A mock-up study for validation of an improved control algorithm for automated roller shade
This study aims to find an algorithm for precise control of the height of the automated roller shade that prevents the incoming direct sunlight from exceeding the preset control depth depending on the time and sky conditions but independent of the occupant’s operation. The shade height can be automatically controlled using a profile angle for clear and partly cloudy skies and having the shade fully rolled up for overcast skies. After performing a field test using a half-scale testbed, an analysis was made to estimate the direct sunlight control depth. The estimates showed an average relative error of 19.6% and the ma...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - February 8, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Jeong, K.-Y., Choi, A.-S., Sung, M. Tags: Review Source Type: research
Prediction of the thermal comfort indices using improved support vector machine classifiers and nonlinear kernel functions
In this study, we focus mainly on supervised learning machine where an instructor provides the output samples during the learning phase. Different sets of representative experimental factors, such as air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, metabolism and clothing value that affect a person’s thermal balance were used for training the SVM machine. The results show the best correlation between SVM predicted values with a polynomial kernel of the second order and those obtained from conventional thermal comfort, such as the Fanger model and the ‘2-Node’ model. (Source: Ind...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - February 8, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Megri, A. C., El Naqa, I. Tags: Review Source Type: research
Heat stress and its impacts on occupational health and performance
(Source: Indoor and Built Environment)
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - February 8, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Chan, A. P. C., Yi, W. Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
Estimation of radon concentration in groundwater of coastal area in Baleshwar district of Odisha, India
The present study was carried out to determine the distribution of radon (222Rn) activity concentration measured using Durridge RAD-7 in the groundwater samples in the coastal area of Baleshwar district, Odisha, India. The 222Rn activities in 10 groundwater samples of coastal area of Baleshwar were measured and the values of 222Rn ranged between 1.6 ± 0.21 and 17.0 ± 1.69 kBq m–3 with an average value of 8.98 ± 0.85 kBq m–3, and seven samples were well within the Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant level of 11.1 kBq m–3 while three samples were more than the maximum ...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 13, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Krishan, G., Rao, M. S., Kumar, C. P. Tags: Case Study Source Type: research
Integrated exposure for risk assessment in indoor environments based on a review of concentration data on airborne chemical pollutants in domestic environments in Europe
This review set out to identify data sets for airborne chemical pollutants measured in domestic dwellings within European Union (EU) countries from the literature published during 1995–2010. A total of 74 papers satisfied inclusion criteria, and from those papers data on country location, population sampled, sampling period, number of samples and summary statistics of concentrations measured were gathered. The chemical substances identified and included were grouped to aldehydes, radon, carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nicotine, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic com...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 13, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Karakitsios, S., Asikainen, A., Garden, C., Semple, S., Brouwere, K. D., Galea, K. S., Sanchez-Jimenez, A., Gotti, A., Jantunen, M., Sarigiannis, D. Tags: Review Article Source Type: research
Impact of cool roof on energy consumption for a railway station
This study indicates that the local climates and the inherent characteristics of roof structure should be considered in the practical use of cool roof technology. (Source: Indoor and Built Environment)
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 13, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Ma, W., Xiang, C., Li, L., Liu, G. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Diffusion factors of street canyon pollutants in the cold winter of Xi'an city based on back propagation neural network analysis
The factors affecting pollutant diffusion in street canyons during the cold winter of Xi’an City, China, were analysed by measuring the near-surface atmospheric parameters at the height of 1.5 m from ground surface and the aspect ratios (ARs) of 40 street canyons. SPSS software was adopted to obtain eight multiple regression models, including the city street locations, street orientations and street widths. A back propagation neural network was employed to obtain the weight of the factors and their sensitivities. The near-surface atmospheric parameters, leaf area index (LAI) and street canyon AR in the pedestrian are...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 13, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Wang, Q., Wang, Y., Zhao, J., Bai, C. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Numerical simulation of unsteady-state particle dispersion in ferroalloy workshop
Fluent software was used to simulate the unsteady-state two-phase flow of particle dispersion during tapping in a workshop with a ferroalloy furnace. The gas phase was studied using the Euler coordinate system, and the motion of every solid particle was described using the Lagrange system with a discrete phase model. The concentration distribution and residence time of the particles was obtained by simulation under different conditions. The results showed that particles spread to every corner of the workshop with no wind. Ventilation can significantly reduce the particle content of the workshop. When tapping lasts for at l...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 13, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Ma, W., Liu, W., Li, L., Huang, G., Su, B., Yu, C. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Airflow characteristics generated by fabric air dispersion ventilation
