sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Special Issue "Healthy, Smart and Interactive Built Environment"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2023 | Viewed by 4045

Special Issue Editors

Department of Architectural Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
Interests: HVAC; renewable energy; desiccant cooling; radiant cooling and heating
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Architecture and Architectural Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Interests: building science; machine learning; optimization; building simulation
Department of Architecture, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Korea
Interests: sustainable architecture; building simulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue provides selected papers in various academic fields, not limited to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning in buildings, which were presented at the ISHVAC 2021 conference held during 24–26 November 2021 in Seoul, Republic of Korea. We invited novel and original papers that extend and advance our scientific and technical understanding of healthy, smart, and interactive built environments, which form a strong foundation of smart, net-zero-energy buildings providing healthy indoor environments. The topics of the invited papers are as follows:

  • Healthy indoor and urban environments.
  • Energy-efficient HVAC systems and components.
  • Smart operation, control, and management.
  • Big data and machine learning applications.
  • Zero-energy buildings.
  • Renewable energy systems.
  • Building energy simulations.

Prof. Dr. Jae-Weon Jeong
Prof. Dr. Jun-seok Park
Dr. Sunsook Kim
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • healthy indoor and urban environment
  • energy efficient HVAC systems
  • smart buildings
  • big data
  • machine learning
  • zero energy building
  • renewable energy system
  • building energy simulation

