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Open-type vertical refrigerated display cabinets are used widely in supermarkets and grocery stores due to its attraction for customers and food merchandisers. These cabinets, however, are less energy efficient than cabinets with glass doors because of the interactions between the air curtain, that is used to provide an artificial barrier between the air in the cabinets, and the air in food premises. To improve the energy efficiency of open fronted refrigerated display cabinets, many types of air curtains have been designed, including single layer air curtains, multi-layer air curtains and shelf tip air curtains amongst others. An approach, considered in recent years to improve the efficiency of air curtains is the use of air guiding strips at the front face of the shelves of open-type vertical refrigerated display cabinets with single layer air curtains. This paper uses Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling to investigate the influence of air guiding strips on the performance of vertical multi-deck refrigerated display cabinets.The results showed that the air guiding strips accelerate the air curtain vertically; leading to a stronger and stiffer air curtain, consequently inhibit the infiltration of the ambient warm air into the cabinet. The average temperature of simulated food in the cabinet decreases by 4.9 °C compared to the cabinet without the strip due to the improved protection of the stiffer air curtain. The cooling capacity required to maintain the food chilled decreases by 34%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open-type vertical refrigerated display cabinets are used widely in supermarkets and grocery stores due to its attraction for customers and food merchandisers. These cabinets, however, are less energy efficient than cabinets with glass doors because of the interactions between the air curtain, that is used to provide an artificial barrier between the air in the cabinets, and the air in food premises. To improve the energy efficiency of open fronted refrigerated display cabinets, many types of air curtains have been designed, including single layer air curtains, multi-layer air curtains and shelf tip air curtains amongst others. An approach, considered in recent years to improve the efficiency of air curtains is the use of air guiding strips at the front face of the shelves of open-type vertical refrigerated display cabinets with single layer air curtains. This paper uses Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling to investigate the influence of air guiding strips on the performance of vertical multi-deck refrigerated display cabinets. The results showed that the air guiding strips accelerate the air curtain vertically; leading to a stronger and stiffer air curtain, consequently inhibit the infiltration of the ambient warm air into the cabinet. The average temperature of simulated food in the cabinet decreases by 4.9 °C compared to the cabinet without the strip due to the improved protection of the stiffer air curtain. The cooling capacity required to maintain the food chilled decreases by 34%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the complex interaction between energy performance, lighting, acoustic and thermal comfort in contemporary design, building performance simulation [BPS] shall play a key role in addressing decision making process and technical choices towards optimized configuration during the whole design phase. The paper reports the outcomes of a case study – performed in the framework of Ma Final Design Lab at the Department of Architecture, University of Bologna – where BPS was adopted from the very beginning as a tool to support the design process from the concept validation to the final architectural configuration to fit with passive house standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on CFD modeling of Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) which is coupled with co-generation system. The SOFC cogeneration system is a low emission and energy efficient combined heat and power (CHP) is a most promising candidate in the field of electric and thermal energy generation technology for execution in future commercial buildings. Using finite volume approach CFD modeling of SOFC has been carried out by using commercial software COMSOL 4.3.1. The performance characteristic of an SOFC has been examined by performing parametric analysis. The effect of fuel utilization factor, recirculation ratio, operating temperature significantly affects the cell performance. It has been observed that, internal reforming is advantageous over the external reforming system in terms of thermo-economics and power supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]