Caracterización y evaluación de la calidad del aire en espacios interiores a través del análisis del dióxido de carbono

El presente Trabajo Fin de Máster va acompañado de un prototipo físico. Dicho prototipo consta de un sensor analógico debidamente autocalibrado que permite la monitorización del dióxido de carbono del interior de una estancia.La importancia de la calidad interior del aire (IAQ) se ha visto reforzada a nivel internacional por la pandemia por COVID-19. Puesto que la población mundial pasa la mayor parte de su tiempo en el interior de los edificios y existe una relación entre la IAQ y la concentración del CO2 exhalado, se ha impuesto aumentar la renovación de aire como sistema preventivo para evitar la transmisión de la enfermedad. Asimismo, la incipiente Cuarta Revolución Industrial y algunos de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODs) de la Agenda 2030, centran sus esfuerzos en el desarrollo de edificios inteligentes. El uso de Internet de las Cosas (IoT), la conexión y el análisis de datos en tiempo real permiten crear una sociedad más sostenible a partir de la modernización y rehabilitación de edificios ya existentes. Con este fin, se han realizado diferentes simulaciones dinámicas de fluidos (CFD) del interior de una estancia para determinar las zonas donde no existe renovación de aire. Se han considerado varios escenarios e hipótesis para prototipar y ubicar un dispositivo de bajo coste basado en el control de la concentración de CO2 que, programado, autocalibrado e interconectado, permite actuar de modo similar a la de un instrumento.El documento consta de un total de 288 páginas

Use of Low-Cost Devices for the Control and Monitoring of CO2 Concentration in Existing Buildings after the COVID Era

[EN] In the COVID-19 era, a direct relationship has been consolidated between the concentration of the pollutant carbon dioxide (CO2) and indoor disease transmission. For reducing its spread, recommendations have been established among which air renewal is a key element to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). In this study, a low-cost CO2 measurement device was designed, developed, assembled, prototyped, and openly programmed so that the IAQ can be monitored remotely. In addition, this clonic device was calibrated for correct data acquisition. In parallel, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling analysis was used to study the indoor air flows to eliminate non-representative singular measurement points, providing possible locations. The results in four scenarios (cross ventilation, outdoor ventilation, indoor ventilation, and no ventilation) showed that the measurements provided by the clonic device are comparable to those obtained by laboratory instruments, with an average error of less than 3%. These data collected wirelessly for interpretation were evaluated on an Internet of Things (IoT) platform in real time or deferred. As a result, remaining lifespan of buildings can be exploited interconnecting IAQ devices with other systems (as HVAC systems) in an IoT environment. This can transform them into smart buildings, adding value to their refurbishment and modernization.All authors acknowledge the help received by the research group TEP-955 from the PAIDI, the ERGOMET Project of the Program for the Promotion of Research Activity of the UCA, the Project "Design of a low-cost non-invasive ergonomic capture system for the analysis of musculoskeletal disorders" of the Program for the Promotion of Research and Transfer of the UCA and the National Plan Research Project PID2019-108669RB-100/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.Pastor-Fernández, A.; Cerezo-Narváez, A.; Montero-Gutiérrez, P.; Ballesteros-Pérez, P.; Otero-Mateo, M. (2022). Use of Low-Cost Devices for the Control and Monitoring of CO2 Concentration in Existing Buildings after the COVID Era. Applied Sciences. 12(8):1-35. https://doi.org/10.3390/app1208392713512

Radiant solution for the thermal conditioning of short stay spaces

El espacio urbano es un lugar hostil para los ciudadanos de grandes urbes del sur de Europa. Asimismo, el uso de transporte público se ve reducido en temporada estival por efectos de la isla de calor. Estas circunstancias propician que los peatones no usen las áreas urbanas para ocio. Por este motivo, la creación de refugios climáticos es fundamental para mejorar el confort térmico de sus ocupantes. Este estudio propone el diseño de una parada de autobús autosuficiente, a instalar en la ciudad de Sevilla, que proteja a sus habitantes del clima. Su autosuficiencia es posible mediante la integración de la tecnología Falling-Film e incorporación de módulos radiantes de refrigeración. A partir del prototipado de una marquesina, se evalúa su comportamiento en el seno de una cámara climática, totalmente sensorizada, con el propósito de estudiar la eficiencia de los sistemas. De esta forma, los resultados obtenidos en el experimento se centran en el análisis de flujos de calor convectivo y radiante en diferentes condiciones de funcionamiento, garantizando que el 60% del flujo de calor total se debe a la radiación. Igualmente, imágenes termográficas demuestran el correcto funcionamiento de la estancia, que alcanza condiciones de confort en 20 minutos.Urban space is a hostile place for people in large cities in southern Europe. Moreover, the use of public transport is reduced during the summer season because of the heat island. These circumstances mean that citizens do not use urban areas for leisure. For this reason, the creation of climatic shelters is essential to improve the thermal comfort of urban occupants. This study proposes the design of an energetically self-sufficient bus stop, to be installed in the city of Seville, to protect its users from the climate. Its energy independence can be achieved through the integration of Falling-Film technology and the addition of radiant cooling modules. Based on the prototyping of a bus shelter, its behaviour is evaluated in a climatic chamber, fully sensorized, with the purpose of studying the efficiency of the systems included. In this way, the results obtained in the experiment focus on the analysis of convective and radiant heat flows under different operating conditions, ensuring that 60% of the total heat flow is due to radiation. Furthermore, thermographic images prove the correct operation of the facility, which reaches comfort conditions in 20 minutes

