<p>  </p> <p>Thermal energy storage (TES) is used to reduce the operating costs of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems by shifting loads away from on-peak periods, to reduce the maximum heating or cooling capacity needed from the HVAC system, and to store excess energy generated by on-site solar power. The most commonly-used form of TES is ice storage with air conditioning (A/C) systems in commercial buildings. There has been extensive research into many other forms of TES for use with HVAC systems, both in commercial and residential buildings. However, this research is often limited to use with either heating or cooling systems.</p> <p>Year-round, high-density storage for both heating and cooling would yield significantly larger cost savings than existing TES systems, particularly for residential buildings, where heating loads are often larger than cooling loads. This dissertation examines the feasibility of using metal hydrides for year-round storage, as well as analyzing the potential of variable-temperature energy storage for optimizing system performance beyond allowing for year-round use.</p> <p>Metal hydrides are metals that exothermically absorb and endothermically desorb hydrogen. Since the temperature this reaction occurs at depends on the hydrogen pressure, hydrides can be used for energy storage at varying temperatures. System architecture for using metal hydrides with an HVAC system is developed. A thermodynamic model which combines a dynamic model of the hydride reactors with a static model of the HVAC system is used to calculate operating costs, compared to a conventional HVAC system, for different utility rates and locations. The payback period of the system is unacceptably high, due to the high initial cost of metal hydrides and the operating costs of compressing hydrogen to move it between hydride reactors.</p> <p>In addition to the metal hydride system model, a generalized model of a variable-temperature TES system is used to determine the potential cost savings from dynamically altering the storage temperature to achieve optimal cost savings. Dynamic tuning does result in cost savings but is most effective for storage tank sizes significantly smaller than the optimal tank size. An alternate system design where the storage tank is charged with the outlet flow from the house achieves larger cost savings even for the optimally-sized tanks. Payback periods calculated for optimal sizing show that year-round storage has a lower payback period than separate cold and heat storage if the year-round storage system is not more expensive than two separate storage tanks. </p>

The thesis deals with designing urban structure of houses situated near the centre of the town Zruč nad Sázavou. The aim of the thesis is to solve current problems of the town, which are connected with recreation, tourism, housing and rehabilitation of public spaces.

Urban and architecture study of the location on the border of the historical centre of the town of Znojmo focuses on spatial cultivation of Square of Freedom and revitalisation of fragments of the town fortification system.

