Exploring the Interplay between CAD and FreeFem++ as an Energy Decision-Making Tool for Architectural Design

The energy modelling software tools commonly used for architectural purposes do not allow a straightforward real-time implementation within the architectural design programs. In addition, the surrounding exterior spaces of the building, including the inner courtyards, hardly present a specific treatment distinguishing these spaces from the general external temperature in the thermal simulations. This is a clear disadvantage when it comes to streamlining the design process in relation to the whole-building energy optimization. In this context, the present study aims to demonstrate the advantages of the FreeFem++ open source program for performing simulations in architectural environments. These simulations include microclimate tests that describe the interactions between a building architecture and its local exterior. The great potential of this mathematical tool can be realized through its complete system integration within CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software such as SketchUp or AutoCAD. In order to establish the suitability of FreeFem++ for the performance of simulations, the most widely employed energy simulation tools able to consider a proposed architectural geometry in a specific environment are compared. On the basis of this analysis, it can be concluded that FreeFem++ is the only program displaying the best features for the thermal performance simulation of these specific outdoor spaces, excluding the currently unavailable easy interaction with architectural drawing programs. The main contribution of this research is, in fact, the enhancement of FreeFem++ usability by proposing a simple intuitive method for the creation of building geometries and their respective meshing (pre-processing). FreeFem++ is also considered a tool for data analysis (post-processing) able to help engineers and architects with building energy-efficiency-related tasks

Parametric Study of Thermodynamics in the Mediterranean Courtyard as a Tool for the Design of Eco-Efficient Buildings

Traditionally, people in the Mediterranean region knew that the temperatures in their courtyards were cooler in summer than outside temperature. This paper provides a quantitative study on the usefulness of Mediterranean courtyards as passive energy saving systems. This work is based on the creation of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) numerical model developed using the open source Freefem++ language. In this work, first the numerical model is tested using simplified-shape courtyards which have been previously studied both physically under controlled parameters, and mathematically through numerical simulations. We also study the most appropriate depth ratio for a courtyard, based on these simplified shapes, depending on the climate. Secondly, we apply the numerical model in a real geometry, the Monte Málaga hotel. We compare the numerical results with the monitored data of the temperature in the courtyard of the hotel. The numerical model takes into account precomputed solar radiation in the walls of the courtyard, the predominant wind and buoyancy effects

Microclimate simulations by Freefem++ for efficient Architecture design

The interaction between the buildings and the atmospheric phenomena produce microclimates in its nearby environment, characterized by air characteristics that differ from the outside average. These characteristics depend, among other factors, on its architecture. A certain building design can modify greatly the temperature in these spaces in a natural way. This is the case of courtyards, where there have been monitored air temperatures one quite lower the exterior ones during the summer in hot and temperate climates like the Mediterranean one [1]. To understand and to quantify this effect allows a building design to take advantage of it in an effective way improving the building’s energy efficiency. But the physical complexity of the phenomenon and its strong interaction with formal design, has prevented its controlled use in architecture till now. The present study confronts the problem by means of a proper collaboration among mathematicians, engineers and architects. In this sense this makes more accessible the big potentiality of the free code FreeFem++ mathematical tool to develop the numerical simulations of these microclimates proposing its simple integration with the proper architecture and engineering software. Therefore, to confront the problem, the use and the integration of these programs: AutoCADR , SketchUp R , FreeFem++ and ParaView will be proposed

On the Influence of Shade in Improving Thermal Comfort in Courtyards

This study analyzes the thermal performance of courtyards in traditional buildings in the city center of Córdoba (South of Spain), one of them displaying a shading component, to determine the influence of this precise element. The courtyards have been monitored simultaneously during a summer period when temperatures during the day reached over 45 °C. The obtained data was contrasted, and we confirmed that the shading element provided an improvement of the thermal performance of the courtyard which doubled the thermal leap between outdoor and inside the courtyard temperatures when the shading element was installed, in comparison to the courtyard without shade. Therefore, the tempering effect of courtyards can be significantly improved by means of using these simple elements

Correlations between GIS-Based Urban Building Densification Analysis and Climate Guidelines for Mediterranean Courtyards

