Performance of Thermal Insulation of Different Composite Walls and Roofs Materials Used for Energy Efficient Building Construction in Iraq

This study numerically involves the performance of thermal insulation of different types of composite walls and roofs to demonstrate the best model that can be used for energy-efficient building construction in Iraq.The mathematical model is solved by building its code using the Transmission Matrix Method in MATLAB software.The weather data of 21st July 2022 in Baghdad City/Iraq is selected as a test day.The wall types are selected:the first type consists of cement mortar,brick,and gypsum,the second type consists of cement mortar,brick,gypsum,and plaster and the third type consists of cement mortar,brick,gypsum,air cavity,and sheathing timber.The roof types are chosen:the first type consists of reinforced concrete,gypsum,and plaster,and the second type consists of the precast concrete flag,river sand,tar,reinforced concrete,gypsum,and plaster.The obtained solutions are compared with previous studies for the same city but with different types of walls and roofs.The findings display that the second and third types of walls reduce the entry heat flux by 4%and 10%as compared to the first type of wall.Also,the results indicate that the second type of roof reduces the entry heat flux by 21%as compared to the first type of roof.The results confirm that the best models of walls and roofs in Iraq are the third and second types,respectively,as compared to other models and hence,the performance of insulation material strongly depends on the materials used while building them.

Composite Panels from the Combination of Rice Husk and Wood Chips with a Natural Resin Based on Tannins Reinforced with Sugar Cane Molasses Intended for Building Insulation: Physico-Mechanical and Thermal Properties

The objective of this work is to develop new biosourced insulating composites from rice husks and wood chips that can be used in the building sector. It appears from the properties of the precursors that rice chips and husks are materials which can have good thermal conductivity and therefore the combination of these precursors could make it possible to obtain panels with good insulating properties. With regard to environmental and climatic constraints, the composite panels formulated at various rates were tested and the physico-mechanical and thermal properties showed that it was essential to add a crosslinker in order to increase certain solicitation. an incorporation rate of 12% to 30% made it possible to obtain panels with low thermal conductivity, a low surface water absorption capacity and which gives the composite good thermal insulation and will find many applications in the construction and real estate sector. Finally, new solutions to improve the fire reaction of the insulation panels are tested which allows to identify suitable solutions for the developed composites. In view of the flame tests, the panels obtained are good and can effectively combat fire safety in public buildings.

Influence of moisture on the interface charge of oil-pressboard composite insulation under DC voltage

The distortion of the electric field in the oil–pressboard composite insulation caused by the accumulation of the interface charge is detrimental to both the insulation design and operation of converter transformers.The influence of moisture content on the surface charge accumulation of oil–pressboard insulation under DC voltage was studied in this study.In accordance with the Kerr electro-optic effect,the electric field strengths in transformer oil and the surface charge density were acquired after applying the positive and negative DC voltages in three oil–pressboard insulation models with different moisture content,respectively.The resistivities of the oil and pressboard in three models,namely Model 1#with 3.8–4.2 ppm moisture in oil and 0.35–0.37%moisture in pressboard,Model 2#with 7.6–7.9 ppm moisture in oil and 0.79–0.82%moisture in pressboard and Model 3#with 14.9–15.4 ppm moisture in oil and 1.39–1.42%moisture in pressboard,was also measured.The results indicate that:(i)as negative charges in oil accumulated on the pressboard surface in a much greater speed than the positive ones,the electric field in transformer oil under negative DC voltage decreases more rapidly with time than that under positive DC voltage;(ii)the increase of the moisture content in both oil and pressboard,under either positive or negative DC voltage,leads to the decrease of both the electric field strength in transformer oil and the charge density with time;and(iii)the increase of moisture content could not only decrease the resistivity of both oil and pressboard,but also the ratio of the resistivity between the pressboard and the oil.On the basis of the Maxwell–Wagner theory,the decrease of the ratio between the pressboard and oil could lead to the decrease of the interfacial charge density,leading to the slow transient process of the electric field in transformer oil under DC voltage.

Performance improvement of Fe-6.5Si soft magnetic composites with hybrid phosphate-silica insulation coatings

Fe-6.5Si soft magnetic composites(SMCs)with hybrid phosphate-silica insulation coatings have been designed to improve their comprehensive property via chemical coating combining sol-gel method in this work.The microstructure and magnetic performance of the Fe-6.5Si SMCs with hybrid phosphate-silica insulation coatings were investigated.The hybrid phosphate-silica coatings with high heat resistance and high withstand pressure,formed on the surface of the Fe-6.5Si ferromagnetic powders,were found stable in the composites.Compared with Fe-6.5Si SMCs coated by single phosphate or single silica,Fe-6.5Si SMCs with hybrid phosphate-silica show much higher permeability and lower core loss.The work provides a new way to optimize the magnetic performance of soft magnetic composites.

