Parametric analysis on the performance of a revolutionary rotary Ericsson heat pump/engine

© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.A revolutionary mechanical heat pump/engine system utilizing the Ericsson thermodynamic cycle has been proposed to provide efficient and environmentally friendly cooling. Computer simulation models have been developed to simulate the rotor positions. Further modelling has been conducted to predict the torque and power of the rotary Ericsson heat pump (REHP). Parametric and optimization study has been conducted to evaluate the factors affecting the mechanical and thermal performance of the conceptually designed REHP. It has been found that the rotor size, compression ratio and base pressure are the factors determining the maximum torque and power of the MG.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Active thermal mass enhancement using phase change materials

Buildings account for around 40% of energy consumption in the UK. For over twenty years active thermal mass systems have been a feature in low-energy buildings in northern Europe. By passing ventilation air, and utilising night ventilation, through the hollow core structures efficient heating and cooling has been achieved. Despite the success, such systems suffer from space overheating and efficiency losses during extended hot periods. Control strategies have largely mitigated this effect however low cost retrofit solutions that enhance the system are of interest. This research therefore investigates the benefit of using innovative phase change material (PCM) solutions to enhance thermal comfort and reduced energy usage of traditional active thermal mass systems. A prototype PCM enhancement was constructed, with energy saving and comfort benefits investigated under controlled laboratory conditions. In absolute terms the PCM solution offered an additional 12.5% energy storage capacity and a 29% increase in active surface area, coupled with the existing sensible thermal mass. Under laboratory conditions the PCM addition saved an additional 0.1 kWh per day, delayed AC onset by 1.2 h and offered an average 1.0 °C reduction in room temperature during 8 h of fixed internal heat gain, contrasted against the original active thermal mass system

The indispensability of good operation & maintenance (O&M) manuals in the operation and maintenance of low carbon buildings

Increase in energy usage, particularly from fossil fuel sources is widely understood to be responsible for the environmental problems (Climate Change) experienced globally today. Response to mitigating this anthropogenic induced consequence created the need for innovative low carbon and renewable technologies in buildings. In the UK presently, every new building is expected to be low-carbon and energy-efficient. However, it is widely acknowledged that significant differences often exist between designed and in-use performances of the buildings. Clients and end-users of these technologies appear not to be getting long term value for their investments; much attention has not been given to how these innovative technologies can be operated and maintained long into the future. Recent researches also underpin the fact that the wide information gap existing between designers and building end-users is one of the factors responsible for the performance-gap. This paper therefore presents excerpts of a research aimed at exploring a best practice approach to operability and maintainability of low-carbon-buildings. The research methodology involved the use of interviews, surveys and case study. Findings suggest that a properly prepared O&M manual is a potential document that that could bridge this gap and that it is an indispensable tool for the effective and efficient operation and maintenance of low carbon buildings

Thoughts of a design team: Barriers to low carbon school design

Copyright © 2014 Elsevier. NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Sustainable Cities and Society. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Sustainable Cities and Society Vol. 11 (2014), DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2013.11.006With the increasing threat of serious climate change, various governments are aiming to substantially reduce their carbon emissions. In the UK all new schools and domestic buildings are required to be ‘zero-carbon’ from 2016. Schools are seen as community centres of activity and learning by local authorities, as such there is an emphasis to make schools exemplar buildings within the community and demonstrate best practice with regards to low and zero-carbon design. This paper focuses on what are the pertinent drivers and obstacles to low carbon school design based upon literature review and a survey of experts in the field. We find that more barriers are identified than drivers for low carbon design, with the greatest drivers being legislation, environmental concerns and running costs. The greatest barriers were identified as increased equipment in modern schools, complexity of building systems and the perceived extra cost of low carbon design and technologies. It is suggested that most barriers could be overcome by improving communication between the design team, client and end users, and that truly integrated design teams are the key to mainstream low carbon school design.Devon County Council (as part of the Montgomery School project

THE ROLE OF UMBRELLA AGREEMENTS IN ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY GOALS: ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

In this paper we investigate whether innovative and flexible contractual arrangements can support the process of achieving ambitious sustainability goals. We explore this question through an analysis of the role of umbrella agreements in driving energy savings in the building sector. Drawing on a case study of the iconic Empire State building, we examine the typical challenges faced by clients and contractors in devising suitable agreements that facilitate managing contractual and performance risks, as well as the sharing of responsibilities and cooperation between multiple project stakeholders. We find that the project arrangements appear to exhibit the adoption of the key characteristics commonly found in umbrella agreements which incorporate sustainability measures that maximize income through efficient delivery of outcomes. Specifically, this means that they need to enable stakeholders to manage repeated review cycles, complex perceptions and expectations, and different tacit assumptions and codes of behaviour, as well as managing and communicating in networks and obtaining agreement also from non-contractual parties. Moreover, we demonstrate that umbrella agreements can facilitate a network perspective of business relationships by emphasizing value co-creation and the embeddedness of firms within a network of interactions

BSRIA European legislation and standards news An update to the BSRIA practical guide to the EC rules for building services products

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:2354.353145(BSRIA-EC--1/96) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Atria

3. edAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:2354.353(BSRIA-Bib-LB--50/88) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Environmental code of practice for buildings and their services

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:3058.14569(1) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo