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At least 919 records · Page 51
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Comparison of effectiveness and energy use of airborne pathogen mitigation measures to meet clean air targets in a prototypical office building

Organizations such as ASHRAE and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have proposed guidelines for controlling infectious aerosols in buildings, which can be met through measures such as modified operation of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system or incorporating air-cleaning technologies. However, more research is needed to understand the trade-offs between health, energy, and comfort aspects when designing measures for these guidelines. To address this gap, this paper presents an analysis using new models for air-cleaning technologies, including in-duct and in-room germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) systems and portable air cleaners (PACs). These models are incorporated into an existing prototypical office building model and six measures are designed to meet ASHRAE Standard 241 and CDC clean air targets: MERV 13 HVAC filtration, maximum outdoor air supplied to the building, PACs, and in-duct, upper-room, and whole-room GUV. The measures are simulated for an office building in a cool and humid climate compared against a baseline simulation using MERV 8 filtration. The results show that all measures, except for the maximum outdoor air case, can meet the ASHRAE 241 standard without significant impacts on energy or comfort. The HVAC system measures were not able to meet the CDC target with the default system sizing and lead to significant energy increases, while the in-room measures were able to meet the CDC target with small impacts on energy consumption. Finally, this paper consolidates the simulation findings and provides practical guidance for building operators to meet clean air targets while limiting energy and comfort impacts.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Observations of airflow around a supertall curved building and its impact on temperature and humidity in Houston's urban center

Characterization of realistically shaped skyscrapers embedded in non-uniform neighbourhoods experiencing intricate weather patterns remains inadequately investigated. Aiming to close this gap, the Center for Multiscale Applied Sensing team deployed its mobile observatory in the street canyons around the curved Wells Fargo Plaza skyscraper in downtown Houston, TX. Three deployments allowed airflow observations under different inflow wind and thermodynamic stability conditions. Doppler lidar measurements reveal that when inflow hits the curved wall of the skyscraper, perpendicular canyons experience similar vortex configurations creating two windward and two leeward circulations. Windsond measurements support that buoyancy within the deep street canyons can generate thermal updrafts as strong as 2 m s -1 which is sufficient to overturn the mechanical downwash under gentle wind conditions. Canyons experiencing venting during the daytime were observed to be more thermodynamically stable at night while thermodynamically stable canyons during the day were observed to be more thermodynamically unstable at night owing to the accumulation of heat near street-level. Fourier decomposition of the vertical velocity measurements shows that in all cases flow exhibited high Reynolds numbers and was composed of turbulent eddies of predominantly 6 and 15 min periods. Here, this observational dataset provides insights to assess wind load, pedestrian comfort, urban air mobility, and natural ventilation and may be used as a benchmark for numerical model and wind tunnel studies attempting to represent realistically complex urban conditions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Characterization of the indoor far-field aerosol transmission in a model commercial office building

As businesses gradually reopen and employees return to work, the potential spread of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants through airborne transmission via the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems of commercial building raises concerns. Since the general practice in commercial buildings is to use low-efficiency air filters and given that indoor air is generally recycled, the degree to which cross-zone aerosol transmission occurs is of interest. To quantify the cross-zone aerosol transmission, experiments were conducted using a synthetic test aerosol in the five zones on the first floor of a model commercial office building at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Because the synthetic aerosol was tagged with fluorescent salt, the aerosol generated from the source zone can be distinguished from the background aerosols due to its unique fluorescent signal. Data from cross-zone campaigns showed that submicron-aerosol transmission was higher than the micron aerosols. In campaigns with doors closed, the submicron aerosol transmission was less than 16% and less than 11% for micron aerosol transmission. Finally, opening the interior doors that connecting different zones can significantly enhance the aerosol transmission for zones at the close proximity to the source, but has less impact on those farther away.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Radon kinetics in a natural indoor radon chamber