Examensarbetet behandlar trä som byggnadsmaterial. I arbetet ingår en rapport med förklarande illustrationer samt framtagning av programhandlingar för ett bostadsprojekt. Byggbranschen står idag för en hög miljöbelastning där den största bidragande faktorn är materialproduktionen. Trots att trä är det enda koldioxidneutrala konstruktionsmaterialet byggs få flerbostadshus med trä som bärande stomme. Det råder brist på kunskap och erfarenhet inom träbyggnadsteknik av anledningen att en tidigare lagstiftning förbjöd byggnader över två våningar med trästomme. Studien har fördjupat sig i möjligheterna när det gäller lång spännvidd, konstruktionshöjd och arkitektonisk karaktär men även kraven för ljud och brand har styrt utformningen. Till en början förväntades trä ge upphov till en del begränsningar, främst gällande brand och akustik, men dessa kan till stor del lösas genom kompletteringar och noggrann projektering. Trä har många positiva egenskaper som hög hållfasthet, bra bärförmåga vid brand, bra värmeisoleringsförmåga samt att det ger ett bra inomhusklimat, vilket kan nyttjas i en byggnad. Fastigheten som valdes för projektet ligger i Rosenlundsparken på Södermalm i Stockholm. På platsen var det gynnsamt att bygga i trä på grund av bland annat dåliga markförhållanden. Studien har resulterat i en byggnad på 9 våningar, där den bärande stommen är helt utförd i trä. Stommen är uppbyggd av pelarbalksystem i entréplan och KL-trä på de resterande våningarna. Ett ribb-bjälklag har använts, som är en kombination av KL-trä och limträ. Resultatet visade att om tjocka bjälklag implementeras kan flerbostadshus med långa spännvidder uppföras, med en högre byggnadshöjd som följd. Långa spännvidder ger en frihet när det gäller att utforma planlösningar. Trä är ett flexibelt material vilket ger möjlighet till frihet i form. Träets naturliga karaktär ger en positiv effekt på människor och är estetiskt tilltalande. Byggnaden har böjda former vilket bidrar med kontrast till det befintliga stadsrummet. Fasaden är utförd i trä och även interiört är det synligt trä i stor utsträckning. / The thesis is about wood as a building material. The work contains a report with explanatory illustrations and a project planning document for a residential. The building sector has a big impact on the climate, where the biggest contribution is the manufacturing of materials. Wood is the only material that is carbon oxide neutral, but still a small amount of the high apartment buildings is constructed with a wooden frame. The reason behind this is that a former law prevented wooden buildings higher than two floors and therefore there is a lack of knowledge and experience regarding wooden building technique. Wood has many positive qualities, which can be of advantage in a building. Such as a good load bearing capacity during a fire, good strength, good thermal conductivity, and it provides a healthy internal climate. There are also limitations with wooden constructions regarding fire and sound, but this can often be solved with supplements and thorough planning. This study examined the possibilities regarding span, height, and architecture. Additionally, sound- and fire conditions had an impact on the design. The project resulted in a long free span in consequent of a thick slab and therefore the building height increases. The property that was chosen for the project is located to Rosenlundsparken at Södermalm in Stockholm. The condition of the ground was not optimal to build on, because it consists of clay. But an advantage with a wooden construction it that it is light, which reduces the land work. This study resulted in a 9-floor high building where the frame is completely in wood. The frame is constructed with a column and beam system in the entrance floor and CLT walls on the other floors. A ribbed slab was chosen, which is a combination of CLT and glulam. The result showed that if thick slabs are implemented, residential buildings with long free span can be built and with a higher building height as a consequence. A long free span gives freedom when making floor plans. Furthermore, the wood offers flexibility, which makes different shapes possible. The building has round shapes which makes a contrast to the existing cityscape. Moreover, the woods natural character has a positive effect on humans and is aesthetically appealing. Wood is used as a cladding to the extent possible both interior and exterior.

The project focuses on the design of a residential city block, elementary school and a park in the street Plaines-du-Loup in the Switzerland city of Lausanne. The goal of the work is both to create a complex urbanistic concept and architectonical solution of a part of city block - elementary school connected to an apartment building. The urbanistic concept builds upon an already completed urbanistic study by the Tribu architects1. It aims to create a polyfunctional and diverse city environment with a richness of space. The project continues with a partial architectonic solution of an elementary school building interconnected with residential buildings. It seeks a solution to the relationship between school and living / school and public space.

В работе представлено комплексное технико-экономическое сравнение строительных машин, применяемых при возведении монолитного железобетонного остова гражданских зданий по различным критериям, для обеспечения эффективности строительства. / The paper presents a comprehensive technical and economic comparison of construction machines used in the construction of a monolithic reinforced concrete skeleton of civil buildings according to various criteria to ensure the efficiency of construction.

