204 research outputs found
Cool Roof Impact on Building Energy Need: The Role of Thermal Insulation with Varying Climate Conditions
Cool roof effectiveness in improving building thermal-energy performance is affected by different variables. In particular, roof insulation level and climate conditions are key parameters influencing cool roofs benefits and whole building energy performance. This work aims at assessing the role of cool roof in the optimum roof configuration, i.e., combination of solar reflectance capability and thermal insulation level, in terms of building energy performance in different climate conditions worldwide. To this aim, coupled dynamic thermal-energy simulation and optimization analysis is carried out. In detail, multi-dimensional optimization of combined building roof thermal insulation and solar reflectance is developed to minimize building annual energy consumption for heating-cooling. Results highlight how a high reflectance roof minimizes annual energy need for a small standard office building in the majority of considered climates. Moreover, building energy performance is more sensitive to roof solar reflectance than thermal insulation level, except for the coldest conditions. Therefore, for the selected building, the optimum roof typology presents high solar reflectance capability (0.8) and no/low insulation level (0.00-0.03 m), except for extremely hot or cold climate zones. Accordingly, this research shows how the classic approach of super-insulated buildings should be reframed for the office case toward truly environmentally friendly buildings.The work was partially funded by the Spanish government (RTI2018-093849-B-C31). This work was
partially supported by ICREA under the ICREA Academia programme. Dr. Alvaro de Gracia has received
funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie
Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 712949 (TECNIOspring PLUS) and from the Agency for Business
Competitiveness of the Government of Catalonia. This publication has emanated from research supported (in
part) by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under the SFI Strategic Partnership Programme Grant Number
SFI/15/SPP/E3125
Greenery System for Cooling Down Outdoor Spaces: Results of an Experimental Study
Urban green infrastructure (UGI) and nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly recognized as strategies to address urban sustainability challenges. These solutions are attracting key scientific and marketing attention thanks to their capability to improve indoor and outdoor thermal comfort and environmental quality of spaces. In urban areas, where most of the population worldwide lives, indoor-outdoor environmental quality is compromised by local and temporary overheating phenomena, air pollution concentration, and impervious surfaces minimizing urban space resilience to climate change related hazards. In this view, the proposed study concerns the analysis of a greenery system for enhancing outdoor thermal conditions and local warming mitigation for pedestrians for the continental Mediterranean climate. The system has the purpose of designing an outdoor 'alive' shading system to be applied in open public spaces, with producing physical and societal benefits. The experimental results showed that the implementation of the greenery, characterized by lower surface temperatures and evapotranspiration compared to a simple pergola system, allows the reduction of outdoor air temperature under the shading system and, thus, higher relative humidity in summer. Specifically, the hygrothermal cooling and the additional shading thanks to the presence of greenery provide local air temperature reduction up to 5 C at pedestrian level.Funding: This work was partially funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades de España
(RTI2018-093849-B-C31 - MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE). This work was partially funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia,
Innovación y Universidades - Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) (RED2018-102431-T). The authors from
University of Perugia thank Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Perugia for supporting the investigation about
biomaterials within the project SOS CITTÁ 2018.0499.026.
Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank the Catalan Government for the quality accreditation given
to their research group (2017 SGR 1537). GREiA is a certified agent TECNIO in the category of technology
developers from the Government of Catalonia. This work is partially supported by ICREA under the ICREA
Academia programme
Herpes Simplex Esophagitis in Immunocompetent Host: A Case Report
Introduction. Herpes simplex esophagitis is well recognized in immunosuppressed subjects, but it is infrequent in immunocompetent patients. We present a case of HSE in a 53-year-old healthy man. Materials and Methods. The patient was admitted with dysphagia, odynophagia, and retrosternal chest pain. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed minute erosive area in distal esophagus and biopsies confirmed esophagitis and findings characteristic of Herpes Simplex Virus infection. Results. The patients was treated with high dose of protonpump inhibitor, sucralfate, and acyclovir, orally, with rapid resolution of symptoms. Discussion. HSV type I is the second most common cause of infectious esophagitis. The majority of symptomatic immunocompetent patients with HSE will present with an acute onset of esophagitis. Endoscopic biopsies from the ulcer edges should be obtained for both histopathology and viral culture. In immunocompetent host, HSE is generally a self-limited condition. Conclusions. HSE should be suspected in case of esophagitis without evident cause, even if the patient is immunocompetent. When the diagnosis of HSE is confirmed, careful history and assessment for an immune disorder such as HIV infection is crucial, to look for underlying immune deficiency
Research progress and trends on the use of concrete as thermal energy storage material through bibliometric analysis
A landmark review of concrete as thermal energy storage material is presented through a bibliometric analysis approach. This study shows influential literature and the current relevant research directions. Geographical source and the identification of the significant publications enable determining the leading authors and research groups of the topic. The methodology is based on an accurately defined query, composed of remarkable keywords for the study. Two queries are set out, the first one from a holistic point of view of the topic, while the second one has a special consideration on concrete as TES under high-temperature conditions. Most part of the literature research pays attention to concrete applications in buildings, while other applications such as solar energy are in the rear face. Throughout the years, great interest in latent heat storage technology is observed using phase change material (PCM), implementing them in concrete mixtures or in other formats integrated into a building component. Despite the fact that the area of research is currently in prominent development, some literature gaps and new research directions are identified. Concepts such as climate change mitigation, concrete components, maintenance, are possible in-progress initiatives which need to be further studied.This work was partially funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades de España (RTI2018–093849-B-C31 - MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) and by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades - Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) (RED2018–102431-T). The authors at the University of Lleida would like to thank the Catalan Government for the quality accreditation given to their research group (2017 SGR 1537). GREiA is certified agent TECNIO in the category of technology developers from the Government of Catalonia. This work is partially supported by ICREA under the ICREA Academia program. A.L. Pisello thanks the Italian project SOS-CITTA’ supported by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Perugia under grant agreement No. 2018.0499.026
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