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Cellulose and paper produce significant waste such as ash, activated sludge, and sludge from the pulp and paper industry. Depending on the raw material, legislation, and subprocesses, these sludges contain around 30–50% organic matter, mainly composed of less than 0.02 mm cellulose fibers and hemicellulose and lignin. This work used sludge from the pulp and paper industry as a substrate for manufacturing mycelium-based biomaterials using the white rot fungus Trametes versicolor. Chemical and surface analyses revealed the formation of new materials. Acoustic impedance analyses revealed that these materials have a noise reduction coefficient and sound absorption average comparable to extruded polystyrene and polyurethane. In addition, the material's thermal conductivity was near that of sheep wool. Therefore, the biomaterials fabricated using sludge and Trametes versicolor have the potential to be a game-changer in the industry as promising thermoacoustic insulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, there are many studies with a significant focus on affordable housing. The relevance of this theme, which is usually the central object of public housing policies, requires an updated review of the problems and challenges to be overcome, especially in terms of sustainability, in favor of an improvement in the quality of products delivered to beneficiaries. This research concentrates on applying the sustainability concept to affordable housing, emphasizing technical, social, and governance aspects. A novel classification framework is introduced, encompassing these aspects in the context of sustainability integrated with affordable housing. A systematic literature review is conducted and more than 100 articles are examined based on bibliometric and bibliographic analyses to highlight the main dimensions and topics involved in the housing public policy sphere. The study has been elaborated based on collecting relevant materials, building a descriptive analysis of the literature examined, highlighting the classification structure that categorizes the studies examined, and evaluating the material identified based on the classification structure. The outcomes aim to spotlight the diverse dimensions of sustainable affordable housing and associated research themes. Furthermore, the research outlines deficiencies in current approaches and outlines a future research agenda for implementing sustainability in affordable housing. It establishes a strong connection between technical, social, and governance aspects of affordable housing and sustainability, considering anticipated approaches, techniques, and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy has become a relevant alternative to solve energy and environmental problems worldwide. Characterization of geothermal resources is fundamental for an efficient and sustainable extraction of heat. In this study, thermal conductivity, λ , volumetric heat capacity, C, and thermal diffusivity, α , of two soils from Chile, namely Bío Bío sand and Maicillo residual soil, were analysed. Bío Bío sand is a uniform and clean sand that mainly consists of basaltic particles, whereas Maicillo soil is a silty and clayey sand with a high quartz content. Samples were tested with a thermal needle probe at varying water contents and densities. Measurements to obtain λ , C and α were undertaken. These results allowed the patterns and relationships between geotechnical and heat transfer parameters to be analysed. It was found that dry soil conditions led to the lowest values of λ , while saturated soil conditions led to the highest values. Moreover, Maicillo soil has higher capabilities to transfer heat than Bío Bío sand, and can reach up to 50% greater λ for dense soil and saturated conditions. This is due to its quarzitic and clayey mineralogy and non-uniform grain-size distribution. The results from this research represent an important contribution to industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to identify exposure to human, swine, and avian influenza A virus subtypes in rural companion and hunting dogs, backyard pigs, and feral pigs. Methods and Results: The study took place in a region of southeastern Mexico where the sampled individuals were part of backyard production systems in which different domestic and wild species coexist and interact with humans. We collected blood samples from pigs and dogs at each of the sites. We used a nucleoprotein enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay to determine the exposure of individuals to influenza A virus. Haemagglutination inhibition was performed on the positive samples to determine the subtypes to which they were exposed. For data analysis, a binomial logistic regression model was generated to determine the predictor variables for the seropositivity of the individuals in the study. We identified 11 positive individuals: three backyard pigs, four companion dogs, and four hunting dogs. The pigs tested positive for H1N1 and H1N2. The dogs were positive for H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2. The model showed that dogs in contact with backyard chickens are more likely to be seropositive for influenza A viruses. Conclusions: We demonstrated the essential role hunting dogs could play as intermediate hosts and potential mixing vessel hosts when exposed to human and swine‐origin viral subtypes. These results are relevant because these dogs interact with domestic hosts and humans in backyard systems, which are risk scenarios in the transmission of influenza A viruses. