Dielectric Thickness Research Articles

Numerical investigation and optimization of battery thermal management systems based on phase change material coupled with heating plates in low temperature environment

Low temperature environment has a significant impact on the performance and reliability of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), particularly in terms of capacity, posing challenges to their safety and availability. However, existing studies primarily focus on cooling technologies for high temperatures, while less attention is paid to the preheating and heat preservation performance under low temperatures. In this study, a simple and effective battery thermal management system (BTMS) combines phase change material (PCM) and heating plates (HPs) is developed. The influence of structures, PCMs, composite phase change material (CPCM), and battery spacing is investigated. Additionally, the essential of insulation is emphasized. Furthermore, the utilization of natural thermal insulation material in BTMS is explored, and the influence of insulation thickness during both preheating and insulation stages are researched. The results indicate that the proposed BTMS can preheat the batteries to 20 °C under four typical low temperatures of 0 °C (480 s), −10 °C (720 s), −20 °C (900 s), and − 30 °C (1200 s). The temperature differences can be controlled below 3 °C. Moreover, the temperature can be maintained above 10 °C for approximately 4 h in the parking stage. A thickness of 10 mm is found to be sufficient. Overall, the energy compensation value above 5 is achieved under most low temperatures.

Modeling, Calculation and Realization of Au/Nb2O5 Substrates for Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensors

Introduction. Sensor devices based on the surface plasmon resonance (SRP) phenomenon are widely used among the tools of information and diagnostic technologies. The main part of a device based on the surface plasmon resonance phenomenon is a sensor substrate, which consists of a glass plate, a film of plasma-supporting metal, usually gold, and additional layers to increase the sensitivity of the research. Depending on the thickness of the additional dielectric layers, the following types of sensors can be implemented: a conventional SPR sensor with a gold film without a dielectric; an Au/dielectric SPR sensor with a dielectric thickness less than the critical one, in which the system can maintain the plasmonic mode; a waveguide sensor on a metal sublayer, with a dielectric thickness sufficient for the emergence of waveguide modes. The Au/Nb2O5 thin-film system is promising for creating sensor substrates due to the high refractive index of Nb2O5 and its exceptional chemical and mechanical resistance. The purpose of the work. This work is devoted to computer modelling, calculation of performance characteristics and implementation of Au/Nb2O5 sensor substrates for SPR devices, including the Plasmontest series devices developed at the Institute of Cybernetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The behaviour of the characteristics of the SPR substrates with a plasma-supporting gold film, SPR substrates with sensitivity enhancement by an additional layer of Nb2O5 of nanometre thickness and with a waveguide layer of Nb2O5 thickness more than 150 nm are analysed. Calculations were performed for both refractive sensors on SPR and biosensors. Results. The theoretical analysis was carried out by computer modelling in Winspall and calculations in MATLAB using the Fresnel equations and the matrix method, which allowed a comprehensive analysis of the shape of the reflection curves, angular sensitivity, resolution and angular ranges for sensors with different dielectric coatings. It is shown that at a thickness of 0-10 nm, the Au/Nb2O5 structure will work as a SPR sensor with increased sensitivity, and at a thickness of 150-210 nm as a waveguide sensor on a metal sublayer. But, as calculations have shown, only the Au/Nb2O5 SPR sensor is promising for practical implementation to increase the sensitivity of biosensor measurements. The work carried out on the development of thin-film technology, which includes vacuum deposition of a thin-film structure of adhesive Nb (1–2 nm), plasma-supported Au (50 nm), Nb (3–5 nm) and thermal annealing (to oxidise the top layer of niobium), made it possible to implement Au/Nb2O5 substrates for SPR studies. Experimental studies have shown that the angular sensitivity of the Au/Nb2O5 refractometric SPR sensor is 1.5 times higher than that of a SPR sensor with a single Au film at niobium oxide layer thickness of about 6 nm. Thus, the experimentally determined increase in the angular sensitivity of the Au-Nb2O5 SPR sensor is consistent with the theoretical data. Conclusions. Calculations have shown an increase in the angular sensitivity of SPR sensors for Au/Nb2O5 sensor substrates compared to conventional Au film substrates for both refractometric (1.6 times) and biosensor (1.8 times) studies. The sensors on Au/Nb2O5 substrates for SPR studies, which we have designed and practically implemented, are cheap to manufacture, have higher sensitivity, and due to the exceptional chemical and mechanical stability of Nb2O5, can be used repeatedly in rather aggressive environments. Keywords: computer modelling, surface plasmon resonance, sensor, refractometer, biosensor.