Urban heat island effect mitigation strategies and their impact on buildings

Las temperaturas en el interior de las viviendas y su entorno urbano aumentan cada año, especialmente en climas cálidos, alejándose cada vez más de las condiciones de confort deseadas. La escasez de vegetación y el uso de materiales convencionales en las zonas urbanas llevan a un empeoramiento de las condiciones ambientales, alimentando el efecto de isla de calor urbana. Asimismo, este afecta el confort en el interior de los edificios, aumentando el gasto eléctrico en climatización y, consecuentemente, las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. Este trabajo evalúa el impacto de la transformación urbana en la demanda y confort térmico de los edificios colindantes de un espacio urbano. Este se enclava en la Avenida Cruz Roja de Sevilla, objeto de una intervención real de diseño urbano bioclimático. Para ello, los edificios involucrados se organizan en clústeres, evaluando el impacto en la demanda y confort interiores de las distintas medidas de mitigación propuestas en cada clúster. De este modo, la adaptación al cambio climático no sólo proporciona las condiciones necesarias para que la ciudadanía vuelva a disfrutar de la vida en la calle, sino que también beneficia a los edificios, reduciendo su demanda e incrementando el confort de sus ocupantes.Indoor temperatures in buildings and their urban environment are increasing every year, especially in hot climates, moving increasingly away from the desired comfort conditions. The scarcity of vegetation and the use of conventional materials in urban areas lead to a worsening of environmental conditions, feeding the urban heat island effect. It also affects indoor comfort, increasing electricity consumption for air conditioning and, consequently, greenhouse gas emissions. This work evaluates the impact of urban transformation on the thermal demand and comfort of adjacent buildings in an urban space. This is located in the Avenida Cruz Roja in Seville, the object of a real bioclimatic urban design intervention. For this purpose, the buildings involved are organized into clusters, assessing the impact on indoor demand and comfort of the different mitigation measures proposed in each cluster. In this way, adaptation to climate change not only provides the necessary conditions for citizens to enjoy life in the street again, but also benefits buildings, reducing their demand and increasing the comfort of their occupants

Monitoring and control of basic air quality conditions in a university education facility

La concentración de dióxido de carbono, la temperatura y la humedad relativa en un recinto interior son algunos de los principales indicadores que determinan las condiciones básicas de la calidad interior del aire (IAQ). Estos parámetros están directamente relacionados con la transmisión aérea de enfermedades. En este contexto, la regulación de la ventilación es esencial para balancear la seguridad, a través de la renovación de aire, con el confort y la eficiencia energética. En esta investigación, se toma un espacio docente de la Escuela Superior de Ingeniería de la Universidad de Cádiz para monitorizar y controlar la IAQ. Para empezar, se analizan e identifican las debilidades de los sistemas de ventilación y climatización. Seguidamente, se diseña, desarrolla y prototipa un dispositivo de bajo coste para monitorizar la IAQ con un conjunto de sensores y elementos de control. Posteriormente, se modeliza el recinto y simula por medio de dinámica de fluidos computacional (CFD), para seleccionar la localización (ubicación/disposición y cantidad) de los sensores encargados de medir los parámetros que caracterizan la IAQ. Finalmente, se evalúan los datos recopilados para su interpretación, gracias a una plataforma de Internet de las Cosas (IoT), en tiempo real o diferidamente.Carbon dioxide concentration, temperature and relative humidity in an indoor environment are some of the main indicators that determine the basic conditions of indoor air quality (IAQ). These parameters are directly related to the airborne transmission of diseases. In this context, ventilation regulation is essential to balance safety through air renewal, with comfort and energy efficiency. In this research, an educational space of the School of Engineering at the University of Cadiz is considered to monitor and control IAQ. To begin with, the weaknesses of the ventilation and air conditioning systems are analyzed and identified. Next, a low-cost device to monitor IAQ is designed, developed and prototyped with a set of sensors and control elements. Then, the room is modeled and simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), to select the location (placement/ layout and quantity) of the sensors responsible for measuring the parameters that characterize IAQ. Finally, the wirelessly collected data are evaluated for interpretation, thanks to an Internet of Things (IoT) platform, in real time or deferred

