105 research outputs found
RESEARCH ON MICROCLIMATE LIGHT CONDITIONS IN A SCHOLASTIC ENVIRONMENT, BASED ON ADAPTIVE MODEL
This paper shows the results of a deep
research, carried out on a scholastic setting
and based on a questionnaire, to evaluate
the light microclimate and the satisfaction
degree of the users.
Through simulations, we have previously
identified a number of classrooms where the
conditions could be critical, both in terms of
over-lightning, glare and disrespected
values (suggested by the current normative).
The proposed method consist in using
device-made-surveys, a simulation software
and questionnaires submission to users of
the studied rooms.
The questionnaires, based on an
adaptive model, has been developed to
detect subjective data (place, visus…) and
other information about the setting and its
relationship with the users (difficulty in
eyesight, year average frequency using light
shelf.
The results obtained after the
questionnaires’ submission, mapped in a
chromatic scale that considers each position
held by every users, show high degrees of
dissatisfaction even if the device-madesurveys
has found values considered
quantitatively acceptable.
Another simulation shows the possibility
of corrective actions, not invasive, in order to
control natural light, which results shows a
quantitative values reduction from the
optimal range followed by a significant
improvement in terms of quality of the
microclimate light conditions.
The procedure we developed derives by
the integration of traditional and
experimental methods, evaluating the gap
that, in this case, seemed to be too high
considering the whole school time
Passenger car equivalent for heavy vehicles crossing turbo-roundabouts
Turbo-roundabouts represent an innovative scheme of modern roundabouts which provides a spiraling traffic flow and requires drivers to choose their direction before entering the intersection, since raised lane separators mark the lanes on the ring. The configuration of the turbo-roundabout makes that patterns of conflict at entries with one and two conflicting traffic streams can coexist. This paper presents research efforts aimed at measuring quantitatively the effect of heavy vehicles on operational conditions of a turbo-roundabout. The study starts from the initial belief that the greatest constraints to the vehicular trajectories imposed by the turbo-roundabout necessarily imply that the impact of heavy vehicles on the quality of traffic flow is more unfavorable than on other modern roundabouts. Microsimulation revealed as a useful tool when the variation of the traffic quality in turbo-roundabouts should be evaluated in presence of mixed fleets, each having different percentages of heavy vehicles; indeed, it allowed to isolate traffic conditions difficult to observe on field and replicate them to have a number of data as much as possible numerous. Entry capacity values for each entry lane of the turbo-roundabout were obtained by microsimulation, varying the percentage of heavy vehicles for entering flows. Nonlinear regression analysis of simulation data allowed to derive the behavioral parameters for heterogeneous populations of users and, ultimately, composed exclusively of heavy vehicles. The capacity functions thus obtained allowed us to determine how the passenger car equivalent (PCE) varies with the percentage of heavy vehicles and circulating flows for each entry lane of the turbo-roundabout. The results of this study indicate that there is a need to distinguish the impact of heavy vehicles when analyzing the capacity of a turbo-roundabout. When the traffic stream contains a significant number of heavy vehicles, a larger PCE effect would be expected. This effect should be accounted for in the estimation of the turbo-roundabout capacity. Lastly it should be emphasized that an important aspect of the research consists in having identified a methodology for assessing the impact of heavy vehicles on the quality of traffic flow, that can be applied to different patterns of intersection
Thermo-hygrometric comfort in the lecture hall of a library: methodology and experimental evidence.
The present study verifies the thermo hygrometric comfort conditions in subjects of a university library
users, evaluating the differences and peculiarities in the data collected at the measurement campaign.
Particularities of the investigation is the period studied concerning the time frame of the Middle season,
which is not expected to power the air conditioning systems.
Based on assumptions on the thermal resistance of clothing in the spring and the metabolic type of
subjects, the environmental parameters were monitored in some work position in the reading hall in the
library of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Palermo.
The article presents analyses of the measured data correlating the passive structure behavior and the
variation of the internal temperature increases caused by the occupants and by the external temperature
gradient.
