Thermal Energy Losses Research Articles

Engineering aspects and thermal performance of molten salt transfer lines in solar power applications

Abstract Concentrating solar thermal power coupled with thermal energy storage is considered as one of the leading technologies to address the decarbonization of the energy sector. The use of molten solar salt (60–40% b.w. NaNO3-KNO3) as heat transfer fluid and thermal storage medium is the current commercial practice, with alternative salt mixtures being under evaluation for the next-generation higher-temperature systems. The main drawback of the molten salts is their high freezing temperature; active means are required for preheating of- and to prevent salt from freezing in- the transfer lines. In this article we present experiences from the PROTEAS facility, where heating tapes as opposed to heating cables are used. The thermal energy losses from the transfer lines are evaluated and compared to those predicted by a one-dimensional heat transfer analysis. Thermal losses between 43 and 100 W/m are found at operating temperatures from 300 to 500 °C. A joint optimization of the capital and operational expenditure for heating tapes and insulation is performed, leading to the optimal insulation thickness and installed heat tracing capacity. Increasing the installed heat tracing capacity with respect to the minimum required to overcome thermal losses, leads to a reduction of the preheating time and, therefore, a reduction in the overall operational expenses of the system. In some situations, this was found to also lead to a reduction in the necessary insulation thickness. Simulations indicate that if the optimal insulation was used, a decrease of 10 and 15% in thermal losses and O&M expenditures, respectively, could be achieved.

Determining the UK’s potential for heat recovery from wastewater using steady state and dynamic modelling - preliminary results

By 2050, UK plans to create ‘low carbon society’. To meet this ambitious target, UK’s heating sector must be completely decarbonized. The identification and deployment of low carbon heating sources is thus an urgent policy and research priority. Recovering heat from sewage wastewater is relatively new and attractive option as it can help UK move towards its climate change targets while decarbonising the heating sector & reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. In the domestic context, wastewater is normally discharged at higher temperature than ambient (a carrier of heat/ thermal energy) losses its energy to (ground) environment before it reaches to WWTP. Recovering this heat from wastewater could be a considerable source of energy, revenue and is environmental friendly as it results in the reduction of GHG emissions, resource conservation and in increase share of renewable energy. In last decade, many cities around the world have successfully implemented wastewater thermal energy recovery but UK is lagging behind. Pilot project such as in Scotland is leading the way, but further research is needed to build the evidence base and replicate the concept elsewhere in UK. The Home Energy 4 Tomorrow (HE4T) project at London South Bank University (LSBU) was created to address this evidence gap. The project objectives include sizing the heat potential recoverable from wastewater at designated sites. The current paper forms part of the HE4T project and the second in series of output on wastewater heat recovery in UK. In this paper we present some initially measured data, variations in wastewater temperature and flow, steady state and dynamic model results wastewater temperature and the potential heat recovery of the designated site. Early results, their limitations and possible routes to address these limitations are discussed along with policy implications for UK heat strategy.

Energy Harvesting Through Wasted Thermal Energy by Light Grid Sources.

In this study, emitted light energy and the recycling of thermal energy from the arrays of a light emitting diode system were investigated. A light grid system is composed of the array of high power LED chips, thermoelement and heat sink. High power LED source has an advantage of high luminous efficiency, which combined with wasted thermal energy. Thermal energy loss can be regarded wasted energy. However, this wasting thermal energy can be effectively converted to the electrical energy from thermoelement and heat sink of a light grid system. By introducing the light grid system, the optical energy and thermal energy can be more effectively managed. In particular, we have intensively studied energy conversion efficiency of light grid system and energy harvesting characteristic through thermal energy.

Orthogonal Redundant Monitoring of a New Continuous Fluid-Bed Dryer for Pharmaceutical Processing by Means of Mass and Energy Balance Calculations and Spectroscopic Techniques

In line with the ongoing shift from batch to continuous pharmaceutical production of solid oral dosage forms, a novel continuous fluid-bed dryer was developed. The forced feed nature of the Glatt GPCG2 CM fluid-bed dryer allows continuous, first-in-first-out drying of wet granulate materials based on its compartmentalized, rotating fluidizing chamber. The presented work aims to introduce the dryer's functionalities in detail, and to demonstrate that the rotating fluid-bed chambers facilitates a stable drying behavior, which ensures robust and repeatable residual moisture contents (loss-on-drying [LOD]) of the discharged granules. Furthermore, a mass and energy balance (MEB) is derived, based on the logged process values of the granulating and drying units. Two independent test experiments demonstrate that precise LOD prediction in real time is achievable by MEB to serve as an orthogonal process analytical technology method to common near-infrared spectroscopy. On average, MEB results differed by 0.36% LOD (absolute) from offline reference analyses, and by 0.61% LOD from predictions made with an in-house available near-infrared spectroscopy method. Furthermore, good correlation between the observed and expected thermal energy loss was found. The derived MEB is solely based on physical principles; hence it is product independent and transferable to other materials that are processed on the described equipment.

Development and Application of Heat Resistant Spiral Type RO Membrane in Nitto Denko Co., Ltd.

In recent years, RO membranes have further expanded the results of activities at large plants in the field of seawater desalination and wastewater reuse. In these plants, the raw water is usually treated as it is at normal temperature (probably 5 ℃ to 40 ℃). However, when the raw water exceeds 45 ℃, it is necessary to cool the raw water once for membrane treatment because the heat resistance of the RO membrane element is not high. In the case where the raw water is at a high temperature and the treated water is also used at a high temperature again, an operation of cooling the raw water, followed by membrane treatment and then reheating the treated water, is required, and the loss of thermal energy is large and uneconomical. In this paper, we introduce the application development of heat resistant RO membrane in Nitto Denko and the case of its merit.

Експериментальні дослідження тепловтрат через огородження сушильної камери

Наведено методику та результати дослідження кількості тепла, що втрачається через огородження сушильної камери за допомогою тепловізійного обстеження в умовах виробництва способом отримання термограми – зображення об'єкта в інфрачервоному спектрі, що показує картину розподілу температурних полів. Для визначення найбільших втрат тепла в сушильній камері застосовано тепловізор марки Fluke TI10. За наведеними тепловими знімками можна зробити висновки, що найбільші втрати тепла в основі сушильної камери – через фундамент. Також значні втрати є за периметром воріт для завантаження матеріалу та ревізійних дверей. Незначні втрати спостережено на бокових огородженнях. За результатами аналізу теплознімків найкритичнішими місцями виявлено периметр самих воріт та дверей, що пояснено властивостями використовуваних матеріалів та їх конструкцією: в місцях прилягання до стін сушильної камери всі елементи виготовлені з металу, який є добрим провідником тепла і поганим теплозберігаючим матеріалом. Сама конструкція не допускає можливості застосування менш надійних енергозберігаючих матеріалів. Для теплоізоляції застосовують алюмінієві касети з теплоізолювальним наповнювачем – імпрегнованою мінеральною ватою. Для зменшення втрат тепла можливим є збільшення теплоізолювального шару та уникнення в такий спосіб теплових містків у конструкції камери. Для порівняння проведено розрахунки для теплоізолювального шару товщиною 100 і 150 мм. За результатами досліджень найбільшу економію від збільшення товщини теплоізоляційного шару спостережено в холодні пори року: від 1979 до 2282 кВт-год за один цикл процесу сушіння. Втрати теплової енергії залежать від середньої температури в камері. На останніх етапах процесу сушіння, де температура найвища, спостережено найбільший ефект від збільшення теплоізоляційного шару – від 1,92 до 3,12 кВт на годину. Зменшення втрат тепла через огородження із збільшенням товщини теплоізоляційного шару від 100 до 150 мм становить 32 %.

Rotor-pulsating apparatus for the preparation of liquid feeds on the grain basis

In recent years, mass cultivation of microalgae has become widespread in order to use them in the national economy. In this plan, chlorella and spirulina are the most interesting. The influence of temperature on the growth of algae is due to the action on the enzyme system of culture. As the temperature increases, the rate of enzymatic reactions increases, which contributes to the formation of a significant amount of photosynthetic products. Depending on the optimum temperature of cultivation, the strains of microalgae are cryophilic, mesophilic and thermophilic. The most productive are thermophile strains. The issue of temperature regulation in plants for the cultivation of algae is devoted to a small number of works, and all of them, in general, relate to the development of design of heat exchangers of small volumes. The optimum parameters of the system of thermostabilization of the plant for growing microalgae can be determined from the equation of thermal balance, compiled for the most severe temperature conditions in the cultivating structure. Such conditions take place during the winter period of operation of the plant. To compile the equation of thermal balance, we assume the following assumptions: ♦ in the cultivator, the suspension of algae is well mixed and can be considered as an object with lumped parameters; ♦ the air heating system is executed in such a way that the heat source can be considered evenly distributed throughout the space of the cultivating structure; ♦ the dynamic properties of the object remain unchanged in time. As a result of the study, it was found that the overwhelming part of the air heating capacity goes to cover heat losses through the fence. In this case, the power of the system of thermostabilization with air heating is 4-5 times higher than when heated by means of a heat exchanger. Thus, thermostabilization of the suspension of microalgae with the help of air heating is undesirable, as it leads to significant losses of thermal energy. Keywords: cultivation of microalgae, energy losses, livestock waste

Impact of standby losses and isotherm blanket contributions on the hot water cylinders of various heating technologies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is fourfold: to experimentally determine the standby thermal energy losses in various hot water cylinders in both scenarios, without isotherm blanket installation and with isotherm blanket installation; to analytically evaluate the performance of either the geyser, split- or integrated-type ASHP water heaters based on the number of heating up cycles and total electrical energy consumptions over a 24-h period without isotherm blankets and with isotherm blankets installed; to demonstrate the impact of the electrical energy factors of the split- and integrated-type ASHP water heaters under both the scenarios (without and with the isotherm blankets installed); and to use statistical tests (one way ANOVA and multiple comparison procedure tests) to verify whether any significant difference in the standby thermal energy losses occurred for each of the heating devices under both the scenarios.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology was divided into monitoring of the performance of the electrical energy consumptions and ambient conditions of the hot water heating technologies without isotherm blanket installation and with isotherm blanket installation.FindingsThe results reveal that the average standby thermal energy loss of the geyser without the installation of an isotherm blanket was 2.5 kWh. And this standby loss can be reduced to over 18.5 per cent by just installing a 40-mm thick isotherm blanket on the tank. The statistical tests show a significant mean difference in the group electrical energy consumed to compensate for the standby losses under both scenarios. In contrast, the average standby thermal energy losses for the split- and integrated-type ASHP water heaters were 1.33 kWh and 0.92 kWh, respectively. There was a reduction of 15.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent in the electrical energy consumed in compensating for standby losses for both the split and integrated types, respectively, but there was no significant mean difference in the standby losses under both scenarios for the two systems. Again, without any loss of generality, the electrical energy factor of both the ASHP water heaters decreased upon installation of the isotherm blanks.Research limitations/implicationsThe experiments were conducted only for a 150-L geyser and 150-L split- and integrated-type ASHP water heaters. The category of the different types of ASHP water heaters was limited to one because of the cost implication.Practical implicationsThe experiments were not conducted with various hot water storage tanks installed in different positions (roof, inside or outside of a building wall, etc.) so that actual real-life observations could be obtained. The challenges of easy disassembling and deployment of systems and DAS to different positions were also a real concern.Social implicationsThe findings can help homeowners and ESCO in deciding whether to install isotherm blankets on storage tanks of ASHP water heaters on the basis of the impact of standby losses and its potential viability.Originality/valueThe experimental design and methodology are the first of its kind to be conducted in South Africa. The results and interpretation were obtained from original data collected from a set of experiments conducted. The findings also show that the installation of isotherm blanket on an electric geyser can result in a significant mean reduction in the standby losses. In contrast, an installation of the isotherm blankets on the storage tanks of ASHP water heaters can reduce the standby losses, but there exists no significant mean difference.

Laser Drop on Demand Micro Joining − Analytic Process Model to Quantify Braze Absorptance and Cumulative Energy Balance

Laser drop on demand joining is used for high temperature applications particularly tailored for temperature stable joining of electrode structures of piezo actuators with copper wires. The process is developed, since the generated joints are able to withstand the temperatures occurring during aluminum die‐casting, which is a proposed technology to integrate sensor or actuator functionalities into structural aluminum components. The process is based on melting a spherical copper based braze preform (CuSn12) with a liquidus temperature of 989.85 °C. The preform is induced into a capillary and subsequently molten by a laser pulse. After reaching liquidus temperature, the droplet is ejected from the capillary by inert gas overpressure and wets the surface of the electrode structure and the copper wire, where it results in a firm joint after solidification. In order to be able to estimate the cumulative energy balance during the melting and detachment of the braze material, an analytical model is established in the scope of this work, enabling for the first time to indirectly quantify the braze spheres reflectivity as well as its loss of thermal energy due to convection, radiation, and conduction in situ. The analytic model is verified by experiments. The insights gained, may be applied to investigate other laser based metal joining processes like welding, as it is almost impossible to quantify reflectivity or thermal energy losses directly during the welding process.

