Energy Consumption Modelling via Heat Balance Method For Energy Performance of a Building

AbstractSimulation-based building performance allows detailed assessment of energy consumption in buildings, to analyze the energy performance. We can examine the influence of each factor extensively and systematically utilizing a dynamic energy simulation tool such as EnergyPlus®, which allows flexibility of the energy model and variability of the construction elements, material properties, lights, HVAC system and occupants. The parametric model was developed according to the standards of designing office work spaces, accessories and communication. The parameters of user comfort are implemented from the weather data with the location: Belgrade, Serbia

Evaluation of Elements for Selection of Optimal Solution for Facility Passive Protection from the Fire Spread over Façade

Fire protection of facilities is basically based on passive and active form. Given that active forms have a limited role in the early stages of fire, the decisive role in preventing the spread of fire, until the arrival of emergency firefighting units, have elements of passive protection at the facility. The topic of this paper is facades in residential buildings and their role in spreading fires throughout the building. The aim of this paper is to design one of the possible models for choosing the optimal façade shape (or the facility), which would passively prevent the transmission of fire over the facade. For these purposes, an analysis of key aspects was performed, which, in addition to fire resistance, considered seismic resistance and energy efficiency, both dependent on the shape of the facility. The obtained results are valorized through a quality scale, based on which is determined whether the solution is bad, acceptable, satisfactory, or good. This model contributes to a quality and controlled design process, because the concept of a facility, that meets the requirements of modern construction, is obtained at an early stage. The practicality of this model is reflected in the fact that, on the one hand, in the design phase it allows to bring more variant solutions at the same qualitative level, and on the other hand it is applicable to already constructed facilities, which indicates shortcomings and possibilities of their reconstruction

Differences in Calculations of Annual Heating and Cooling Energy Need Carried out by Modified Simple Hourly Method and Dynamic Simulations

This paper presents differences in calculations of annual heating and cooling energy need performed by numerical dynamic simulations software IDA ICE and those carried out by the modification of simple hourly method from EN ISO 13790 EN ISO 13790, widely used for determining building energy need. A simple model of a nearly-zero energy building was created and all heat gains and set-points that could lead to a mismatch in initial or boundary conditions were analysed. The impact of those on the annual heating and cooling energy need was examined by adding and/or removing every single one of them. Boundary conditions in numerical dynamic simulations were set up to match those in simple hourly method. Such an approach enables evaluation of differences in results and definition of their origin. The comparison of results has shown that in most cases, annual energy need for heating and cooling calculated using numerical dynamic simulations software differs from that calculated using EN ISO 13790. Among the others, more detailed heat accumulation model of heat gains in building’s envelope in IDA ICE software was marked as the main reason. Fact that solar heat gains seem to be underestimated by EN ISO 13790 and differences in heat transfer towards ground contribute to the differences in results as well

Comparison between resident and caged mussels: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon accumulation and biological response

The aim of this study was to compare the capability of “passive” and “active” biomonitoring to determine the environmental pressure. For this purpose, PAHs content and several biological responses in resident and caged mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) at five sampling sites (Rijeka Bay, Adriatic Sea) were analsed. Resident mussels were found better in reflecting the level of PAH loads at particular sites while only caged mussels could detect input of HMW PAHs. When data of each investigated parameter were compared separately, the majority of differences between resident and caged mussels’ results were site-specific. Integration of biological response patterns expressed as Index of Biological Response (IBR) resulted with different sampling sites ranking for resident and caged mussels. Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) based on integration of tissue PAH concentration and biological response revealed resident mussels as more powerful for detection of environmental pressure. The use of resident mussels is recommended as appropriate and less costly approach for monitoring the effect of pollution

Application of functionalized lanthanide-based nanoparticles for the detection of okadaic acid-specific immunoglobulin G

Marine biotoxins are widespread in the environment and impact human health via contaminated shellfish, causing diarrhetic, amnesic, paralytic, or neurotoxic poisoning. In spite of this, methods for determining if poisoning has occurred are limited. We show the development of a simple and sensitive luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET)-based concept which allows the detection of anti-okadaic acid rabbit polyclonal IgG (mouse monoclonal IgG1) using functionalized lanthanide-based nanoparticles. Upon UV excitation, the functionalized nanoparticles were shown to undergo LRET with fluorophore-labeled anti-okadaic acid antibodies which had been captured and bound by okadaic acid-decorated nanoparticles. The linear dependence of fluorescence emission intensity with antigen−antibody binding events was recorded in the nanomolar to micromolar range, while essentially no LRET signal was detected in the absence of antibody. These results may find applications in new, cheap, and robust sensors for detecting not only immune responses to biotoxins but also a wide range of biomolecules based on antigen−antibody recognition systems. Further, as the system is based on solution chemistry it may be sufficiently simple and versatile to be applied at point-of-care

Comparison between the Comet Assay and Fast Micromethod® for Measuring DNA Damage in HeLa Cells

The sensitivity and precision of the single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay and Fast Micromethod® for DNA damage determinations in human HeLa cell line were compared. The first assay allows analysis of DNA breaks in individual cells while the second is a rapid and convenient procedure for DNA breaks determination in cell suspensions on single microplates. Both assays detect DNA strand breaks, alkali-labile sites and transient breaks occurring at sites of ongoing repair and might be applied for the assessment of surface water genotoxic potential as well as for clinical use. DNA damage in HeLa cells was induced by different doses of γ-rays generated by Cs137 (8 to 500 cGy), UV-C light (10 to 1000 J m-2) and by different concentrations of 4-nitroquinoline-V-oxide (0.026-2.6 μmol dm-3). Gamma rays induced a dose-depended response with the average Comet tail moment values from 7 mm for the negative control to 291 mm for 200 cGy, from 6.1 to 192 mm for 500 J m-2 of UV-C light and from 7.1 to 238 mm for 1.0 μmol dm-3 of 4-nitro-quinoline-N-oxide. The Fast Micromethod® strand scission factor varied from 0.010 for negative control to 0.701 for 500 cGy, from 0.019 to 1.196 for 1000 J m-2 and from 0.003 to 0.810 for 0.5 μmol dm-3 of 4-nitroquinoline-IV-oxide. Sensitivity was the same for both methods and in the case of 4-nitroquinoline-IV-oxide even better precision (lower variation coefficient) was achieved with the Fast Micromethod®. Since the time required for multiple analysis by the Fast Micromethod® is short (2 hours or less), its use in measuring DNA breakage in cells can be recommended for environmental genotoxicity monitoring