Hot Climatic Conditions Research Articles

ENERGY OPTIMIZATION OF MID-RISE BUILDINGS IN TROPICAL AREAS: A RESIDENTIAL SITE CASE STUDY

Residential buildings and living conditions have greatly changed over the last two decades. In fact, with a few exceptions, current buildings are not the kind of habitats belonged to today. Due to the development of innovative materials, products and construction methods, the construction of environmentally friendly buildings with better economic efficiency seems essential. The present study seeks to provide simple and practical solutions to reduce energy consumption and develop comfort in residential buildings in cities influenced by hot climatic conditions. To this end, a 4-storey residential building in the city of Ahvaz, Iran, is simulated by Design Builder Software (which uses Energy plus engine) to investigate the impact of alternative roofing and facade materials, awning, windows, and others, on energy efficiency. The results show that using rockwool and aluminum composite panels (ACP) facade, pumice concrete roofing, double glazed windows, vertical awning of a 70 cm height, and a balcony of 50 cm depth are the best composition to thermal reinforcement for residential buildings and decrease energy consumption. Key Words: Energy Consumption Optimization, Thermal Comfort, Residential Complex

Comparison of the effects of probiotic-based formulations on growth, feed utilization, blood constituents, cecal fermentation, and duodenal morphology of rabbits reared under hot environmental conditions

Abstract The present study aimed to assess the effects of three probiotic-supplemented diets on growth, cecal fermentation, blood biochemical, and intestinal morphological features in growing rabbits reared under summer conditions. Rabbits were allotted into four groups: G1 rabbits were fed the basal diet (control), G2 rabbits received Enterococcus faecium (EF) and Clostridium butyricum (CB) complexes (1 × 108 and 2.5 × 106 cfu/kg diet, respectively), G3 rabbits were given CB (2.5 × 106 cfu/kg diet) and yeast complexes (1 g/kg diet), and G4 rabbits received EF (2 × 108 cfu/kg diet) and yeast (1 g/kg diet). G2 rabbits exhibited the highest performances in terms of enhanced body weight and weight gain, protein efficiency ratio and feed conversion ratio (P<0.05). Serum total protein, globulin, immunoglobulin M, and highdensity lipoprotein concentrations were higher in probiotic-fed rabbits than those in controls. Additionally, lipid profile parameters were significantly reduced in the probiotic-fed rabbits, with the lowest concentrations measured in G4 rabbits (P<0.05). Rabbits given EF and CB had the highest total volatile fatty acid (VFA ) and propionic acid levels and the lowest ammonia concentrations. Increased villi length and muscular layer thickness and reduced crypt depth were observed in rabbits receiving EF and CB compared with the values obtained in controls (P<0.05). In summary, supplementing fattening rabbit diets with EF and CB, as a novel formulation, might be a promising and easy method to enhance growth performance under hot climate conditions by improving the feed utilization, immune response, serum lipid profile, cecal VFA production, and duodenal morphology.

MANAGEMENT OF KHALITYA WITH MALATYADI TAILAM: A CASE STUDY

Hair fall is a universal problem, affecting both sexes of all races. Ayurvedic remedies are popular for men and women with hair loss because they incorporate natural ingredients and have been an effective cure for hair fall since ancient times. In Ayurveda, Khalitya (Hair fall) comes under the title of Shiroroga (diseases of the head) and Kshudraroga (minor skin diseases). Excessive intake of tea, coffee, alcohol, fried food, spicy food, overstress, improper hair care, excessive use of synthetic hair care products, hot climatic conditions, and continuous exposure to dust are the common causes of Khalitya. A 19-year-old female patient came to OPD of the department of Kayachikitsa with chief complaints of Khalitya (Hair fall), kesha rukshata (dryness of hair) and kesha tanutva (thinness of hair) on the left frontal side of the scalp. Malatyadi tailam was advised for external application and general hair care in this case. Malatyadi tailam is an Ayurvedic formulation prepared from medicinal herbs and coconut oil. Progress provided by this remedy was assessed based on the signs and symptoms of the patient before and after the treatment. Abhyanga (head message) using Malatyadi tailam showed significant improvement in blood circulation, natural growth and shine of the hair.