Albemarle Corporation, Sinopec Catalyst Company and Sinopec Fushun Research Institute of Petroleum and Petrochemicals sign heads of agreement in field of hydrocracking

In the north-eastern geographical setting of India, lies Tripura, the second largest state of India in terms of natural rubber cultivation. Often, the unpredictable weather and lack of appropriate drying methodology deteriorates the quality of the dried natural rubber fetching less income to the unorganized small scale farmers. Installation of modular solar thermal dryers in this region can resolve this problem. In this study, a 6 kg/batch mixed-mode solar thermal dryer was developed and installed at Agartala for performance investigation. Moisture content of the natural rubber sheets dried in the solar thermal dryer was reduced from 40% to 4% vis-à-vis 11% in open sun drying condition in 3 days’ time on wet basis. Six drying models were studied and validated against the experimental data. The average energy and exergy efficiencies of the system for natural rubber sheet drying were 9.09% and 2.48% respectively. Quality of the solar dryer dried sheets were found to be superior to the open sun dried ones. Techno-economic analysis showed a payback period of 2.2 y. Innovative features of the developed solar thermal dryer include (a) recirculation of spent dehumidified air to minimize thermal energy loss (b) 90% UV cutoff in the drying chamber leading to better colour retention of the product (c) solar photovoltaic operated dehumidifier for use during night to prevent reabsorption of moisture. The higher throughput, better quality and ease of operation can make this mode of natural rubber sheet drying an attractive option among akin communities.

Mg-Based Hydrogen Absorbing Materials for Thermal Energy Storage—A Review

Utilization of renewable energy such as solar, wind, and geothermal power, appears to be the most promising solution for the development of sustainable energy systems without using fossil fuels. Energy storage, especially to store the energy from fluctuating power is quite vital for smoothing out energy demands with peak/off-peak hour fluctuations. Thermal energy is a potential candidate to serve as an energy reserve. However, currently the development of thermal energy storage (TES) by traditional physical means is restricted by the relatively low energy density, high temperature demand, and the great thermal energy loss during long-period storage. Chemical heat storage is one of the most promising alternatives for TES due to its high energy density, low energy loss, flexible temperature range, and excellent storage duration. A comprehensive review on the development of different types of Mg-based materials for chemical heat storage is presented here and the classic and state-of-the-art technologies are summarized. Some related chemical principles, as well as heat storage properties, are discussed in the context. Finally, some dominant factors of chemical heat storage materials are concluded and the perspective is proposed for the development of next-generation chemical heat storage technologies.

The effect of a density gradient in groundwater on ATES system efficiency and subsurface space use

Abstract. A heat pump combined with Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) has high potential in efficiently and sustainably providing thermal energy for space heating and cooling. This makes the subsurface, including its groundwater, of crucial importance for primary energy savings. ATES systems are often placed in aquifers in which salinity increases with depth. This is the case in coastal areas where also the demand for ATES application is high due to high degrees of urbanization in those areas. The seasonally alternating extraction and re-injection between ATES wells disturbs the preexisting ambient salinity gradient causing horizontal density gradients, which trigger buoyancy flow, which in turn affects the recovery efficiency of the stored thermal energy. This section uses analytical and numerical methods to understand and explain the impact of buoyancy flow on the efficiency of ATES in such situations, and to quantify the magnitude of this impact relative to other thermal energy losses. The results of this research show that losses due to buoyancy flow may become considerable at (a relatively large) ambient density gradients of over 0.5 kg m−3 m−1 in combination with a vertical hydraulic conductivity of more than 5 m day−1. Monowell systems suffer more from buoyancy losses than do doublet systems under similar conditions.

