Influence of the building energy efficiency on indoor air temperature: The case of a typical school classroom in Serbia

Greenhouse gases emission as well as total energy consumption in buildings of public importance, such as schools, municipal buildings, health care centers, can be significantly reduced by increasing buildings’ energy efficiency. Buildings’ energy consumption adds up to 37% of total energy consumption in the EU countries. In the Republic of Serbia this amount is significantly higher, about 50%. School buildings are considered as one of the most diverse structures from the point of energy-efficient design and construction. The main aim of this paper is to determine the most appropriate settings for possible improvements in energy efficiency and temperature comfort inside a typical primary school classroom in Serbia. The energy efficiency analysis was performed during the heating season for the naturally ventilated primary school classroom located in the eastern Serbia region. The analysis was performed using novel CFD model, suggested in this paper. The suggested model was used to solve two hypothetical scenarios. The first scenario simulates the temperature field in classroom with current energy characteristic envelope of the school building. The calculated numerical data from the first scenario were compared with in-situ measurements values of temperature and wall heat fluxes and showed satisfying accuracy. The second scenario was simulated to indicate possible improvements, which would allow energy consumption decrease and thermal quality enhancement. The analyzed results, calculated using the suggested numerical model under the second scenario conditions, showed that using appropriate set of measures, it is possible to obtain desired temperature comfort levels without need for increase in the building energy consumption

Modeliranje turbulentnog dvofaznog toka aero-smeše sprašenog uglja u gorioničkim kanalima sa jednostepenim turbulatorima

The subject of this work is turbulent two-phase flow through air-coal channel(s) of complex geometry. The aim of this work is numerical optimization of fluid flow and coal particle distribution in reconstructed air-coal mixture channels. The single blade turbulator has been used to increase turbulence in the vertical section of an air-coal mixture channel. Standard k-ω turbulent model has been used for modeling turbulence. Lagrangian multiphase model has been used for discrete phase (coal particles) modeling. Although better particle distribution is reached using single blade turbulators, particle concentration in the evaluation section (where plasma generators will be built in) still remains anisotropic. Because uniform coal particle distribution is of great importance for the proper work of plasma generators, other solutions for achieving this goal will be the object of the future analysis.Predmet ovog rada je turbulentno dvofazno strujanje kroz gorioničke kanale aero-smeše sprašenog uglja kompleksne geometrije. Cilj ovog rada je numerička optimizacija strujnog toka i raspodele čestica sprašenog uglja u rekonstruisanim gorioničkim kanalima. Za povećanje turbulencije, u vertikalnom delu gorioničkog kanala aero smeše ugrađen je jednostepeni turbulator. Za modeliranje turbulencije korišćen je standardni k-ω turbulentni model. Lagranžeov pristup je korišćen za modeliranje sekundarne faze (čestica sprašenog uglja). Iako je upotrebom jednostepenih turbulatora postignuta bolja raspodela čestica sprašenog uglja, koncentracija čestica u prelaznom delu (u kome će biti ugrađeni plazma generatori) ostaje neravnomerna. Kako je ravnomerna raspodela čestica sprašenog uglja od esencijalnog značaja za pravilan rad plazma generatora, druga rešenja za postizanje ravnomerne raspodele čestica će biti predmet buduće analize

Optimization of the flue gas-flow controlling devices of the electrostatic precipitator of unit A4 in TPP "Nikola Tesla"

Homogeneity of the flue gas-flow through the chamber of an electrostatic precipitator is one of the basic influencing parameter on dedusting efficiency. This paper presents results of a multiobjective optimization study of the flue gas controlling devices of electrostatic precipitator of 324 MWe lignite fired Unit A4 of TPP "Nikola Tesla" in Serbia. The aim was to achieve better flow homogeneity in the cross-section of the precipitator compared to the original design. Additional constraints were to maintain the minimum as possible overall weight of the proposed design as well as pressure drop through the precipitator. Numerical simulations based on CFD were used to investigate dependence of the velocity distribution in the ducts and precipitator’s chamber with respect to the geometrical parameters of tested concepts of turning blades. A series of 22 detailed full-scale numerical models of the precipitator with different concepts of turning vanes designs were developed. Assessment of the flow field uniformity for each tested design was performed based on the analysis of several homogeneity parameters calculated for selected vertical cross-sections of the precipitator. After the reconstruction according to optimized design, results of measurements confirmed significant improvements of the velocity distribution in the vertical cross-sections of the precipitator, increase of dedusting efficiency and reduction of PM emission

Experimental and numerical investigation of thermal and flow conditions inside a large pharmaceutical storage after the ventilation system failure

Safe storage of pharmaceutical products is of great importance due to potential hazards for human health. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of pharmaceutical storage to recover design temperature during ventilation system recovery. The performed CFD simulations showed good agreement with experimental temperature measurements. Numerical results allowed in-depth analysis of flow field and temperature distribution inside the storage. It was discovered that the flow field is highly non-uniform, which consequently leads to an uneven temperature distribution of pallets with products. However, a high inlet mass-flow rate ensured that all pallets reach the designed temperature

Modelling voluntary general population vaccination strategies during covid-19 outbreak: Influence of disease prevalence

