[en] A large-scale district cooling plant (DCP) could save up to 25%-40% of energy consumption costs as compared with conventional centralized air-conditioning system of each building. However, as the distribution network is often the most expensive portion and requires large initial investment cost of the district cooling system, careful design is needed to optimize its use. Proper identification of chilled water velocity and pressure drop limits to minimize the initial investment cost and operational cost are the design criteria for optimum piping network selection. To meet this objective, the system pressure drop and system flow rate must be properly calculated to evaluate the performance of complex piping systems before any hardware is procured. In this study, the hydraulic calculation of a simple distribution network is presented wherein the system pressure drop and flow rate requirements in each energy transfer station (ETS) are determined. Variable primary flow pumping in chilled water system is used as a benchmark to calculate the theoretical system pressure drop of the distribution network. The system of nonlinear equations consists of pump performance curve and system of characteristic curves of distribution network with twenty-six (26) energy transfer stations. Multi-variable Newton-Raphson and Singular-Value Decomposition methods are used in solving the nonlinear equations. Method of Least Squares and Cholesky Decomposition are adapted to derive new sets of pump characteristic curves taken form Similarity Laws considering that pumps are modulated at its best efficiency point. (author)

[en] A first law of thermodynamics analysis in a diesel engine operating with palm oil bio diesel and its blends with diesel fuel is presented. Measurements were carried out in a test bench under stationary conditions varying engine load at constant speed and vice versa. The variation in energy distribution, efficiency, performance and emissions were obtained under several operating points. It was found that fuel type do not affect energy distribution and effective efficiency. On the other hand, engine operating conditions have an important effect on energy balance and performance. CO₂ emissions didn't exhibit a clear tendency with bio diesel concentration in the blend. Nevertheless, O₂ concentration in exhaust gases exhibits a direct relationship with this concentration, independent of engine operating condition.

[en] Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) strategy has been recently employed in natural gas SI engines as an alternative to lean burn technique in order to satisfy the increasingly stringent emission standards. However, the effect of EGR on some of engine performance parameters compared to lean burn is not yet quite certain. In the current study, the effect of both EGR and lean burn on natural gas SI engine performance was compared at similar operating conditions. This was achieved numerically by developing a computer simulation of the four-stroke spark-ignition natural gas engine. A two-zone combustion model was developed to simulate the in-cylinder conditions during combustion. A kinetic model based on the extended Zeldovich mechanism was also developed in order to predict NO emission. The combustion model was validated using experimental data and a good agreement between the results was found. It was demonstrated that adding EGR to the stoichiometric inlet charge at constant inlet pressure of 130 kPa decreased power more rapidly than excess air; however, the power loss was recovered by increasing the inlet pressure from 130 kPa at zero dilution to 150 kPa at 20% EGR dilution. The engine fuel consumption increased by 10% when 20% EGR dilution was added at inlet pressure of 150 kPa compared to using 20% air dilution at 130 kPa. However, it was found that EGR dilution strategy is capable of producing extremely lower NO emission than lean burn technique. NO emission was reduced by about 70% when the inlet charge was diluted at a rate of 20% using EGR instead of excess air.

[en] A nonlinear adaptive excitation controller is proposed to enhance the transient stability and voltage regulation of synchronous generators with unknown power angle and mechanical power input. The proposed method is based on a standard third-order model of a synchronous generator which requires only information about the physical available measurements of relative angular speed, active electric power, infinite bus and generator terminal voltages. The operating conditions are computed online using the above physical available measurements, the terminal voltage reference value and the estimate of the mechanical power input. The proposed design is therefore capable of providing satisfactory voltage in the presence of unknown variations of the power system operating conditions. Using the concept of sliding mode equivalent control techniques, a robust decentralized adaptive controller which insures the exponential convergence of the outputs to the desired ones, is obtained. Real-time experimental results are reported, comparing the performance of the proposed adaptive nonlinear control scheme to one of the conventional AVR/PSS controller. The high simplicity of the overall adaptive control scheme and its robustness with respect to line impedance variation including critical unbalanced operating condition and temporary turbine fault, constitute the main positive features of the proposed approach.

[en] The article presents the results of hot water supply system analysis. Taking into account that the current consumption of hot water differs from normative values, real measured data of hot water consumption in multi-apartment buildings from year 2013 until year 2015 have been analyzed. Also, the thermal energy consumption for hot water preparation has been analyzed. Based on aggregated data and taking into account the fact that renovated systems of hot water supply in existing multi-apartment buildings have same pipelines’ diameters, it was analyzed how these systems are economically and energy efficient. For the study, residential buildings in Riga, which have different architectural and engineering solutions for hot water supply systems, were selected. The study was based on thermal energy consumption measurements, which were taken at the individual heating system’s manifolds. This study was done in order to develop database on hot water consumption in civil buildings and define difference in key performance criteria in unclassified buildings. Obtained results allows to reach European Regional Development Fund project “NEARLY ZERO ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR UNCLASSIFIED BUILDINGS” Nr. 1.1.1.116A048 main targets. (paper)

[en] Most of the keys of the north of the country have a high potential for tourism Sun and beach, which is why each has an associated infrastructure that allows hotels have the necessary quality standards. Within this infrastructure the continuous electrical service must have each hotel to meet the needs of tourists stands. Today the keys are isolated from the SEN and electrical service is supplied by generators. These groups feed on fuel and diesel, and generate polluting gases near where the major hotel groups are. The problems in transporting fuel and pollution they generate have led to begin to analyze different ways of providing electric service stably in the keys. One possible option to address the problems generated by power generators in an isolated system is to interconnect the cay with SEN. This connection can be made in three ways; by airlines, underground cables or submarine cables. The airlines in the tourist areas are discarded because they affect the visuality this is why variants of underground cables or submarines are almost always handled. The proposal is to interconnect the keys with submarine cable where current conditions do not allow the use of underground cables. This interconnection can meet the demand of the keys stably and more reliably than current conditions. In addition to cases where there is a tourism growth should be no more generators only have a cable with the ability to transfer all the power needed. (author)

[en] We numerically study the effect of an externally-evanescent magnetic field on total entropy generation in conducting and non-reactive fluid enclosed in a square cavity. The horizontal walls of the enclosure are assumed to be insulated while the vertical walls are kept isothermal. A control volume finite element method is used to solve the conservation equations at Prandtl number of 0.71. The values of relaxation time of the magnetic field are chosen, so that the Lorentz force acts only in the transient state of entropy generation in natural convection. The total entropy generation was calculated for fixed value of irreversibility distribution ratio, different relaxation time varying from 0 to 1/5 and Grashof number equal to 10⁵

No abstract available

[en] This paper deals with the interaction of twin inclined jets in crossflow. The consideration of this particular configuration is of great interest due to its wide presence in various domains and applications and to its dependence in many parameters. These parameters may be geometric like the jets height, the jet nozzles separating distance, the jet nozzles, exit section, etc... It may also be based upon one of the reigning features like the velocity ratio, the temperature gradient, etc...The gradient between the jets and the crossflow temperatures is precisely the parameter we intend to handle in the present work due to its great relevance in several environmental concerns and in technical constraints as well. The evaluation of this parameter will be carried out numerically on the temperature distribution itself. This evaluation is likely to give a thorough idea about the cooling/heating process resulted from the jets interaction with the oncoming crossflow. Such an understanding is likely to give viable solutions to problems raised by this configuration like the acid rain engendered by too hot fumes or the deterioration of the combustors walls by too high temperature jets, etc...The numerically simulated model is based on the resolution of the Navier-Stokes equations by means of the finite volume method and the RSM second order turbulent model and is validated by confrontation to experimental data depicted on the same geometric replica

[en] This paper numerically investigates the effect of an externally evanescent magnetic field on flow patterns and heat transfer of fluid in a square cavity. The horizontal walls of the enclosure are assumed to be insulated while the vertical walls are kept isothermal. A control volume finite element method is used to solve the conservation equations at Prandtl number of 0.71. The effect of constant Hartman number on Nusselt number was studied. Validation tests with existing data demonstrate the aptitude of the present method to produce accurate results. The effects of magnetic field inclination angle from 0 degree to 90 degree on streamlines distributions are shown for different values of Hartman number. For Grashof number equal to 10⁵, the values of relaxation time of the magnetic field are chosen, so that the Lorentz force acts only in the transient state of Nusselt number in natural convection. The Nusselt number was calculated for different values of the inverse relaxation time varying from 0 to + ∞. The magnitude and the number of oscillations of the Nusselt number were observed. It has been found that no oscillation was seen at relaxation time equal to 20