This book discusses the issues relevant to the evaluation of the thermal energy balance of buildings in southern Europe and equips readers to carry out optimal building energy-performance assessments taking into account the peculiarities of the climatic context. Evaluation of building energy performance in this region is complex, since the significant need for cooling means that the effect of thermal capacity, glazed surfaces and ventilation and shading strategies have to be carefully cons...

Temperature and Humidity Independent Control (THIC) of Air-conditioning System focuses on temperature and humidity independent control (THIC) systems, which represents a new concept and new approach for indoor environmental control. This book presents the main components of the THIC systems, including dehumidification devices, high-temperature cooling devices and indoor terminal devices. Other relevant issues, such as operation and control strategy and case studies, are also inclu...

This book provides the latest research on a new alternative form of technology, the magnetocaloric energy conversion. This area of research concerns magnetic refrigeration and cooling, magnetic heat pumping and magnetic power generation. The book’s systematic approach offers the theoretical basis of magnetocaloric energy conversion and its various sub domains and this is supported with the practical examples. Besides these fundamentals, the book also introduces potential solutions to engin...

This book provides a consistent scientific background to engineering calculation methods applicable to analyses of materials reaction-to-fire, as well as fire resistance of structures. Several new and unique formulas and diagrams which facilitate calculations are presented. It focuses on problems involving high temperature conditions and, in particular, defines boundary conditions in a suitable way for calculations. A large portion of the book is devoted to boundary conditions and measurem...

This book provides a practical study of modern heat pipe engineering, discussing how it can be optimized for use on a wider scale. An introduction to operational and design principles, this book offers a review of heat and mass transfer theory relevant to performance, leading into and exploration of the use of heat pipes, particularly in high-heat flux applications and in situations in which there is any combination of non-uniform heat loading, limited airflow over the heat generating comp...

The text describes the main features of currently available heat pumps, focusing on system operation and interactions with external heat sources. In fact, before choosing a heat pump, several aspects must be assessed in detail: the actual climate of the installation site, the building’s energy requirements, the heating system, the type of operation etc. After discussing the general working principles, the book describes the main components of compression machines – for EHPs, GHPs and CO2 h...

Geothermal Power Plants: Principles, Applications and Case Studies is the latest book from Ron DiPippo, Professor Emeritus, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. It is a single resource on all aspects of the utilization of geothermal energy for electric power generation. Written in one voice by a respected authority in the field with twenty-five years of experience in geothermal research, teaching, and consulting, it is intended for those involved in any aspect of the geothermal industry....

This book provides a comprehensive overview of essential topics related to conventional and advanced drying and energy technologies, especially motivated by increased industry and academic interest.The main topics discussed are: theory and applications of drying, emerging topics in drying technology, innovations and trends in drying, thermo-hydro-chemical-mechanical behaviors of porous materials in drying, and drying equipment and energy. Since the topics covered are inter-and mult...

This book presents research advances in automotive AC systems using an interdisciplinary approach combining both thermal science, and automotive engineering. It covers a variety of topics, such as: control strategies, optimization algorithms, and diagnosis schemes developed for when automotive air condition systems interact with powertrain dynamics. In contrast to the rapid advances in the fields of building HVAC and automotive separately, an interdisciplinary examination of both areas has...

This book presents a collection of recent research on building diagnosis techniques related to construction pathology, hygrothermal behavior and durability, and diagnostic techniques. It highlights recent advances and new developments in the field of building physics, building anomalies in materials and components, new techniques for improved energy efficiency analysis, and diagnosis techniques such as infrared thermography. This book will be of interest to a wide readership of professiona...

This book describes efficient and safe repair operations for pipelines, and develops new methods for the detection and repair of volumetric surface defects in transmission pipelines. It also addresses the physics, mechanics, and applications of advanced materials used for composite repair of corroded pipelines.Presenting results obtained in the European Commission’s INNOPIPES FRAMEWORK 7 programme, it develops long-range ultrasonic and phased array technologies for pipeline diagnos...

This book examines electric car sharing in cities from a variety of perspectives, from service design to simulation, from mathematical modeling to technology deployment, and from energy use improvement to the integration of different kinds of vehicle. The contents reflect the outcomes of the Green Move project, undertaken by Politecnico di Milano with the aim of fostering an innovative and easily accessible electric vehicle sharing system. The first section of the book illustrates the car ...