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to implement epidemiological surveillance of influenza A viruses in backyard animals, particularly in key animals in the transmission of these viruses, such as dogs and pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal properties of Octadecane vary due to the addition of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles. The synthesis of two nano‐enhanced phase change material (NEPCM) required the implementation of the two‐step method, using Octadecane as the base phase change material and CuO nanoparticles at 2.5 and 5.0 wt%. The experimental characterization determined the specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity of the NEPCMs solid phase, including phase change enthalpy and temperature. These experimental results were then utilized for computational simulation of the thermal charging (solidification) and discharging (melting) processes of NEPCMs within a spherical enclosure, employing the ANSYS/Fluent software. The incorporation of CuO nanoparticles led to an increase in thermal conductivity while causing a decrease in specific heat capacity, enthalpy, and phase change temperature of Octadecane. The computational results revealed a reduction in the melting period and an improvement in the solidification of both NEPCMs. In terms of melting, the convective heat transfer coefficient increased by approximately 27.4% and 3.2% for the NEPCM at 2.5 and 5.0 wt% CuO, respectively. During the solidification process, the overall heat transfer coefficient experienced a significant increase of 43.8% and 59.8% for the NEPCM at 2.5 and 5.0 wt%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Project management has incorporated sustainability concepts, but their relationship is still widely discussed. In this article, we research key practices for incorporating sustainability in project management from the perspective of 919 Brazilian professionals with experience in the field. We used factor analysis to explore the relationship between 37 sustainability practices. The results showed that these sustainability practices can be grouped into five key practices: environmental efficiency, compliance, social responsibility, continuous improvement and lessons learned, and project success. We also used word clouds to highlight the main themes in the practices encompassed by each key practice. The results contribute to project leaders and other project management professionals directing their efforts toward improving sustainability actions related to these practices in project management processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work analyzed the thermal behavior of an existing building, considering different retrofitting strategies. The methodology starts with an in-situ survey that allowed for obtaining information about occupation, work schedules, envelope materials, lighting, and equipment, which was vital to develop an energy model of the building. Then, the thermal analysis, employing simulations, demonstrates a higher relevance of heat flows through the building's envelope than internal loads and higher cooling rather than heating demands. Afterward, several retrofit strategies focusing on modifying architectural elements were assessed. Finally, these strategies were compared based on their impact on the air-conditioning energy demand. A systematic review identified a lack of studies relating certification and energy policies to buildings retrofitting. Therefore, we assessed the energy performance of the building, when modified to meet the baseline requirements set on the Chilean certification requirements for sustainable buildings, to verify if the certification is a suitable method to assess the energy efficiency of an office building. Although the study only involves a single building, it aims to illustrate identified limitations using the energy policies for Chilean public buildings. The Chilean certification for sustainable buildings seems not to be suitable for the evaluation of energy consumption for the retrofit of existing buildings. Although this study does not demonstrate general trends, it presents a precedent for subsequent studies to evaluate the relevance of the Chilean certification guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofluids have become of interest in recent years thanks to their improved thermal properties, which make them especially interesting for microchannel heat sink applications. In this study, we prepared two aqueous nanofluids based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) decorated with manganese dioxide (MnO 2 ) at a concentration of 0.1 wt.%. The difference between the two nanofluids was in the preparation of the reduced graphene oxide decorated with MnO 2 . In the first case, the manganese salt was mixed with ascorbic acid before GO reduction with NaOH, and in the second case, the GO reduction with NaOH occurred under ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid not only plays the role of a non-toxic and ecofriendly reducing agent but also acts as an important parameter to control the reaction kinetics. The structural, microstructural and spectral characterizations of the MnO 2 /rGO nanocomposite were conducted via X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR, TEM, SEM and EDS analyses. Moreover, the synthesized MnO 2 /rGO nanocomposites were utilized as nanofluids and their stability, thermal conductivity and rheological behaviors were studied. The thermal conductivity of the MnO 2 /rGO and MnO 2 AsA/rGO nanofluids was 17% and 14.8% higher than that of