Tool for the design of thermal conditioning strategies for outdoor spaces

La importancia del confort en los espacios urbanos se ha visto reforzada a nivel internacional, debido a la aparición del efecto de Isla de calor en las grandes ciudades del sur de Europa. El objetivo de planificadores, urbanistas, arquitectos e ingenieros es recuperar la habitabilidad de los espacios urbanos, luchando contra los efectos adversos del cambio climático. Asimismo, este personal técnico necesita una plataforma que ayude en la toma de decisiones para establecer estrategias de acondicionamiento de dichos espacios. Con este fin, en el marco de los proyectos europeos Cartuja-Qanat (UIA03-301) y LIFE-Watercool (LIFE18 CCA/ES/001122), se diseña una herramienta informática que permite analizar los elementos que integran el espacio urbano y propone mejoras para hacerlo más habitable. La herramienta cuenta con una base de datos capaz que cataloga y almacena la información técnica de diversos elementos: vegetación, técnicas naturales, coberturas y pavimentos. Asimismo, también puede analizar cualquier área de interés mediante conexión directa con Google Maps, incluyendo diferentes motores de cálculo, que genera un archivo de resultados a interpretar por el usuario de la herramienta, muestra el índice de confort mediante una representación espacio-temporal intuitiva y versátil, y recomienda tecnologías y elementos urbanos para resolver los problemas detectados.The importance of thermal comfort in urban spaces has been reinforced at the international level, due to the emergence of the heat island effect in the large cities of southern Europe. The objective of developers, urban planners, architects, and engineers is to restore the livability of urban spaces by combating the adverse effects of climate change. These technical staff also need a platform to help them make decisions to establish strategies for the development of these spaces. To this end, within the framework of the European projects Cartuja-Qanat (UIA03-301) and LIFE-Watercool (LIFE18 CCA/ES/001122), a computer tool has been designed to analyze the elements that compose the urban space and propose improvements to make it more livable. The tool has a capable database that catalogues and stores the technical information of various elements: vegetation, natural techniques, coverings and pavements. It can also analyze any area of interest through direct connection with Google Maps, including different calculation engines, which generates a file of results to be interpreted by the user of the tool, shows the comfort index through an intuitive and versatile spatio-temporal representation, and recommends technologies and urban elements to solve the issues identified

TERASENSE: THz device technology laboratory: final summary

The use of THz frequencies, particularly W and G band allows reaching higher resolution and deeper penetration in emerging applications like imaging, sensing, etc. The development of those new applications lays on reliable technologies, background of expertise and know-how. The CDS2008-00068 TERASENSE CONSOLIDER project has given the opportunity to extent upwards in frequency the previous background of the microwaves research group partners. This article summarizes the developments of the TERASENSE work package “THz Device Technology Laboratory”.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación through the CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010 program reference CSD2008-00068 TERASENSE

TERASENSE: THz device technology laboratory

The use of THz frequencies, particularly W and G band allows reaching higher resolution and deeper penetration in emerging applications like imaging, sensing, etc. The development of those new applications lays on reliable technologies, background of expertise and know-how. The CDS2008-00068 TERASENSE CONSOLIDER project has given the opportunity to extent upwards in frequency the previous background of the microwaves research group partners. This article summarizes the developments of the TERASENSE work package “THz Device Technology Laboratory”

Immediate effects of dasatinib on the migration and redistribution of naïve and memory lymphocytes associated with lymphocytosis in chronic myeloid leukemia patients

Introduction: Dasatinib is a dual SRC/ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) that is known to have unique immunomodulatory effects. In particular, dasatinib intake typically causes lymphocytosis, which has been linked to better clinical response. Since the underlying mechanisms are unknown and SRC family kinases are involved in many cell motility processes, we hypothesized that the movement and migration of lymphocytes is modulated by dasatinib. Patients, Materials and Methods: Peripheral blood samples from CML patients treated with second-line dasatinib were collected before and 2 h after the first dasatinib intake, and follow-up samples from the same patients 3 and 6 months after the start of therapy. The migratory capacity and phenotype of lymphocytes and differential blood counts before and after drug intake were compared for all study time-points. Results: We report here for the first time that dasatinib intake is associated with inhibition of peripheral blood T-cell migration toward the homeostatic chemokines CCL19 and CCL21, which control the trafficking toward secondary lymphoid organs, mainly the lymph nodes. Accordingly, the proportion of lymphocytes in blood expressing CCR7, the chemokine receptor for both CCL19 and CCL21, decreased after the intake including both naïve CD45RA+ and central memory CD45RO+ T-cells. Similarly, naïve B-cells diminished with dasatinib. Finally, such changes in the migratory patterns did not occur in those patients whose lymphocyte counts remained unchanged after taking the drug. Discussion: We, therefore, conclude that lymphocytosis induced by dasatinib reflects a pronounced redistribution of naïve and memory populations of all lymphocyte subsets including CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells and B-cells

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality