Detailed comfort analysis of the cooling system in the 16th century Villa Aeolia (Costozza, Italy)

The villas of Costozza (Vicenza, Italy), built in 16th century, give an example of bioclimatic architecture actual even today. These villas are connected to a large underground cavities network present inside the nearby hills, that can dissipate heat to the ground and provide cool air in summer. Here is analysed Villa Aeolia, still in operation, modelling its natural cooling system in a day of July by using steady-state 3D Fluid Dynamics computations. We focus on three scenarios depending on the outdoor temperature, that follows the daily temperature variations. The simulations let us to know the indoor velocity field and the temperature distribution in the main hall, the Sala Apollinea. Then, we evaluate the global thermal comfort and local discomfort by determining the sensation index Predicted Mean Vote, Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied and Draught Rating at 1.1 m above the hall floor. This method can easily be implemented in others cases and allows to have a spatial evaluation of comfort and therefore to identify in the different scenarios which are the parameters on which to act in the event of local discomfort

Computational Fluid Dynamic Study with Comfort Analysis in Large Atrium of the Angelo Hospital in Venice

To improve the thermal comfort in the hall of the Angelo Hospital (Venezia) an analysis was developed by using Computation Fluid Dynamics and considering some configurations for the air-conditioning system and for the solar shading devices. The reference configuration consists of the installation of four fan coils in the area coupled with a 3 m high metal casing used for solar shading. Then, three other solutions are proposed: by increasing the number of fan coils and changing their position, by adding some radiant panels arranged on the walls, and by inserting a physical confinement as a lateral confinement. The study consists of three sections. Firstly, a section in which the study area is modelled through a strong simplification that allows to represent only a slice of the domain but to immediately evaluate the role of the casing. A second section in which the area is completely modelled, and a third section in which a comfort evaluation is carried out. The analysis shows that the metal casing brings a substantial benefit due to the solar shielding it causes. The radiant panels cool the area only near the wall. The increasing of the number of the fans leads to an excessively high air speed and localized discomfort due to drafts. The lateral confinement on the north and south side is the one that guarantees better cooling of the study area

IR Thermography for Non-Destructive Monitoring of Moisture in Cultural Heritage

One of the main sources of damage to historical buildings is the presence of humidity. It is fundamental to develop a diagnosis protocol to identify the presence of water, evaluate the damage in a building (the whole structure, part of it or individual materials), assess its vulnerability and, finally, carry out a restoration plan. IR thermography is a sustainable method to guarantee structure analysis and preservation. Here, an application is presented, permitting us to identify the wet and dry areas and transition zone related to evaporation on the surface of the investigated materials. Thanks to temperature maps, it is possible to observe saturated regions, qualitatively at first and then quantitatively, processing the images by plotting reference lines/points and correlating surface temperatures with moisture

Conventional or additive manufacturing for spare parts management: An extensive comparison for Poisson demand

Due to the main peculiarities of spare parts, i.e. intermittent demands, long procurement lead times and high downtime costs when the parts are not available on time, it is often difficult to find the optimal inventory level. Recently, Additive Manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a promising technique to improve spare parts inventory management thanks to a ‘print on demand’ approach. So far, however, the impact of AM on spare parts inventory management has been little considered, and it is not yet clear when the use of AM for spare parts inventory management would provide benefits over Conventional Manufacturing (CM) techniques. With this paper we thus aim to contribute to the field of AM spare parts inventory management by developing decision trees that can be of support to managers and practitioners. To this aim, we considered a Poisson-based inventory management system and we carried out a parametrical analysis considering different part sizes and complexity, backorder costs and part consumption. Moreover, we evaluated scenarios where the order-up-to level is limited to resemble applications with a limited storage capacity. For the first time, the analysis was not limited to just one AM and one CM technique, but several AM and CM techniques were considered, also combined with different post-process treatments, for a total of nine different sourcing alternatives. In addition, the economic and technical performance of the different sourcing options were obtained thanks to an interdisciplinary approach, where experts from production economics and material science were brought together

Functional, Energy and Seismic Retrofitting in Existing Building: An Innovative System Based on xlam Technology