water for the average temperature range, respectively, but their viscosity remained statistically equal to that of water. Moreover, both nanofluids presented Newtonian behavior in the analyzed shear rate range. Therefore, both MnO 2 /rGO and MnO 2 AsA/rGO nanofluids are promising alternatives for use in applications with micro- and millichannel heat sinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on agar biopolymer films that offer promise for developing biodegradable packaging, an important solution for reducing plastics pollution. At present there is a lack of data on the mechanical performance of agar biopolymer films using a simple plasticizer. This study takes a Design of Experiments approach to analyze how agar-glycerin biopolymer films perform across a range of ingredients concentrations in terms of their strength, elasticity, and ductility. Our results demonstrate that by systematically varying the quantity of agar and glycerin, tensile properties can be achieved that are comparable to agar-based materials with more complex formulations. Not only does our study significantly broaden the amount of data available on the range of mechanical performance that can be achieved with simple agar biopolymer films, but the data can also be used to guide further optimization efforts that start with a basic formulation that performs well on certain property dimensions. We also find that select formulations have similar tensile properties to thermoplastic starch (TPS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polypropylene (PP), indicating potential suitability for select packaging applications. We use our experimental dataset to train a neural network regression model that predicts the Young's modulus, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation at break of agar biopolymer films given their composition. Our findings support the development of further data-driven design and fabrication workflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-based nanomaterials have a high thermal conductivity, which can be exploited to prepare nanofluids. Graphene is a hydrophobic substance, and consequently, graphene-based nanofluid stability is improved by adding surfactants. An attractive alternative is the decoration of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with metallic materials to improve the thermal conductivity without affecting the stability of nanofluids. This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of rGO/Ag (0.1 wt.%) aqueous nanofluids. Moreover, the effects of the Ag concentration (0.01–1 M) on the thermal conductivity and viscosity during the synthesis of rGO/Ag composite are analyzed. The nanofluid thermal conductivity showed increases in relation to the base fluid, the most promising being 28.43 and 26.25% for 0.1 and 1 M of Ag, respectively. Furthermore, the nanofluids were Newtonian in the analyzed range of shear rates and presented a moderate increase (<11%) in viscosity. Aqueous nanofluids based on rGO/Ag nanocomposites are a potential alternative for applications as heat transfer fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical prediction of heat transfer by natural convection of a Herschel-Bulkley non-Newtonian fluid inside a square cavity has been computationally analyzed. Unsteady 2D fluid mechanics and heat transfer were described in terms of the non-linear coupled continuity, momentum and heat equations. These equations were solved by the control volume finite element method (CVFEM) with Gauss-Seidel/System Over-Relaxation coupling algorithm. The effect of the Ra, Pr, Bn and the rheological behavior index (n) on the non-Newtonian fluid thermal and momentum behavior were studied. The non-Newtonian fluid flow was described by the rheological model of Herschel-Bulkley. Results for the streamlines and isotherms along the enclosure walls are presented. It was found that the effect of the Pr and Bn is more important when the Ra is lower (103). In addition, the behavior index had a significant effect on the CPU time for the different studied cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofluids are a type of composite material with a demonstrated potential for improving heat transfer processes present in industries such as computers, electronics, and automobile. However, they have a limitation, which is that the suspended nanoparticles tend to agglomerate and in that way decrease their thermophysical properties. The present work studies experimentally the stability of a nanofluid synthesized with TiO 2 nanoparticles (6 nm) dispersed by continuous ultrasonication in water, determining the effect that exposure of the nanofluid to an atmosphere pressurized with N 2 at 1000 kPa has on its stability. A method is proposed for the quantitative measurement of the stability of a nanofluid based on the transient study of its thermal conductivity and the implementation of a model that describes such behavior. The results allow inferring statistically that the pressure treatment improves the stability of the nanofluid due to a presumed decrease of the average diameter of the agglomerations of the suspended nanoparticles. However, this improvement depends on the temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work studied the numerical modelling of heat transfer in a pile of Pinus radiata samples of a square cross-section by using radio frequency heating. More precisely, the study focused on the effects of the energy transferred to a dielectric material (wood) from an electromagnetic field, which required the calculation of the dielectric loss factor and its correlation