Efficient solar water vapor generation enabled by water-absorbing polypyrrole coated cotton fabric with enhanced heat localization

Abstract Solar-driven water evaporation is a simple and feasible technique in addressing the global challenge of freshwater scarcity. The conventional water vapor generation is a bulk heating process, resulting in a relatively low efficiency due to unnecessary thermal energy loss. In this work, we propose an efficient water evaporation system with enhanced localized heating which was designed by using the polypyrrole (PPy) coated cotton fabric in conjunction with a floating pore-closed polystyrene (PS) foam. The hydrophilic PPy/cotton with a broadband light absorption was obtained via a facile in-situ polymerization, and it could absorb and convert most of the incident light to heat for effective interfacial water evaporation. Meanwhile, the PS foam served as not only a supporting material but also an excellent heat barrier to restrain heat transmission from the photothermal material surface to the bulk water. The PPy/cotton-foam system can achieve a solar thermal conversion efficiency of 82.4% under 1 kW/m2 illumination with an evaporation rate as high as 1.2 kg m−2 h−1. This solar vapor generator also showed reliable reusability after 30 cycling experiments under 1 kW/m2 solar illumination. All these results indicate the designed interfacial water evaporation system is helpful to mitigate the freshwater shortage issue.

ATES systems in aquifers with high ambient groundwater flow velocity

Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) is a technology with worldwide potential to provide sustainable space heating and cooling using groundwater stored at different temperatures. In areas with high ambient groundwater flow velocity (g25 m/y) thermal energy losses by displacement of groundwater may be prevented by application of multiple doublets. In such configurations two or more warm and two or more cold wells are aligned in the direction of the ambient groundwater flow. By controlling the infiltration and extraction rates of the upstream and downstream wells, the advection by ambient groundwater flow can be compensated by storing thermal energy through the upstream well, while re-extracting it from the downstream well. This study uses analytical and numerical tools and a case study to analyze the relevant processes, and provides guidelines for well placement and an operation strategy for ATES wells in aquifers with considerable groundwater flow. The size of the thermal radius relative to ambient groundwater flow velocity is an important metric. With multiple wells to counteract groundwater flow, this ratio affects the pumping scheme of these wells. The optimal distance between them is around 0.4 times the distance traveled by the groundwater in one year. A larger distance negatively affects the efficiency during the first years of operation.

Magnetic pressure effects in a plasma-liner interface

A theoretical analysis of magnetic pressure effects in a magnetized liner inertial fusion-like plasma is presented. In previous publications [F. García-Rubio and J. Sanz, Phys. Plasmas 24, 072710 (2017)], the evolution of a hot magnetized plasma in contact with a cold unmagnetized plasma, aiming to represent the hot spot and liner, respectively, was investigated in planar geometry. The analysis was made in a double limit low Mach and high thermal to magnetic pressure ratio β. In this paper, the analysis is extended to an arbitrary pressure ratio. Nernst, Ettingshausen, and Joule effects come into play in the energy balance. The region close to the liner is governed by thermal conduction, while the Joule dissipation becomes predominant far from it when the pressure ratio is low. Mass ablation, thermal energy, and magnetic flux losses are reduced with plasma magnetization, characterized by the electron Hall parameter ωeτe, until β values of order unity are reached. From this point forward, increasing the electron Hall parameter no longer improves the magnetic flux conservation, and mass ablation is enhanced due to the magnetic pressure gradients. A thoughtful simplification of the problem that allows to reduce the order of the system of governing equations while still retaining the finite β effects is presented and compared to the exact case.

Exergy Assessment of a Solar-Assisted District Energy System

Background:District Energy (DE) is a technology capable of using renewable energy (e.g., solar thermal systems) and waste heat as energy sources efficiently. DE technology nonetheless has potential for improvement. Thermal Energy Storage (TES) can enhance DE performance significantly.Objective:An exergy analysis of a DE system which includes a solar thermal energy system and TES is performed, so as to improve understanding of its performance.Method:A case study based on the Friedrichshafen DE system in Germany is used to assess thermodynamically the role of solar energy and TES in a DE system. The system performance is separated into three modes: (1) fossil fuel is the only source of energy, (2) a discharging TES and fossil fuel provide heat for the DE system, and (3) solar energy and fossil fuels are the energy supplies. Exergy analyses are conducted for each performance mode and the overall DE system.Results:The results quantify the benefits of incorporating solar energy and TES on the performance of the Friedrichshafen DE system, and demonstrate that the overall exergy efficiency of the DE system increases from 23% to 27% with assistance of solar thermal collectors and TES, while the total energy efficiency increases from 83% to 87%.Conclusion:An increase of exergy efficiency is observed when TES is added to a DE system, due to a reduction in solar thermal energy loss by the TES, which allows more solar energy to be converted to useful energy to satisfy the DE system thermal energy demand.