Integrated optimization of the building envelope and the HVAC system in office building retrofitting

Increasing the energy efficiency of existing buildings is the major strategy to reach carbon neutral targets, given that the building sector is a major emitter. In particular, one major part of building energy usage is the building heating, ventilation and air-cooling system, which are highly depending on the thermal performance of building envelope and increase the challenge of selecting optimal packages of energy efficiency measures. This paper thereby presents a method for optimizing the building envelope and heating, ventilation and air-cooling system. The simulation-based NSGA-III approach developed in this paper is based on coupling the dynamic simulation models created in EnergyPlus software with the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm, as the engine that performs an optimization process. A large domain of energy efficiency packages combined with heating, ventilation and air-cooling systems and building envelope are investigated to minimize energy consumption, retrofit cost and thermal discomfort in indoor environments, which including ideal loads air system, four pipe fan coil system and variable refrigerant flow system, insulation materials and insulation thickness for external walls and roof, different types of external windows, and window-wall ratio. An office building in Chongqing was chosen as a case study to demonstrate the practical implementation of the proposed method. The results show that the four pipe fan coil system was superior in the diversity and performance of the Pareto front. Then, the optimal packages were generated by a synthetic method, which have 58.57 kWh/m2 of energy consumption, 30.76 CNY/m2 of retrofit cost and 40.67 % of the percentage of thermal discomfort hours. The results also indicate that the yearly energy savings rates are 17.30 %, 23.05 % and 21.10 % separately for ideal loads air system, four pipe fan coil system and variable refrigerant flow system after performing optimization. These results highlight the importance and necessity of performing an optimization procedure for existing buildings to select the optimal retrofit measures.

Evaluating energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in fiberglass prefabricated modular structures

Fiberglass (FG) modular buildings are gaining increasing attention in the construction industry due to their adaptability, and potential for cost and time savings. This study compares the FG modular, house-like cubicles to concrete counter parts with respect to the environmental impacts and cost. The scope of the study encompasses the production and operational phase, especially air conditioning (AC) systems in hyper-arid climates. The effectiveness of insulation, quantified through R-value calculations, is evaluated across varying insulation thicknesses using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The results indicate that AC energy requirements significantly contribute to the climate change impact (CCH), accounting for 77 % and 90.5 %, in concrete and FG modules respectively. FG modules exhibit significantly higher environmental impacts compared to concrete modules in agricultural land occupation (+142.7 %), terrestrial ecotoxicity (+80.6 %), and urban land occupation (+66 %). Employing Net Present Value (NPV), the annual cost for FG and concrete modules was USD 963.9 and USD 550.8 per year, respectively. Sensitivity analysis indicates that increasing insulation (+5.00 cm) in FG modules reduces that annual cost due to cooling by 16.55 %, reduces CCH by 59.47 % but increases metal depletion by 130 %. This signifies the importance of incorporating the use phase when evaluating innovative building materials and methods.

Comparative Analysis of Two Different MIM Configurations of a Plasmonic Nanoantenna

AbstractTwo plasmonic nanoantenna configurations—nanodisk and nanostrip arrays—in a metal–insulator-metal (MIM) setup were proposed, optimized, and compared by simulating their optical properties in three-dimensional models using COMSOL Multiphysics software. The optical responses, including electric field enhancement, absorption, reflection, and transmission spectra, were systematically investigated. Optimized geometrical parameters led to a significant enhancement of the electric field within the gap layers and almost perfect light absorptance for both structures. The results showed that the enhancement of the electric field depends on the polarization of the incident light. For both polarizations, the periodic circular nanodisk array showed a stronger field enhancement with an electric field enhancement factor of 6.6 × 106 and TE polarization, and a larger absorptance of 98% at its dipole resonance wavelength, indicating the fundamental plasmonic mode. In addition, weaker resonant modes were observed in the absorptance and reflectance spectra of both nanostructures, with the nanostrips exhibiting sharper and stronger higher-order modes, making them suitable for applications requiring precise wavelength selectivity and narrow-band responses. Despite their different geometric shapes, both structures exhibited similar optimized metal film thickness and nanoparticle height, comparable modes in number and position, and identical optimized light incidence angles. Furthermore, increasing the dielectric gap layer thickness and optimizing it to a specific value revealed its ability to measure the refractive index, making it a promising candidate for sensing applications.