An unusual 180 m 3 storage room in the basement of a two-story laboratory building is unventilated, and separated from occupiable rooms by double steel doors. The space completely borders on soil through the concrete floor and two of its concrete walls. The room also contains a separate inner chamber with 1 m thick concrete walls designed to damp vibrations in the room above it. The space boasts a relatively high radon level, 1083 Bq m –3 , which varies with local outdoor environmental conditions. Measurements were made of radon concentrations at various locations and heights within the facility. More than a year of continuous radon concentration data corresponding to a single location are also available, along with measurements of indoor and outdoor pressure, temperature, and humidity. Data were also collected with as many as five fans placed in different locations and cycled on for variable time periods. First order linear kinetic models were created to explain the observed approaches to steady state due to changing conditions and wash-out resulting from intentional ventilation. Results demonstrate a good fit between changes in the radon concentration level and the developed compartmental models. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between radon concentration at different locations or heights in the chamber.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ambient energy for buildings: Beyond energy efficiency

The following Key Messages comprise the salient findings of this study: 1. Ambient energy (from sun, air, ground, and sky) can heat and cool buildings; provide hot water, ventilation and daylighting; dry clothes; and cook food. These services account for about three-quarters of building energy consumption and a third of total US demand. Biophilic design (direct and indirect connections with nature) is an intrinsic adjunct to ambient energy systems, and improves wellness and human performance. 2. The current strategy of electrification and energy efficiency for buildings will not meet our climate goals, because the transition to an all-renewable electric grid is too slow. Widespread adoption of ambient energy is needed. Solar-heated buildings also flatten the seasonal demand for electricity compared to all-electric buildings, reducing required production capacity and long-term energy storage. In addition, ambient-conditioned buildings improve resilience by remaining livable during power outages. 3. National policies, incentives, and marketing should be enacted to promote ambient energy use. Federal administrative priorities should reflect the importance of ambient energy for buildings. Use of ambient energy should be encouraged through existing and new building codes and standards. 4. Ambient energy system design tools are needed for architects, engineers, builders, building scientists, realtors, appraisers, and consumers. PVWatts is used over 100 million times per year for photovoltaic system design. A similar, simple, and accessible tool for ambient design is crucial. 5. Training on ambient energy is needed throughout secondary, post-secondary, and continuing education for workforce development. Currently, only about 10% of colleges teach courses on passive heating and cooling systems. 6. Ambient-conditioned buildings should be demonstrated in all US climate zones. Performance should be monitored and reported, with quantitative case studies made widely available. 7. While current technology is sufficient to build high-performance ambient buildings now, research is needed to develop new technologies to harness ambient energy more effectively and more economically. Such advancements will facilitate adoption of ambient energy technologies in a wider range of buildings, including retrofits. Examples include windows with much lower thermal losses, use of the building shell as thermal storage, alternative light-weight thermal storage systems, sky radiation cooling systems, automated controls for solar gains and passive cooling, and ground coupling.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Pulmonary function responses to ozone in smokers with a limited smoking history

In non-smokers, ozone (O{sub 3}) inhalation causes decreases in forced expiratory volume (FEV{sub 1}) and dead space (V{sub D}) and increases the slope of the alveolar plateau (S{sub N}). We previously described a population of smokers with a limited smoking history that had enhanced responsiveness to brief O{sub 3} boluses and aimed to determine if responsiveness to continuous exposure was also enhanced. Thirty smokers (19 M, 11 F, 24 ± 4 years, 6 ± 4 total years smoking,4 ± 2 packs/week) and 30 non-smokers (17 M, 13 F, 25 ± 6 years) exercised for 1 h on a cycle ergometer while breathing 0.30 ppm O{sub 3}. Smokers and non-smokers were equally responsive in terms of FEV{sub 1} (− 9.5 ± 1.8% vs − 8.7 ± 1.9%). Smokers alone were responsive in terms of V{sub D} (− 6.1 ± 1.2%) and S{sub N} (9.1 ± 3.4%). There was no difference in total delivered dose. Dead space ventilation (V{sub D}/V{sub T}) was not initially different between the two groups, but increased in the non-smokers (16.4 ± 2.8%) during the exposure, suggesting that the inhaled dose may be distributed more peripherally in smokers. We also conclude that these cigarette smokers retain their airway responsiveness to O{sub 3} and, uniquely, experience changes in V{sub D} that lead to heterogeneity in airway morphometry and an increase in S{sub N}. - Highlights: • We previously found lung function responses to O{sub 3} bolus exposure in smokers. • Here, we describe their responsiveness to continuous O{sub 3} exposure with exercise. • Spirometry and capnography were used to assess pulmonary function changes. • Enhanced bronchoconstriction in smokers increases parenchymal delivery of O{sub 3}.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Oxygen demand for the stabilization of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste in passively aerated bioreactors