with conservative equations. In this way, the temperature distribution across Pinus radiata samples was obtained through the integration of the energy equation using the finite volume method. The numerical results were compared to experimental data obtained from three experiments of radio-frequency heating of wood samples of a crosssectional area of 4 in × 4 in, 3.1-m-long, and 20 cm of separation between plates. According to the observed linear behavior of the heat transfer process, the numerical results of the transient variation of temperature were in agreement with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work was originally carried out as a project by HVAC-R engineering students of a heat transfer undergraduate course. The main goal was to introduce to the students to the implementation of a commercial simulation tool, ANSYS/Transient thermal, to analyze a transient heat transfer process of their professional interest. Behind this goal there were a set of activities that lead students to learn very important lessons that deal with computational simulation: physical and mathematical modeling, validation, measurement of thermal properties and grid size analysis. Specifically, a computational simulation of the transient cooling process of two composed building walls initially at 20 °C was performed. Boundary conditions of third kind were imposed at the outer surfaces of the walls. The composed walls are made of light materials: oriented strand board and plasterboard, which are porous building materials and whose thermal properties can be improved by imbibe them with phase change materials (PCM). The convective heat transfer coefficients were taken from the Chilean normative (Nch853-Of91) and some of the thermophysical properties were experimentally obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ExaStencils aims at providing intuitive interfaces for the specification of numerical problems and resulting solvers, particularly those from the class of (geometric) multigrid methods. It envisions a multi-layered domain-specific language and a sophisticated code generation framework ultimately emitting source code in a chosen target language. We present our recent advances in fully generating solvers applied to 3D fluid mechanics for nonisothermal/non-Newtonian flows. In detail, a system of time-dependent, nonlinear partial differential equations is discretized on a cubic, nonuniform, and staggered grid using finite volumes. We examine the contained problem of coupled Navier-Stokes and temperature equations, which are linearized and solved using the SIMPLE algorithm and geometric multigrid solvers, as well as the incorporation of non-Newtonian properties. Furthermore, we provide details on necessary extensions to our domain-specific language and code generation framework, in particular, those concerning the handling of boundary conditions, support for nonequidistant staggered grids, and supplying specialized functions to express operations reoccurring in the scope of finite volume discretizations. Many of these enhancements are generalizable and thus suitable for utilization in similar projects. Lastly, we demonstrate the applicability of our code generation approach by providing convincing performance results for fully generated and automatically parallelized solvers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social, economic, and environmental impacts associated with fuels used to power cities cause the sustainability of energy produced and consumed in our urban environment to be constantly challenged. In order to address the issue of urban energy sustainability, we propose a Framework for Assessing Urban Energy Sustainability (FAUES), whose main approach relies on defining a method for determining critical indices associated with the major criteria of sustainable energy generation and consumption. The framework is based on developing a three-step process that integrates historical data regarding energy consumption and production and forecasted parameters on energy sustainability and can be used both in urban energy operations and in planning new urban settlements. The framework was implemented in Brazil as a representative case study, given that its cities lack social inclusion, economic stability, and environmental protection when it comes to energy. The framework functions so that policy makers and managers can assess the sustainability of energy produced and consumed in urban environments on the basis of relevant criteria for the city in which the energy is being evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of phase change materials (PCM) in the thermal envelope of buildings has proven to be an alternative to reduce energy consumption and to improve thermal comfort conditions. The present work evaluates the thermal behavior of gypsum boards modified with a microencapsulated PCM (mPCM) in a cubic test enclosure, considering the climatic conditions of Santiago de Chile in the September–November period of 2017. The design of the test enclosure was performed considering the minimization of parameters that affect the variation of its inner temperature and favoring the heat flow through the gypsum boards. Experimentally, the results reflect the main effects of the implementation of a mPCM, among which the displacement of the maximum heat load and the decrease in the daily oscillation of the internal temperature of the test enclosure (up to 2 °C) stand out. In addition, the mPCM modified gypsum board was thermally characterized to carry out a thermal simulation of the enclosures using EnergyPlus™. The