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Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer for Buildings
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Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer for Buildings

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "G: Energy and Buildings".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 26268

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Francesco Minichiello

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples, p.le Tecchio, 80, 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: HVAC systems; energy efficiency in buildings; NZEB, Plus ZEB, nearly ZEB; low enthaply geothermal systems; heat exchangers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Carlo Renno

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano (Salerno), Italy
Interests: thermal systems; refrigeration systems; solar energy; concentrating photovoltaic and thermal (CPV/T) systems; solar cooling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The proposed Special Issue analyzes all the topics regarding Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer for Buildings, with reference to both the building envelope and energy conversion systems for buildings. The innovative aspects will be mainly considered.

A non-exhaustive list of the analyzed topics includes:

  • Thermal and energy parameters of the building envelope (U-values of the opaque and transparent components, thermal inertia of the opaque elements, etc.);
  • Condensation formation in the building envelope;
  • Solar shadings for building (fixed and mobile types, photovoltaic shadings, etc.);
  • Innovative solutions for the building envelope (PCM—phase change materials, ventilated facades, green roofs, solar chimneys, cold roofs, photovoltaic tiles, etc.);
  • Solar technologies adopted for buildings, considering different possible solutions able to match the energy loads;
  • Building integrated solar systems;
  • Energy efficiency in buildings, nearly and Net Zero Energy Buildings (nZEBs–NZEBs), plus zero energy buildings;
  • Heating and air-conditioning systems for buildings;
  • DHW (domestic hot water) production.

These topics are analyzed with reference to one or some of the following aspects:

  • Energy optimization;
  • Technical–economic optimization;
  • Improvement of the indoor thermal comfort for occupants;
  • Improvement of the building envelope;
  • Reduction of polluting emissions;
  • Life cycle cost/life cycle assessment.
Prof. Dr. Francesco Minichiello
Prof. Dr. Carlo Renno
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • building envelope
  • U-value
  • thermal inertia
  • condensation
  • thermal systems
  • heating systems
  • air-conditioning systems
  • solar systems
  • solar thermal systems
  • photovoltaic systems
  • DHW (domestic hot water)