A novel statistical model based on a two-layer, contact and information, graph is suggested in order to study the influence of disease prevalence on voluntary general population vaccination during the COVID-19 outbreak. Details about the structure and number of susceptible, infectious, and recovered/vaccinated individuals from the contact layer are simultaneously transferred to the information layer. The ever-growing wealth of information that is becoming available about the COVID virus was modelled at each individual level by a simplified proxy predictor of the amount of disease spread. Each informed individual, a node in a heterogeneous graph, makes a decision about vaccination “motivated” by their benefit. The obtained results showed that disease information type, global or local, has a significant impact on an individual vaccination decision. A number of different scenarios were investigated. The scenarios showed that in the case of the stronger impact of globally broadcasted disease information, individuals tend to vaccinate in larger numbers at the same time when the infection has already spread within the population. If individuals make vaccination decisions based on locally available information, the vaccination rate is uniformly spread during infection outbreak duration. Prioritising elderly population vaccination leads to an increased number of infected cases and a higher reduction in mortality. The developed model accuracy allows the precise targeting of vaccination order depending on the individuals’ number of social contacts. Precisely targeted vaccination, combined with pre-existing immunity, and public health measures can limit the infection to isolated hotspots inside the population, as well as significantly delay and lower the infection peak

Turbulent Two-Phase Flow Modeling of Air-Coal Mixture Channels with Single Blade Turbulators

Abstract. Subject of this work is turbulent two-phase flow through air-coal channel(s) of complex geometry. Air flow through all eight air-coal mixture channels was simulated in first stage. Velocity and pressure field were obtained as results of this simulation. One channel was selected, based on obtained results from first case. Two-phase flow was simulated in this channel. Lagrangian multiphase model was used for discrete phase (coal particles) modeling. Two-phase flow in air-coal mixture channel without turbulator was simulated next. After that, two-phase flow in air-coal mixture channels with two different turbulator heights was simulated. Turbulators were set parallel to velocity vectors at inlet. Finally turbulators were rotated for 12 deg. around x-axis in positive mathematical direction, and simulation was repeated for both turbulator heights. The aim of this work is numerical optimization of fluid flow and coal particle distribution in reconstructed air-coal mixture channels. Single blade turbulator was used to increase turbulence in vertical section of air-coal mixture channel. Standard k-ω turbulent model was used for modeling turbulence. Lagrangian multiphase model was used for modeling coal particle distribution. More uniform coal particle distribution has been achieved using single blade turbulators. Results show that there is no significant difference in coal particle distribution between all four cases in which different turbulator geometry and position was used. Upon these conclusions, technologically simplest solution, turbulator with low height, can be suggested. Although better particle distribution is reached using single blade turbulators, particle concentration in evaluation section (where plasma generators will be built in) still remained anisotropic. Because uniform coal particle distribution is of great importance for proper work of plasma generators, other solutions for achieving this goal will be object of future analysis

Novel Fragmentation Model for Pulverized Coal Particles Gasification in Low Temperature Air Thermal Plasma

New system for start-up and flame support based on coal gasification by low temperature air thermal plasma is planned to supplement current heavy oil system in Serbian thermal power plants in order to decrease air pollutions emission and operational costs. Locally introduced plasma thermal energy heats up and ignites entrained coal particles, thus starting chain process which releases heat energy from gasified coal particles inside burner channel. Important stages during particle combustion, such as particle devolatilisation and char combustion, are described with satisfying accuracy in existing commercial computer fluid dynamics codes that are extensively used as powerful tool for pulverized coal combustion and gasification modeling. However, during plasma coal gasification, high plasma temperature induces strong thermal stresses inside interacting coal particles. These stresses lead to thermal shock and extensive particle fragmentation during which coal particles with initial size of 50-100 mu m disintegrate into fragments of at most 5-10 mu m. This intensifies volatile release by a factor 3-4 and substantially accelerates the oxidation of combustible matter. Particle fragmentation, due to its small size and thus limited influence on combustion process is commonly neglected in modelling. The main focus of this work is to suggest novel approach to pulverized coal gasification under high temperature conditions and to implement it into commercial comprehensive code ANSYS FLUENT 14.0. Proposed model was validated against experimental data obtained in newly built pilot scale direct current plasma burner test facility. Newly developed model showed very good agreement with experimental results with relative error less than 10%, while the standard built-in gasification model had error up to 25%

Results of the modernization of the electrostatic precipitator at unit B1 of the Thermal Power Plant Kostolac B

The electrostatic precipitator system of the lignite fired 350 MWe unit B1 of Thermal Power Plant Kostolac B has been modernized during 2014. The results of complex in site measurements, performed in the frame of performance control test at the beginning of the exploitation period of the upgraded electrostatic pre-cipitator proved that, under normal and guarantee working conditions of the boiler and precipitator, the emission of particulate matter do not exceed limiting value. After the period of precipitator further adjustments, five series of meas-urements in the frame of acceptance test were performed in accordance with rel-evant standards. This paper presents results of the investigation of particulate matter concentration, laboratory analysis of the lignite, fly and bottom ash sam-ples, working parameters of the unit and upgraded electrostatic precipitator as well as results of the calculations. The averaged mean particulate concentration at the exit of upgraded electrostatic precipitator of the unit B1 during Acceptance test was below guaranteed value. It is confirmed that adjustments of electrostatic precipitator electrical parameters have improved electrostatic precipitator effi-ciency, as well that electrostatic precipitatorcould work highly efficiently in en-ergy save mode with lower power consumption. © 2018 Society of Thermal Engineers of Serbia