples to track its propagation inside a cell.The results showed that the internal thermal runaway could propagate for up to 272 s,which is comparable to that of a traditional battery module.The velocity of the thermal runaway propagation fluctuated between 1 and 8 mm s^(-1),depending on both the electrolyte content and high-temperature gas diffusion.In the early stages of thermal runaway,the electrolyte participated in the reaction,which intensified the thermal runaway and accelerated its propagation.As the battery temperature increased,the electrolyte evaporated,which attenuated the acceleration effect.Gas diffusion affected thermal runaway propagation through both heat transfer and mass transfer.The experimental results indicated that gas diffusion accelerated the velocity of thermal runaway propagation by 36.84%.We used a 1D mathematical model and confirmed that convective heat transfer induced by gas diffusion increased the velocity of thermal runaway propagation by 5.46%-17.06%.Finally,the temperature rate curve was analyzed,and a three-stage mechanism for internal thermal runaway propagation was proposed.In Stage I,convective heat transfer from electrolyte evaporation locally increased the temperature to 100℃.In Stage II,solid heat transfer locally increases the temperature to trigger thermal runaway.In StageⅢ,thermal runaway sharply increases the local temperature.The proposed mechanism sheds light on the internal thermal runaway propagation of blade batteries and offers valuable insights into safety considerations for future design.

Highly Thermally Conductive and Structurally Ultra‑Stable Graphitic Films with Seamless Heterointerfaces for Extreme Thermal Management

Highly thermally conductive graphitic film(GF)materials have become a competitive solution for the thermal management of high-power electronic devices.However,their catastrophic structural failure under extreme alternating thermal/cold shock poses a significant challenge to reliability and safety.Here,we present the first investigation into the structural failure mechanism of GF during cyclic liquid nitrogen shocks(LNS),which reveals a bubbling process characterized by“permeation-diffusion-deformation”phenomenon.To overcome this long-standing structural weakness,a novel metal-nanoarmor strategy is proposed to construct a Cu-modified graphitic film(GF@Cu)with seamless heterointerface.This well-designed interface ensures superior structural stability for GF@Cu after hundreds of LNS cycles from 77 to 300 K.Moreover,GF@Cu maintains high thermal conductivity up to 1088 W m^(−1)K^(−1)with degradation of less than 5%even after 150 LNS cycles,superior to that of pure GF(50%degradation).Our work not only offers an opportunity to improve the robustness of graphitic films by the rational structural design but also facilitates the applications of thermally conductive carbon-based materials for future extreme thermal management in complex aerospace electronics.

Bio-PCM Panels Composed of Renewable Materials Interact with Solar Heating Systems for Building Thermal Insulation

This article aims to present the feasibility of storing thermal energy in buildings for solar water heating while maintaining the comfort environment for residential buildings.Our contribution is the creation of insulating composite panels made of bio-based phase change materials(bio-PCM is all from coconut oil),cement and renewable materials(treated wood fiber and organic clay).The inclusion of wood fibers improved the thermal properties;a simple 2%increase of wood fiber decreased the heat conductivity by approximately 23.42%.The issues of bio-PCM leakage in the cement mortar and a roughly 56.5%reduction in thermal conductivity with bio-PCM stability in composite panels can be resolved by treating wood fibers with an adjuvant by impregnating them in bio-PCM in the presence of the treated clay generated.Clay and wood fiber were treated with adjuvants that are both biological and environmentally acceptable,as confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy.The heat transfer bench(DIDATEK)showed a decrease in thermal conductivity.By using differential scanning calorimetric(DSC)analysis,the investigation of thermal stability and enthalpy during two heating cycles of pure bio-PCM and composite bio-PCM was validated.The novel renewable material was used to create composite panels for the trial prototype,which took the shape of a component attached to the solar heating system,33.57%less heat was lost,according to the heat transfer research.The outcomes demonstrated the possibility of replacing traditional electric water heating in residential buildings with solar water heating systems.

Heat transfer enhanced inorganic phase change material compositing carbon nanotubes for battery thermal management and thermal runaway propagation mitigation

Developing technologies that can be applied simultaneously in battery thermal management(BTM)and thermal runaway(TR)mitigation is significant to improving the safety of lithium-ion battery systems.Inorganic phase change material(PCM)with nonflammability has the potential to achieve this dual function.This study proposed an encapsulated inorganic phase change material(EPCM)with a heat transfer enhancement for battery systems,where Na_(2)HPO_(4)·12H_(2)O was used as the core PCM encapsulated by silica and the additive of carbon nanotube(CNT)was applied to enhance the thermal conductivity.The microstructure and thermal properties of the EPCM/CNT were analyzed by a series of characterization tests.Two different incorporating methods of CNT were compared and the proper CNT adding amount was also studied.After preparation,the battery thermal management performance and TR propagation mitigation effects of EPCM/CNT were further investigated on the battery modules.The experimental results of thermal management tests showed that EPCM/CNT not only slowed down the temperature rising of the module but also improved the temperature uniformity during normal operation.The peak battery temperature decreased from 76℃to 61.2℃at 2 C discharge rate and the temperature difference was controlled below 3℃.Moreover,the results of TR propagation tests demonstrated that nonflammable EPCM/CNT with good heat absorption could work as a TR barrier,which exhibited effective mitigation on TR and TR propagation.The trigger time of three cells was successfully delayed by 129,474 and 551 s,respectively and the propagation intervals were greatly extended as well.

On the Thermal Distribution in Oncological Hyperthermia Treatments

The temperature is one of the principal controlling parameters of oncological hyperthermia. However, local heating forms a complicated thermal distribution in space and has developed over time, too. The decisional factors are the heterogeneity of the targeted volume, the electrolyte perfusions controlled by thermal homeostasis, and the spreading of the heat energy with time. A further complication is that the energy absorption sharply changes by depth, so the spatiotemporal development of the temperature distribution requires specialized methods to control. Most of the temperature imaging facilities (thermography, radiometry, electric impedance tomography, etc.) are less precise than the medical practice needs. In contrast, precise point sensing (like thermocouples, thermistors, and fluoroptical methods) is invasive and measures only a discrete point in the robustly changing thermal map. The two most precise thermal imaging methods, computer tomography, and magnetic resonance are expensive and have numerous technical complications. Our objective is to show the complexity of the temperature distribution inside the human body, and offer a relatively simple and cheap method to visualize its spatiotemporal development. A novel emerging technology, the application of ultrasound microbubble contrast agents is a promising method for solving complicated tasks of thermal distribution deep inside the living body. Noteworthy, the temperature distribution does not determine the full hyperthermia process, nonthermal effects make considerable impact, too. Additionally to the difficulties to measure the thermal heterogeneity during hyperthermia in oncology, numerous nonthermal processes, molecular and structural changes are triggered by the incoming electromagnetic energy, which presently has no spatiotemporal visualization technique. Microbubble imaging has a suitable spatiotemporal thermal resolution, and also it is sensitive to nonthermal effects. Its application for characterization of the modulated electrohyperthermia (mEHT) may open a new theranostic facility, using the synergy of the thermal and nonthermal effects of the radiofrequency delivered energy. This complex approach gives facility to follow the mEHT processes, and the proposed microbubble ultrasound imaging has a particularly promising advantage sensing and acting also nonthermally, having potential to characterize the thermally conditioned nonthermal electromagnetic effects in oncologic hyperthermia. The mEHT combined with microbubble ultrasound images could be a robust theranostic method against cancer.

Nonreciprocal thermal metamaterials:Methods and applications

Nonreciprocity of thermal metamaterials has significant application prospects in isolation protection,unidirectional transmission,and energy harvesting.However,due to the inherent isotropic diffusion law of heat flow,it is extremely difficult to achieve nonreciprocity of heat transfer.This review presents the recent developments in thermal nonreciprocity and explores the fundamental theories,which underpin the design of nonreciprocal thermal metamaterials,i.e.,the Onsager reciprocity theorem.Next,three methods for achieving nonreciprocal metamaterials in the thermal field are elucidated,namely,nonlinearity,spatiotemporal modulation,and angular momentum bias,and the applications of nonreciprocal thermal metamaterials are outlined.We also discuss nonreciprocal thermal radiation.Moreover,the potential applications of nonreciprocity to other Laplacian physical fields are discussed.Finally,the prospects for advancing nonreciprocal thermal metamaterials are highlighted,including developments in device design and manufacturing techniques and machine learning-assisted material design.

Effect of safety valve types on the gas venting behavior and thermal runaway hazard severity of large-format prismatic lithium iron phosphate batteries

The safety valve is an important component to ensure the safe operation of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).However,the effect of safety valve type on the thermal runaway(TR)and gas venting behavior of LIBs,as well as the TR hazard severity of LIBs,are not known.In this paper,the TR and gas venting behavior of three 100 A h lithium iron phosphate(LFP)batteries with different safety valves are investigated under overheating.Compared to previous studies,the main contribution of this work is in studying and evaluating the effect of gas venting behavior and TR hazard severity of LFP batteries with three safety valve types.Two significant results are obtained:(Ⅰ)the safety valve type dominates over gas venting pressure of battery during safety venting,the maximum gas venting pressure of LFP batteries with a round safety valve is 3320 Pa,which is one order of magnitude higher than other batteries with oval or cavity safety valve;(Ⅱ)the LFP battery with oval safety valve has the lowest TR hazard as shown by the TR hazard assessment model based on gray-fuzzy analytic hierarchy process.This study reveals the effect of safety valve type on TR and gas venting,providing a clear direction for the safety valve design.

Thermal Performance Analysis of Plaster Reinforced with Raffia Vinifera Particles for Use as Insulating Materials in Building

The present study focuses on the formulation of new composite consisting of plaster and raffia vinifera particle (RVP) with the purpose to reducing energy consumption. The aim of this study is to test this new compound as an insulating eco-material in building in a tropical climate. The composites samples were developed by mixing plaster with raffia vinifera particles (RVP) using three different sizes (1.6 mm, 2.5 mm and 4 mm). The effects of four different RVP incorporations rates (i.e., 0wt%, 5wt%;10wt%;15wt%) on physical, thermal, mechanicals properties of the composites were investigated. In addition, the use of the raffia vinifera particles and plaster based composite material as building envelopes thermal insulation material is studied by the habitable cell thermal behavior instrumentation. The results indicate that the incorporation of raffia vinifera particle leads to improve the new composite physical, mechanical and thermal properties. And the parametric analysis reveals that the sampling rate and the size of raffia vinifera particles are the most decisive factor to impact these properties, and to decreases in the thermal conductivity which leads to an improvement to the thermal resistance and energy savings. The best improvement of plaster composite was obtained at the raffia vinifera particles size between 2.5 and 4.0 mm loading of 5wt% (C95P5R) with a good ratio of thermo-physical-mechanical properties. Additionally, the habitable cell experimental thermal behavior, with the new raffia vinifera particles and plaster-based composite as thermal insulating material for building walls, gives an average damping of 4°C and 5.8°C in the insulated house interior environment respectively for cold and hot cases compared to the outside environment and the uninsulated house interior environment. The current study highlights that this mixture gives the new composite thermal insulation properties applicable in the eco-construction of habitats in tropical environments.

Design and analysis of an advanced thermal management system for the solar close observations and proximity experiments spacecraft

In this paper,the mission and the thermal environment of the Solar Close Observations and Proximity Experiments(SCOPE)spacecraft are analyzed,and an advanced thermal management system(ATMS)is designed for it.The relationship and functions of the integrated database,the intelligent thermal control system and the efficient liquid cooling system in the ATMS are elaborated upon.For the complex thermal field regulation system and extreme space thermal environment,a modular simulation and thermal field planning method are proposed,and the feasibility of the planning algorithm is verified by numerical simulation.A solar array liquid cooling system is developed,and the system simulation results indicate that the temperatures of the solar arrays meet the requirements as the spacecraft flies by perihelion and aphelion.The advanced thermal management study supports the development of the SCOPE program and provides a reference for the thermal management in other deep-space exploration programs.