Search Results (591)

Internal insulation plasters enable historic building renovation without altering the external appearance of the wall. However, the use of internal insulation must be verified case-by-case through dynamic hygrothermal simulation, and the influence of input parameters on the results is not always clear. This paper aims to (i) characterize a new lime-based insulating plaster with expanded recycled glass and aerogel through laboratory measurements, (ii) assess the damage criteria of the plaster under different boundary conditions through dynamic simulations, and (iii) identify the most impactful design conditions on the relative humidity behind insulation. This innovative plaster combines highly insulating properties (thermal conductivity of 0.0463 W/mK) with good capillary activity while also integrating recycled components without compromising performance. The relative humidity behind insulation remains below 95% in most simulated scenarios, with cases above this threshold found only in cold climates, particularly under high internal moisture loads. The parametric study shows that (i) in the analyzed stones, the thermal conductivity variation of the existing wall has a greater effect on the relative humidity behind insulation than the variation of the vapor resistance factor, (ii) the effect of insulation thickness on the relative humidity behind insulation depends on the difference in thermal resistance of the insulation and existing masonry layers, and (iii) internal moisture load and external climate directly impact the relative humidity behind insulation. Full article

The Upper Blue Nile Basin (UBNB), which contributes about 60% to the annual Nile flow, plays a critical role in the Nile water management. However, its complex terrain and climate create significant challenges for accurate regional climate simulations, which are essential for climate impact assessments. This study aims to address the challenges of climate simulation over the UBNB by enhancing the Regional Climate Model system (RegCM5) with its new non-hydrostatic dynamical core (MOLOCH) to simulate precipitation and temperature. The model is driven by ERA5 reanalysis for the period (2000–2009), and two scenarios are simulated using two different schemes of the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL): Holtslag (Hol) and University of Washington (UW). The two scenarios, noted as (MOLOCH-Hol and MOLOCH-UW), are compared to the previously best-performing hydrostatic configuration. The MOLOCH-UW scenario showed the best precipitation performance relative to observations, with an accepted dry Bias% up to 22%, and a high annual cycle correlation >0.85. However, MOLOCH-Hol showed a very good performance only in the wet season with a wet bias of 4% and moderate correlation of ≈0.6. For temperature, MOLOCH-UW also outperformed, achieving the lowest cold/warm bias range of −2% to +3%, and high correlations of ≈0.9 through the year and the wet season. This study concluded that the MOLOCH-UW is the most reliable configuration for reproducing the climate variability over the UBNB. This developed configuration is a promising tool for the basin’s hydroclimate applications, such as dynamical downscaling of the seasonal forecasts and future climate change scenarios produced by global circulation models. Future improvements could be achieved through convective-permitting simulation at ≤4 km resolution, especially in the application of assessing the land use change impact. Full article

With the gradual adoption of smart hardware such as the Internet of Things (IoT) in warehousing and logistics, the efficiency bottlenecks and resource wastage inherent in traditional storage management models are now poised for breakthrough through digital and intelligent transformation. This study focuses on the cross-border cold chain storage scenario for Malaysia’s Musang King durians. Influenced by the fruit’s extremely short 3–5-day shelf life and the concentrated harvesting period in primary production areas, the issue of delayed dynamic demand response is particularly acute. Utilizing actual sales order data for Mao Shan Wang durians from Beigang Logistics in Guangxi, this study constructs a demand forecasting model integrating Bayesian optimization with bidirectional long short-term memory networks (BO-BiLSTM). This aims to achieve precise forecasting and optimization of cold chain storage inventory. Experimental results demonstrate that the BO-BiLSTM model achieved an R² of 0.6937 on the test set, with the RMSE reduced to 19.1841. This represents significant improvement over the baseline LSTM model (R² = 0.5630, RMSE = 22.9127). The bidirectional Bayesian optimization mechanism effectively enhances model stability. This study provides a solution for forecasting inventory demand of fresh durians in cold chain storage, offering technical support for optimizing the operation of backbone hub cold storage facilities along the New Western Land–Sea Trade Corridor. Full article