Effects of Dietary Bioactive Lipid Compounds of Acacia nilotica Bark on Productive Performance, Antioxidant Status, and Antimicrobial Activities of Growing Rabbits under Hot Climatic Conditions.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of dietary Acacia nilotica bark bioactive lipid compounds (ANBBLCs) as novel feed additives on the growth performance, carcass criteria, antioxidants, and antimicrobial activities of growing male rabbits. A total of 100 California male weanling rabbits aged 35 days were divided into four nutritional treatments, each of which contained ANBBLCs at concentrations of 0 (control group), 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg diet (n = 25 per treatment, each replication consisting of one animal). The average body weight of the animals was 613 ± 14 g. The experiments lasted for 56 days. Dietary ANBBLC levels linearly improved (p < 0.05) the body weight, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of rabbits. Furthermore, with increasing concentrations of ANBBLCs, the total antioxidant capacity of blood and liver tissue was linearly (p < 0.05) enhanced. Lactobacillus increased and Staphylococcus decreased (p < 0.05) in comparison to the control group when ANBBLC levels were added to the diets of rabbits. Rabbit diets supplemented with ANBBLCs increased dressing percentages and decreased abdominal fat. This study shows that ANBBLCs can be used as a feed additive to enhance the growth performance, carcass criteria, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of growing rabbits.

Review of the utilization of plastic waste in asphalt pavements in hot climate conditions – KSA as a case study

In recent years, many global efforts have been made to advocate for the incorporation of recyclable waste materials into construction projects that utilize versatile asphalt. Hence, this review presents the use of modified asphalt with recyclable plastic materials in road construction as it relates to stability under extreme high temperatures. As per previous analysis, the addition of plastic does increase permanent resistance along with the increased work capacity of the asphalt. Although the effect of temperature on the asphalt shows no clear-cut results, the work capacity preferably increases at low temperatures. Current results have shown that the addition of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) does not provide strength to the asphalt because of its high melting nature; however, the addition of polypropylene (PP) provides substantial strength to asphalt when used in the construction of roads. Moreover, the addition of polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) does not provide much more strength when implemented on a large scale. This report presents bonding interactions between asphalt and plastic waste that demonstrate that chemical molecular modeling can be used to predict recyclable modified asphalt stability. Hence, FTIR data supports that adhesive interactions exist between the asphalt and plastic polymer materials. Modified asphalt mixtures demonstrated high levels of improvement with the addition of ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA) and styrene–butadienestyrene (SBS), as these structures provide strength characterized by C–H and C-O bond stretching generated with Fourier Transform Infrared analysis (FTIR). Furthermore, identifying the microstructural changes of asphalt modified with plastics and following the physical dispersions are made easier with the use of SEM imaging analysis.

Herbal supplements suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines, boost humoral immunity, and modulate adipokines to enhance the productivity traits of rabbit bucks in hot climatic conditions

