TECNALIA Publications Repository :: Browsing by Keyword "Environmental Engineering"

Browsing by Keyword "Environmental Engineering"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 74

Acid precipitation followed by microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) cultivation as a new approach for poultry slaughterhouse wastewater treatment
(2021-09) Terán Hilares, Ruly; Garcia Bustos, Kiara A.; Sanchez Vera, Fabio P.; Colina Andrade, Gilberto J.; Pacheco Tanaka, David A.; TECNOLOGÍA DE MEMBRANAS E INTENSIFICACIÓN DE PROCESOS
Poultry slaughterhouse wastewater (PSW) contains high organic matter and nutrients requiring thus a special treatment before its final disposal. In this work, acid precipitation (H2SO4) followed by microalgae “Chlorella vulgaris” cultivation both in batch and continuous processes was studied as an alternative method for PSW treatment. By reducing the pH value of PSW from 6 to 7 to 4, about 80% of the total chemical oxygen demand (CODT) was removed as sludge. In the supernatant, the COD residual was efficiently removed (83%) by microalgae in the batch process, using an internal-loop concentric tube photobioreactor (4.5 L). Moreover, in continuous process, after 89 h, the COD value resulted lower than 200 mg L-1 and 1.2 g L-1 of microalgae in the output line. The proposed PSW treatment method is promising from economic and environmental viewpoints, since the microalgal biomass can be valued in a biorefinery context.
Alloying elements liquid addition to optimize secondary metallurgy
(2018-01-01) Jimbert, P.; Iturrondobeitia, M.; Fernandez-Martinez, R.; Barbero, J. I.; Serna, M.; Eguizabal, D.; Oncala, J. L.; Artola, A.; Iparraguirre, J. A.; Arteaga, A.; PROMETAL; SG; CIRMETAL
During the last years, numerous secondary metallurgical technologies have been developed. The present study presents a new technology based on adding all the alloying elements in liquid state. In this new process, a molten bath of the appropriate composition is made with alloying elements and deoxidants (in an induction furnace). This molten alloy is introduced into the liquid steel at the beginning of secondary metallurgy. With this new process, in addition to improving the mixing between alloy elements and steel, its final objective is to improve the process of secondary metallurgy in order to: reduce the time of secondary metallurgy, reduce the temperature of the steel liquid, use cheaper alloying elements, improve steel cleaning by reducing the addition of inclusions by ferroalloys, thus improving steel quality, increasing the efficiency of ferroalloys and increasing productivity. All this would result in lower energy consumption due to the reduction of electric furnace times and temperatures.To achieve this goal, the first experiments with 100kg castings at laboratory scale have been performed, and the results are presented here below. Castings with solid and liquid addition of the alloying elements have been made and, the performance of the elements, the use of ferroalloys of different qualities and the final solidification microstructure have been analyzed for the 95Cr6 alloy, obtaining similar results in both processes. A more complex alloy (40NiCrMo4) has also been investigated to analyze the performance of other elements like Ni and Mo. The results obtained with both alloys indicate that the viability and the necessary requirements for a future adaptation to the industrial environment of this new technology are feasible. Tests on an industrial scale are necessary for a real estimation of the savings and environmental improvements that would lead to the industrialization of this new technology.
Application of ecological risk assessment based on a novel TRIAD-tiered approach to contaminated soil surrounding a closed non-sealed landfill
(2015-05-01) Gutiérrez, Laura; Garbisu, Carlos; Ciprián, Estela; Becerril, José M.; Soto, Manu; Etxebarria, Javier; Madariaga, Juan M.; Antigüedad, Iñaki; Epelde, Lur; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; Mercado
The Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) is a reliable tool for communicating risk to decision makers in a comprehensive and scientific evidence-based way. In this work, a site-specific ERA methodology based on the TRIAD approach was applied to contaminated soil surrounding a closed non-sealed landfill, as a case study to implement and validate such ERA methodology in the Basque Country (northern Spain). Initially, the procedure consisted of the application of a Parameter Selection Module aimed at selecting the most suitable parameters for the specific characteristics of the landfill contaminated soil, taking into consideration the envisioned land use, intended ecosystem services and nature of contaminants. Afterwards, the selected parameters were determined in soil samples collected from two sampling points located downstream of the abovementioned landfill. The results from these tests were normalized to make them comparable and integrable in a risk index. Then, risk assessment criteria were developed and applied to the two landfill contaminated soil samples. Although the lack of a proper control soil was evidenced, a natural land use was approved by the ERA (at Tier 2) for the two landfill contaminated soils. However, the existence of a potential future risk resulting from a hypothetical soil acidification must be considered.
