Computational tools for low energy building design : capabilities and requirements

Integrated building performance simulation (IBPS) is an established technology, with the ability to model the heat, mass, light, electricity and control signal flows within complex building/plant systems. The technology is used in practice to support the design of low energy solutions and, in Europe at least, such use is set to expand with the advent of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which mandates a modelling approach to legislation compliance. This paper summarises IBPS capabilities and identifies developments that aim to further improving integrity vis-à-vis the reality

Comparison of the simplified methods of the ISO 13790 standard and detailed modelling programs in a regulatory context

The CEN Standards that support the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requirement for calculation of the energy consumption of buildings allow various methods to be used for the same calculation. The impact of using the different methods within the updated ISO 13790 Standard for space heating and cooling energy calculations was examined with a parametric analysis of a common building specification. The impact was assessed by considering the energy band which would be assigned for the building based on the calculation results. The Standard describes three different methods that can be used for the calculations: a monthly quasi-steady state method, a simplified hourly method and detailed simulation. For most cases studied, differences in the building rating given by the various methods were a maximum of one band. More significant differences were noticed in some cases. Parameter values in the monthly method were determined which would lead to improved matching

A contra-rotating marine current turbine on a flexible mooring : development of a scaled prototype

The contra-rotating marine current turbine concept developed by the Energy Systems Research Unit at the University of Strathclyde is aimed at extracting energy in a wide range of water depths by 'flying' a neutrally-buoyant device from a flexible, tensioned mooring. After successful proof of concept turbine trials, the development programme has moved on to investigate the performance of a scaled prototype of the complete system incorporating the turbine, submersible contra-rotating generator and mooring. The turbine/generator assembly has been tested in a towing tank, and the entire system is now undergoing sea trials. An investigation into turbine wake development (an area in which it is hoped that the contra-rotating turbine will have uniquely beneficial properties) has recently begun. Small single-rotor model turbines have been deployed in a flume. Trends observed so far are in accordance with those observed by other researchers

Contra-rotating marine current turbines : performance in field trials and power train developments

Development of a novel contra-rotating marine current turbine has been continuing at the University of Strathclyde. Continuous monitoring of blade bending loads during trials has enabled an investigation of blade-blade and blade-structure interactions. The former are a particular concern with a contra-rotating turbine, but there is now evidence to suggest that in normal operation these are relatively small. By contrast, blade-structure effects are clearly visible. A turbine complete with single-point mooring and submersible contra-rotating generator is presently being prepared for sea trials. Details of the machine and the test programme are described

The Hatrack In The Hall

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/5688/thumbnail.jp

Evaluating passive structural control of tidal turbines

The research focus of this project is to design a methodology to reduce fatigue and peak structural loading experienced by support structures used for tidal stream converters. The methodology is based on the dynamic analysis of a towermonopile support structure for offshore wind turbines. A tuned mass damper (TMD) is implemented in the nacelle in fore-aft direction by correcting the discrete equation of motion of a fixed tidal turbine. Parameters such as added mass and viscous damping were thus incorporated in the mass and damping matrix to study the effects of using a TMD on a tidal energy converter. Both frequency and time domain analysis are presented to compare the TMD effect in different conditions. Moreover a sensitivity analysis in soil effect and different tower-monopile shape is presented. The result shows the influence of the TMD for a fixed tidal turbine when the structure suffers an instant impact and under unsteady continuous wave-current coupled forces

The role of building operational emulation in realizing a resilient built environment

Building performance simulation provides a means to assess the performance of a proposed design under dynamic operating conditions and in terms of performance criteria relating to wellbeing, environmental impact and energy use. While adoption of the technology has led to an improvement in design intent by supporting understanding and innovation, it has exacerbated the gap between this intent and the operational reality by encouraging more complex schemes that are proving to be less resilient. This paper describes the source of this resilience problem and outlines a proposed solution that is the subject of a current industry/ academic feasibility study in the UK

PREDICTING 5G USAGE AND RESOURCE CONTENTION THROUGH REAL-TIME MASS TRANSIT AND TRAFFIC MAPPING

Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor fusion techniques may be used to collect data about the current positions and anticipated movements of wireless subscribers, thus enabling fifth-generation (5G) networks to proactively avoid overloads by modifying their capacities and coverage patterns. Data may be collected, for example, from mass transit systems, smart highway systems, smart buildings, security cameras, 5G networks themselves, and other sources, and machine learning techniques may be applied to generate maps of anticipated load patterns. As a result, the 5G networks may then be adjusted to address overloads in various manners, such as by adjusting the service bandwidth, by realigning antennas and multiple in, multiple out (MIMO) systems, by dispatching mobile cells, etc