Thermal stress is the main stressor accounting for reduced productivity, compromised immunity, and collapse of thermoregulatory measures in rabbits in the tropics. The current climate change depicts worsening assault of heat stress in the time ahead; hence, the need to develop combative measures for animal productivity. This research investigates the influence of herbal supplements of three tropical herbs Viscum album (mistletoe), Moringa oleifera (Moringa), and Phyllanthus amarus (Phyllanthus) on immune response, oxidative status, adipokines, and growth of eighty weaned rabbits during heat stress in tropical climate. The bucks were fed with four standard diets; a control and others supplemented with each of Moringa, Phyllanthus, and mistletoe for an eight-week feed trial. Performance indicators were monitored and blood were sampled and assayed for hematology, pro-inflammatory cytokines, adipokines, and oxidative status. The result shows that the performance of bucks fed with Phyllanthus and mistletoe supplements was superior to other groups. The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in the bucks fed with Moringa supplement, with significantly (p < 0.05) highest values obtained in the control group. Total antioxidant activity of the bucks fed with supplements was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those on control, with the significantly (p < 0.05) highest value recorded in bucks fed with Phyllanthus. Serum lipid peroxidation of the bucks on control was significantly (p < 0.05) highest and significantly (p < 0.05) least value was obtained in bucks on mistletoe. Heat shock protein 70, adiponectin, and leptin of the bucks on control were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than bucks on herbal supplements. Interleukin 6, interleukin β, and tumor necrosis factor α of bucks on control were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than bucks fed on herbal supplements. In conclusion, the inclusion of herbal supplements Moringa, Phyllanthus, or mistletoe suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines, boost humoral immunity, enhance the anti-oxidative status, and promote the growth of rabbit bucks during thermal discomfort.

Design Optimization of the Skylight for Daylighting and Energy Performance Using NSGA-II

In terms of sustainable design, lateral windows and skylights are important. Daylighting has become a vital component in office buildings because it increases occupants' productivity, well-being, and energy savings via windows and skylights. As a result, various factors have an impact on achieving Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI) and lowering overheating and glare discomfort. First the merits of the skylight and the window are compared in this study. Second, this study constructs an intelligent optimization method NSGA-II based on Pareto front approaches that allows low energy use of the office building while maintaining excellent thermal and lighting comfort for the inhabitants. Finally, all optimum solutions look at Daylight Glare Probability (DGP) for visual comfort. Isfahan, Iran (32° N, 51° E) as a hot and dry climatic condition, is selected for the simulation. A variety of geometries with different parameters, were applied to meet the goal. Among the different cases, the optimization’s findings highlight the pyramidal design with the highest aperture on the floor. It's best for a hot, dry area and a space with a square or rectangular form. The degree of glare in all ideal geometries, on the other hand, was reasonable—furthermore, these findings aid designers in selecting the appropriate window for the building's form and environment.

Impacts of hot climatic conditions on work, health, and safety in Australia: A case study of policies in practice in the construction industry

Workers in many industries are frequently exposed to hot weather conditions. To protect workers’ health and safety, it is important to evaluate the existing heat-related policies practiced in workplaces in accordance with national guidelines. We used a case study design to evaluate the existing heat-related policies of a large construction company and five of its subcontractors according to the guidelines provided by safe work Australia (SWA). We used snowball sampling to acquire documents from the companies. The retrieved documents were analysed thematically using the framework approach. The main guidance themes and categories were developed deductively based on “the guide for working in heat” provided by SWA. The data was interpreted and summarized. Our results suggest that all policies advised on some administrative control measures, safe work practices for workers, use of personal protective equipment, and emergency response plans. The majority of policies focus on administrative control measures, which may not be practicable at all times and are not a high level of health and safety control if implemented alone. The policies do not comprehensively cover some most important aspects of heat stress management such as consultation with workers, risk assessment of heat hazard, promoting training and awareness programs among workers, and reviewing and evaluating control measures and heat stress incidents. Priorities for heat-related policy development include an increased emphasis on preparation and planning for hot weather in consultation with workers, along with considering location-specific, workplace, and individual risk factors in assessing the heat hazard at the workplace.

The energy efficiency of a modified v-corrugated zinc collector on the performance of solar water heater (SWH)

Solar water heaters (SWH) are a low-cost method for generating hot water for various purposes. Therefore, this research focuses on investigating a modified V-corrugated zinc collector combined with an aluminum foil foam insulator and a 5 mm thick plywood base at the bottom. The experiments were conducted under hot climate conditions in the Central Java region of Indonesia. The effect of flow rate, with 120, 180, and 240 Lph, was compared and analyzed using passive and open systems. Data was retrieved at 10-min intervals from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The results showed that the highest energy efficiency of 50% was achieved at a flow rate of 240 Lph, with 40% and 34% energy efficiency at flow rates of 180 Lph and 120 Lph, respectively. Additionally, the highest collector efficiency was 61%. These findings suggested that higher flow rates were more efficient in SWH with V-corrugated zinc collectors. Therefore, it was recommended to use V-corrugated collectors due to their low production cost and ability to produce 50% energy efficiency.

Structural and Mechanical Properties of Modified Hot and Warm Mix Asphalt Concrete

Statement of the problem. The problem of improving the structural and mechanical properties of hot and warm mix asphalt concrete based on mineral materials, produced by Ltd. «PavlovskNerud», Voronezh region, is considered, using the method of polymer-dispersed reinforcement. The effect of the modifier RTEP-M on the resistance of rutting for hot and warm mix asphalt concrete has been studied. Results. By studying hot and warm mixes asphalt with RTEP-M modifier in the amount of 0.3 and 0.6 % by weight in the mineral part, respectively, and the control composition, a significant improvement in structural and mechanical properties was achieved. It is shown that it is possible to increase the resistance of rutting for hot and warm asphalt concrete prepared on local road construction materials by increasing its viscous-elastic properties by using the method of dispersed reinforcement using the Russian additive RTEP-M. Conclusions. The efficiency of using the method of polymer-dispersed reinforcement to improve the structural and mechanical properties of hot and warm asphalt concrete based on local mineral materials has been proven. It is shown that the addition of the RTEP-M modifier to the mineral part of hot and warm asphalt concrete mix in the amount of 0.3 and 0.6 % by weight, respectively, improves the rutting resistance of the road surface. It has been proved that by applying the method of polymer-dispersed reinforcement, it is possible to optimize the properties of warm asphalt concrete for its use in hot climatic conditions for the introduction of warm technologies instead of hot ones in the construction and repair of road surfaces.

Innovative Environmental Chamber Construction for Accurate Thermal Performance Evaluation of Building Envelopes in Varied Climates

The testing of multi-layer building envelopes was performed using an environmental chamber following the ASTM C1363 and ISO 8990 standards. However, performing such tests in accordance with the standards by an accredited laboratory can be extremely costly, and many laboratories have waiting lists of several months. This is a significant cost for researchers and building material testing companies in the construction industry. Therefore, the goal of this study was to design, construct, and test a portable environmental chamber for building envelopes to validate the accuracy and the efficiency of the built environmental chamber to measure the thermal performance (i.e., R-value) of wall panels at extreme climate conditions (i.e., −20 °C and 80 °C). The results indicated that the built environmental chamber is capable of maintaining the steady state temperature inside the chamber during the hot climate condition test of 65 °C (150 °F) within ±0.5 °C and during the cold climate condition test of −16 °C (3 °F) within ±1 °C, meeting the requirement of the ASTM C1363-19 standard. The results also indicated that the built environmental chamber is capable of measuring the R-value of building envelopes under hot climate conditions with an accuracy of ±0.73 ft2·°F h/BTU (±0.129 m2 °C/W) and under cold climate conditions with an accuracy of ±1.02 ft2 °C·h/BTU (±0.180 m2 °C/W). This university-based testing program allows companies to test several building envelopes at a relatively low cost and minimum wait duration. Additionally, such an environmental chamber can be used for the accurate evaluation of innovative designs to determine promising designs and to refine wall specimen prototypes for manufactured materials.

Evaluating the durability and performance of polyoxometalate-ionic liquid coatings on calcareous stones: Preventing biocolonisation in outdoor environments