Highlights: • The use of an passively aerated reactor enables effective stabilization of OFMSW. • Convective air flow does not inhibit the aerobic stabilization of waste. • The use of an passively aerated reactor reduces the heat loss due to convection. • The volume of supplied air exceeds 1.7–2.88 times the microorganisms demand. - Abstract: Conventional aerobic waste treatment technologies require the use of aeration devices that actively transport air through the stabilized waste mass, which greatly increases operating costs. In addition, improperly operated active aeration systems, may have the adverse effect of cooling the stabilized biomass. Because active aeration can be a limiting factor for the stabilization process, passive aeration can be equally effective and less expensive. Unfortunately, there are few reports documenting the use of passive aeration systems in municipal waste stabilization. There have been doubts raised as to whether a passive aeration system provides enough oxygen to the organic matter mineralization processes. In this paper, the effectiveness of aeration during aerobic stabilization of four different organic fractions of municipal waste in a reactor with an integrated passive ventilation system and leachate recirculation was analyzed. For the study, four fractions separated by a rotary screen were chosen. Despite the high temperatures in the reactor, the air flow rate was below 0.016 m{sup 3}/h. Using Darcy’s equation, theoretical values of the air flow rate were estimated, depending on the intensity of microbial metabolism and the amount of oxygen required for the oxidation of organic compounds. Calculations showed that the volume of supplied air exceeded the microorganisms demand for oxidation and endogenous activity by 1.7–2.88-fold.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

On the evolution of the pulmonary alveolar lipofibroblast

The pulmonary alveolar lipofibroblast was first reported in 1970. Since then its development, structure, function and molecular characteristics have been determined. Its capacity to actively absorb, store and ‘traffic’ neutral lipid for protection of the alveolus against oxidant injury, and for the active supply of substrate for lung surfactant phospholipid production have offered the opportunity to identify a number of specialized functions of these strategically placed cells. Namely, Parathyroid Hormone-related Protein (PTHrP) signaling, expression of Adipocyte Differentiation Related Protein, leptin, peroxisome proliferator activator receptor gamma, and the prostaglandin E2 receptor EP2- which are all stretch-regulated, explaining how and why surfactant production is ‘on-demand’ in service to ventilation–perfusion matching. Because of the central role of the lipofibroblast in vertebrate lung physiologic evolution, it is a Rosetta Stone for understanding how and why the lung evolved in adaptation to terrestrial life, beginning with the duplication of the PTHrP Receptor some 300 mya. Moreover, such detailed knowledge of the workings of the lipofibroblast have provided insight to the etiology and effective treatment of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia based on physiologic principles rather than on pharmacology. - Highlights: • development and function of the pulmonary alveolar lipofibroblast phenotype. • Regulation of lipofibroblast neutral lipid metabolism. • Exploiting the deep homologies regulating lipofibroblast structure and function. • Utilizing such in-depth knowledge to understand the etiology and effective treatment of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Air, surface, and wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2; a multimodal evaluation of COVID-19 detection in a built environment

Environmental surveillance of infectious organisms holds tremendous promise to reduce human-to-human transmission in indoor spaces through early detection. In this study we determined the applicability and limitations of wastewater, indoor high-touch surfaces, in-room air, and rooftop exhaust air sampling methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in a real world building occupied by residents recently diagnosed with COVID-19. We concurrently examined the results of three 24-hour environmental surveillance techniques, indoor surface sampling, exhaust air sampling and wastewater surveillance, to the known daily census fluctuations in a COVID-19 isolation dormitory. Additionally, we assessed the ability of aerosol samplers placed in the large volume lobby to detect SARS-CoV-2 multiple times per day. Our research reveals an increase in the number of individuals confirmed positive with COVID-19 as well as their estimated human viral load to be associated with statistically significant increases in viral loads detected in rooftop exhaust aerosol samples (p = 0.0413), wastewater samples (p = 0.0323,), and indoor high-touch surfaces (p < 0.001)). We also report that the viral load detected in lobby aerosol samples was statistically higher in samples collected during presence of occupants whose COVID-19 diagnostic tests were confirmed positive via qPCR compared to periods when the lobby was occupied by either contact-traced (suspected positive) individuals or during unoccupied periods (p = 0.0314 and <2e–16). We conclude that each daily (24h) surveillance method, rooftop exhaust air, indoor high-touch surfaces, and wastewater, provide useful detection signals for building owner/operator(s). Furthermore, we demonstrate that exhaust air sampling can provide spatially resolved signals based upon ventilation exhaust zones. Additionally, we find that indoor lobby air sampling can provide temporally resolved signals useful during short duration sampling periods (e.g., 2-4 hours) even with intermittent occupancy by occupants diagnosed with COVID-19.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Fourier analysis of conductive heat transfer for glazed roofing materials

For low-rise buildings, roof is the most exposed surface to solar radiation. The main mode of heat transfer from outdoor via the roof is conduction. The rate of heat transfer and the thermal impact is dependent on the thermophysical properties of roofing materials. Thus, it is important to analyze the heat distribution for the various types of roofing materials. The objectives of this paper are to obtain the Fourier series for the conductive heat transfer for two types of glazed roofing materials, namely polycarbonate and polyfilled, and also to determine the relationship between the ambient temperature and the conductive heat transfer for these materials. Ambient and surface temperature data were collected from an empirical field investigation in the campus of Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam. The roofing materials were installed on free-standing structures in natural ventilation. Since the temperature data are generally periodic, Fourier series and numerical harmonic analysis are applied. Based on the 24-point harmonic analysis, the eleventh order harmonics is found to generate an adequate Fourier series expansion for both glazed roofing materials. In addition, there exists a linear relationship between the ambient temperature and the conductive heat transfer for both glazed roofing materials. Based on the gradient of the graphs, lower heat transfer is indicated through polyfilled. Thus polyfilled would have a lower thermal impact compared to polycarbonate.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2014

Air transparent soundproof window

A soundproof window or wall which is transparent to airflow is presented. The design is based on two wave theories: the theory of diffraction and the theory of acoustic metamaterials. It consists of a three-dimensional array of strong diffraction-type resonators with many holes centered on each individual resonator. The negative effective bulk modulus of the resonators produces evanescent wave, and at the same time the air holes with subwavelength diameter existed on the surfaces of the window for macroscopic air ventilation. The acoustic performance levels of two soundproof windows with air holes of 20mm and 50mm diameters were measured. The sound level was reduced by about 30 - 35dB in the frequency range of 400 - 5,000Hz with the 20mm window, and by about 20 - 35dB in the frequency range of 700 - 2,200Hz with the 50mm window. Multi stop-band was created by the multi-layers of the window. The attenuation length or the thickness of the window was limited by background noise. The effectiveness of the soundproof window with airflow was demonstrated by a real installation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Control strategy optimization of HVAC plants

In this paper we present a methodology to optimize the operating conditions of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) plants to achieve a higher energy efficiency in use. Semi-empiric numerical models of the plant components are used to predict their performances as a function of their set-point and the environmental and occupied space conditions. The optimization is performed through a graph-based algorithm that finds the set-points of the system components that minimize energy consumption and/or energy costs, while matching the user energy demands. The resulting model can be used with systems of almost any complexity, featuring both HVAC components and energy systems, and is sufficiently fast to make it applicable to real-time setting.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Sources and Source Strengths of Volatile Organic Compounds in a New Office Building

This study was conducted at a newly constructed Federal office building in Portland, OR. The primary objectives were to identify the major sources of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the building and to measure both long-term (one-year) and short-term (several day) variations in source strengths. Samples for VOC were collected on four occasions over a period of 14 months starting with the first month of occupancy. During the final sampling period, samples were collected over four days (Friday-Monday). The samples were analyzed for individual compounds and for total VOC (TVOC). The results were expressed as specific source strengths, as well as concentrations, to facilitate comparisons of measurements made under different ventilation conditions. The primary source of VOC in the building was identified as liquid-process photocopiers and plotters which emitted a characteristic mixture of C 10 -C 11 isoparaffinic hydrocarbons. The specific source strength of TVOC, which was dominated by the office-machine emissions, remained relatively constant over the course of study. During the final four-day sampling period, the specific source strength of TVOC varied by about a factor of six with occupancy. The source strengths of many other compounds during those four days were also related to occupant activities. Motor vehicles in the below-ground parking garage were implicated as another major source of hydrocarbons in the building.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2011

Energy Performance Comparison of Heating and Air Conditioning Systems for Multi-Family Residential Buildings