These results are compared with the limits and the guidelines provided by legislation for the main
variables measured and derived, and which constitute the essential support to test the tolerability of the
occupiers against the thermal environment with which they interact.
Keywords: PMV PPD Indexes, Thermo-hygrometric comfort, acceptability classes
Is the NZEB benchmarking approach suitable for assessing energy retrofit design?
Currently, many effort have been done to enable energy saving issues in building design
and many definitions have been introduced for most performing constructions based on energy
balance between energy demand and supply. Recently, the Net Zero Energy Building theory has
bypassed old Passive House concept but many questions still remain open. Present work aims to
estimate how NZEB requirements matching could be affected by the choice of their definition and the
choice of weighting factor system, to be count in the energy balance. NZEB concept is mainly
referred to new buildings design. Its application to existing buildings is for sure an hard task provided
the architecture and physical constraints are often problematic. Nevertheless, the benchmarking
approach able to assess the building performance according to the NZEB objective can be utilized for
other two purposes. The first one is to assess how an existing building is far from the performances of
a NZEB. The second one is to assess the contribution of a conventional retrofit in improving its
energy balance
Regional policies for sustainability in the Mediterranean countries: the role of a proper HVAC system maintenance in museums
Italy, like several Mediterranean countries, holds a very large number of cultural artifacts that are often exhibited and saved inside museums. Museums are usually part of historical buildings that, not rarely, originally had a different intended use and that have been currently transformed in place for conservation and for exhibition of works of art. The use of historical buildings as museums leads to limitations in the management and distribution of exhibition space, in design and managing HVAC systems and in the achievement of targets relating to the continuous monitoring of the microclimate for people comfort and for preservation of works of art. Moreover, the costs of the operation and maintenance of the HVAC system for this particular type of confined environment are often very expensive and the proper optimization of the required operations plays a main role. In this paper, authors propose a new decision support tool for curators regarding the operation and maintenance management of HVAC systems in museums especially in the case of their belonging to cultural heritage buildings
Resident training in urology: Bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate - a safe method in learning endoscopic surgical procedure
Introduction: Modern medicine uses increasingly innovative techniques that require more and more capabilities for acquisition. In the urological department is increasing the presence of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is the standard of care in their surgical treatment. We report our surgical experience and learning curve of using bipolar plasmakinetic devices in the training of urological residents to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) treatment. Materials and Methods: 80 patients with benign prostatic enlargement due to BPH were enrolled in the study. TURP has been performed by three urological residents and by an expe- rienced urologist. Patients were evaluated before and 6 months after the endoscopic bipolar plasmakinetic resection using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), maximum uri- nary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual urine (PVR) and prostate specific antigen (PSA). Results: Overall 60 procedures were performed, 18 PlasmaKinetic (PK)-TURP procedures were completed by the three residents. In the other 42 cases the procedures were completed by the experienced urologist. In eight cases there was a capsular perforation and the experienced urol- ogist replaced the resident to complete the resection. No complications have been reported in the procedures completed by the senior urologist. All complications caused by the residents were man- aged intraoperatively without changing the course of the procedure. Statistical differences were observed regarding IPSS, quality of life (QoL), and PVR at 6-month follow-up when procedures completed by urological residents were compared to those completed by the senior urologist. Conclusion: Bipolar device represents appropriate tools to acquire endoscopic skills. It is safe and it can be used at the first experience of BPH treatment by a resident who has not previ- ously approached this endoscopic surgical procedure
Improving the prediction of air pollution peak episodes generated by urban transport networks