In this study, an aircraft icing diagnosis and forecasting method is constructed and hindcast for 25 collected spring icing cases over Eastern China based on two commonly used aircraft icing diagnostic methods (hereinafter referred to as the IC index method and the TF empirical method, respectively) and ERA5 reanalysis data as the atmospheric environmental field for icing occurrence. The spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of aircraft icing accumulation occurrence over typical cities at different latitudes in China are calculated separately, and the spatial and temporal distribution of icing accumulation areas over Xinchang, Zhejiang Province in China during one case of cold air activity is simulated. Accordingly, several application scenarios for the application of methods to forecast aircraft icing accumulation are proposed. The results indicate that among the selected icing cases, the diagnosis accuracy of the IC index method and the TF empirical method is 80% and 92%, respectively. The TF empirical method takes into account the effects of aircraft flight speed and dynamic warming, and shows better correlation with ice water particle concentration and cloud cover in medium and low clouds. However, the predicted icing accumulation intensity predicted by the TF empirical method is not accurate enough without the real flight speed of the aircraft, and there are more empty forecasts above 400 hPa. In practical applications, both the IC index method and the TF empirical method can effectively identify the icing-prone pressure levels and time periods and forecast the distribution of icing accumulation intensity at high pressure levels for a given station. Full article

Patio-style dwellings are a highly representative category of traditional dwellings in the Yangtze River Delta region of China. As a crucial climate-adjusting space for traditional dwellings in the hot summer and cold winter zone, patios have long been the focus of practice and research in traditional dwelling renovation. Previous studies have mostly focused on how the shape and scale of patios affect their performance in terms of ventilation, lighting, and thermal environment; however, there is a lack of research on how patio renovation measures influence the thermal comfort of spaces surrounding patios. Based on the two goals of improving the thermal comfort of the general hall space and reducing the overall building energy consumption, this paper takes the patio renovation of Huaigengtang Dwelling as a case study. We use the Design Builder (v7.0.2.006) simulation software to analyze the impact of 10 selected patio measures on thermal comfort and energy consumption and adopt the entropy weight method to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the indicators for thermal comfort improvement and energy consumption reduction. The quantitative simulation is divided into two scenarios: one where the patio maintains natural ventilation, and the other where the patio is renovated into an enclosed space with split-type air conditioners used for cooling and heating. We select a single patio renovation measure and a combined patio renovation measure based on the values of the comprehensive scores. Regarding the application of the selected optimal measures, and in combination with the dual needs of functional improvement and performance enhancement in traditional dwelling renovation practice, this paper analyzes the corresponding relationships between three types of functional improvement—inheritance-type renovation, optimization-type renovation and replacement-type renovation—and the two performance evaluation indicators, namely thermal comfort improvement and energy consumption reduction, so as to propose the optimal recommendation schemes for different renovation scenarios. Full article

Crown fires are a major disturbance in boreal and cold–temperate forests worldwide, threatening both ecosystems and human activities. The Da Xing’anling Mountains of Northeast China exemplify these dangers due to their complex vegetation and high crown fire potential. Crown fire occurrence depends on vertical fuel continuity, fuel load, heating value, surface fire spread rate, and critical fireline intensity. However, many assessments rely on single-factor metrics or low-adaptability simulations. This study developed a Potential Canopy Fire Danger Index (PCDI) that integrates five parameters—fuel vertical distribution continuity index, fuel loading, heating value, surface fire rate of spread, and critical fireline intensity—based on field surveys and combustion tests. Pinus pumila (Regel, 1861), with its dense shrub layer, showed the highest PCDI values (0.502, 0.583 and 0.527), whereas other forest types generally fell in the low to low–moderate range (0.350–0.450), with ≈75% of plots within these classes. Surface fire spread rate correlated most strongly with PCDI, followed by vertical fuel continuity, heating value, and fuel load; critical fireline intensity had minimal influence. The elevated hazard in P. pumila reflects its structural and fuel characteristics, while other forest types present comparatively lower dangers. Model checks indicated high stability and agreement with BehavePlus 6.0 scenarios, with the PCDI showing the lowest sample SD. The PCDI provides a quantitative framework for assessing crown fire danger in cold–temperate forests and supports targeted mitigation—prioritizing P. pumila while employing cost-effective maintenance in low-danger forest types. Full article