Numerical modeling of heat losses from hot water storage tank

Domestic hot water storage tanks (HWST) are widely used devices, and their daily operation can generate significant annual heat losses to the environment. Previous studies concerning HWST have mainly focused on the impact of insulation quality and thickness, stratification, and tank operation on total heat losses. Some studies have addressed these losses concerning different parts of the tank, including upper, lower, and side walls. However, the influence of insulating additional tank elements, such as connectors, on heat loss has not been analyzed.Therefore, experimental studies were conducted as a reference for the temperature distribution and heat loss from an insulated HWST equipped with 12 connectors. Then, CFD numerical calculations of heat loss were performed for various variants: an insulated HWST without connectors, a tank with connectors insulated in five different ways, and an uninsulated tank.It was found that, in extreme cases of poor insulation of the tank connectors, the heat loss increased by 92.5 % and 147.6 %, respectively, compared to the reference loss. This means an increase in heat loss streams by 62.0 W and 98.9 W compared to the reference case. The latter value corresponds to an annual heat loss of approximately 3 GJ. The study also showed that insulating the bottom of the tank is crucial. With proper insulation, heat losses from this part account for less than 10 % of the total heat loss.The results highlight the critical role of proper connector insulation in minimizing standby heat losses in water storage systems.

Combinatorial Optimization of Metal‐Insulator‐Insulator‐Metal (MIIM) Diodes With Thickness‐Gradient Films via Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition

AbstractMetal‐insulator‐insulator‐metal (MIIM) diodes with thickness‐gradient films for the insulator layers are fabricated for the first time. Spatially varying atmospheric‐pressure chemical vapor deposition is used to deposit ZnO and Al2O3 films with orthogonal gradient directions, producing 414 MIIM diodes with 414 different ZnO/Al2O3 film‐thickness combinations on a single substrate for combinatorial and high‐throughput optimization. The nm‐scale ZnO/Al2O3 films are printed in only 2 min and the entire device fabrication takes 7 h, which is much less than conventional approaches for investigating many insulator‐thickness combinations. Rapid identification of the optimal thickness combination is demonstrated; high‐performance diodes (asymmetry = 227, nonlinearity = 13.1, and responsivity = 12 A/W) are observed when a trap‐assisted tunneling mechanism is dominant for insulator thicknesses of 3.4–4.4 nm (ZnO) and 7.4 nm (Al2O3).

Strategic implementation of variable-thickness insulation layers for stratospheric airships

Excessive heat transfer from photovoltaic systems to airship hulls poses a threat to flight safety. To address this issue, a theoretical model was developed that combines thermal, heat transfer, and optimization models for airships with variable-thickness insulation layers. The study investigates the daily thermal behavior of stratospheric airships, focusing on the effects of thermal conductivity and insulation thickness. To balance weight reduction with insulation effectiveness, temperature constraints were used, and insulation thickness was optimized across different sections of the airship using a simulated annealing algorithm (SAA). Results indicate that adjusting thermal conductivity and insulation thickness can mitigate overheating and overpressure, albeit with a reduced solar energy output. Notably, variable-thickness insulation achieved a 9.7 % weight reduction at 40°N latitude, enhancing both photovoltaic system design and insulation material selection for stratospheric airships.

Revealing two-dimensional electric field crowding effect in breakdown performance of DPPT-TT polymer-based OFETs

The diketopyrrolopyrrole-based polymer (DPPT-TT) has been employed in organic power field effect transistors due to its exceptional off-state breakdown performance. The impact of organic semiconductor layer thickness on the breakdown performance has not been explored. In this study, we investigate the impact of DPPT-TT layer thickness on the breakdown voltage (BV) by fabricating organic field effect transistors (OFETs) with various DPPT-TT layer thicknesses. Our findings reveal that the devices' BV is a strong function of DPPT-TT layer thickness, and reducing the DPPT-TT layer thickness from 68 to 15 nm results in a decrease in BV from 291 to 86 V, attributed to the two-dimensional (2D) electric field crowding effect. An analytical model utilizing the 2D Poisson equation reveals an electric field at the DPPT-TT layer's surface. Thinner DPPT-TT layer exhibits larger electric field peak, leading to premature breakdown near the drain electrode. The relationship between breakdown electric field and DPPT-TT layer thickness was established by fitting the experimental data to the model, revealing an average BV error of only 8.8%. This phenomenon is validated to be ubiquitous in polymer based OFETs via DPPT-TT-based and P3HT-based devices. According to the proposed model, this 2D electric field crowding effect can be mitigated by adjusting the dielectric layer thickness (tD) and/or the dielectric material.