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 8497 KiB  
Article
Simulation and Measurement of Energetic Performance in Decentralized Regenerative Ventilation Systems
by Nicolas Carbonare, Hannes Fugmann, Nasir Asadov, Thibault Pflug, Lena Schnabel and Constanze Bongs
Energies 2020, 13(22), 6010; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13226010 - 17 Nov 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3107
Abstract
Decentralized regenerative mechanical ventilation systems have acquired relevance in recent years for the retrofit of residential buildings. While manufacturers report heat recovery efficiencies over 90%, research has shown that the efficiencies often vary between 60% and 80%. In order to better understand this [...] Read more.
Decentralized regenerative mechanical ventilation systems have acquired relevance in recent years for the retrofit of residential buildings. While manufacturers report heat recovery efficiencies over 90%, research has shown that the efficiencies often vary between 60% and 80%. In order to better understand this mismatch, a test facility is designed and constructed for the experimental characterization and validation of regenerative heat exchanger simulation models. A ceramic honeycomb heat exchanger, typical for decentralized regenerative ventilation devices, is measured in this test facility. The experimental data are used to validate two modeling approaches: a one-dimensional model in Modelica and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model built in COMSOL Multiphysics®. The results show an overall acceptable thermal performance of both models, the 1D model having a much lower simulation time and, thus, being suitable for integration in building performance simulations. A test case is designed, where the importance of an appropriate thermal and hydraulic modeling of decentralized ventilation systems is investigated. Therefore, the device is integrated into a multizone building simulation case. The results show that including component-based heat recovery and fan modeling leads to 30% higher heat losses due to ventilation and 10% more fan energy consumption than when assuming constant air exchange rates with ideal heat recovery. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the behavior of a growing technology such as decentralized ventilation and confirm the need for further research on these systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer for Buildings)
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17 pages, 3466 KiB  
Article
Modeling of a CPV/T-ORC Combined System Adopted for an Industrial User
by Carlo Renno, Fabio Petito, Diana D’Agostino and Francesco Minichiello
Energies 2020, 13(13), 3476; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13133476 - 5 Jul 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2383
Abstract
The increasing energy demand encourages the use of photovoltaic solar systems coupled to organic rankine cycle (ORC) systems. This paper presents a model of an ORC system coupled with a concentrating photovoltaic and thermal (CPV/T) system. The CPV/T-ORC combined system, described and modeled [...] Read more.
The increasing energy demand encourages the use of photovoltaic solar systems coupled to organic rankine cycle (ORC) systems. This paper presents a model of an ORC system coupled with a concentrating photovoltaic and thermal (CPV/T) system. The CPV/T-ORC combined system, described and modeled in this paper, is sized to match the electrical load of a medium industrial user located in the South of Italy. A line-focus configuration of the CPV/T system, constituted by 16 modules with 500 triple-junction cells, is adopted. Different simulations have been realized evaluating also the direct normal irradiance (DNI) by means of the artificial neural network (ANN) and considering three input condition scenarios: Summer, winter, and middle season. Hence, the energy performances of the CPV/T-ORC system have been determined to evaluate if this integrated system can satisfy the industrial user energy loads. In particular, the peak power considered for the industrial machines is about 42 kW while other electrical, heating or cooling loads require a total peak power of 15 kW; a total electric average production of 7500 kWh/month is required. The annual analysis shows that the CPV/T-ORC system allows satisfying 100% of the electric loads from April to September; moreover, in these months the overproduction can be sold to the network or stored for a future use. The covering rates of the electrical loads are equal to 73%, 77%, and 83%, respectively for January, February, and March and 86%, 93%, and 100%, respectively for October, November, and December. Finally, the CPV/T-ORC combined system represents an ideal solution for an industrial user from the energy point of view. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer for Buildings)
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22 pages, 3869 KiB  
Article
The Use of Ground Source Heat Pump to Achieve a Net Zero Energy Building
by Diana D’Agostino, Luigi Mele, Francesco Minichiello and Carlo Renno
Energies 2020, 13(13), 3450; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13133450 - 3 Jul 2020
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4004
Abstract
Currently, ground source heat pump (GSHP) technology is being studied, as the use of the ground as a source of renewable energy allows significant energy savings to be obtained. Therefore, it is useful to quantify how these savings help to achieve the energy [...] Read more.
Currently, ground source heat pump (GSHP) technology is being studied, as the use of the ground as a source of renewable energy allows significant energy savings to be obtained. Therefore, it is useful to quantify how these savings help to achieve the energy balance of a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) compared to an air source heat pump or a condensing boiler coupled to a chiller. This paper assesses how these savings affect the number of photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of a building to obtain the NZEB target. The study is conducted by dynamic simulation for a building used as a bed and breakfast, virtually placed in two Italian towns. The energy savings and reduction of CO2 emissions, the percentage of renewable energy used, and the photovoltaic surface needed are assessed. Finally, the discounted payback period is calculated. The results show that the GSHP, unlike the systems to which it is compared, allows an NZEB to be obtained by balancing yearly energy consumption with energy production systems which only use on-site renewable energy sources (by exploiting the surface available on the roof) for both of the climatic conditions considered. GSHP also allows primary energy requests equal to or less than 57 kWh/m2 to be obtained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer for Buildings)
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17 pages, 7618 KiB  
Article
Numerical Study of the Double Diffusion Natural Convection inside a Closed Cavity with Heat and Pollutant Sources Placed near the Bottom Wall
by Juan Serrano-Arellano, Juan M. Belman-Flores, Jesús Xamán, Karla M. Aguilar-Castro and Edgar V. Macías-Melo
Energies 2020, 13(12), 3085; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13123085 - 15 Jun 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2463
Abstract
A study was conducted on the double diffusion by natural convection because of the effects of heat and pollutant sources placed at one third of the closed cavity’s height. The heat and pollution sources were analyzed separately and simultaneously. The study was considered [...] Read more.
A study was conducted on the double diffusion by natural convection because of the effects of heat and pollutant sources placed at one third of the closed cavity’s height. The heat and pollution sources were analyzed separately and simultaneously. The study was considered for the Rayleigh number interval 10 4   ≤   R a   ≤   10 10 . Three case studies were analyzed: (1) differentially heated closed cavity with only heat sources; (2) differentially heated closed cavity with only pollutant sources; and (3) differentially heated closed cavity with heat and pollutant sources. The governing equations of the system were solved through the finite volume technique. The turbulence solution was done with the k-ε model. The dominant influence of the buoyancy forces was found due to the pollutant diffusion on the flow pattern, and an internal temperature increase was observed with the simple diffusion. The most critical case was obtained through the double diffusive convection with an average temperature value of 32.57 °C. Finally, the Nusselt number increased as the Rayleigh number increased; however, the Sherwood number either increased or decreased when the Rayleigh number increased. The highest mean concentration recorded was 2808 ppm; this was found with the value R a = 10 6 . Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer for Buildings)
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19 pages, 6006 KiB  
Article
Porous Cores in Small Thermoacoustic Devices for Building Applications
by Fabio Auriemma, Elio Di Giulio, Marialuisa Napolitano and Raffaele Dragonetti
Energies 2020, 13(11), 2941; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13112941 - 8 Jun 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2639
Abstract
The thermoacoustic behavior of different typologies of porous cores is studied in this paper with the goal of finding the most suitable solution for small thermoacoustic devices, including solar driven air coolers and generators, which can be used in future buildings. Cores provided [...] Read more.
The thermoacoustic behavior of different typologies of porous cores is studied in this paper with the goal of finding the most suitable solution for small thermoacoustic devices, including solar driven air coolers and generators, which can be used in future buildings. Cores provided with circular pores, with rectangular slits and with arrays of parallel cylindrical pins are investigated. For the type of applications in focus, the main design constraints are represented by the reduced amount of the input heat power and the size limitations of the device. In this paper, a numerical procedure has been implemented to assess the behavior of the different core typologies. For a fixed input heat power, the maximum acoustic power delivered by each core is computed and the corresponding engine configuration (length of the resonator and position of the core) is provided. It has been found that cores with parallel pins provide the largest amount of acoustic power with the smallest resonator length. This conclusion has been confirmed by experiments where additive manufactured cores have been tested in a small, light-driven, thermoacoustic prime mover. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer for Buildings)
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24 pages, 4474 KiB  
Article
Parametric Analysis on an Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger Employed in an Air Conditioning System
by Diana D’Agostino, Francesco Esposito, Adriana Greco, Claudia Masselli and Francesco Minichiello
Energies 2020, 13(11), 2925; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13112925 - 7 Jun 2020
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2695
Abstract
This paper is focused on the resort to geothermal energy, through the employment of an Earth-to-Air-Heat Exchanger (EAHX) positioned upstream of the air-handling unit of an air conditioning system, for an office building in Naples (South Italy). The aim is to evaluate the [...] Read more.
This paper is focused on the resort to geothermal energy, through the employment of an Earth-to-Air-Heat Exchanger (EAHX) positioned upstream of the air-handling unit of an air conditioning system, for an office building in Naples (South Italy). The aim is to evaluate the energy performances of this unusual system compared to the common solution of external air directly entering the air-handling unit. The EAHX is extensively designed and two-dimensionally modeled, and the analysis is solved with finite element method. The model is validated with experimental data and this comparison shows good agreement. With the requirement of providing the building with 1300 m3 h−1 of external airflow, different design solutions for the EAHX are studied, by varying the diameter (in the range 0.2–0.5 m) and length (between 20 and 140 m) of the buried pipes. The results indicate that: smaller tube diameters enhance the heat transfer; a tube length between 80 and 100 m is recommended. Using the EAHX, the reduction of the thermal power of the coils in the air-handling unit is greater than 40% in most cases. Finally, the efficiency of the EAHX is assessed as a function of the tube length and diameter, reaching values up to 0.9. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer for Buildings)
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Review