Approach to the quantification of the sustainable value in industrial buildings
(2007-11) San-José, J. T.; Losada, R.; Cuadrado, J.; Garrucho, I.; Centros PRE-FUSION TECNALIA - (FORMER)
In recent years, there have been advances in favour of buildings being more environmental friendly. Basically, sustainable construction has centred on residential and office buildings. It could be said that there is a lack of sustainable aspects in the construction field of industrial buildings. This article aims to analyse the sustainable environmental requisites demandable for an industrial building, by defining a system of specific indicators to assess building behaviour against these requisites generating an assessment model as a base for measuring the building "environmental sustainability index".
Assessment of nanoparticles release into the environment during drilling of carbon nanotubes/epoxy and carbon nanofibres/epoxy nanocomposites
(2017-10-15) Starost, Kristof; Frijns, Evelien; Van Laer, Jo; Faisal, Nadimul; Egizabal, Ainhoa; Elizetxea, Cristina; Blazquez, Maria; Nelissen, Inge; Njuguna, James; Elizextea, Cristina; Biomateriales; POLIMEROS
The risk assessment, exposure and understanding of the release of embedded carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs) from commercial high performance composites during machining processes are yet to be fully evaluated and quantified. In this study, CNTs and CNFs were dispersed in epoxy matrix through calendaring process to form nanocomposites. The automated drilling was carried out in a specially designed drilling chamber that allowed elimination of background noise from the measurements. Emission measurements were taken using condensed particle counter (CPC), scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and DMS50 Fast Particulate Size Spectrometer. In comparison to the neat epoxy, the study results revealed that the nano-filled samples produced an increase of 102% and 227% for the EP/CNF and EP/CNT sample respectively in average particle number concentration emission. The particle mass concentration indicated that the EP/CNT and EP/CNF samples released demands a vital new perspective on CNTs and CNFs embedded within nanocomposite materials to be considered and evaluated for occupational exposure assessment. Importantly, the increased concentration observed at 10 nm aerosol particle sizes measurements strongly suggest that there are independent CNTs being released at this range.
Barriers to transitioning to a circular bio-based economy: Findings from an industrial perspective
(2024-07) Dace, Elina; Cascavilla, Alessandro; Bianchi, Marco; Chioatto, Elisa; Zecca, Emy; Ladu, Luana; Yilan, Gülşah; ECONOMÍA CIRCULAR
The transition from a linear fossil-based to a circular bio-based economy represents an opportunity and a suitable pathway for achieving several sustainable development goals. However, the transition is a complex process since it requires transformative policies, purposeful innovation, access to finance, risk-taking capacity as well as new and sustainable business models and markets. Accordingly, the first step in this transition process is the identification of barriers that are hampering the transition to a sustainable circular bio-based economy. With this motivation in mind, this study reviews grey literature to identify barriers focusing on four critical sectors facing major challenges within the current linear economy and requiring a sustainable transition most urgently: construction, chemicals, plastics, and textile sectors. Employing an adapted STEEP methodology (Social, Technological, Economical, Environmental, Political), a total of 193 different barriers have been identified and clustered under six categories: cultural, technical, economic, environmental, governance, and structural. Regardless of the sector, cultural and structural barriers are identified as the most prominent; the lack of incentives for consumer behaviour change and lack of stakeholder collaboration were the most cited barriers among the literature records. From a value chain perspective, most of the barriers are related to the material processing and product manufacturing stage. Finally, potential solutions, extracted from the grey literature, are proposed to fill the gaps and overcome the identified barriers. Many of the identified barriers are common across the four investigated sectors, indicating the solutions or measures can be applicable in a wider perspective to promote the transition in the right direction.
Biochar and compost amendments enhance copper immobilisation and support plant growth in contaminated soils
(2016-04-15) Jones, Sarah; Bardos, R. Paul; Kidd, Petra S.; Mench, Michel; de Leij, Frans; Hutchings, Tony; Cundy, Andrew; Joyce, Chris; Soja, Gerhard; Friesl-Hanl, Wolfgang; Herzig, Rolf; Menger, Pierre; ECONOMÍA CIRCULAR
Contamination of soil with trace elements, such as Cu, is an important risk management issue. A pot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of three biochars and compost on plant growth and the immobilisation of Cu in a contaminated soil from a site formerly used for wood preservation. To assess Cu mobility, amended soils were analysed using leaching tests pre- and post-incubation, and post-growth. Amended and unamended soils were planted with sunflower, and the resulting plant material was assessed for yield and Cu concentration. All amendments significantly reduced leachable Cu compared to the unamended soil, however, the greatest reductions in leachable Cu were associated with the higher biochar application rate. The greatest improvements in plant yields were obtained with the higher application rate of biochar in combination with compost. The results suggest joint biochar and compost amendment reduces Cu mobility and can support biomass production on Cu-contaminated soils.
Catalytic and non-catalytic pyrolysis of biologically treated manure
(2015) Fernandez-Lopez, Maria; Parascanu, Maria Magdalena; López-González, Diego; Soreanu, Gabriela; Avalos-Ramírez, Antonio; Sanchez, Paula; Valverde, Jose Luiz; Sanchez-Silva, Luz; ECONOMÍA CIRCULAR
The utilization of manure for waste-to-bioenergy conversion processes may be a sustainable development choice rather than its traditional use as a fertilizer. Furthermore, the valorization of manure via thermochemical conversion routes and their integration with biological processes can provide an additional pathway in the utilization of residual biomass. On the other hand, the use of metal oxides might enhance the performance of thermochemical processes such as pyrolysis by either cracking the heavy hydrocarbon chains which turns into the production of a higher quality fuel or increasing the H2 production by promoting secondary reactions as steam reforming or water-gas shift. The derivate thermogravimetric (DTG) profiles of manure samples could be divided into four general stages: dehydration, devolatilization, char transformation and inorganic matter decomposition. For samples Pre and Dig R, the maximum DTG peaks were obtained at the same temperature. The first peak was lower for sample Dig R due to the removal of organic matter during the anaerobic digestion. On the other hand, the fourth step was not observed for sample Swine, which could be attributed to its low inorganic components (ash) content. The catalysts used in the catalytic pyrolysis process were: CaO, MgO and ZnO. The addition of these oxides modified the corresponding DTG profiles especially for sample Pre. These effects could be also observed in the mass spectra (MS) profile of the samples leading to a higher production of H2, especially at high temperatures which could be attributed to the enhancement of secondary reactions that usually take place at temperatures higher than 500 ºC.
Characterization and thermal performance evaluation of infrared reflective coatings compatible with historic buildings
(2018-04-15) Becherini, Francesca; Lucchi, Elena; Gandini, Alessandra; Casado Barrasa, Maria; Troi, Alexandra; Roberti, Francesca; Sachini, Maria; Di Tuccio, Maria Concetta; Garmendia Arrieta, Leire; Pockelé, Luc; Bernardi, Adriana; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; LABORATORIO DE TRANSFORMACIÓN URBANA
Two infrared reflective coatings recently developed as part of the EFFESUS European research project are characterized and evaluated in this paper. Thermal performance, durability, compatibility with historic fabric, and reversibility are all analysed. The results of extensive research that include laboratory analysis of selected substrates, measurements on a large-scale traditional masonry mock-up, thermodynamic simulations, and finally application in to a real historic building in Istanbul, all support the potential of the new coatings to improve the thermal performance of historic buildings, in keeping with their visual integrity and cultural value. Besides their reflective properties, proven by the thermal stress reductions on the treated surfaces, the new coatings are characterized by low visual impact, easy application, material compatibility, and reversibility after application, as well as durability over time.
