Building thermal load prediction through shallow machine learning and deep learning

Building thermal load prediction informs the optimization of cooling plant and thermal energy storage. Physics-based prediction models of building thermal load are constrained by the model and input complexity. In this study, we developed 12 data-driven models (7 shallow learning, 2 deep learning, and 3 heuristic methods) to predict building thermal load and compared shallow machine learning and deep learning. The 12 prediction models were compared with the measured cooling demand. It was found XGBoost (Extreme Gradient Boost) and LSTM (Long Short Term Memory) provided the most accurate load prediction in the shallow and deep learning category, and both outperformed the best baseline model, which uses the previous day's data for prediction. Then, we discussed how the prediction horizon and input uncertainty would influence the load prediction accuracy. Major conclusions are twofold: first, LSTM performs well in short-term prediction (1 h ahead) but not in long term prediction (24 h ahead), because the sequential information becomes less relevant and accordingly not so useful when the prediction horizon is long. Second, the presence of weather forecast uncertainty deteriorates XGBoost's accuracy and favors LSTM, because the sequential information makes the model more robust to input uncertainty. Training the model with the uncertain rather than accurate weather data could enhance the model's robustness. Our findings have two implications for practice. First, LSTM is recommended for short-term load prediction given that weather forecast uncertainty is unavoidable. Second, XGBoost is recommended for long term prediction, and the model should be trained with the presence of input uncertainty

Characteristics of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion and emissions of n-heptane

This paper reports the outcome from a systematic investigation carried out on HCCI (Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition) combustion of a diesel type fuel. The n heptane was chosen in this study to study the premixed diesel HCCI combustion characteristics with port fuel injection. Measurements were carried out in a single-cylinder, 4-stroke and variable compression ratio engine. Premixed n-heptane/air/EGR mixture was introduced into the cylinder by a port fuel injector and an external EGR system. The operating regions with regard to Air/Fuel ratio and EGR rate were established for different compression ratios and intake temperatures. The effects of compression ratios, intake temperatures, Air/Fuel ratios and EGR rates on knock limit, auto-ignition timing, combustion rate, IMEP, and engine-out emissions, such as NOx, CO, and unburned HC, were analysed. The results have shown HCCI combustion of n-heptane could be implemented without intake charge heating with a typical diesel engine compression ratio. The attainable HCCI operating region was mainly limited by the knock limit, misfir, and low IMEP respectively. Higher intake temperature or compression ratio could extend the misfire limit of the HCCI operation at low load but they would reduce the maximum IMEP limit at higher load conditions. Compared with conventional diesel combustion, HCCI combustion lead to extremely low NOx emissions ( less than 5 ppm) and smoke free exhaust. But HCCI diesel combustion was found to produce higher HC and CO emissions. An increase in intake temperature or compression ratio helped to reduce HC and CO emissions.

Examining exotic structure of proton-rich nucleus 23^{23}Al

The longitudinal momentum distribution (P_{//}) of fragments after one-proton removal from ^{23} Al and reaction cross sections (\sigma_R) for ^{23,24} Al on carbon target at 74A MeV have been measured. The ^{23,24} Al ions were produced through projectile fragmentation of 135 A MeV ^{28} Si primary beam using RIPS fragment separator at RIKEN. P_{//} is measured by a direct time-of-flight (TOF) technique, while \sigma_R is determined using a transmission method. An enhancement in \sigma_R is observed for ^{23} Al compared with ^{24} Al. The P_{//} for ^{22} Mg fragments from ^{23} Al breakup has been obtained for the first time. FWHM of the distributions has been determined to be 232 \pm 28 MeV/c. The experimental data are discussed by using Few-Body Glauber model. Analysis of P_{//} demonstrates a dominant d-wave configuration for the valence proton in ground state of ^{23} Al, indicating that ^{23} Al is not a proton halo nucleus

An integrated wind risk warning model for urban rail transport in Shanghai, China

The integrated wind risk warning model for rail transport presented has four elements: Background wind data, a wind field model, a vulnerability model, and a risk model. Background wind data uses observations in this study. Using the wind field model with effective surface roughness lengths, the background wind data are interpolated to a 30-m resolution grid. In the vulnerability model, the aerodynamic characteristics of railway vehicles are analyzed with CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) modelling. In the risk model, the maximum value of three aerodynamic forces is used as the criteria to evaluate rail safety and to quantify the risk level under extremely windy weather. The full model is tested for the Shanghai Metro Line 16 using wind conditions during Typhoon Chan-hom. The proposed approach enables quick quantification of real- time safety risk levels during typhoon landfall, providing sophisticated warning information for rail vehicle operation safety

Candidate chiral doublet bands in the odd-odd nucleus 126^{126}Cs

The candidate chiral doublet bands recently observed in $^{126}$Cs have been extended to higher spins, several new linking transitions between the two partner members of the chiral doublet bands are observed, and $\gamma$$-$intensities related to the chiral doublet bands are presented by analyzing the $\gamma$$-$$\gamma$ coincidence data collected earlier at the NORDBALL through the $^{116}$Cd$($$^{14}$N, 4n$)$$^{126}$Cs reaction at a beam energy of 65 MeV. The intraband $B(M1)/B(E2)$ and interband $B(M1)_{in}/B(M1)_{out}$ ratios and the energy staggering parameter, S(I), have been deduced for these doublet bands. The results are found to be consistent with the chiral interpretation for the two structures. Furthermore, the observation of chiral doublet bands in $^{126}$Cs together with those in $^{124}$Cs, $^{128}$Cs, $^{130}$Cs and $^{132}$Cs also indicates that the chiral conditions do not change rapidly with decreasing neutron number in these odd-odd Cesium isotopes