Global climate change has intensified temperature fluctuations, significantly impacting insect populations. Thermal tolerance has emerged as a critical determinant of species distribution and invasion potential. Liriomyza trifolii, an economically important invasive pest, has been rapidly expanding in southeastern coastal regions of China, gradually displacing its congeners L. sativae and L. huidobrensis. This competitive advantage is closely associated with its superior thermal adaptation strategies. Here, we first examine the temperature-mediated competitive dominance of L. trifolii, then systematically elucidate the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying its temperature tolerance, revealing its survival strategies under extreme temperatures. Notably, L. trifolii exhibits a lower developmental threshold temperature and higher thermal constant, extending its damage period, while its significantly lower supercooling point confers exceptional overwintering capacity. Physiologically, rapid cold hardening (RCH) enhances cold tolerance through glycerol accumulation and increased fatty acid unsaturation, while heat acclimation improves thermotolerance via a trade-off between developmental processes and reproductive investment. Molecular analyses demonstrate that L. trifolii combines the low-temperature inducible characteristics of L. huidobrensis with the high-temperature responsive advantages of L. sativae in heat shock protein (Hsp) expression patterns. Transcriptomic studies further identify differential expressions of lipid metabolism and chaperone-related genes as key to thermal adaptation. Current research limitations include incomplete understanding of non-Hsp gene regulatory networks and laboratory–field adaptation discrepancies. Future studies should integrate multi-omics approaches with ecological modeling to predict L. trifolii’s expansion under climate change scenarios and develop temperature-based green control strategies. Full article

To achieve deep decarbonization in the transportation sector, this study employs life cycle assessment (LCA) and the GREET model to construct baseline and low-carbon scenarios. It simulates the evolution of emissions and energy consumption within Inner Mongolia’s public transportation energy system (including diesel buses (DBs), electric buses (EBs), and hydrogen fuel cell buses (HFCBs)) from 2022 to 2035, while exploring synergistic pathways for its low-carbon transition. Results reveal that under the baseline scenario, reliance on industrial by-product hydrogen causes fuel cell bus emissions to increase by 3.64% in 2025 compared to 2022, with system energy savings below 10%, and decarbonization potential will be constrained by scale limitations and storage/transportation losses in cold regions. Under the low-carbon scenario, deep grid decarbonization, vehicle structure optimization, and green hydrogen integration reduced system emissions and energy consumption by 66.86% and 40.44%, respectively, compared to 2022. The study identifies a 15% green hydrogen penetration rate as the critical threshold for resource misallocation and confirms grid decarbonization as the top-priority policy tool, yielding marginal benefits 1.43 times greater than standalone hydrogen policies. This study underscores the importance of multi-policy coordination and ‘technology-supply chain’ synergy, particularly highlighting the critical threshold of green hydrogen penetration and the primacy of grid decarbonization, offering insights for similar coal-dominated, cold-region transportation energy transitions. Full article

The quality change process of table grapes during cold chain logistics is complex and highly susceptible to vibration-induced damage. Traditional monitoring techniques not only consume significant human and material resources but also cause destructive effects on the fruit structure of table grapes, making them difficult to apply in practical scenarios. Based on this, this paper focuses on table grapes in cold chain business processes and designs a flexible wireless vibration sensor for monitoring the quality of table grapes during cold chain transportation. The hardware component of the system fabricates a flexible wireless vibration sensing for monitoring the quality of the table grape cold chain. In contrast, the software component develops corresponding data acquisition and processing functionalities. Using Summer Black table grapes purchased from Tianjin Hongqi Agricultural Market as the research subject, correlation and quality monitoring models for the cold chain process of table grapes were constructed. After Z-score standardization, the prediction results based on the MLR model achieved R² values all greater than 0.87 and RPD values all exceeding 2.7. Comparisons with other regression models demonstrated its optimal fitting performance for monitoring the quality of the cold chain for table grapes. This achieves non-destructive and high-precision data acquisition and processing during the cold chain process of table grapes, wirelessly transmitting results to terminal devices for real-time visual monitoring. Full article