Evaluation of insulation effectiveness for thermal comfort in summers: experimental and CFD numerical study

We evaluate the thermal performance of PUF-insulation boards embedded in the roof of an office-sized room. Two rooms were constructed: one with and the other without insulation. The thermal comfort was evaluated by performing an experimental study according to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-2017. The inside air temperature, humidity, wall and ceiling temperatures, air velocities and thermal flux were measured for the summer April–June 2023. Using these measurements, the PMV and PPD values were computed. The effectiveness of the insulation material with regard to thermal comfort is judged by the reduction in values of these indices. During a typical day, a reduction of around 30% is achieved just by adding the insulation. Nusselt number correlations are proposed to predict the convective heat transfer from the walls. Detailed CFD simulations were performed and a parametric study to understand the effect of insulation thickness, wall insulation, roof thickness and room dimensions on thermal comfort was undertaken.

Analysis of operation regulation on delay time in long-distance heating pipe systems for practical engineering

The distribution area of the district heating network (DHN) is extensive, and there are inherent time delays and thermal losses in the process of heat transfer through heating pipes. The delay in heat transfer within long-distance heating pipes may result in inadequate heat supply to end-users or excessive energy consumption at the heat source. Therefore, this paper presents a quasi-dynamic model for calculating the transmission delay time in the long-distance heating pipeline. And the model is validated through the measured values obtained from a heating pipeline. The influencing factors of delay time are further discussed, including operating parameters, pipe structure parameters and thermal insulator thickness. Additionally, the impact of pipe delay time in practical engineering is analyzed. In practical engineering, the transmission delay time varies when the pipe structural or operational parameters differ, even under the same outdoor temperature change. The change in inlet water temperature and mass flow rate can impact the change rate of outlet water temperature, thereby influencing the delay time. Furthermore, the delay time exhibited an increase with pipe length, diameter, and thermal insulator thickness; however, the effect of thermal insulator thickness on it was minimal. When the inlet water temperature rose or dropped by 5℃, the delay time grew by more 70 % per 1 km pipe length, about 40 % per 100 mm diameter and less 2 % per 100 mm thermal insulator thickness, respectively.

Fire Performance of FRCM-Confined RC Columns: Experimental Investigation and Parametric Analysis

This study presents an experimental investigation of the fire response of six columns strengthened with polyparaphenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO) FRCM system, and tested in a large-scale furnace following ASTM E119 standards. The parameters investigated included the number of PBO-FRCM layers and the presence of a fireproofing insulation layer. Test results highlighted the effectiveness of PBO-FRCM in insulating the column, with the strengthened column showing a substantial 31.9% reduction in temperature readings at the concrete surface compared to its unstrengthened counterpart. Furthermore, the presence of Sikacrete 213F fireproofing system reduced temperature readings within the column's section by an average of 65%. Based on the experimental results, a parametric numerical study were developed and verified using ABAQUS software. The parameters studied included the number of PBO-FRCM layers (0, 1, and 2 layers), the presence of a 30 mm thick insulation layer, and the axial preloading taken as 40, 60, and 75% of the ultimate column's capacity. The model accurately predicted the temperature readings across the columns. Strengthening the columns with PBO-FRCM significantly increased their resistance during fire, doubling fire-resistance duration with one layer. Adding fireproof insulation led to significant increase in load resistance duration. The percentage drop in temperature after 1 hour of fire exposure was around 70% at the FRCM surface for the insulated column strengthened with one layer of FRCM. Higher preload percentages reduced both the fire-resistance duration and ductility of the columns. For the group of columns strengthened with one layer, increasing the preloading percentage to 60% and 75% resulted in decreases in the fire-resistance duration of 35% and 73%, respectively.

C60 Functionalized Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotube‐based Phototransistor for Efficient Detection of Visible Light Under Appropriate Gate Electrostatics

AbstractThe current study concerns highly reliable visible light sensing by C60 fullerene functionalized single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) based phototransistor. The absorbance of visible light (532 nm) increases significantly due to the formation of an interlink between the SWCNT network and C60 clusters. Photogenerated excess electrons in SWCNT are trapped by the C60 clusters and increase the effective hole concentrations in the SWCNT channel, which eventually improves the photoconductive gain. C60‐SWCNT channel is further integrated into the back gated field effect transistor (FET) structure in which 90 nm SiO2 dielectric thickness is used. The responsivity toward visible light is further enlarged with appropriate negative gate electrostatic. In order to ensure the morphological and structural behavior of C60‐SWCNT, various microscopic and spectroscopic characterizations are performed. The C60‐SWCNT phototransistor exhibits responsivity of 1.219 A W−1 at Vgs = – 21 V. The detectivity and rise/fall time of C60‐SWCNT came around to be 2.34 × 1010 Jones, 86.42 ms/3.35 ms at the same Vgs. The maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the C60‐SWCNT phototransistor is very high, ≈274%. In the overall study, a comprehensive discussion is introduced on the effect of variable gate potential on the performance of the C60‐SWCNT phototransistor.

Thermal analysis and optimization of data center building envelope insulation in different climate zones

The discrepancy in occupancy between ordinary buildings and data centers requires a unique methodology to achieve more effective cooling load reduction. This paper proposes using net heat flow through the building envelope as a control metric, considering the unique requirements of data centers. A corresponding optimization approach is developed to adjust the insulation thickness accordingly. Using the proposed method, five representative cities from different climate zones are analyzed and compared with the current standards. The orientation of roof insulation design for data centers should be contrary to that of ordinary buildings in all five climate zones. In addition to regions with extremely cold and cold climates, the insulation design orientation of the walls surrounding the data center should also be opposite that of ordinary buildings. Lower cooling load is observed at least 50% of time in a year when using the proposed method among climate zones. This article provides an alternative to using natural cooling sources through a building envelope designed specifically for data centers that have greater climate adaptability.

Optimum configuration of internal walls in intermittently conditioned rooms with different ventilation-behavior during off-periods and air conditioner operation durations

Investigations focus on optimizing insulation placement and thickness within internal walls of rooms equipped with intermittently operated air conditioners (AC), specifically targeting buildings located in China's Hot Summer and Cold Winter region. To achieve this objective, cooling and heating transmission loads for internal walls with varying insulation thicknesses, both internally and externally insulated, are calculated using EnergyPlus. Calculations are repeated across different air change rate (ACH) during AC off-periods and for varying AC operation durations. Subsequently, these transmission loads facilitate the determination of the optimal insulation position and thickness. The findings demonstrate that the internal walls with inside insulation (Wall-2) achieves an energy-saving rate of approximately 16–20 % during the cooling season and 30–60 % throughout the heating season when compared to that with outside insulation (Wall-1). Moreover, Wall-2's energy-saving advantage over Wall-1 is further accentuated with heightened ACH during off-periods and reduced durations of AC operation. Additionally, the optimal insulation thickness for Wall-2 was determined to be 0.06 m, 0.08 m, and 0.098 m for AC operation durations of 4 h, 7 h, and 10 h, respectively, with ACH having no impact on this optimal thickness. Life cycle savings varied between 254.56 and 552.31 ¥/m2/year, while payback periods varied between 1.76 and 2.33 years. These two indexes are both influenced by AC operation durations and ACH. Finally, the total energy consumption for cooling and heating is reduced by 40–50 %, when the internal wall is insulated to the optimal thickness internally.

Experimental Study on a Liquid Hydrogen Tank for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Applications

A lightweight, 12 L liquid hydrogen fuel tank has been designed, fabricated, and tested with the aim of optimizing boil-off rates while minimizing the weight of a complete propulsion system intended to be integrated into an unmanned aerial vehicle. After looking at several different insulation schemes, the system was optimized as two concentric, lightweight titanium cylinders with high vacuum and multilayer insulation in between. The thickness of the multilayer insulation and the design of support structures were optimized to reduce the overall weight of the tank. This paper focuses on characterizing the boil-off rate of a small liquid hydrogen tank in relation to ambient temperature and fuel level. Additionally, it addresses the analysis of the instrumented transfer line between the reservoir and the operating fuel cell, presenting pressure and temperature measurements for each component of the transfer line. The efficiency of the heat exchanger under natural and forced convection is also discussed. The key contribution of the experimental campaign lies in demonstrating an average boil-off rate of 19.5 g/h over 45 h. This significantly surpasses the limits of ultra-long-range flight achievable with alternative electric energy sources. Furthermore, the paper highlights the importance of the variable boil-off with time and its impact on aircraft performance.