<p>  </p> <p>Heating and cooling (HC) energy use account for about 40% of the total annual energy consumption and cost of an average household in the U.S and it is significantly affected by residents’ energy-related behavior. This is particularly important for low-income residents in the U.S. who spend a larger portion of their income (i.e., about 16%) on home energy costs compared to average-income households (i.e., 4%). To address opportunities for reducing residential HC energy usage without requiring physical building upgrades, this thesis presents a new paradigm for smart and connected energy-aware communities that leverage smart eco-feedback devices and social games to engage residents in understanding and reducing their home energy use.</p> <p><br></p> <p>First, this Thesis presents a new modeling approach for personalized eco-feedback design integrated with a collaborative social game to assist residents to enhance their thermostat use while promoting community-level energy savings. The modeling framework is integrated into a cloud-based application, MySmartE, with visual (wall-mounted tablet) and voice (Alexa) user interfaces to facilitate behavioral changes in a user-centric approach. The platform is deployed in a multi-unit residential community in Fort Wayne, IN and the experimental data are used to investigate: (i) how occupants’ thermostat behaviors changed after using the MySmartE app; (ii) how users interacted with the app during the game; and (iii) how was users’ experience with the developed platform. Despite the heterogeneous characteristics of households, the results from the field study show the positive effect of the intervention in the thermostat-adjustment behaviors, which results in an increase in the indoor temperature during the cooling season compared to the baseline period. Findings from the user interaction analysis and post-experiment interviews also reveal the significant potential to nudge households’ energy conservation behaviors with the developed platform along with the challenges that should be tackled to derive long-term behavior changes. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Second, this Thesis introduces a sociotechnical modeling approach based on utility theory to reveal causal effects in human decision-making and infer attributes affecting households’ thermostat responses during an eco-feedback intervention. This modeling approach (i) is based on a utility model that quantifies residents’ preferences over indoor temperatures given decision attributes related to their thermal environment and eco-feedback and (ii) incorporates latent parameters that are inferred to determine the unique behavioral characteristics of each household. For parameter learning, a hierarchical Bayesian model is developed with a non-centered parameterization and calibrated to the field data. Based on the calibration results, the proposed model quantifies the impact of the eco-feedback on households’ thermostat-adjustment behaviors and serves as a foundation for analyzing resident behavior in connected residential communities with eco-feedback energy-saving programs.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Finally, this Thesis presents a modeling approach for investigating the decision trends of residents in goal-oriented collaborative social games while considering their decision preferences and goal achievement capabilities. The proposed approach involves a mechanism design method that derives optimal decisions by conducting counterfactual simulations given various scenarios of goal and reward sets. This modeling approach (i) re-defines utility functions to include decision attributes that reflect user preferences on the game status; (ii) calibrates the model to learn the decision preferences of the residents; (iii) simulates the decision-making process of residents by solving the Nash Equilibrium for a given set of game scenarios. The results revealed the decision trends of the residents given the various goals and rewards along with the potential goal achievement trends and the resulting variations in the marginal community utility.</p>

Le couple zéolite/H2O, qui présente une densité énergétique importante et remplit les conditions d’innocuité requises pour un système de stockage de chaleur pour l’habitat, est mis en œuvre dans réacteur modulaire à lit fixe. Un modèle monodimensionnel de transferts couplés de masse et de chaleur dans un lit fixe de grains de zéolite parcourus par un flux d'air humide été élaboré. Ce dernier a été conçu de façon à pouvoir intégrer rapidement des données sur de nouvelles générations de matériaux et coupler le réacteur à d’autres modèles : bâtiment/sous-station/quartier. L'étape de validation expérimentale montre que le modèle permet une estimation satisfaisante de l'autonomie, la durée d'amorçage et la puissance moyenne fournie en phase de décharge ainsi que la durée de charge. Ce modèle est donc un bon outil de dimensionnement et de pilotage du réacteur. L'analyse de sensibilité a montré que l'amélioration des prévisions du modèle requiert une évaluation plus précise de la chaleur complémentaire de sorption et de la porosité du lit. Après avoir estimé les besoins de chauffage d'une maison BBC deux dimensionnements ont été proposés afin d'effacer soit l'hyper-pointe de 18h - 20h soit la semaine la plus froide. Si la première stratégie aboutit à un système de stockage plus compact, la seconde permet de réduire le nombre de cycles marche/arrêt. Pour un îlot de 50 maisons BBC, la notion de foisonnement est considérée lors de l'estimation des besoins en chauffage pendant la semaine la plus froide. La phase de charge du système de stockage se ferait par le biais de la chaleur fatale récupérée dans l'industrie. Pour des stratégies d'effacement similaires (semaine la plus froide en hiver), un volume équivalent de 544 litres par maison dans l'îlot suffit pour répondre aux besoins de chauffage à Nancy contre 580 litres pour une maison BBC seule. / Heat storage systems for residential house heating could contribute to smoothing the load curve and would help prevent the use of the most polluting power plants or electricity imports during consumption peaks. Thermochemical heat storage systems are suitable for the intended application since they have high energy densities and low thermal losses. This thesis focuses on the design of an adsorption heat storage system that would be used to shed the load curve of the heating device of a house or residential district during the winter peak consumption periods. The zeolite/H2O pair, which has interesting features such as a high energy density and meets the conditions of safety required for a heat storage system for housing, is implemented in a modular fixed bed reactor. A 1D pseudo-homogeneous model was developed in order to simulate the performance of a fixed bed of zeolite during the adsorption and desorption of water. The latter was designed so as to facilitate the integration of data on new generations of materials and model couplings. The need to obtain data on the sorption properties of the zeolite/H2O pair to have reliable simulation results has been demonstrated, particularly at low partial pressures of water vapor and under the operating conditions selected. The experimental validation phase shows that the pseudo-homogeneous model provides a satisfactory estimate of criteria such as the autonomy, the responsiveness and the average power delivered during the discharging phase and the charging time. The model is thus a good sizing and management tool of the reactor. A sensitivity analysis, with the method of Morris, showed that improved model estimates require a more accurate assessment of the additional heat of sorption and porosity of the bed. After assessing the heating needs of the LEB house with a thermal model of the latter in cold climate conditions, two heat storage reactors were sized in order to shed the heating system's load curve either between 6 and 8pm or during the coldest week of the year. While the first strategy results in a more compact storage system, the second makes it possible to reduce the number of on/off cycles. The need for predictive control for monitoring the storage system was highlighted. As for the residential district of 50 LEB houses, diversity is considered when estimating the heating needs of the latter during the coldest week in Nancy. The heat source during the charging phase of the container would be industrial waste heat. During the coldest week, two sizings are suggested. For similar load shedding strategies, the comparison of the equivalent storage volume per house in the district with the storage volume for a single house serves highlights the importance of taking into account diversity. In order to meet the heating needs in Nancy, an equivalent volume of 544 liters per house in the district is sufficient whereas 580 liters are needed for a LEB house.