Experimental study on axial compressive behaviors of prefabricated composite thermal insulation walls after single-side fire exposure

The axial bearing capacity of prefabricated composite walls composed of inner and outer concrete wythes,expandable polystyrene(EPS)boards and steel sleeve connectors is investigated.An experimental study on the axial bearing capacity of four prefabricated composite walls after fire treatment is carried out.Two of the prefabricated composite walls are normal-temperature specimens,and the others are treated with fire.The damage modes and crack development are observed,and the axial bearing capacity,lateral deformation of the specimens,and the concrete and reinforcing bar strain are tested.The results show that the ultimate bearing capacity of specimens after a fire is less than that of normal-temperature specimens;when the insulation board thicknesses are 40 mm and 60 mm,the decrease amplitudes are 20.8%and 16.8%,respectively.The maximum lateral deformation of specimens after a fire is greater than that of normal-temperature specimens,and under the same level of load,the lateral deformation increases as the insulation board thickness increases.Moreover,the strain values of the concrete and reinforcing bars of specimens after a fire are greater than those of normal-temperature specimens,and the strain values increase as the thickness of insulation board increases.

Sodium Nitrate Passivation as a Novel Insulation Technology for Soft Magnetic Composites

Sodium nitrate passivation has been developed as a new insulation technology for the production of FeSiAl soft magnetic composites (SMCs). In this work, the evolution of coating layers grown at different pH values is investigated involving analyses on their composition and microstructure. An insulation coating obtained using an acidic NaNO_(3) solution is found to contain Fe2O_(3), SiO_(2), Al2O_(3), and AlO(OH). The Fe2O_(3) transforms into Fe3O4 with weakened oxidizability of the NO_(3)– at an elevated pH, whereas an alkaline NaNO_(3) solution leads to the production of Al2O_(3), AlO(OH), and SiO_(2). Such growth is explained from both thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives and is correlated to the soft magnetic properties of the FeSiAl SMCs. Under tuned passivation conditions, optimal performance with an effective permeability of 97.2 and a core loss of 296.4 mW∙cm−3 is achieved at 50 kHz and 100 mT.

MXene@c-MWCNT Adhesive Silica Nanofiber Membranes Enhancing Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Thermal Insulation Performance in Extreme Environments

A lightweight flexible thermally stable composite is fabricated by com-bining silica nanofiber membranes(SNM)with MXene@c-MWCNT hybrid film.The flexible SNM with outstanding thermal insulation are prepared from tetraethyl orthosilicate hydrolysis and condensation by electrospinning and high-temperature calcination;the MXene@c-MWCNT_(x:y)films are prepared by vacuum filtration tech-nology.In particular,the SNM and MXene@c-MWCNT_(6:4)as one unit layer(SMC_(1))are bonded together with 5 wt%polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)solution,which exhibits low thermal conductivity(0.066 W m^(-1)K^(-1))and good electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding performance(average EMI SE_(T),37.8 dB).With the increase in func-tional unit layer,the overall thermal insulation performance of the whole composite film(SMC_(x))remains stable,and EMI shielding performance is greatly improved,especially for SMC_(3)with three unit layers,the average EMI SET is as high as 55.4 dB.In addition,the organic combination of rigid SNM and tough MXene@c-MWCNT_(6:4)makes SMC_(x)exhibit good mechanical tensile strength.Importantly,SMC_(x)exhibit stable EMI shielding and excellent thermal insulation even in extreme heat and cold environment.Therefore,this work provides a novel design idea and important reference value for EMI shielding and thermal insulation components used in extreme environmental protection equipment in the future.

Fabrication and Thermal Insulating Properties of ITO/PVB Nanocomposites for Energy Saving Glass

Chemical co-precipitation method was used to synthesize tin-doped indium oxide（ITO）nanoparticles,and the subsequent solution co-blend was employed to fabricate ITO/PVB nanocomposites.UV（Ultra-violet）-Vis（Visible）-NIR（Near Infrared） spectra show that the addition of ITO nano particles can significantly enhance the thermal insulating efficiency of ITO/PVB nanocomposites.With increasing ITO content,the thermal insulating efficiency is increased.UV is almost fully absorbed by all ITO/PVB nanocomposites.Vis transmittance-haze spectra reveal that ITO/PVB nanocomposites exhibit higher Vis transmittance over 71.3%and lower haze below 2%when ITO content is in the range of 0.1 wt%-0.7 wt%.The UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy shows that,under the premise of over 70%transmittance to the visible light,the screening effect of the NIR can be enhanced by 80%with 0.7%ITO/PVB nanocomposite membrane compared with the undoped PVB.The thermal insulating tests indicate that,in comparison with the pure PVB film,nanocomposite films with 0.1 wt%-0.9 wt%ITO can reduce temperature by 3-8 ℃.The results show that this novel nanocomposite can be used for energy-saving glass.

Fabrication and Thermal Insulating Properties of ATO/PVB Nanocomposites for Energy Saving Glass

The pechini method was used to synthesize antimony-doped tin oxide （ATO） nanoparticles, and the subsequent solution co-blend was employed to fabricate ATO/PVB nanocomposites. Uv-Vis-NIR spectra show that the addition ofATO nano particles can significantly enhance the thermal insulating efficiency of ATO/PVB nanocomposites. With the increase of ATO content, the thermal insulating efficiency is increased. Uv is almost fully absorbed by all ATO/PVB nanocomposites. Vis transmittance-haze spectra reveal that ATO/ PVB nanocomposites exhibit higher Vis transmittance of over 72.7% and lower haze of below 2% when ATO content is in the range of 0.1 wt%-0.5 wt%. The thermal insulating tests indicate that in comparison with the pure PVB film, nanocomposite films with 0.1 wt%-0.5 wt% ATO can reduce temperature of 1-3 ℃, suggesting that this novel nanocomposite can be used for energy-saving glass.

Surface Structure of Aged Composite Insulator Studied by Slow Positron Beam

Slow positron beam was applied to study the depth profile structure of the virgin and the aged high-temperature vulcanized silicone rubber(HTV). Scanning electron microscope(SEM) images show that the surface of virgin sample is smooth, while the outdoor aged samples are all rough. According to the S(E) curves obtained by slow positron beam, in a depth of more than 1 μm, the S parameter of the sample aged at low-potential side keeps the same value with the virgin one;while the S values of the highpotential side aged sample remain rather low in a depth of about 5 μm. Thermo gravimetric analysis(TGA) results show that the sample in high potential side contains more inorganic constituents than that of other samples. The results are attributed to the strong electric field induced corona aging at high potential side of the composite insulator.

Preparation and characterization of carbonyl iron soft magnetic composites with magnesioferrite insulating coating layer

Spherical carbonyl iron(Fe)powders were coated with magnesioferrite(MgFe2O4)insulating coating layer and then mixed with epoxy-modified silicone resin(ESR).Soft magnetic composites(SMCs)were fabricated by compaction of the coated powders and annealing treatment.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS),X-ray diffractometry(XRD)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)revealed that the MgFe2O4 layer was coated on the surface of the iron powders.The magnetic properties of SMCs were determined using a vibrating sample magnetometer and an auto testing system for magnetic materials.The results showed that the SMCs prepared at 800 MPa and 550℃ exhibited a significant core loss of 167.5 W/kg at 100 kHz and 50 mT.

Fiber Bragg grating monitors for thermal and stress of the composite insulators in transmission lines

Running composite insulators are prone to failure due to their harsh surrounding work environment, which directly affects the safe operation of transmission lines. This paper puts forward the method of using fiber Bragg grating(FBG) as the monitors to parameters correlated with thermal and stress of the composite insulators in transmission lines at working status. Firstly, monitoring points are found out by the mechanical test on composite insulator samples. Secondly, based on the monitoring theory, this paper introduces the feasibility design frame of the composite insulator with FBG implanted in the rod and the online monitor system. At last, it describes applications of this monitor system in the field of transmission lines.

Edge Detection of Composite Insulators Hydrophobic Image Based on Improved Canny Operator

The detection of hydrophobicity is an important way to evaluate the performance of composite insulators, which is helpful to the safe operation of composite insulators. Image processing technology is used to judge the hydrophobicity of composite insulators, which makes detection results more accurate and overcomes the subjective drawbacks of traditional detection methods.?As the traditional Canny operator requires manual intervention in selecting the variance of the Gaussian filter and the threshold, the paper presents a method of edge detection based on improved Canny operator. First, the adaptive median filter replaces the Gaussian filter, which can eliminate the impact from the variance of Gaussian filter and remove noise according to the characteristics of the image itself. Then the Ostu threshold method is used to select the best threshold automatically, which makes the edge detection be more continuous and reduce the presence of fake edges. The results show that the operator is applicable to all hydrophobic images.