Climate mitigation in the Mediterranean Europe: An assessment of regional and city-level plans
(2021-10-01) Salvia, Monica; Olazabal, Marta; Fokaides, Paris A.; Tardieu, Léa; Simoes, Sofia G.; Geneletti, Davide; De Gregorio Hurtado, Sonia; Viguié, Vincent; Spyridaki, Niki Artemis; Pietrapertosa, Filomena; Ioannou, Byron I.; Matosović, Marko; Flamos, Alexandros; Balzan, Mario V.; Feliu, Efren; Rižnar, Klavdija; Šel, Nataša Belšak; Heidrich, Oliver; Reckien, Diana; ADAPTACIÓN AL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO
In Europe, regions in the Mediterranean area share common characteristics in terms of high sensitivity to climate change impacts. Does this translate into specificities regarding climate action that could arise from these Mediterranean characteristics? This paper sheds light on regional and local climate mitigation actions of the Mediterranean Europe, focusing on the plans to reduce greenhouse gases emissions in a representative sample of 51 regions and 73 cities across 9 Mediterranean countries (Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain). The study investigates: (i) the availability of local and regional mitigation plans, (ii) their goals in term of greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets on the short and medium-long term, and (iii) the impact of transnational climate networks on such local and regional climate mitigation planning. Results of this study indicate an uneven and fragmented planning, that shows a Mediterranean West-East divide, and a link with population size. However, overall, both regional and city action seem insufficiently ambitious with regards to meeting the Paris Agreement, at least at city level. While national frameworks are currently weak in influencing regional and local actions, transnational networks seem to be engaging factors for commitment (at city level) and ambitiousness (at regional level). The uneven and fragmented progress revealed by this study, does not align with the characteristics shared by investigated regions and cities in terms of environmental, socio-political, climatic and economic conditions. The results support the call of a common green deal at the Mediterranean level to further address specific Mediterranean challenges and related needs. This will allow to capitalise on available resources, generate local-specific knowledge, build capacities, and support Mediterranean regions and cities in preparing the next generation of more ambitious mitigation plans.
Comfort assessment in the context of sustainable buildings: Comparison of simplified and detailed human thermal sensation methods
(2014-01) Holopainen, Riikka; Tuomaala, Pekka; Hernandez, Patxi; Häkkinen, Tarja; Piira, Kalevi; Piippo, Jouko; PLANIFICACIÓN ENERGÉTICA
This paper, based on research conducted under the EU FP7 "SuPerBuildings" project, presents current practice and approaches to comfort assessment and specification. The paper compares and discusses the results of different methods used for the calculation of thermal comfort: Fanger's PMV method, the adaptive predicted mean vote (aPMV) method, a Human Thermal Model integrated in a building simulation environment and the adaptive control algorithm ACA as an example of the adaptive comfort methods are described and applied to a test case. Results show how HTM, aPMV and ACA allow for more flexibility of the indoor conditions than the Fanger's PMV method. These flexible conditions would mean that unnecessary heating and cooling could be avoided in situations where there is still an acceptable degree of satisfaction with the indoor environment. These approaches would therefore help for an assessment in the context of sustainable building assessment, where satisfactory indoor conditions are sought, while ensuring low energy use and running costs and therefore improving environmental and economic performance of the building.
A comparison of thermal comfort conditions in four urban spaces by means of measurements and modelling techniques
(2015-11-01) Acero, Juan A.; Herranz-Pascual, Karmele; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; CALIDAD Y CONFORT AMBIENTAL
Microclimatic conditions inside urban areas depend on the result of the interaction of the regional climate with the whole urban area and on the local characteristics of the urban development. Inadequate human thermal comfort conditions can affect quality of life and the use of public open spaces. In this study, outdoor thermal conditions are examined through three field campaigns in Bilbao in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Climate variables are measured in four different areas of the city in different regional climate conditions. Thermal comfort evaluation is undertaken by means of the thermal index PET (Physiological Equivalent Temperature). Measurements are compared with estimated values derived from ENVI-met model. Results show that the differences between modelled and measured climatic variables can imply a relevant deviation in PET (i.e. difference between modelled and measured values). Regression and correlation analyses account for the importance of the deviation of each climatic variable in the deviation of PET values. Deviation of PET appears to be highly conditioned by the deviation of mean radiant temperature values especially during clear sky days. Under overcast conditions deviation of wind speed also becomes a relevant aspect. Consequently, reliable estimation of these variables is required if modelling techniques are to be used in the assessment of thermal comfort in outdoor urban spaces.