Rock-based materials exposed to outdoor environments are naturally colonised by an array of microorganisms, which can cause dissolution and fracturing of the natural stone. Biocolonisation of monuments and architectures of important cultural heritage therefore represents an expensive and recurring problem for local authorities and private owners alike. In this area, preventive strategies to mitigate biocolonisation are generally preferred to curative approaches, such as mechanical cleaning by brush or high-pressure cleaning, to remove pre-existing patina. The aim of this work was to study the interaction between biocidal polyoxometalate-ionic liquid (POM-IL) coatings and calcareous stones and evaluate the capacity of these coatings to prevent biocolonisation through a series of accelerated ageing studies in climate chambers, carried out in parallel with a two-year period of outdoor exposure in north-eastern France. Our experiments show that POM-IL coatings did not affect water vapour transfer nor significantly alter the total porosity of the calcareous stones. Simulated weathering studies replicating harsh (hot and wet) climatic weather conditions demonstrated that the colour variation of POM-IL-coated stones did not vary significantly with respect to the natural uncoated stones. Accelerated biocolonisation studies performed on the weathered POM-IL-coated stones proved that the coatings were still capable of preventing colonisation by an algal biofilm. However, a combination of colour measurements, chlorophyll fluorescence data, and scanning electron microscopy imaging of stones aged outdoors in northern France for two years showed that coated and uncoated stone samples showed signs of colonisation by fungal mycelium and phototrophs. Altogether, our results demonstrate that POM-ILs are suitable as preventative biocidal coatings for calcareous stones, but the correct concentrations must be chosen to achieve a balance between porosity of the stone, the resulting colour variation and the desired duration of the biocidal effect over longer periods of time, particularly in outdoor environments.

A review of climatic impacts on water main deterioration

Watermains are both directly and indirectly affected by climatic conditions such as temperature and precipitation. Research has been conducted to understand and model the effects of climatic conditions on watermain breaks. However, review studies to map the knowledge development in this area, to identify key achievements and limitations of previous studies are missing, and are addressed in this study. This review uses a mixed systematic and scientometric analysis to establish the research trends, contributions, methods, and covariates employed by previous studies related to climatic impacts on watermain deterioration. Web of Science and Scopus database is primarily employed to identify 70 relevant studies on the subject matter. These studies have been mostly conducted by institutions based in Canada, USA, and Europe. There is a general lack of collaboration among different institutions conducting research in this area. Studies in the subject matter are published from 1982 onwards, however, significant number of studies per year can only be noticed from 2005 onwards. Previous studies have been mostly focused on the modelling of watermain failure and have used statistical methods, and data-driven and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches for failure modelling of watermains under climatic conditions. For testing and validation of research data, studies have employed correlation analysis, performance evaluation metrics, and descriptive statistics. Typically, climate-related variables used in studies include temperature, moisture, and precipitation. Reviewed studies have considered cold (66%), hot (31%), and dry (13%) climatic conditions. Studies have investigated watermains made of metal (56%), plastics (43%), and Concrete and Asbestos cement (31%). Future studies are recommended to consider Data-driven and AI approaches in research design; pay attention to watermains in climatically vulnerable and massively populated regions; and consider climate risk assessment and the impact of climate change and extreme weather conditions on watermains.

Dry matter content and inoculant alter the metabolome and bacterial community of alfalfa ensiled at high temperature.

Alfalfa silage fermentation quality, metabolome, bacterial interactions, and successions as well as their predicted metabolic pathways were explored under different dry matter contents (DM) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculations. Silages were prepared from alfalfa with DM contents of 304 (LDM) and 433 (HDM) g/kg fresh weight and inoculated with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum, LP), Pediococcus pentosaceus (P. pentosaceus, PP), or sterile water (control). The silages were stored at a simulated hot climate condition (35°C) and sampled at 0, 7, 14, 30, and 60 days of fermentation. The results revealed that HDM significantly improved the alfalfa silage quality and altered microbial community composition. The GC-TOF-MS analysis discovered 200 metabolites in both LDM and HDM alfalfa silage, mainly consisting of amino acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and alcohols. Compared with LP and control, PP-inoculated silages had increased concentrations of lactic acid (P < 0.05) and essential amino acids (threonine and tryptophan) as well as decreased pH, putrescine content, and amino acid metabolism. However, alfalfa silage inoculated with LP had higher proteolytic activities than control and PP-inoculated silage, as revealed by a higher concentration of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), and also upregulated amino acid and energy metabolism. HDM content and P. pentosaceus inoculation significantly altered the composition of alfalfa silage microbiota from 7 to 60 days of ensiling. Conclusively, these results indicated that inoculation with PP exhibited great potential in enhancing the fermentation of silage with LDM and HDM via altering the microbiome and metabolome of the ensiled alfalfa, which could help in understanding and improving the ensiling practices under hot climate conditions. KEY POINTS: • HDM improved fermentation quality and declined putrescine content of alfalfa silage • P. pentosaceus inoculation enhanced the fermentation quality of alfalfa silage • P. pentosaceus is an ideal inoculant for alfalfa silage under high temperature.