This paper illustrates the early results of ongoing research developing novel methods to analyse and simulate the relationship between trasport-related air pollutant concentrations and easily accessible explanatory variables. The final scope is to integrate the new models in traditional traffic management support systems for a sustainable mobility of road vehicles in urban areas.This first stage concerns the relationship between the hourly mean concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and explanatory factors reflecting the NO2 mean level one hour back, along with traffic and weather conditions. Particular attention is given to the prediction of pollution peaks, defined as exceedances of normative concentration limits. Two model frameworks are explored: the Artificial Neural Network approach and the ARIMAX model. Furthermore, the benefit of a synergic use of both models for air quality forecasting is investigated.The analysis of findings points out that the prediction of extreme concentrations is best performed by integrating the two models into an ensemble. The neural network is outperformed by the ARIMAX model in foreseeing peaks, but gives a more realistic representation of the concentration's dependency upon wind characteristics. So, the Neural Network can be exploited to highlight the involved functional forms and improve the ARIMAX model specification. In the end, the study shows that the ability to forecast exceedances of legal pollution limits can be enhanced by requiring traffic management actions when the predicted concentration exceeds a lower threshold than the normative one
Previsione dell'inquinamento generato dalla mobilità veicolare e traffic management
Questo studio s'inserisce in una più ampia attività di ricerca sulle correlazioni tra le concentrazioni dei
principali agenti inquinanti e variabili relative sia alle condizioni meteorologiche, che ne possono favorire
o meno la dispersione, sia al deflusso veicolare quale fonte primaria d'inquinamento. L'idea è quella di
sviluppare una metodologia per la previsione a breve termine delle densità di quegli elementi per i quali la
normativa prevede delle soglie in termini di concentrazioni medie orarie. Tutto ciò al fine di potersi
avvalere, in futuro, di modelli e tecnologie per sapere, con qualche ora di anticipo, se in una determinata
zona di un centro urbano, un giorno, possa verificarsi qualche superamento dei suddetti vincoli di legge e
poter, così, implementare tempestivamente strategie di traffic management a salvaguardia della salute dei
cittadini. In particolare, questa memoria illustra i primi risultati della ricerca, che riguardano il confronto
tra i modelli statistici per l'analisi delle serie storiche (modelli ARIMAX, Auto-Regressive Integrated
Moving Average with eXogenous variables) e le reti neuronali, in relazione all'accuratezza della
previsione dei livelli d'inquinamento atmosferico. In questa prima fase, la valutazione comparativa
riguarda la previsione delle concentrazioni di biossido di azoto (NO2) rilevate nell'anno 2007 da una
centralina di monitoraggio della qualità dell'aria e delle condizioni meteorologiche in un'arteria stradale
della città di Londra, Marylebone Road. È in programma l'estensione dell'analisi alla città di Palermo
Investigating the traffic-related environmental impacts of hydraulic-fracturing (fracking) operations
Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has been used extensively in the US and Canada since the 1950s and offers the potential for significant new sources of oil and gas supply. Numerous other countries around the world (including the UK, Germany, China, South Africa, Australia and Argentina) are now giving serious consideration to sanctioning the technique to provide additional security over the future supply of domestic energy. However, relatively high population densities in many countries and the potential negative environmental impacts that may be associated with fracking operations has stimulated controversy and significant public debate regarding if and where fracking should be permitted. Road traffic generated by fracking operations is one possible source of environmental impact whose significance has, until now, been largely neglected in the available literature. This paper therefore presents a scoping-level environmental assessment for individual and groups of fracking sites using a newly-created Traffic Impacts Model (TIM). The model produces estimates of the traffic-related impacts of fracking on greenhouse gas emissions, local air quality emissions, noise and road pavement wear, using a range of hypothetical fracking scenarios to quantify changes in impacts against baseline levels.
Results suggest that the local impacts of a single well pad may be short duration but large magnitude. That is, whilst single digit percentile increases in emissions of CO2, NOx and PM are estimated for the period from start of construction to pad completion (potentially several months or years), excess emissions of NOx on individual days of peak activity can reach 30% over baseline. Likewise, excess noise emissions appear negligible (< 1 dBA) when normalised over the completion period, but may be considerable (+ 3.4 dBA) in particular hours, especially in night-time periods. Larger, regional scale modelling of pad development scenarios over a multi-decade time horizon give modest CO2 emissions that vary between 2.5 and 160.4 kT, dependent on the number of wells, and individual well fracking water and flowback waste requirements. The TIM model is designed to be adaptable to any geographic area where the required input data are available (such as fleet characteristics, road type and quality), and we suggest could be deployed as a tool to help reach more informed decisions regarding where and how fracking might take place taking into account the likely scale of traffic-related environmental impacts
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