Städer och samhällen har under det senaste seklet utvecklats och exploaterats längre norrut men med en avsaknad av ett tydligt arkitektoniskt formspråk anpassat för ett arktiskt och subarktiskt klimat. Somliga forskare hävdar att städer och byggnader i dessa klimat till stor del baseras på universella arkitektoniska och urbana principer, som egentligen är bättre lämpade i tempererade klimat. Syftet med detta ar-bete är att undersöka, identifiera, sammanställa ochvisualisera relevant forskning, kunskap och praktisk kännedom gällande arkitektonisk gestaltning i ett arktiskt och subarktiskt klimat. Att identifiera bidragandefaktorer till komfortabla och attraktiva bostäder och stadsrum med kvalitéer som reducerar uppkomsten av väderrelaterade obehag. För att således, genom ett konceptuellt gestaltningsförslag, kunna visualisera och belysa det arkitektoniska formspråket som är bäst lämpat för det arktiska och subarktiska klimatet. Inledningsvis genomförs en litteraturstudie där till- gänglig forskning studeras med avseende att tydlig-göra vad som definierar arktisk och subarktisk arki- tektur samt klimatanpassat bostadsbyggande. Vidareidentifieras avgörande klimatfaktorer och arkitekto- niska kvaliteter som kan främja ett tydligt formspråk och komfortabla miljöer i dessa krävande klimat. Efter litteraturstudien upprättas en syntes som tillsammans med metoder ur Problem Seeking och Design: pro- cess och metod sammanställer de identifierade kvali- teterna till konkreta principer och strategier. Syntesen resulterade i följande tre klimatfaktorer att ta hänsyn till: Sol, Vind och Snö. Vidare resulterade syntes i följande nio byggnadsrelaterade faktorer: Volymer, Tak, Fasad, Entré, Markplan, Innergårdar samt mer urbana delar som: Gator, Vegetation och Aktiviteter. För att applicera dessa identifierade principer ochstrategier valdes ett tillämpningsområde med klimat- förutsättningar likt de som studerats. Tillämpningsområdet blev två kvarter i Kirunas nya stadsdel, nordväst om nya centrum. En platsanalys genomfördes med hjälp av välkända analysmetoder där information tillhandahållits genom Kirunas utvecklingsplan, fördjupande översiktsplan samt det vinnande täv- lingsbidraget för den nya stadsdelen, Kiruna 4-ever. Det konceptuella gestaltningsförslaget, som är arbetets resultat, baseras på den upprättade synte- sen tillsammans med resultatet av de analyser som genomförts med avseende på tillämpningsområdet. Gestaltningsförslaget utgör två bostadskvarter i linjer med Kirunas utvecklingsplan gällande utformning ochfunktion samt det identifierade arkitektoniska principerna. En höggradig funktionsblandning, levande och inbjudande gatumiljöer, attraktiva stråk, torg och parker samt en tydlig närhet till naturen är några av de kvaliteter som framgår i förslaget. Tillsammans med de väl avvägda och anpassade kombinationerna av designprinciper för arktisk och subarktisk arkitektur. Då gestaltningsförslaget är utformat på en övergripande konceptuell nivå, där fokus legat på attapplicera de identifierade principerna, anses detinte vara en fullständig produkt. Fortsatt arbete med och utveckling av det termiska klimatet samt interiöra faktorerna föreslås, som inte nödvändigtvis bör påverka den förslagna exteriöra utformningen. Det sammanställda och identifierade principernapresenteras på sida 47 i rapporten. Medan gestaltningsförslaget i sin helhet presenteras på sida 85. / Cities and communities have moved and developed further north over the last century, but with a lack of a clear architectural design adapted to the arctic and sub-arctic climate. Some researchers argue that cities and buildings in these climates are largely based on universal architectural and urban principles, which are actually better suited in temperate climates. The purpose of this work is to investigate, identify, compile and visualize relevant research, knowledge and practical knowledge regarding architectural design in an arctic and sub-arctic climate. To identify contributing factors to comfortable and attractive homes and urban spaces with qualities that reduce the occurrence of weatherrelated discomfort. In