Condition monitoring of mooring systems for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines using Convolutional Neural Network framework coupled with Autoregressive coefficients
(2024-06-15) Sharma, Smriti; Nava, Vincenzo; RENOVABLES OFFSHORE
This research presents a novel approach proposed for the monitoring of mooring systems in Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs), employing a combination of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Auto-Regressive (AR) models. CNN finds broad application in monitoring intricate structures, as they adeptly handle noisy response data without necessitating profound domain expertise. The precision of CNNs relies on the extraction of meaningful features from input data, necessitating meticulous data curation and labeling for optimal computational efficiency and accurate estimation. Emphasis is placed on the preference for feature-rich small datasets over voluminous yet sparse datasets, aiming to enable CNNs to discern crucial patterns more effectively and mitigate issues such as overfitting and extensive preprocessing. The novelty of the proposed approach lies in the integration of AR models, which serve to compress data and enhance damage-sensitive characteristics in the input for CNNs. This integration involves deploying regression models fitted to historical responses, parameterized with AR coefficients sensitive to damage, and further classifying severity using CNNs. The sequential nature of this approach addresses challenges such as vanishing/exploding gradients, particularly for extended historical data, while also attenuating the impact of noise and irrelevant information through data compression. The study explores the effectiveness of the coupled AR-CNN method in monitoring FOWT mooring lines, with a specific focus on two levels of damage identification: detection with classification and damage severity across diverse damage and operational scenarios. The modified methodology exhibits superior outcomes by conducting a performance analysis against traditional CNNs and other machine-learning methods, highlighting the potential of the AR-CNN strategy to improve the precision of FOWT mooring line condition monitoring. These findings underscore the AR-CNN strategy's potential to enhance the accuracy of FOWT mooring line condition monitoring.
Construction and demolition waste in cement matrices as sinkholes of atmospheric pollution: Effect of the 2022 airborne dust in the Iberian Peninsula
(2024-02-15) Rubio Fernández, Virginia; Villa Mencía, Raquel Vigil de la; Rojas, Moisés Frías; García Giménez, Rosario; Moreno-Juez, Jaime; Soto García, Isabel Sonsoles de; TRAZABILIDAD CIRCULAR
The coincidence of a study on different ecocements to environmental exposition in Madrid (Spain) with the airborne dust from the Sahara desert in the same location, during the year 2022, facilitated the knowledge of the ecocement permeability to different sources of contamination. In general, mortars with a siliceous composition are more compact and less permeable to environmental particles compared to those with a calcareous composition. Binary mortars with glass have an intermediate response to pollutants and the most favorable for the incidence of contamination are ternary sulfoaluminate cements. The analysis of the ions penetration in the different cements studied has been followed by XRF, XRD-Rietveld and SEM/EDX analyses.
CT-based traceable interface area detection in Al7075-T6 adhesive bonded structures
(euspen, 2022) Holgado, I.; Ortega, N.; Perez, B.; Florez, S.; Plaza, S.; Leach, Richard K.; Akrofi-Ayesu, A.; Nisbet, C.; Phillips, Dishi; POLIMEROS
In emerging technologies such as aerospace and aeronautics the joining of multi-material parts is a growing need for the development of components with improved properties. Among efficient joining technologies, adhesive bonding is considered an optimal method for joining multi-material structures, however, its use is limited due to inadequate evaluation of bond quality by non-destructive testing (NDT) methods. Recently, computed tomography (CT) is becoming more and more accepted in the non-destructive testing (NDT) community, thanks to the equipment and software development. This technology is capable of performing quantitative dimensional and geometric analysis, for example of adhesive bonds. Nevertheless, quantitative results obtained by CT are strongly influenced by a large number of error sources and thus the accuracy of CT-based measurements remains yet largely uncertain. In most cases a consistent methodology is needed, so that CT could be considered a reliable technology. This paper aims to evaluate the adhesive bonding quality in metal bonded structures by means of CT. To do so, a structural adhesives with four different Aluminum specimens are analyzed. The adhesives used are MERBENIT SF50® and BETAMATE 2810® and the substrates of Al7075-T6 of 3mm thickness. For each bonding configuration, a novel ML-based method for the detection of the contact area between adhesive and substrate is provided. Each adhesive interface area measurement is associated with its corresponding task-specific uncertainty estimation. Results are promising and useful for adhesive bond quality evaluations in CT equipment.
Determining the storage capacity for carbon-free generation mix scenario in Spain
(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2020-06) Fraile-Ardanuy, Jesus; Alvaro-Hermana, Roberto; Merino, Julia; Castano-Solis, Sandra; Leonowicz, Zhigniew; Tecnalia Research & Innovation
Climate change motivated by human activities constitutes one of the main challenges of this century. To cut carbon emissions to mitigate its dangerous effects, the current energy generation mix should be shifted to renewables sources. The main drawback of these technologies is their intermittency that will require storage systems to fully integrate them in the generation mix, allowing them to be more controllable. In recent years great progress to develop an effective and economically feasible energy storage systems, particularly motivated by the recent rise of demand for electric transportation has been made. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery prices have fallen near 90% over the past decade, making possible the affordability of electric vehicles and transforming the economics of renewable energy. In this paper, we evaluate the energy storage requirements for a carbon-free scenario in Spain, analyzing the CO2 emissions reduction.