With the dual pressures of accelerating urbanization and global climate warming, understanding the evolution and connectivity of cold island networks has become crucial for managing urban thermal risks. This study explores the spatiotemporal dynamics, driving mechanisms, and scenario-based projections of cold island networks in a rapidly urbanizing region of Southwest China. Using multi-temporal Landsat imagery (2000–2024), ecological resistance surface modeling, and least-cost path analysis, the study evaluated historical changes and simulated future scenarios for 2035 and 2050 under both Natural Development (ND) and Park City (PC) planning interventions. The findings reveal that: (1) Between 2000 and 2024, rapid urbanization significantly expanded high-temperature areas, fragmented cooling sources, and reshaped cold island connectivity into a hierarchical corridor network centered on a dominant ventilation axis; (2) Since 2019, ecological restoration measures have notably enhanced the structural cohesion and connectivity of cooling corridors, partially mitigating previous fragmentation; (3) Scenario simulations indicate that proactive ecological planning could reduce the extent of high-temperature zones by approximately 20% by 2050, demonstrating strong potential for mitigating future thermal risks. Overall, the results emphasize the necessity of incorporating continuous cold island corridors and connectivity principles into urban spatial planning to enhance climate resilience and support sustainable development. Full article

The current study experimentally investigates the performance of a novel pumpless Rankine cycle (PRC) configuration utilizing low-temperature heat sources. Precisely, a 1 kW_e PRC configuration using R245fa refrigerant is tested under different heat source and heat sink temperature levels. The energetic and exergetic performance indexes are calculated using validated simulation models developed in MATLAB incorporating the CoolProp library. The derived efficiency results are compared with the corresponding indexes of a conventional ORC system used as the baseline. The findings show that for a hot water heat source temperature of 90 °C and a cold water heat sink temperature of 10 °C as the working conditions, the time-averaged thermal efficiency maximizes at 4.5%, while the corresponding time-averaged exergy efficiency is calculated at 31%. Additionally, the innovative PRC topology shows higher efficiency rates compared to the conventional ORC solution for all the working scenarios tested. For a heat sink of 40 °C and a heat source of 90 °C, the thermal efficiency and the exergy efficiency calculated for the PRC are 7.7% and 7.5% higher, respectively, than the baseline ORC system, showing improved exploitation potential. Full article

The introduction of alien insect species is increasingly facilitated by global plant trade, particularly through the movement of ornamental plants. Takecallis nigroantennatus, a host-specific aphid associated with cold-hardy Fargesia bamboo, has recently expanded its range in Europe. To examine its invasion dynamics, we conducted a population-level survey across 13 locations in six countries, sampling individuals from botanic and private gardens, specialized bamboo nurseries, garden centers, and urban horticultural environments in the UK, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and Norway. A total of 117 specimens were analyzed using mitochondrial COI sequences, revealing a single dominant haplotype without geographic structure based on Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses. This striking genetic uniformity indicates a narrow introduction bottleneck, suggesting a single or highly restricted introduction event followed by clonal spread. Despite the species’ ability for sexual reproduction, the data support a founder effect and rapid recent expansion closely linked to the introduction history of Fargesia in Europe. The results are also consistent with a possible time lag between the arrival of ornamental bamboo and the subsequent establishment of its associated herbivore, a scenario that warrants further investigation. Importantly, our study provides a practical framework for applied monitoring and early detection in bamboo nurseries, botanical gardens, and other high-risk introduction sites, illustrating how molecular tools can inform biosecurity and the management of emerging invasive species. Full article