order to, through a conceptual design proposal, be able to visualize and illuminate the architectural design that is best suited to the arctic and sub-arctic climate. Initially, a literature study is conducted in which available research is studied with regard to clarifywhat defines arctic and sub-arctic architecture and climateadapted housing construction. Furthermore, crucial climate factors and architectural qualities are identified that can promote a clear design languageand comfortable environments in these demanding climates. After the literature study, a synthesis is established which together with methods like Problem Seeking and Design: process and method compilethe identified qualities to concrete principles and strategies. The synthesis resulted in the following three climate factors to take into account: Sun, Wind and Snow. Furthermore, synthesis resulted in the fol- lowing nine building-related factors: Volumes, Roofs, Facade, Entrance, Ground plan, courtyards and urban factors such as: Streets, Vegetation and Activities. In order to apply these identified principles andstrategies, an application area with climate conditions similar to those studied was chosen. The application area became two blocks in Kiruna's new city plan, northwest of new center. A site ana- lysis was carried out using well known analysis methods where the necessary information was provided through Kiruna's development plan, indepth overview plan and the winning competition contribution for the new city plan, Kiruna 4-ever. The conceptual design proposal, which is the result of the work, is based on the established synthesis together with the result of the analyzes carried outwith respect to the field of application. The designproposal constitutes two residential blocks in lines with Kiruna's development plan regarding design andfunction and the identified architectural principles. A high quality functional mix, vibrant and inviting street environments, attractive streets, squares and parks as well as a clear connection to nature are some of the qualities that appear in the proposal. Along with the well-balanced and adapted combinations of design principles for arctic and sub-arctic architecture. Since the design proposal is designed on an overall conceptual level, where the focus has beenon applying the identified principles, it is not considered a complete product. Continued work on and development of the thermal climate and interior factors is proposed, which should not ne- cessarily affect the proposed exterior design.The crucial and identified principles are presented on page 47 of the report. While the design proposal as a whole is presented on page 85.

The aim of the thesis is to design and evaluate a new multipurpose apartment building in Slatina. The object, which includes a parking lot, will be used for housing and recreational/sport purposes. The thesis also deals with basic evaluation of the object from the point of view of construction physics, fire safety and structural stability. The building is designed as a detached construction with graded floors. There is one ground floor and four elevated ones. The entire object is mirror-symmetrical on a transverse axis. The ground floor is designated to include a storage area of the apartment building, mechanical rooms and sanitary facilities of the fitness centre. The fitness centre itself is located on the first floor, along with a gym, administrative area and two special-purpose apartments. The remaining floors are intended for housing purposes. Wall construction system has been chosen for the object. The ground floor is based on a foundation plate made of watertight concrete („bílá vana“) while the supporting system is constituted by reinforced concrete walls. All ceiling constructions are constituted by monolithic plates made of reinforced concrete. Peripheral and inner supporting walls of the upper floors are lined with ceramic blocks HELUZ. Inner communication network consists of prefabricated reinforced concrete staircase and an elevator shaft. Roof construction consists of a flat DUO roof and a green roof.