Quick-cast: A method for fast and precise scalable production of fluid-driven elastomeric soft actuators

Fluid-driven elastomeric actuators (FEAs) are among the most popular actuators in the emerging field of soft robotics. Intrinsically compliant, with continuum of motion, large strokes, little friction, and high power-to-weight ratio, they are very similar to biological muscles, and have enabled new applications in automation, architecture, medicine, and human-robot interaction. To foster future applications of FEAs, in this paper we present a new manufacturing method for fast and precise scalable production of complex FEAs of high quality (leak-free, single-body form, with <0.2 mm precision). The method is based on 3d moulding and supports elastomers with a wide range of viscosity, pot life, and Young's modulus. We developed this process for two different settings: one in laboratory conditions for fast prototyping with 3d printed moulds and using multi-component liquid elastomers, and the other process in an industrial setting with 3d moulds micromachined in metal and applying compression moulding. We demonstrate these methods in fabrication of up to several tens of two-axis, three-chambered soft actuators, with two types of chamber walls: cylindrical and corrugated. The actuators are then applied as motion drivers in kinetic photovoltaic building envelopes

Energy futures of representative Swiss communities under the influence of urban development, building retrofit, and climate change

Reducing energy demand in buildings is an integral part of many climate change mitigation strategies. Yet, the prospected development of communities is often overlooked when estimating future energy demand. Here, we investigate the future energy demand in representative Swiss communities, considering climate change projections, building retrofit and urban development. Following a scenario-based approach we model urban, suburban and rural community archetypes under changing boundary conditions and different time scales using the City Energy Analyst an open-source computational framework. The results demonstrate that the future energy demand of Swiss communities is highly dependant on their development trajectories regarding population growth, occupant density and building use-types. For the urban archetype, the most significant result is the increase of annual space cooling which by 2060 could be comparable to space heating. For the sub-urban, increases in energy demand due to urban development were observed despite retrofit measures, whereas the rural archetype displays high space heating demand across all scenarios. Consequently, predictions for future energy demand at the community scale without considering urban development trajectories are likely to be incomplete. The results demonstrate the relevance of increasing the modelling scale from national to community scale to support decision making on different levels of governance

Comparison of two deep reinforcement learning algorithms towards an optimal policy for smart building thermal control

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are the main providers of occupant comfort, and at the same time, they represent a significant source of energy consumption. Improving their efficiency is essential for reducing the environmental impact of buildings. However, traditional rule-based and model-based strategies are often inefficient in real-world applications due to the complex building thermal dynamics and the influence of heterogeneous disturbances, such as unpredictable occupant behavior. In order to address this issue, the performance of two state-of-the-art model-free Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) algorithms, Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) and Soft Actor-Critic (SAC), has been compared when the percentage valve opening is managed in a thermally activated building system, modeled in a simulated environment from data collected in an existing office building in Switzerland. Results show that PPO reduced energy costs by 18% and decreased temperature violations by 33%, while SAC achieved a 14% reduction in energy costs and 64% fewer temperature violations compared to the onsite Rule-Based Controller (RBC)

High-resolution and localized parametric embodied impact calculator of PV systems

Buildings are responsible for a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. In order to decarbonize the electricity grid and reduce the environmental impact of the building stock, photovoltaic panels can be installed. However, in order to assess the environmental impact of PVs, the whole life cycle has to be considered including embodied emissions. Several options for photovoltaics exist on the market or are under development including silicon-based panels, thin films, and third generation panels. Currently, many configurations of the panels exist making it difficult to estimate the embodied impact. The goal of this paper is to close this gap by providing a parametric PV carbon calculator for designers and decision-makers. In this study, the embodied impact of different PV types and configurations is assessed. First, the life cycle inventories data and bill of quantities for different generations\u27 panel types are gathered. Second, life cycle impact assessment is performed. The results of the analysis are presented in a form of a software application allowing users to select the panel\u27s composition, e.g., frame and glass type, cell type, encapsulant, etc. The developed application will assist in understanding the impact of choices made in regards to PV systems and will support engineers and architects in the selection of the photovoltaic panels from embodied impact perspective

Pilot studies on optimizing land use, building density and solar electricity generation in dense urban settings

[EN] Previous studies have identified links between the urban form and the performance of urban energy systems. Land use and density are two important aspects of urban planning and design. This paper studies the relationship between these aspects and the performance of an urban energy system. For this, the study compares different metrics of land use, density, and energy performance. These metrics are floor area ratio, density gradient, land use ratio, renewable energy share, and the peak electricity import from the city grid. The approach is based on the multi-objective optimization of the urban form. The results offer what-if scenarios on how land-use and density can either maximize the performance of an urban energy system.Shi, Z.; Hsieh, S.; Sreepathi, BK.; Fonseca, J.; Maréchal, F.; Schlueter, A. (2018). Pilot studies on optimizing land use, building density and solar electricity generation in dense urban settings. En 24th ISUF International Conference. Book of Papers. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 641-648. https://doi.org/10.4995/ISUF2017.2017.5636OCS64164

SPACERGY:

SPACERGY builds upon the need for planning authorities to develop new models to implement energy transition strategies in the urban environment, departing from the exploitation or reciprocity between space and energy systems. Several policies have been made by each EU nation, but effective and practical tools to guide the urban transformations towards a carbon-neutral future present several challenges. The first challenge is to confront long term changes in envisioning how a specific socio-cultural context can respond to the application of solutions for energy efficiency. Secondly, the engagement of communities in bottom-up approaches mainly includes the sphere of urban planning that underestimates the importance of relating spatial transformations with the energy performances generated in the urban environment. The third challenge regards the tools used for the assessment of the energy performance and the necessity of enlarging the scale in which energy demand is analyzed, from the scale of the building to that of the district. In this context, the project explores the role of mobility, spatial morphologies, infrastructural elements and local community participation in regards to the smart use of local resources. The project addresses a knowledge gap in relation to interactions and synergies between spatial programming, energy and mobility systems planning and stakeholder involvement necessary to improve models of development and governance of urban transformations. Based on detailed spatial morphology and energy use modeling, SPACERGY develops new toolsets and guidelines necessary to advance the implementation of energy-efficient urban districts. New toolsets are tested in three urban areas under development in the cities of Zurich, Almere, and Bergen, acting as living laboratories for real-time research and action in collaboration with local stakeholders. The results of this research project support planners and decision-makers to facilitate the transition of their communities to more efficient, livable and thus prosperous urban environments