obtained numerical results agree with those obtained experimentally, including the behavior of the transient heat flux through the gypsum boards. Moreover, it was found that considering a null infiltration rate gives place to unrealistic results, suggesting that this parameter should be controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of long-time stable nanofluids for practical use in heat transfer processes is a tremendous scientific challenge because nanoparticles tend to precipitate and agglomerate when in a solution, affecting both their thermophysical properties and their stability. This work experimentally investigates the role of the electro-repulse force by electric charges around the nanoparticle, as a way of improving the stability of an electrolyte-based nanofluid. Nanofluid samples were prepared in a two-step method, with 1 wt% and 3 wt% concentrations (mass fraction) of titanium oxide (TiO 2) nanoparticles added to a base fluid consisting of an electrolyte solution with a different concentration of potassium chloride (KCl) and deionized water. The pH of the base fluid was maintained constant, adding HEPES as a buffering agent. The stable condition of the nanofluid was established when the temporal variation of the thermal conductivity was negligible. When stability was established, the dynamic viscosity, zeta potential and the enhancement of the thermal conductivity were measured under controlled temperatures. Experimental results showed that the stable behavior of the nanofluid was directly influenced by the electric charge around the nanoparticles and the electro-repulse force between the nanoparticles (represented by the zeta potential), producing a consistent and homogenous stable condition for an extended 30-day period. Due to the greater number of nanoparticles in the 3 wt% solution, the dynamic viscosity of the nanofluid at 3 wt% was higher than at 1 wt%. It was noted that the addition of the nanoparticles did not affect the Newtonian nature of the fluid (except that it was slightly for higher KCl concentrations) and it produced an increase of a 41.75 ± 2.4% for 1 wt% and 59.32 ± 2.1% for 3 wt% of the nanofluid dynamic viscosity, with respect to that of the pure water. Significant enhancement of thermal conductivity enhancement was also obtained, ranging from 0.46 ± 0.11% to 1.47 ± 0.12% for the 1 wt%; and, 2.15 ± 0.11% to 4.7 ± 0.13% for the 3 wt% of nanoparticles added. This noteworthy improvement was attributed to the higher level of homogeneity of the nanofluid, caused by the high electro-repulse force between nanoparticles. Stable electrolyte-based nanofluids, such as KCl, which increase the electro-repulse forces between nanoparticles, can bolster the application of this type of nanofluid in energy conversion and electronic cooling. Enhanced stability properties (particularly in microchannel heat sinks) give these nanofluids the ability to use electric fields for the fluid motion, rather than traditional pumping devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO 2 nanotubes (TiO 2 -Ntbs) synthesized by a hydrothermal method with a diameter of ca. 5 nm were used as filler to prepare polyethylene (PE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) composites by melt blending. Nanotubes were used either as synthesized or organically modified with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (Mod-TiO 2 -Ntbs). In some cases nanoparticles form secondary structures with sizes around 100 nm and agglomerates larger than 2 μm are also seen by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In terms of mechanical properties, the addition of TiO 2 -Ntbs resulted in a composite, LLDPE/TiO 2 -Ntbs, with improved properties. Compared with the pure polymer, Young's modulus increased by ca. 50%, while yield stress increased by ca. 35%. On the other hand, PE/Mod-TiO 2 -Ntbs and LLDPE/Mod-TiO 2 -Ntbs with 5 wt% filler loading showed higher E′ values in the storage modulus at low temperatures than either neat PE and LLDPE. The photodegradation properties of the PE/Mod-TiO 2 -Ntbs and LLDPE/Mod-TiO 2 -Ntbs composites were studied. The largest increase of chemiluminescence emission (CL) and carbonyl index (CI) was found for LLDPE/Mod-TiO 2 -Ntbs during photoaging. That behavior may be due to large branching of the polymer, and to the presence of the nanotubes incorporated into the LLDPE, which promoted and accelerated its photodegradation due to reactive species generated during irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch nanoparticles (SNp) with a diameter of ca. 70 nm were synthesized and used as fillers to prepare high density polyethylene (PE) composites by in situ polymerization. The effect of these particles on the thermal degradation, isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization, and photodegradation of PE was studied. SNp decreased the thermal degradation temperature of PE as tested by thermogravimetric analysis and increased the relative crystallinity and crystallization rate under isothermal conditions. This nucleating agent effect was confirmed by nonisothermal crystallizations as composites presented higher crystallization temperatures than neat PE. The photodegradation tests under UV radiation during 28 days showed that NPp promoted the polymer degradation by increasing the amount of carbonyl groups and by forming cavities at the nanoparticle/PE interface. Our findings open up new strategies for using SNp as filler in PE matrices to increase not only its photodegradation, but also its thermal properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]