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39 pages, 2784 KiB  
Review
Green Walls, a Critical Review: Knowledge Gaps, Design Parameters, Thermal Performances and Multi-Criteria Design Approaches
by Fabrizio Ascione, Rosa Francesca De Masi, Margherita Mastellone, Silvia Ruggiero and Giuseppe Peter Vanoli
Energies 2020, 13(9), 2296; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13092296 - 6 May 2020
Cited by 58 | Viewed by 8021
Abstract
The green wall is an engineered technology for stormwater management and climate change mitigation at the urban level. At the building scale, these energy efficiency measures are suitable for improving indoor comfort conditions and for reducing energy needs. Several guidelines are available about [...] Read more.
The green wall is an engineered technology for stormwater management and climate change mitigation at the urban level. At the building scale, these energy efficiency measures are suitable for improving indoor comfort conditions and for reducing energy needs. Several guidelines are available about vertical greening systems, but these propose design parameters and performance evaluation criteria, often incomparable. In order to facilitate the implementation of proper technical standards, this paper proposes a critical review of more recent scientific investigations. All parameters for the design optimization are discussed as well as the achievable social and private benefits by taking into consideration the type of study (numerical or experimental), the climate conditions, the analysis period, all technical requirements of the green layer as well as of the back wall. The review underlines that a multi-criteria design approach is needed for green vertical systems. Thus, the paper is concluded with a SWOT analysis, evidencing “strengths”, “weaknesses”, “opportunities” and “threats”. The analysis shows that the highlighted benefits will acquire greater relevance considering the increase in global temperatures and the growing need to redevelop densely built urban centers, while some negative aspects may be filled in the future with a deeper preparation of designers and careful choice of materials. The review paper shows, therefore, drivers and barriers occurring designing and implementing green walls. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer for Buildings)
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