Dynamic Reliability Assessment of Vertical GaN Trench MOSFETs With Thick Bottom Dielectric

Dynamic Reliability Assessment of Vertical GaN Trench MOSFETs With Thick Bottom Dielectric

Research on the Design of Green Roofs for Office Buildings in Xuzhou Based on Building Energy Consumption Evaluation

The roof is the part of a building that is exposed to solar radiation for the longest period, making green roofs particularly effective in reducing air conditioning energy consumption during the summer. This study aims to assess the advantages of modular green roofs in terms of energy savings and cost reduction during the summer in Xuzhou. By conducting field measurements and surveys under both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned conditions and utilizing building energy simulation tools, the performance of green roofs with different parameters was compared. Using EnergyPlus, factors such as soil thickness, thermal conductivity, and leaf area index were simulated. The results indicated that green roofs have superior thermal performance in summer, with the daily cooling load per unit area for top-floor rooms being 1.05 kWh/m2, 0.21 kWh/m2 lower than that for bare roofs, achieving an energy saving rate of 16.7%. It is recommended that soil thickness not exceed 0.3 m and insulation thickness not exceed 0.05 m or be set to 0 m. Take building no. 2 of the Xuzhou material market as an example: with the optimized green roof, the energy saving rate increased to 27.0%, which is 12.4% higher than that of the original green roof. The suggested cost for modular green roofs is 204 RMB/m2.

Thermophysical properties and energy efficiency of a sustainable construction materials produced from local natural waste

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is crucial for reducing energy demand and moderating the environmental impact due to its large energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Integrating waste into construction materials can offer sustainable and cost-effective solutions for energy-efficient buildings. This study aims to develop new construction materials (plasterboards) formed by gypsum and natural wastes (5% in mass) including Posidonia-Oceanica, sawdust, sheep's wool, and cork granules to substitute filasse in conventional plasterboards. The main objective of this work is to evaluate and compare the thermal properties of the composite materials manufactured and to determine energy saving, optimal insulation thickness and environmental impact when adding the developed plasterboards in the envelope of an office building in a Mediterranean climate. An experimental study is performed to evaluate the thermo-physical properties and a numerical simulation is conducted using design builder software to discuss the energy efficiency of these materials. Results shows that the incorporation of natural waste reduces the thermal conductivity and can reduce heating and cooling needs compared to conventional plasterboard. Specially, plasterboard made with Posidonia-Oceanica fibers which exhibits a reduction of 32 % in thermal conductivity. It achieves an improvement in energy efficiency of 8 % when it is used in roof ceiling. When used as coating-panels in building walls with a thickness of 24 cm, it achieves about 17 % of energy saving. In addition, this study determines the optimum insulation thickness leading to minimize the sum of the insulation investment and the energy costs over the building's lifetime. Four values of building’s lifespan were chosen (10, 20, 30 and 50 years). Results show that for a 10-year building life, the optimum insulation thickness is 9cm, whereas for a longer building life (50 years), the optimum insulation thickness is 19cm. It saves 15.64kWh/m2 of energy required for heating and 2.09kWh/m2 needed for cooling and reduces of about 8.8tons ofCO2 emitted. The use of natural waste as fillers to prepare plasterboards showed a good effectiveness. It provides important energy saving and reduces CO2 emissions. Creating effective insulating materials using local natural waste, could be a valuable step towards establishing a sustainable development approach.

Assessing the effectiveness of bioclimatic strategies in improving thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption in a house located in a desert climate

This article examined the effectiveness of bioclimatic strategies to enhance thermal comfort and decrease energy consumption in a desert-climate residence. The study assessed the impact of thermal insulation, natural ventilation, and phase-change materials (PCMs) over a year, with each strategy evaluated both independently and in combination. Monthly energy bills were analyzed to determine the impact of these strategies. The results indicated substantial reductions in energy costs, with decreases of up to 50% during transitional seasons; however, the complete elimination of heating and cooling systems was not feasible due to significant thermal phase differences between indoor and outdoor environments. Further analysis of thermal discomfort hours revealed that increasing insulation thickness during specific seasons could mitigate peak heat intensity and delay its occurrence, thus extending periods of comfort and reducing discomfort hours. Despite these improvements, some periods of thermal distress persisted during the warmest months, underscoring the necessity for a balanced approach to climate adaptation strategies. Overall, the implementation of these strategies proved effective in improving comfort and reducing energy usage in desert-climate homes, although they do not fully negate the need for traditional heating and cooling systems.