The development of technology evaluation protocols for the equitable evaluation of marine renewable energy converters
(2010) Ingram, David; Smith, George H.; Villate, Jose Luis; Jonstone, Cameron; Ferreira, Claudio Bittencourt; GENERAL
Diagnosis of the health status of mooring systems for floating offshore wind turbines using autoencoders
(2023-11-01) Gorostidi, N.; Pardo, D.; Nava, V.; RENOVABLES OFFSHORE
Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) show promise in terms of energy production, availability, and sustainability, but remain unprofitable due to high maintenance costs. This work proposes a deep learning algorithm to detect mooring line degradation and failure by monitoring the dynamic response of the publicly available DeepCWind OC4 semi-submersible platform. This study implements an autoencoder capable of predicting multiple forms of damage occurring at once, with various levels of severity. Given the scarcity of real data, simulations performed in OpenFAST, recreating both healthy and damaged mooring systems, are used to train and validate the algorithm. The novelty of the proposed approach consists of using a set of key statistical metrics describing the platform's displacements and rotations as input layer for the autoencoder. The statistics of the responses are calculated at 33-minute-long sea states under a broad spectrum of metocean and wind conditions. An autoencoder is trained using these parameters to discover that the proposed algorithm is capable of detecting mild anomalies caused by biofouling and anchor displacements, with correlation coefficients up to 98.51% and 99.16%, respectively. These results are encouraging for the continuous health monitoring of FOWT mooring systems using easily measurable quantities to plan preventive maintenance actions adequately.
Diagnosis of the health status of mooring systems for floating offshore wind turbines using autoencoders
(2023-11-01) Gorostidi, N.; Pardo, D.; Nava, V.; RENOVABLES OFFSHORE
Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) show promise in terms of energy production, availability, and sustainability, but remain unprofitable due to high maintenance costs. This work proposes a deep learning algorithm to detect mooring line degradation and failure by monitoring the dynamic response of the publicly available DeepCWind OC4 semi-submersible platform. This study implements an autoencoder capable of predicting multiple forms of damage occurring at once, with various levels of severity. Given the scarcity of real data, simulations performed in OpenFAST, recreating both healthy and damaged mooring systems, are used to train and validate the algorithm. The novelty of the proposed approach consists of using a set of key statistical metrics describing the platform's displacements and rotations as input layer for the autoencoder. The statistics of the responses are calculated at 33-minute-long sea states under a broad spectrum of metocean and wind conditions. An autoencoder is trained using these parameters to discover that the proposed algorithm is capable of detecting mild anomalies caused by biofouling and anchor displacements, with correlation coefficients up to 98.51% and 99.16%, respectively. These results are encouraging for the continuous health monitoring of FOWT mooring systems using easily measurable quantities to plan preventive maintenance actions adequately.
Double envelope unitized curtain wall for solar preheating of ventilation air
(Architectural Science Association, 2020) Garay-Martinez, Roberto; Gonzalez, Diego; Alvarez, Izaskun; Arregi, Beñat; Sagarduy, Gorka; Ghaffarianhoseini, Ali; Ghaffarianhoseini, Amirhosein; Naismith, Nicola; Purushothaman, Mahesh Babu; Doan, Dat; Aigwi, Esther; Rotimi, Funmi; Ghodrati, Nariman; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; ECOEFICIENCIA DE PRODUCTOS DE CONSTRUCCIÓN; EDIFICACIÓN DE ENERGÍA POSITIVA
Despite recent efforts on energy performance improvement, curtain walls remain a significant contributor to the energy consumption of commercial buildings. A novel double envelope unitized curtain wall system is presented, aimed at the substantial improvement of the energy performance of glazed systems. Outdoor air is ventilated through an integrated cavity in its paths to the ventilation air intake of the air handling unit. In its path through the glazed envelope, the air is heated from both incident solar radiation and transmission losses recovered from the indoor environment. A substantial energy performance improvement is achieved by means of the preheating of fresh air. Energy consumption is reduced in the heating season, and even net gains above the heating demand are delivered under favorable conditions. By-pass elements are integrated to allow free cooling and natural ventilation when required in cooling mode. In this way, the double envelope also provides advantages in summer mode, where solar heat gain coefficients are substantially lower than for other systems due to the double envelope and the ventilation of the cavity to the ambient. The overall architectural concept, engineering design and outcomes of an experimental campaign over a 2-story full scale test in Spain are presented.

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