Sustainable heat insulation composites based on Portland cement reinforced with date palm fibers

In order to ensure thermal comfort and reduce energy consumption, a new composite based on Portland cement and date palm fiber was studied in this work. Our main objective is to study the possibility of integrating and using this new material as a thermal insulation material in the exterior coatings of buildings. Several composites were prepared for different weight concentrations (from 0% to 5%) of date palm fibers. The studied materials were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, the hot wire method was used to measure thermo-physical properties. The results show that the addition of fibers has no effect on the chemical composition of the matrix, as shown by FTIR and XRD analyzes which proves the chemical stability. The results of the TGA analysis indicate that the inclusion of date palm fibers has an effect on the thermal characteristics of the matrix. The SEM analysis shows that there is good adhesion between the Portland cement and the plant fibers used and that the date palm fibers are well incorporated into the matrix, the SEM images also showed that the inclusion of the fibers increases the porosity. In addition, the results showed that the addition of the fibers of date palm a marked decrease in thermal conductivity, which makes the material insulating. Thus, the use of fibers in cement seems to be a promising option that allows it to be applied as a thermal coating material in buildings

Thermal and Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Plaster Reinforced with Wheat Straw for Use as Insulating Materials in Building

In this paper, a new material consisting of plaster and wheat straw was studied with the purpose of reducing energy consumption. The aim of this study is to test this new compound for use as an insulation material in buildings, where the samples were prepared by mixing wheat straw after grinding it in different proportions from 0% to 15%. On the other hand, the physico-chemical properties and thermal conductivity of the samples were experimentally investigated, and the time lag and energy savings for the samples were also studied. The results showed that the addition of wheat straw leads to an increase in the time lag and also to a decrease in the thermal conductivity, which leads to an improvement in the thermal resistance and energy savings. As well, fiber addition has no effect on the chemical composition of the matrix, as shown by FTIR and XRD analyses.The findings of the DSC and TGA analysis indicate that the inclusion of wheat straw fibers has an effect on the thermal characteristics of the matrix. This new biocomposite can be used as an additive to plaster to create environmentally friendly composite materials for thermal insulation in buildings

Wind energy potential evaluation. case of study: Constantine, an Algerian Province

Modelling the variability of wind speed and direction is very useful for estimating the wind potential of a typical site. In this article, we present the results of a study on the wind regimes and the wind potential in Constantine. This work is based on hourly and daily meteorological observations of Constantine Airport Station for the period 2000–2015. The average annual wind speed at 10 m varied between 3.4 to 3.9 m/s and the potential of the wind ressource, estimated by Weibull’s law, varied from 53.5 to 71 W/m2. The seasonal variation of wind speed and wind intensity studied in this work is useful to know the wind behaviour and we can exploit it in the optimal selection of wind turbine generator suitable for this region

Thermal and Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Plaster Reinforced with Wheat Straw for Use as Insulating Materials in Building

In this paper, a new material consisting of plaster and wheat straw was studied with the purpose of reducing energy consumption. The aim of this study is to test this new compound for use as an insulation material in buildings, where the samples were prepared by mixing wheat straw after grinding it in different proportions from 0% to 15%. On the other hand, the physico-chemical properties and thermal conductivity of the samples were experimentally investigated, and the time lag and energy savings for the samples were also studied. The results showed that the addition of wheat straw leads to an increase in the time lag and also to a decrease in the thermal conductivity, which leads to an improvement in the thermal resistance and energy savings. As well, fiber addition has no effect on the chemical composition of the matrix, as shown by FTIR and XRD analyses.The findings of the DSC and TGA analysis indicate that the inclusion of wheat straw fibers has an effect on the thermal characteristics of the matrix. This new biocomposite can be used as an additive to plaster to create environmentally friendly composite materials for thermal insulation in buildings