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Article
Cooling Performance Prediction for Hydraulic Thermoelectric Radiant Cooling Panels with Experimental Validation
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16214; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316214 - 05 Dec 2022
Viewed by 613
Abstract
Thermoelectric technology has been developed as a substitute for existing refrigerants in heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system applications for building decarbonization. A hydraulic thermoelectric radiant cooling panel (hTERCP) operated based on the Peltier effect can alternate a conventional cooling system using a chiller [...] Read more.
Thermoelectric technology has been developed as a substitute for existing refrigerants in heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system applications for building decarbonization. A hydraulic thermoelectric radiant cooling panel (hTERCP) operated based on the Peltier effect can alternate a conventional cooling system using a chiller with refrigerators. This study aimed to develop a cooling performance prediction model for a hTERCP-integrated free cooling system according to the desirable range of five design factors. A mockup model of the hTERCP was constructed and tested in an environmental chamber to verify the proposed simulation model. The simulation and the experimental analysis confirmed that the heat rejection performance of the thermoelectric module (TEM) significantly affects the cooling performance of the hTERCP. The cooling water temperature was the primary design factor for releasing heat from the hot side of the TEM and significantly influenced the cooling performance of the hTERCP. A parametric analysis of the five design factors was conducted to investigate a method for improving the coefficient of performance (COP) of the hTERCP. The cooling water temperature affected the COP by 38.6–45.7%, and the heat exchange area of the cooling surface greatly influenced the cooling performance by 41.4%. The cooling water flow rate, heat exchange effectiveness of the water block, and heat resistance of the hot side were confirmed to have relatively little influence as 9.7–10.2%, 11.9–24.8%, and 0.7–11.1%, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy, Smart and Interactive Built Environment)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Numerical Analysis of a TEG and mPCM Enhancement System for BIPVs Using CFD
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15559; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315559 - 23 Nov 2022
Viewed by 443
Abstract
Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) are the most promising systems for net-zero energy buildings. However, there are few practical cases because of shortcomings, such as the lack of solar tracking and the rapid rise in PV surface temperature. Therefore, methods of increasing the efficiency of [...] Read more.
Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) are the most promising systems for net-zero energy buildings. However, there are few practical cases because of shortcomings, such as the lack of solar tracking and the rapid rise in PV surface temperature. Therefore, methods of increasing the efficiency of BIPVs have been proposed and studied. These include using phase change material (PCM) or heat fins, wavelength selection, decreasing the PV surface temperature, or using a thermoelectric generator (TEG) and convection cooling to utilize the waste heat from the PV. Many preceding studies have been conducted on TEG and convection heat dissipation methods to utilize as much waste heat as possible. Therefore, in this study, a TEG–PCM hybrid system using mPCM was proposed to improve constructability. Herein, the appropriate phase change temperature of the PCM, the heat fin spacing in the PCM container, and the TEG arrangement were analyzed through computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based simulations. The appropriate melting temperature of the PCM, the heat fin interval, and the arrangement of the TEG for the proposed system are 25 °C, 20 mm, and 140 mm, respectively. In order to achieve optimal efficiency, it is necessary to consider an appropriate amount of heat transfer, and it has been confirmed that if there are too many thermoelectric elements, the opposite effect occurs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy, Smart and Interactive Built Environment)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Durability Analysis of Building Exterior Thermal Insulation System in Hot Summer and Cold Winter Area Based on ANSYS
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5702; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095702 - 09 May 2022
Viewed by 891
Abstract
External thermal insulation systems often have durability problems, including cracking, hollowing, and falling off, which seriously affect safety and energy-saving effects. Based on finite element theory and using ANSYS software, this paper studies the distribution law of the temperature field and temperature stress [...] Read more.
External thermal insulation systems often have durability problems, including cracking, hollowing, and falling off, which seriously affect safety and energy-saving effects. Based on finite element theory and using ANSYS software, this paper studies the distribution law of the temperature field and temperature stress of the external thermal insulation system. It was found that, compared with an uninsulated wall, the temperature stress of the substrate in summer was reduced by 52.9%, and the temperature stress of the substrate in winter was reduced by 50.9%. The temperature stress is mainly concentrated in the middle position of the external wall insulation system, and the middle of the wall can appear as a hollow drum and fall off. When the temperature of the external wall surface is 60 °C, the maximum temperature stress of the insulation system is 2.46 MPa, compared with the external wall surface of 70 °C—a decrease of 22.2%; the maximum temperature stress on the substrate is 0.46 MPa—a decrease of 20.7%. When the temperature of the outer wall surface is 50 °C, the maximum temperature stress suffered by the insulation system is 1.75 MPa, compared with the outer wall surface of 70 °C—a decrease of 44.4%. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature stress suffered by the substrate is 0.34 MPa—a decrease of 41.4%. This paper investigates and numerically simulates the durability of external wall insulation systems for buildings in hot summer and cold winter regions, and studies the durability of EPS insulation, which can provide guidance for other insulation material design and durability studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy, Smart and Interactive Built Environment)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Optimization of Plane and Space of New Dwellings in Southern Anhui Province Based on Indoor Thermal Environment
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5694; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095694 - 09 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 906
Abstract
Considering the problems of poor plane and space design, poor indoor thermal environment, and high energy consumption of dwellings in southern Anhui province, and combining with the requirements of modern residential environment, the characteristics and changing laws of the plane and space organization [...] Read more.
Considering the problems of poor plane and space design, poor indoor thermal environment, and high energy consumption of dwellings in southern Anhui province, and combining with the requirements of modern residential environment, the characteristics and changing laws of the plane and space organization of Huizhou traditional dwellings from the traditional period to the New Rural period and the inheritance requirements of Huizhou traditional dwellings, seven types of new dwellings in southern Anhui province were designed based on the survey and mapping of Huizhou traditional dwellings. DesignBuilder software is used for the new dwelling plan to simulate and optimize the indoor thermal environment as well as energy consumption of seven building plans. The results show that: High indoor thermal comfort and low energy consumption are observed in a large aspect ratio and fully enclosed room, and better indoor thermal comfort is observed in summer than in winter in rooms with courtyards, and better indoor thermal comfort and low energy consumption is observed when the rooms are located in the northeast, southwest, and south directions. The results have guiding significance for the construction of new dwellings that are comfortable and energy-saving, and distinctive in southern Anhui province. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy, Smart and Interactive Built Environment)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Air Conditioning Load Forecasting and Optimal Operation of Water Systems
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 4867; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094867 - 19 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 847
Abstract
In order to conduct a data-driven load forecasting modeling and its application in optimal control of air-conditioning system, this study used a hotel’s central air conditioning system as the research object. Based on the data of the hotel energy management system, the load-forecasting [...] Read more.
In order to conduct a data-driven load forecasting modeling and its application in optimal control of air-conditioning system, this study used a hotel’s central air conditioning system as the research object. Based on the data of the hotel energy management system, the load-forecasting model of the central air conditioning system based on support vector regression (SVR) was established by MATLAB. Based on the working principle of a chiller, chilled water pump, cooling water pump, and cooling tower, the energy consumption models were established, respectively. Finally, based on the load-forecasting results and the equipment energy consumption model, the energy consumption optimization objective function of the hotel water system was established, the objective function was solved to optimize the operating parameters of the water system at different load rates, the operation control strategy for each piece of equipment was obtained, and the energy-saving analysis was carried out. The results show that in the range of a load rate of 25~90%, the optimization strategy has an energy-saving effect, and the system’s energy-saving rate is the highest when the load rate is 25.4%. The average energy-saving rate of the system is 12.4%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy, Smart and Interactive Built Environment)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop