Numerical Study on the Suitability of Passive Solar Heating Technology Based on Differentiated Thermal Comfort Demand

Indoor thermal comfort and passive solar heating technologies have been extensively studied.However,few studies have explored the suitability of passive solar heating technologies based on differentiated thermal comfort demands.This work took the rural dwellings in Northwest China as the research object.First,the current indoor and outdoor thermal environment in winter and the mechanism of residents’differentiated demand for indoor thermal comfort were obtained through tests,questionnaires,and statistical analysis.Second,a comprehensive passive optimized design of existing buildings was conducted,and the validity of the optimized combination scheme was explored using DesignBuilder software.Finally,the suitability of passive solar heating technology for each region in Northwest China was analyzed based on residents’differentiated demand for indoor thermal comfort.The regions were then classified according to the suitability of the technology for these.The results showed that the indoor heating energy consumption was high and the indoor thermal environment was not ideal,yet the solar energy resources were abundant.Indoor comfort temperature indexes that match the functional rooms and usage periods were proposed.For the buildings with the optimized combination scheme,the average indoor temperature was increased significantly and the temperature fluctuation was decreased dramatically.Most regions in Northwest China were suitable for the development of passive solar heating technology.Based on the obtained suitability of the technology for the regions of Northwest China,these were classified into most suitable,more suitable,less suitable,and unsuitable regions.

Technology Roadmap for Space Solar Power Proposed by Chinese Scientists

As a result of Japan raising the alert level at its quake-damaged nuclear plant from four to seven on a seven-point international scale of atomic incidents,which was caused by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake

Book review:Solar chimney power generating technology

Since Prof. Jorg SCHLAICH from the University of Stuttgart in Germany built the first solar chimney power plant （SCPP） prototype in the early 1980s, research on SCPP technology has aroused worldwide attention from experiment, to theory and then feasibility studies for large-scale commercial application.

Heating load reduction characteristics of passive solar buildings in Tibet,China

China’s Tibet autonomous region has abundant solar energy resources,cold winters,and cool summers.These are ideal conditions for the application of passive solar heating methods.However,differences in climatic conditions and building types can significantly affect passive solar technology’s feasibility,which makes it challenging to promote passive solar buildings in Tibet.In this study,the suitability zone for passive solar technology is categorized based on the sub-zoning indicators for Tibet.By modeling between direct gain windows,Trombe walls,and attached sunspaces,the effect of indoor thermal environments and the capacity for heating load reduction is compared for different passive solar technologies.The climate-difference impact analysis shows that the I-B-1 zone is better suited for passive solar technology than other climate zones.More specifically,this zone has an average energy-saving rate difference of up to 28.61%compared to the II-A-1 zone.The analysis of the impact of building type differences indicates that residential buildings have higher Trombe wall-to-wall ratio limits and more significant potential for energy savings than office buildings.The study also clarifies the implications of Tibet’s climate conditions and building type differences on the effectiveness of passive solar technology.Moreover,it recommends appropriate passive solar technology adoption methods for every climate zone.This study can be used as a reference and engineering guide to improving the indoor thermal environment of Tibetan buildings,tailored to the highly variable local conditions.

A Novel Combined Trombe Wall System for Village Houses in Cold Regions of China

Trombe walls have significant energy-saving features and are therefore of great interest to researchers.However,additional research about the Trombe wall is needed to reduce indoor temperature fluctuations and to improve thermal behavior under different climatic conditions.A new Trombe wall system was proposed which uses Venetian blinds and a basement.The field tests were conducted to compare the thermal performance of four types of rooms:(ⅰ)no Trombe wall(control),(ⅱ)classical Trombe wall(TW),(ⅲ)Trombe wall with Venetian blinds(TW+VB),and(ⅳ)Trombe wall with Venetian blinds and a basement(TW+VB+B).The field measurements were conducted during the winter near Shihezi City in northwest China.The objective of this study was(ⅰ)to evaluate the thermal performance of a novel Trombe wall system under different operation conditions,and(ⅱ)to confirm the optimal angle of Venetian blinds during the heating period.The results demonstrated that the TW+VB+B system effectively reduced indoor temperature fluctuations after sunset.Furthermore,during the daytime,the average air temperatures in the test rooms were 13.6℃higher in the TW+VB+B system than in the control.The average temperature at the air outlet in the TW+VB+B system was 4.9℃higher than that in the TW+VB system during the daytime,and the average predicted mean vote(PMV)of the test room was 1.02 units greater in the TW+VB+B system than in the control.The thermal efficiency remains in the range of 40%-65%when the Venetian blind angle was set at 45°.In conclusion,the experiment results showed that the TW+VB+B system can not only reduce indoor temperature fluctuations but also improve thermal performance in winter.Both the heating energy consumption in buildings and pollutants emission in the environment were lessened through the application of this passive solar energy-saving technology.Therefore,this can provide valuable insights for improving the thermal performance of the novel Trombe Wall system in such village houses.