Holistic analysis for the efficiency of the thermal mass performance of precast concrete panels in hot climate zones

PurposeThis paper investigates thermal mass performance (TMP) in hot climates. The impact of using precast concrete (PC) as a core envelope with different insulation materials has been studied. The aim is to find the effect of building mass with different weights on indoor energy consumption, specifically cooling load in hot climates.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopted a case study and simulation methods to find out the efficiency of different mass performances in hot and humid climate conditions. Different scenarios of light, moderate and heavyweight mass using PC have been developed and simulated. The impact of these scenarios on indoor cooling load has been investigated using the integrated environment solution-virtual environment (IES-VE) software.FindingsThe results showed that adopting a moderate weight mass of two PC sheets and a cavity layer in between can reduce indoor air temperature by 1.17 °C; however, this type of mass may increase the cooling demand. On the other hand, it has been proven that adopting a heavyweight mass for building envelopes and increasing the insulation material has a significant impact on reducing the cooling load. Using a PC Sandwich panel and increasing the insulation material layers for external walls and thickness by 50 mm will reduce the cooling load by 15.8%. Therefore, the heavyweight mass is more efficient compared to lightweight and moderate mass in hot, humid climate areas such as the UAE, in spite of the positive indoor TMP that can be provided by the lightweight mass in reducing the indoor air temperature in the summer season.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the thermal mass concept as one of these strategies that have recently been adopted to optimize the thermal performance of buildings and developments. Efficient TMP can have a massive impact on reducing energy consumption. However, less work has investigated TMP in hot and humid climate conditions. Furthermore, the impact of the PC on indoor thermal performance within hot climate areas has not been studied yet. The findings of this study on TMP in the summer season can be generated in all hot climate zones, and investigating the TMP in other seasons can be extended in future studies.

Multi‐pronged degradation analysis of a photovoltaic power plant after 9.5 years of operation under hot desert climatic conditions

AbstractLong‐term reliability assessment of photovoltaic (PV) modules is key to ensuring the economic viability of PV systems. This paper presents a multi‐pronged performance degradation analysis of a 62.1 kWp solar PV power plant after 9.5 years of operation. For this purpose, various diagnosis techniques, namely, visual inspection, infrared thermography (IR), ultraviolet fluorescence (UVFL) and current‐voltage (I‐V) characterization, have been performed to evaluate the performance and degradation of the solar PV power plant. The visual characterization results show that the PV strings are affected by different mechanisms with different degrees of occurrences. The degradation mechanisms observed and the level of occurrence among the modules were found to be, encapsulant discolouration (100%), degraded frame adhesive (57%), degraded junction box adhesive (39%), snail trails (30%), burn marks (3%), cell cracks (2%) and delamination (0.4%). Although discolouration of the encapsulant was the most common possible degradation mechanism observed, the main causes of the power loss were snail trails and cracks in the PV cells. Furthermore, the IR thermography and UVFL analysis provided better understanding on snail trails phenomenon and crack mechanism on the affected PV modules. Besides imaging techniques, to assess the electrical performance of the system, we performed current‐voltage (I‐V) and power‐voltage (P‐V) characterization of the entire PV plant from which the degradation rates of the electrical parameters were determined. Our results show that the degradation rates for the maximum power and the fill factor are 0.84%/year and 0.66%/year, respectively, over the operating period of the installation. The estimated maximum power degradation rate for this installation could be considered as a realistic degradation rate for PV modules installed in harsh and hot desert climatic conditions. Additionally, our work has raised doubts about the validity of the warranties proposed by the manufacturers.

