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A 1.5 MW combustion facility burning large bales of soy straw has been built for the purpose of heating 1 ha of vegetable greenhouses located within the complex of Agricultural Plant PKB in Padinska Skela, Serbia. The paper addresses numerical and experimental study of temperature distribution in a cylindrical, 100 m3 (8 m high, 4 m in diameter) hot water storage tank. The water tank optimization, as well as optimization of the heating facility as a whole, were identified as the main goals of the study performed. Water temperature was measured by a temperature probe inserted in the tank. Measurements were conducted in 256 measurement points, both under steady and unsteady water flow conditions. Water tank optimization analysis was carried out utilizing both steady and unsteady state numerical simulation. The results obtained indicated good agreement between the experimental and computational data acquired.

This article presents experimental and numerical determinations of thermal transmittance performed on three different types of window frames (vinyl, aluminium, and wooden) within the same insulated glass unit. Good agreement between experimental and numerical results was attained. Using the numerical models, thermal improvement techniques of the frames and their influence on thermal transmittance of frames were studied. The first thermal improvement technique was using the insulation materials inserted inside large air cavities. By filling the cavity of vinyl frame with the polyurethane foam, thermal transmittance of vinyl frame was lowered by 10%. The second technique was based on repeating the procedure with materials installed inside frames with the materials that have lower thermal conductivity. This technique can be applied on thermal breaks and on steel profiles inside cavities. The result of this thermal improvement (attained by replacing thermal break material with material that has lower thermal conductivity) was certain reduction of the thermal transmittance of frames, by 9%. Using stainless steel instead of the oxidized steel was reduction of the thermal transmittance of vinyl frame by 3%. For the case of wooden frames the influence of shifting glazing unit deeper into profile upon the thermal transmittance of the frame was analyzed. Installing the glass unit by 5 mm deeper into the wooden frame reduced glass thermal transmittance by 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to study the drying kinetics of vacuum-dried and freeze-dried bee honey produced from two different varieties: Sunflower honey (Helianthus Annuus L.) and Acacia honey (Robinia pseudo acacia L.). Vacuum drying treatments were carried out with the honey samples' initial temperatures of +25 °C, -20 °C, and -40 °C. Water content, total soluble solids, as well as the water activity of fresh and dried honey samples were determined. Freeze-drying of bee honey with initial sample temperature of -40°C has resulted in shorter drying time (7-9 hours), moisture content (10%-12%), water activity (0.405-0.427 aW) and effective moisture diffusivity coefficient (8.26·10-7-9.51·10-7 m²/s). The high-performance liquid chromatography method was used when analyzing the impact that drying pre-treatments had on honey quality. The application of pre-treatments has led to an increase in hydroxy-methyl-furfural by 39-71%, and a decrease in diastase activity by 17-36%, all compared to fresh honey samples. The solutions of Verma model proved to be the best fit with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article is presented thermodynamic analysis of a cascade heat pump system designed for using in high-temperature heating systems. The own thermodynamic model was built by using properties of working fluids from the CoolProp base. The cascade heat pump was designed to use ambient air as heat source with temperature tamb= -20 °C and for heating water in the high-temperature heating system up to 70 °C. The projected heating capacity of the cascade heat pump was 100 kW. The coefficient of performance (COP) of the cascade heat pump system due to use of different working mediums combinations in cycles of the cascade heat pump was investigated. For the best combination of working fluids (mediums) sub-cooling, super-heating, pressure loss in compressor's suction line, as well as exergy efficiency of the heat pump were analysed as a function of the mean temperature of the cascade heat exchanger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of extensive and intensive green roofs on improving outdoor microclimate parameters of urban built environments is currently a worldwide focus of research. Due to the lack of reliable data for Belgrade, the impact of extensive and intensive green roof systems on mitigating the effects of urban heat islands and improving microclimatic conditions by utilizing high albedo materials in public spaces were studied. Research was conducted on four chosen urban units within existing residential blocks in the city that were representative of typical urban planning and construction within the Belgrade metropolitan area. Five different models (baseline model and four potential models of retrofitting) were designed, for which the temperature changes at pedestrian and roof levels at 07:00, 13:00, 19:00 h, on a typical summer day, and at 01:00 h, the following night in Belgrade were investigated. The ENVI-met software was used to model the simulations. The results of numerical modeling showed that utilizing green roofs in the Belgrade climatic area could reduce air temperatures in the surroundings up to 0.47, 1.51, 1.60, 1.80 °C at pedestrian level and up to 0.53, 1.45, 0.90, 1.45 °C at roof level for four potential retrofitting strategies, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancement of heat transfer over a cylinder shaped thermal energy storage filled by paraffin E53 by use of longitudinal rectangular copper fins was analyzed. The thermo-physical features of the storage material are determined in separate experiments and implemented to FLUENT software over user defined function. Advanced thermal storage geometry comprehension and optimization required introduction of a parameter suitable for the analysis of heat transfer enhancement, so the ratio of heat transfer surfaces as a factor was proposed and applied. It is revealed that increase of the ratio of heat transfer surfaces leads to the decrease of melting time and vice versa. Numerical analysis, employing the 3-D model built in Ansys software, observed storage reservoir geometries with variable number of longitudinal fins. The adjusted set of boundary conditions was carried out and both written in C language and implemented over user defined function in order to define variable heat flux along the height of the heater. The comparison of acquired numerical and experimental results showed a strong correlation. Experimental validation of numerical results was done on the real thermal energy storage apparatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Retrofitting of fossil fuel powered hot water radiator heating systems of the existing buildings by groundwater heat pumps can provide significant energy savings followed by economic and environmental benefits. The paper describes the procedure for selection of optimal low-temperature groundwater heat pump vapor compression cycle based on thermodynamic analysis of applied high temperature heat pump heating system. In comparative energy and exergy analysis observed are six different heating cycles, five of which utilize two-stage refrigerant compression, and one operate as basic one-stage heat pump system with an auxiliary heater. The systems validation is performed accounting strongly for the boundary conditions of the selected location. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy saving estimation model (ESEM) use normal distribution (Gaussian) probability theory to predict potential savings for previously determined system improvements. Those improvements are low/high cost investments based on data gathered during one year monitoring of typical hypermarket facility HVAC system. The consumption of electrical energy and natural gas has been monitored and system segments with largest amount of energy consumption have been marked. Gathered data pointed out to fan units as the biggest energy consumers and suggested that system energy-saving improvement must be focused on fans energy consumption control. This paper deals with ESEM inputs and outputs in order to provide correct financial estimation of specific investment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]