The type of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system has a large impact on the heating and cooling energy consumption in multifamily residential buildings. This paper compares the energy performance of three HVAC systems: a direct expansion (DX) split system, a split air source heat pump (ASHP) system, and a closed-loop water source heat pump (WSHP) system with a boiler and an evaporative fluid cooler as the central heating and cooling source. All three systems use gas furnace for heating or heating backup. The comparison is made in a number of scenarios including different climate conditions, system operation schemes and applicable building codes. It is found that with the minimum code-compliant equipment efficiency, ASHP performs the best among all scenarios except in extremely code climates. WSHP tends to perform better than the split DX system in cold climates but worse in hot climates.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Estimating internal moisture generation rates in recently constructed, occupied homes in the southeastern United States

Internal moisture generation (IMG), or moisture generated by building occupants via activities such as respiration, cooking, bathing, and cleaning, is a critical input required for design, analysis, and simulation of building enclosure and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Based on previously published values, ASHRAE Standard 160-2021 provides guidance for estimating IMG rates for moisture control design analysis, which is based on occupied home datasets collected in the 1980s and 1990s. Residential energy use simulation software also utilizes estimates for IMG for energy rating, energy analysis, and code compliance calculations, as specified in ANSI/RESNET/ICC Standard 301. Data quantifying IMG rates in newer homes is useful in determining the continued relevance of current design and simulation guidance, and whether the guidance represents conditions found in new housing stock. ASHRAE Research Project 1844, conducted by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), a research institute of the University of Central Florida, estimated IMG rates in newer occupied homes built since 2013 in the southeastern US using a moisture balance model approach. Furthermore, the project obtained occupied home data in cooperation with a US Department of Energy Building America research project to characterize indoor air quality (IAQ) in newer US homes, along with presence, functionality, and occupant use of control measures. Full-scale laboratory homes operating with known IMG rates were used to validate a moisture balance model and quantify the accuracy of estimates obtained when the model is applied to data from occupied homes with unknown IMG rates.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

A System of Agents for Supporting Optimization and Control of a Connected Community

The residential sector consumes a significant portion of the electricity sold in the United States. Above 60% of the energy used in the sector is used to operate heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and water heating (WH) systems. With the increase of intelligence in the grid and the new decision and control options enabled by the Internet of Things; control of these devices can be used to support the grid. Therefore, this article presents a scalable multiagent system for optimizing HVAC and WH systems while maintaining comfort. It allows a utility to orchestrate the shifting of energy from critical periods without direct control, but instead by using a price signal. The architecture, optimization formulation, implementation strategy and results from an implementation project are discussed.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Demonstration of Intelligent HVAC Load Management With Deep Reinforcement Learning: Real-World Experience of Machine Learning in Demand Control

We report that buildings account for 40% of total primary energy consumption and 30% of all CO 2 emissions worldwide. A large portion of building energy consumption is due to heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. In the summer, for example, more than 50% of a building’s electricity consumption is used for cooling. With proper energy management, buildings can provide load shifting, peak shaving, frequency regulation, and many other demand response services.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2019

Sources and dynamics of semivolatile organic compounds in a single-family residence in northern California

Semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) emitted from building materials, consumer products, and occupant activities alter the composition of air in residences where people spend most of their time. Exposures to specific SVOCs potentially pose risks to human health. However, little is known about the chemical complexity, total burden, and dynamic behavior of SVOCs in residential environments. Furthermore, little is known about the influence of human occupancy on the emissions and fates of SVOCs in residential air. Here, we present the first-ever hourly measurements of airborne SVOCs in a residence during normal occupancy. We employ state-of-the-art semivolatile thermal-desorption aerosol gas chromatography (SV-TAG). Indoor air is shown consistently to contain much higher levels of SVOCs than outdoors, in terms of both abundance and chemical complexity. Time-series data are characterized by temperature-dependent elevated background levels for a broad suite of chemicals, underlining the importance of continuous emissions from static indoor sources. Substantial increases in SVOC concentrations were associated with episodic occupant activities, especially cooking and cleaning. The number of occupants within the residence showed little influence on the total airborne SVOC concentration. Finally, enhanced ventilation was effective in reducing SVOCs in indoor air, but only temporarily; SVOCs recovered to previous levels within hours.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