In recent years significant investments were made in retrofitting of existing buildings with the aim to realize a strong functional, energy and seismic refurbishment. This is a complicated challenge: the technical and economic feasibility of intervention must be correctly defined and most of interventions are not standardized or coordinated or properly managed. Given the awarenessrelatedto environmental sustainability topics, this studyfocusedon the developmentof systems andtechnologiesbased on the useof natural and environmentally sustainable materials. The paper is focused on the xlam panel that is integrated into an existing building (outside or inside the external wall) in order to improve the static and structural tightening. The system is designed for modularization and standardization for giving simplicity and speed of assembly and low cost providing also. Through a three-dimensional and numerical model, simulations were carried out to verify and to optimize the energy behaviorof the chosenmaterials and to identifythe best combinationon thermal performancecomparedwith the costsandenvironmental impactsof the product. The valuesand the results obtainedwere testedexperimentallyin the laboratoryby the constructionof a prototype

historical buildings retrofit the city hall of the city of motta di livenza tv

Abstract Issues related to energy saving, environmental sustainability and safety in case of seismic events are more and more the focus of attention of public opinion and the various actors of the construction sector. The Italian housing stock needs a strong energy adjustment, functional and seismic. The majority of buildings dating back to before the entry into force of the laws on energy saving of 1976 and first of the orders on the seismic design of 2003. The intervention on private buildings is favored by various financial systems and various facilities but to intervention on the public housing stock it is not easy. Most of the public buildings are identified as historical and therefore listed by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. Historical constraints, facades and fine decorations and inhomogeneity of the construction techniques and materials used make it very difficult to intervene in these buildings. The article will analyze a case study: the city hall of the municipality of Motta di Livenza (TV). This historic building, listed by the Super-intendent, has been subject to an energy audit that defines what are the best measures of energy efficiency and their economic sustainability. The search result will define which are the most cost-effective interventions to associate with the project of seismic improvement already underway. The case study is a real example of finding a balance between the need for seismic and energy intervention, constraints placed by the Superintendent, the data constraints by decorations and valuable items cannot be modified and the need for improvement of interior comfort

Laboratory thermal conductivity measurements on gravel sample

Modern Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) systems must be designed by taking into account the ground thermal properties, in order to properly plan the capability of the heat pumps to transfer calories through the Ground Source Heat Exchangers (GSHE) to the subsoil (and vice versa). [...

Key Parameters Featuring BIM-LCA Integration in Buildings : a Practical Review of the Current Trends

The construction sector is responsible for 40% of carbon emissions, 14% of water consumption and 60% of waste production in the world, generating a state of unsustainability. In order to keep these values under control and make the most sustainable choices starting from the earliest stages of building design, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can be used. This consists of an analysis of the environmental impacts of a product, activity or process throughout all phases of the life cycle. The fundamental problem of implementing this analysis process in the construction sector is the difficulty in managing the fragmented building information that covers all aspects of buildings life stages in an integrated way. The Building Information Modeling (BIM) approach offers the possibility of managing a complex information system in an integrated manner. The BIM-LCA integration solutions proposed in recent years made LCA analysis faster, cheaper and usable by more professionals. This paper proposes an analysis of the state of the art of the research published in the last ten years regarding the integration of BIM-LCA as a methodology whereby the BIM approach can support and simplify data management for LCA analysis. The aim was to present the work methodologies tested so far and to describe all the factors that were considered in applying the BIM-LCA integration. The novelty of this review consists of identifying a series of more recurrent parameters and measures used by most researchers deriving a trend of possible and consolidated workflows. The result is, therefore, to present evidence of a general heterogenous framework and to define the common and widespread approaches identifying the main features

Application of Different Circadian Lighting Metrics in a Health Residence

During the last three decades, various scientific researchers analysed the connection between natural elements and human life, both as far as well-being and productivity. This study simulates circadian lighting metrics on elderly occupants in a healthcare residence, with different types of metrics. It presents an application of some metrics that try to quantify the effects of natural light on the human being. Circadian Action Factor, Circadian Stimulus, and Equivalent Melanopic Lux are considered. Starting from the spectral power distribution parameter, the three metrics are compared. The final aim is to build up a standard technique to represent the effect of key design choices on the accomplishment of endorsed circadian framework boost for healthcare residences occupied by elderly people