Vortex tubes are used in specialized scenarios where conventional refrigeration systems are impractical, such as tool cooling in CNC machines. The internal flow within a vortex tube is highly complex, with numerous factors influencing its energy separation process, and the coefficient of performance for refrigeration is relatively low. To investigate the impact of nozzle type on energy separation performance, vortex tubes with straight-type, converging-type, and converging–diverging-type nozzles were designed. Numerical simulation was conducted to explore their velocity, pressure, and temperature distribution at an inlet pressure of 0.7 MPa and a cold mass fraction of 0.1~0.9. The cooling effect, temperature separation effect, cold outlet mass flow rate, and refrigeration capacity of vortex tubes were assessed. The converging–diverging nozzle increases the gas velocity at the nozzle outlet while it does not significantly enlarge the airflow velocity in the vortex chamber. As the cold mass fraction rises, the cooling performance and cooling capacity of three vortex tubes first increase and then decrease. The maximum cooling effect and cooling capacity of vortex tubes are achieved at cold mass fractions of 0.3 and 0.7, respectively. Under identical conditions, the vortex tube with a converging nozzle achieves the highest cooling effect with a temperature drop of 36.6 K, whereas the vortex tube with converging–diverging nozzles possesses the largest gas flow rate, and the cooling capacity reaches 542.4 W. The vortex tube with straight nozzles exhibits the worst refrigeration performance with a cooling effect of 33.6 K and a cooling capacity of 465.9 W. It is indicated that optimizing the nozzle structure of the vortex tube to reduce flow resistance contributes to enhancing both the gas velocity entering the swirl chamber and the resultant refrigeration performance. Full article

Building geometric parameters are key factors influencing energy-efficient building design. However, the systematic influence of building geometric parameters on energy use intensity (EUI) across varying climate regions and building envelope thermal performance levels remains incompletely elucidated, hindering the quantitative assessment of their energy-saving benefits in diverse regions and operational scenarios. This study employs a zonal sensor-optimized coupled daylighting–thermal simulation to analyze the impact of building geometric parameters and their values on annual total EUI across different climate regions and building envelope thermal performance levels. The interquartile range (IQR), sensitivity analysis (SA), and energy saving rate (ESR) analysis are utilized. The results showed the following: (1) The energy-saving benefits of geometric parameters were the greatest in severe cold (SevC) and temperate regions (TRs), with IQRs ranging from 28.50 to 39.87 kWh/m², followed by hot summer–warm winter (HS-WW), cold (Cld), and hot summer–cold winter (HS-CW) regions. While high-performance building envelopes significantly reduce EUI, the energy-saving benefits associated with geometric parameters remain undiminished. (2) The WWR is the parameter most sensitive to EUI, with SA reaching a maximum of 41.19%, notably exceeding 20% in HS-CW regions, HS-WW regions, and TRs; floor height has the lowest sensitivity, with SA reaching a maximum of 5.65%. (3) In different climate regions, the influence of floor height and building footprint area on the ESR shifts between positive and negative correlations, while the WWR and window sill height consistently exhibit positive correlations with the ESR in all climate regions. This study provides a quantitative decision-making basis for optimizing building geometric parameters in different climate regions to achieve high-performance building shapes during the early stages of architectural design. Full article

The study investigates a hybrid energy system integrating photovoltaic (PV) panels, micro-CHP units, battery storage, and thermal storage to meet the winter energy demands of a residential building in Bacău, Romania. Using real-world experimental data from amorphous, polycrystalline, and monocrystalline PV panels, C++ Model 1 simulates building energy needs and PV system performance under varying irradiance levels. The results show that PV systems alone cannot meet the total winter demand, with polycrystalline slightly outperforming monocrystalline, yet still falling short. A second computational model (C++ Model 2) simulates hybrid energy flow, demonstrating how the CHP unit and storage systems can ensure off-grid autonomy. The model dynamically manages energy between components based on daily irradiance scenarios. The findings reveal critical thresholds for PV surplus, optimal CHP sizing, and realistic battery and thermal storage needs. This paper provides a practical framework for designing efficient, data-driven hybrid solar–CHP systems for cold climates. The novelty lies in the integration of real-world PV efficiency data with a dynamic irradiance-driven simulation framework, enabling precise hybrid system sizing for winter-dominant regions. Full article