This study identifies and proposes A GIS-based exploration of the relationships between aspect ratio of inner courtyards, porosity of the urban fabric and the climatic factors where it is located. To perform that comparison, morphological and measurement methods have been used to delineate spatial boundaries of urban densification. This methodology has been applied to a case study in Spain, where regulation establishes several climatic zones. Examples of cities in these zones have been examined to establish possible correlations. This paper analyses the particularities of these different urban scenarios, considering the effects of climate on the real urban densification. The purpose of this study is to find a relationship between the historical inner courtyards dimensions and the climate of the zone where they are located. In order to frame the real thermal behaviour of the inner courtyard in the context of the vernacular typologies studied, a representative sample of inner courtyards has been selected. The monitoring data presented allow quantifying the courtyard’s ability to temper the maximum temperature values

Microclimatic conditions of internal courtyards in warm climates and their influence in eco-efficient construction

A reduced shape factor of the building has become a general recommendation in order to achieve eco-efficient architecture in any climate in spite of the fact that it was made to be applied to cold climates. As a result, this pattern of compact shapes is widespread all over the world. However, it is based on a simplified model of the interaction of architecture with its environment in which the air surrounding the building is considered to be at the same temperature. Nevertheless, this paper will show that in climates such as the Mediterranean, the existence of microclimates induced by the building itself, for instance inside internal courtyards, indicate a more dynamic interaction. In spite of a higher shape factor, more complex shapes can beexplored that take advantage of these microclimates to achieve more eco-efficient buildings

Spondyloarthropathies in Autoimmune Diseases and Vice Versa

Polyautoimmunity is one of the major clinical characteristics of autoimmune diseases (ADs). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of ADs in spondyloarthropathies (SpAs) and vice versa. This was a two-phase cross-sectional study. First, we examined the presence of ADs in a cohort of patients with SpAs (N = 148). Second, we searched for the presence of SpAs in a well-defined group of patients with ADs (N = 1077) including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Among patients with SpAs, ankylosing spondylitis was observed in the majority of them (55.6%). There were two patients presenting with SS in the SpA group (1.4%) and 5 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (3.5%). The global prevalence of ADs in SpAs was 4.86%. In the ADs group, there were 5 patients with SpAs (0.46%). Our results suggest a lack of association between SpAs and ADs. Accordingly, SpAs might correspond more to autoinflammatory diseases rather than to ADs

Implementing ARP-Path Low Latency Bridges in NetFPGA

The demo is focused on the implementation of ARP-Path (a.k.a. FastPath) bridges, a recently proposed concept for low latency bridges. ARP-Path Bridges rely on the race between broadcast ARP Request packets, to discover the minimum latency path to the destination host. Several implementations (in Omnet++, Linux, OpenFlow, NetFPGA) have shown that ARP-Path exhibits loop-freedom, does not block links, is fully transparent to hosts and neither needs a spanning tree protocol to prevent loops nor a link state protocol to obtain low latency paths. This demo compares our hardware implementation on NetFPGA to bridges running STP, showing that ARP-Path finds lower latency paths than STP

A Simple, Zero-configuration, Low Latency, Bridging Protocol

This paper describes a demo for a new type of bridges, ARP-Path bridges. These ARP-based Ethernet Switches rely on the race between ARP Request packets flooded over all links, to discover the minimum latency path to the destination host. The protocol uses all links, is loop free, uses the standard Ethernet frame format, is fully transparent to hosts and neither needs a spanning tree protocol to prevent loops nor a links state protocol to obtain minimum latency paths. Implementations in Linux and Openflow on NetFPGA show inherent robustness and fast reconfiguration. Simulation results show throughput and delay performance superior to the Spanning Tree Protocol and similar to shortest path routing, with lower complexity.Comunidad de MadridJunta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Manch

A Simple, Zero-configuration, Low Latency, Bridging Protocol

This paper describes a demo for a new type of bridges, ARP-Path bridges. These ARP-based Ethernet Switches rely on the race between ARP Request packets flooded over all links, to discover the minimum latency path to the destination host. The protocol uses all links, is loop free, uses the standard Ethernet frame format, is fully transparent to hosts and neither needs a spanning tree protocol to prevent loops nor a links state protocol to obtain minimum latency paths. Implementations in Linux and Openflow on NetFPGA show inherent robustness and fast reconfiguration. Simulation results show throughput and delay performance superior to the Spanning Tree Protocol and similar to shortest path routing, with lower complexity