The air distribution characteristics of a fabric air dispersion system (FADS) were investigated experimentally in a full-scale chamber. The jet supply velocity and outlet orientation were selected as the major factors that affect the FADS airflow field. The FADS airflow structure was described and verified in a visualization experiment and compared with the air patterns of the traditional rectangular, circular nozzle and linear slot diffusers. The induction and flow junction phenomena were analysed under different combinations of outlet orientations. Experimental results showed that this induction phenomenon can create mor...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 13, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Wang, X., Li, A. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Field measurements of perceived air quality and concentration of volatile organic compounds in four offices of the university building
Field measurements of perceived air quality were conducted in four refurbished offices at the Czech Technical University in Prague. The offices were refurbished as part of the research project Clear-up to serve as a field test facility. The present paper describes measurements conducted to investigate the perceived air quality, sensory pollution load and concentration of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the offices. As the refurbishment comprised also installation of demand controlled ventilation (DCV), its influence on the perceived air quality was also tested. Measurements comprised the assessments of perceived air q...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 13, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Kolarik, J., Toftum, J., Kabrhel, M., Jordan, F., Geiss, O., Kabele, K. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
The contribution of outdoor particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) to school indoor environment
The contributions of outdoor and indoor sources to the indoor concentrations of particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) were investigated in a secondary school in Wroclaw, Poland. PM measurements were performed one week per month from December 2009 to October 2010. The sizes of the aerosols generated form indoor sources were in the range of 1–2.5 µm in winter and 2.5–10 µm in summer. It was found that the indoor PM1 concentrations in the school were mostly due to infiltration, with an infiltration factor of 0.65 in winter and 0.68 in summer. These findings, complemented with single particle analys...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 13, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Zwozdziak, A., Sowka, I., Worobiec, A., Zwozdziak, J., Nych, A. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
The indoor environmental microbiome
(Source: Indoor and Built Environment)
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - November 13, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Bayer, C. W., Grimes, C. Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
Exploring homeowners' perception and experiences in using a domestic smart home heating controller
This study aimed to understand homeowners’ perceptions and experiences in using a domestic home heating controller in order to develop recommendations for the technology and its implementation into people’s homes. Perceptions and experiences were investigated in three phases focusing on (a) the pre-use phase, which collected demographic information, awareness and expectations, (b) the in-use phase, which included habits of use, and (c) the post-use phase, which addressed satisfaction, motivation and feedback. Four online questionnaire surveys (with closed and open-ended questions) were used throughout the study...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 14, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Dimitrokali, E., Mackrill, J., Jennings, P., Khanna, S., Harris, V., Cain, R. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
Understanding the role of building management in the low-energy performance of passive sustainable design: Practices of natural ventilation in a UK office building
The gap between the anticipated and measured environmental performance of energy-efficient buildings is a well-documented issue for the sustainability of the indoor and built environment. The significance of building users and their social practices is persistently underestimated in relation to this performance gap. The sociotechnical research agenda advocates the consideration of design/user interactions and the significance of building management is also being recognised. Conceptual development through the application of social practice theory has sought to overcome the established dualism between building technologies a...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 14, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Watson, K. J. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
From social and technical to socio-technical: Designing integrated research on domestic energy use
Research understanding energy consumption is usually approached from either an engineering or social science perspective. The result is either understanding technologies and materials or understanding people. Yet, energy consumption is clearly an interaction between people, materials and technologies. So understanding them with separate studies or data that miss this interaction fails to grasp the socio-technical nature of energy consumption. Multidisciplinary studies that currently collect both social and technical data normally gather each type of data with distinct spatio-temporal properties. Typically, researchers then...
Source: Indoor and Built Environment - October 14, 2015 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Love, J., Cooper, A. C. Tags: Original Papers Source Type: research