CAD-based strength analysis of EK-18 excavator bucket construction for mounting of anti-adhesive devices

3D rigid-body model of a bucket of power shovel EK-18 was built using modern CAD-software. Tetrahedral grid with 10-node second-order elements was chosen, and the given model was imported to APM WinMachine - model preparation preprocessor for finite element analysis. The finite element model was based on the geometrical model, imported from KOMPAS-3D to APM Studio. Calculation of stressed-strained state of the bucket was carried out under the forces emerging while digging with “back hoe” equipment. Shift, deformation and tension charts were planned and the most and the least strained areas were pointed out. Wet coherent soil excavation deals with soil adhesion to working bodies of power shovels and leads to reduced performance. The performance decrease is caused by a reduction of useful bucket capacity and partial unloading, increased front resistance to cutting (digging) caused by wet soil adhesion to a working body, increased bucket entry resistance, increased idle time caused by necessity to clean working bodies. Also energy losses increase and quality of work drops because friction forces go up. Friction force occurs while digging and levelling account for 30…70 percent of total digging resistance while performance decreases 1.2…2 times and more. Vibrothermal exposure creates new technological effect which involves a wider humidity range of efficient application and a reduction of friction forces. Disintegrating adhesion bonds with heating requires less driving force from the vibrator. Vibration boosts up heating of the contact layer, which reduces thermal energy losses. However, the question of piezoelectric ceramic actuators location on the excavator bucket needs to be dealt with. The most suitable spots for mounting piezoelectric ceramic devices for reducing soil adhesion to the excavator bucket were defined. Their efficiency is derived from combined (vibrothermal) methods of exposure. Such devices eliminates soil adhesion to the bucket and increases efficiency of using power shovels with wet coherent soils.

Exploring Exponential Decay Using Limited Resources

Science students need exposure to activities that will help them to become familiar with phenomena exhibiting exponential decay. This paper describes an experiment that allows students to determine the rate of thermal energy loss by a hot object to its surroundings. It requires limited equipment, is safe, and gives reasonable results. Students record the decreasing temperature values displayed by a thermometer, which was initially heated by body contact. The procedure is easy to repeat, taking only 3 min. The students then convert temperature changes into thermal energy losses and plot graphs. Data analysis can be used to teach graphing and ratio interpretation. This experiment can be used by high school or first-year college students in situations where resources or space may be limited or where large student populations dictate a need for uncomplicated experimental procedures, particularly those that minimize the production of chemical waste.

Composition- and Temperature-Resolved Raman Shift of Silicon.

We formulated the composition and temperature dependence of the Si and Si1-xGe x Raman shift from the perspectives of bond order-length-strength correlation and local bond average approach. It is verified that the Raman shift Δω varies in the form of Δω ∝ zE1/2/ d, with inclusion of bond length d and energy E changing with temperature and composition. Numerical reproduction of the thermally induced Si1-xGe x phonon softening indicates that bond thermal expansion and energy loss dictate the frequency redshift, which resulted in quantitative information on the bond energy and the reference frequencies from which the Raman shifts proceed. Observations not only gain deeper insight into the mechanism of the Raman shift but also demonstrate the revealing power of Raman technique for the bonding thermodynamics.

Non-invasive tests of precast cantilever balcony in OWT-67 system

This article presents a non-invasive tests report of precast cantilever balcony support in OWT-67 large-panel system. During field testing, the balcony's reinforced concrete structure was subjected to radiometric analysis in the context of thermal energy distribution as well as from the point of view of mycology - to the possible presence of spores of domestic fungi. The temperature distribution tests carried out by means of the electromagnetic wave detection in the infrared spectrum clearly confirmed the significant losses of thermal energy caused by the effect of the thermal constructional bridge located in the balcony. Mycological diagnosis was carried out using the rapid test of the Mycometer bacterial meter, which allows fluorimetric evaluation of the presence of the enzyme presence in filamentous fungi. In the conducted study, no spores of the house mushroom were found on the inside surface of the Z-type balcony supporting beam as a place where condensation of water vapor may occur. The summary also presents a design solution that allows to eliminate this physical problem.