Effect of Surface Charge on Flashover for Oil-Pressboard Insulation under AC-DC Combined Electric Field

For converter transformer, AC-DC combined electric field can trigger space charge accumulation on oil-impregnated pressboard interface. The accumulation of space charge on oil-pressboard interface can result in electric field distortion, trend to trigger surface discharge of barriers. This paper studied the influence of surface charge on flashover voltage of oil-impregnated pressboard under AC-DC combined electric field. The study finds that the flashover voltage of oil-pressboard interface under negative polarity DC superimposed AC electric field is higher than that.of positive DC superimposed AC voltage to form composite electric field. It was found that homopolar surface charge has been accumulated on the interface of oil-pressboard with positive or negative DC voltage through measuring surface potential by the electrostatic capacitive probe. The surface charge produced electric field in the opposite direction, which weakening the synthetic electric field strength. What＇s more, under the same conditions, the negative surface charge density oil-pressboard is much larger than the positive.

Aging Characteristics and Influencing Factors of the Sheds of Composite Insulators in Karst Regions of China

In recent years,more and more high-voltage overhead transmission lines were built passing through the karst regions in southwestern China.This type of special landform seems to have an adverse effect on the aging of the sheds of the line suspension composite insulators,which may lead to unexpected flashover and line tripping.In order to find out the particularity of the aging characteristics of insulators operating in the karst regions,samples in operation were selected from both the karst regions and the flatlands.Hydrophobicity,amount of surface contamination,and contaminant composition of the sheds were studied,then a comparison of performance between the two was made,and the possible influencing factors that cause such differences were discussed.The results show that the overall aging of the sheds of the composite insulators operating at the karst regions is more aggravated,which is caused by the combined influence of factors including the special topography,climate,and pollution in the area.The strong wind crossing the col will bring about the mutual scraping on the edges and stress concentration at the root of the sheds,leaving scratches and root cracks;the infiltration from these rupture of acid liquid,if any,will accelerate the aging and corroding of the internal silicone rubber material;moreover,the carbonates enriched on the surface of the sheds will gradually transform into more corrosive sulfates in an acidic environment,leading to further deterioration and chalking of the sheds of the insulators.The research work in this paper can provide guidance for the current operation and maintenance of composite insulators in the karst areas,as well as having important reference values for the layout design and insulation configuration of transmission lines to be built across karst landforms in the future.

Numerical Simulation of Contamination Accumulation Characteristics of Composite Insulators in Salt Fog Environment

To investigate the fouling characteristics of the composite insulator surface under the salt fog environment,the FXBW-110/120-2 composite insulator was taken as the research object.Based on the field-induced charge mechanism,the multi-physical field coupling software COMSOL was used to numerically simulate the fouling characteristics,explored the calculation method of ESDD,and demonstrated its rationality.Based on this method,the pollution characteristics of the composite insulator under the pollution fog environment were studied,and the influence of wind speed,droplet size,and voltage type on the pollution characteristics of the composite insulator was analyzed.The results showed that:with the increase in wind speed,the amount of accumulated pollution of insulator increases in the range of droplet size,and the relationship between wind speed and accumulated pollution is approximately linear;at the same wind speed,the amount of accumulated pollution increases with the increase of droplet size under the action of DC voltage;when there is no voltage,the amount of dirt on the upper surface of the insulator is more than that on the lower surface,while it is the opposite under DC voltage.

A Study on Impervious and Heat-Insulating Performance of Geomembrane Composites Within Breakwater

This paper investigates the performance of geomembrane composites used as impervious and heat-insulating lining within a breakwater for a power station. The seepage field, distribution of stress-strain contour and seepage discharge of hot water which has been treated as the inner thermal source in the calculation of heat-insulation, have been given by three-dimensional calculation method coupling seepage with stress. The results indicate that the impervious and heat-insulation effect of geomembrane composites is significant.

The Origin of the Giant Hall Effect in Metal-Insulator Composites

Near the metal-insulator transition, the Hall coefficient R of metal-insulator composites (M-I composite) can be up to 104 times larger than that in the pure metal called Giant Hall effect. Applying the physical model for alloys with phase separation developed in [1] [2], we conclude that the Giant Hall effect is caused by an electron transfer away from the metallic phase to the insulating phase occupying surface states. These surface states are the reason for the granular structure typical for M-I composites. This electron transfer can be described by [1] [2], provided that long-range diffusion does not happen during film production (n is the electron density in the phase A. uA and uB are the volume fractions of the phase A (metallic phase) and phase B (insulator phase). β is a measure for the average potential difference between the phases A and B). A formula for calculation of R of composites is derived and applied to experimental data of granular Cu1-y(SiO2)y and Ni1-y(SiO2)y films.

Shed Hydrophobic Cycloaliphatic Epoxy （S-HCEP）- a New Cost-efficient Housing Material for Composite Insulators

Araldite S-HCEP,a new cost-efficient alternative housing material for composite insulators is briefly presented.Main topics of this paper are the results of two new studies on this material:①UV-weathering resistance in terms of hydrophobicity,roughness increase,surface resistance and flexibility.②Leakage current behavior under salt fog conditions in comparison to other materials.