Evaluation of Refractivity Gradient and k-factor within the Lower Troposphere of Maiduguri and Enugu under Two Climatic Zones in Nigeria

Estimation of radio refractivity is important in the planning and design of terrestrial radio communication links for the availability and accessibility of strong networks and signals. This paper investigates the refractivity gradient, effective earth radius factor (k), and the geo-climatic factor K in the first 1km of the troposphere of two selected stations (Maiduguri and Enugu) under different climatic zones in Nigeria. The indirect method of measuring radio refractivity was employed in this study to take measurements over the two selected stations. Vertical profile values of pressure (hPa), Temperature (°C), and Relative humidity (%) within the first 1 km were extracted from MERRA MAIMCPASM V5.20 database profile obtained from a satellite sounding instrument by NASA in the United States. MatLab programming language was used to evaluate the refractivity gradient, k-factor, and geo-climatic factor using the equations recommended by ITU. The results showed that Enugu was predominantly sub-refractive due to the tropical savannah climate while Maiduguri encountered both sub-refractive and normal refractive conditions due to the hot semi-arid climate, and unstable and extreme weather conditions in the region.

Heat Transfer Model of Curtain Wall Facade Systems under Insolation

This paper deals with the problem of creating the basis of microclimate regulations and increasing the energy efficiency of various types of curtain walls in relation to the building thermal air envelope. The aim of the study is to distribute the heat flux flowing through the experimental envelope and determine the minimum temperature on the inner surface of the facade to develop a heat transfer model and increase the energy efficiency of curtain walls. The research methods are known scientific and technical results analytical generalization, the processes under study physical and mathematical modelling, the provisions theory of probability and mathematical statistics implementation, and fullscale experimental research. A computational model of heat transfer through curtain walls of various types is developed in relation to multiple reflections (absorption) of their surfaces in hot climatic conditions when the heat flux of beam and diffuse solar radiation passes through. Optimization of curtain wall with modern shading systems is considered. Comparison of the characteristics of similar experimental setup with traditional translucent curtain walls confirms the simulation. The proposed curtain wall with shading systems significantly improves the energy performance in the warm season compared to traditional curtain walls. A methodology based on modern computational methods that allow more accurate consideration of heat transfer through curtain walls in relation to the insolation of thermal building air envelope was developed. The methodology improves the quality of building design and microclimate and energy savings for indoor air conditioning.

Applications of biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles for sustainable poultry production under hot climatic conditions. A review

Applications of biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles for sustainable poultry production under hot climatic conditions. A review

Effect of biomass ash vermicompost on Sorghum bicolor var. saccharatum (L.) Mohlenbr under hot and dry agro ecological condition

Generation of the huge amount of bio-waste and their residues, including incineration ash, is a major technical and sustainability problem. To solve this problem, incorporating nutrient-rich residues into crop production has become an efficient practice to increase crop production. Vermicomposting of these wastes could be a viable option to manage both biowastes and their products in an environmentally friendly manner and close the material loop in bioenergy production. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of vermicompost from biomass ash under hot and dry climatic conditions in summer on growth, yield and yield components of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor var. saccharatum (L.) Mohlenbr). The high photosynthetic activity of sweet sorghum is important for biofuel production under conditions of high solar energy and water scarcity. This study provides a general overview of the feasibility of biomass ash vermicomposting processes and their potential use as a nutrient source for C4 sorghum under Bitlis ecological conditions of high solar potential and low water availability. Under Bitlis climatic conditions, the best yield was obtained when vermicompost was applied with a biomass ash content of 10.0% (T3). Plant height, plant weight, sugarcane and juice yields were reported as 133 cm, 146 g, 180 kg/da and 105 L/da, respectively.