Six-day measurement of size-resolved indoor fluorescent bioaerosols of outdoor origin in an office

Indoor airborne bioaerosols of outdoor origin play an important role in determining the exposure of humans to bioaerosols because people spend most of their time indoors. However, there are few studies focusing on indoor bioaerosols originating from outdoors. In this study, indoor versus outdoor size-resolved concentrations and particle asymmetry factors of airborne fluorescent bioaerosols in an office room were measured continuously for 6 days (144 h) using a fluorescent bioaerosol detector. The windows and door of this room were closed to ensure that there was only air infiltration; moreover, any human activities were ceased during sampling to inhibit effects of indoor sources. We focused on fine particles, since few coarse particles enter indoor environments, when windows and doors are closed. Both indoor and outdoor fluorescent bioaerosol size distributions were fit with two-mode lognormal distributions (indoor R² = 0.935, outdoor R² = 0.938). Asymmetry factor distributions were also fit with lognormal distributions (indoor R² = 0.992, outdoor R² = 0.992). Correlations between indoor and outdoor fluorescent bioaerosol concentrations show significant concentration-attenuation and a time lag during the study period. A two-parameter, semi-empirical model was used to predict concentrations of indoor fluorescent bioaerosols of outdoor origin. The measured and predicted concentrations had a linear relationship for the studied size fractions, with an R² for all size fractions of larger than 0.83.     

A simplified method for defining air humidification and dehumidification requirements

Nowadays, the use of ventilation systems is very common. In museums and exhibition rooms, they are used to guarantee the optimal temperature and humidity conditions for valuable and irreplaceable objects. Ventilation systems are increasingly used even in residential and office buildings. In Austria and other similar climates, winter outdoor air is very dry. Because of the constant air exchange using a ventilation system, the relative humidity of indoor air is often lower than the comfort limit, so that air humidification is necessary. In the same rooms, air must be dehumidified during the summer months. Humidification and dehumidification should be minimized as they are processes that consume a large amount of energy. The problem is that until now, it has been unclear how much humidification or dehumidification is necessary and could not be calculated easily. In this investigation, a simplified method for determining the humidification and dehumidification demands taking into account the effective moisture capacity of the room was developed. The developed model is used for the calculation of the energy balance and will be integrated into the program for energy certification in Austria.     

2D numerical simulation for simultaneous heat, water and gas migration in soil bed under different environmental conditions

A general mathematical model for investigating simultaneous heat, water and gas (air plus vapor) transfer in unsaturated porous soil under different environmental conditions is presented based on the volume-averaging method. Two-dimensional numerical simulation in steady state is conducted for obtaining accurate images of field characteristics in a confined soil bed, which might be useful to provide necessary information for agricultural applications. Various effects of environmental parameters, such as ambient temperature, relative humidity, radiative heat flux and wind speed, on transport processes in soil without plant roots are analyzed through the calculating results in the present paper. Received on 13 January 1998     

Effects of humidity and temperature on subcritical crack growth in sandstone

In order to ensure long-term stability of structures in a rock mass, the study of time-dependent fracturing is essential. The influences of the surrounding environmental conditions and rock fabric on subcritical crack growth in sedimentary rocks in air are yet to be clarified, while the nature of subcritical crack growth in igneous rocks has been studied well. In this study, the influences of temperature and relative humidity on subcritical crack growth in Berea sandstone, Shirahama sandstone and Kushiro sandstone were investigated in air. The load relaxation method of Double Torsion (DT) testing method was used to measure both crack velocity and stress intensity factor under a controlled temperature and relative humidity.Results show that the change of the crack velocity at a given stress intensity factor was unclear when the temperature increased under a constant relative humidity in air. On the other hand, we show that the crack velocity increased by several orders of magnitude when the relative humidity increased threefold or fourfold under a constant temperature at a given stress intensity factor. This increase is much larger than that expected from the conventional concept based on the theory of stress corrosion. It is therefore necessary to consider the additional mechanisms for subcritical crack growth in sandstone. The increase of the crack velocity was larger for sandstone which contained larger amount of clays. We conclude that subcritical crack growth in sandstone in air is affected remarkably by the relative humidity and the amount of clays in rock.     

Effects of supply air temperature and inlet location on particle dispersion in displacement ventilation rooms

The effects of supply temperature and vertical location of inlet air on particle dispersion in a displacement ventilated (DV) room were numerically modeled with validation by experimental data from the literature. The results indicate that the temperature and vertical location of inlet supply air did not greatly affect the air distribution in the upper parts of a DV room, but could significantly influence the airflow pattern in the lower parts of the room, thus affecting the indoor air quality with contaminant sources located at the lower level, such as particles from working activities in an office. The numerical results also show that the inlet location would slightly influence the relative ventilation efficiency for the same air supply volume, but particle concentration in the breathing zone would be slightly lower with a low horizontal wall slot than a rectangular diffuser. Comparison of the results for two different supply temperatures in a DV room shows that, although lower supply temperature means less incoming air volume, since the indoor flow is mainly driven by buoyancy, lower supply temperature air could more efficiently remove passive sources (such as particles released from work activities in an office). However, in the breathing zone it gives higher concentration as compared to higher supply air temperature. To obtain good indoor air quality, low supply air temperature should be avoided because concentration in the breathing zone has a stronger and more direct impact on human health.     

Experimental study on effect of relative humidity on heat transfer of an evaporating water droplet in air flow

Dispersed water droplets are often seen in environmental air flows in rain, cloud, mist, sea spray and so on. It is therefore of great importance to precisely estimate heat transfer between water droplets and atmospheric air in developing a reliable climate model. The purpose of this study is to fabricate the measurement system for the temperature of a small water droplet in air flow under the controlled relative humidity condition and to investigate the effect of relative humidity on heat transfer across the surface of an evaporating water droplet in air flow. The results show that the droplet temperature decreases in the low-relative-humidity condition, whereas it increases in the high-relative-humidity condition. Nusselt number on the droplet surface is not affected by the relative humidity.     

Review on charging model of sand particles due to collisions

In this paper, the models describing the charge transfer between two sand particles due to collisions are reviewed. By comparing the experimental results and the calculated results by the models carried on an individual particle due to a single collision, it indicates the Mosaic model is more reasonable to describe the collision charging mechanism. The Mosaic model cannot only describe the dependence of the collision charges on the relative collision speed and the particle size, but also reveal the relationship between the collision charges with the environmental temperature, the relative humidity and the material parameters, e.g., the absorption energy. Based on the Mosaic model, the model to describe the charges transfer due to multiple collisions is also developed, which can be used to calculate the charges carried by sand particles due to multiple collisions in the wind blown sand flux.     

Influence of relative humidity on fracture toughness of rock: Implications for subcritical crack growth

Information relating to the fracture toughness of geomaterials is critical to our understanding of tensile fracturing, and in particular in geological and rock engineering projects that are subjected to elevated moisture levels. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive set of fracture toughness tests on a suite of key rock types in air under different relative humidities and at constant temperature in order to investigate the influence of relative humidity on fracture toughness. Three sandstones and two igneous rocks were chosen for this purpose. We show that the value of fracture toughness decreases with increasing relative humidity. In addition, we find that the decrease in fracture toughness was more significant when the expansive clay such as smectite was included in rock. Since smectite is prone to expanding in the presence of water, the strength and thus crack growth resistance decrease when relative humidity is high. Therefore, we interpret the decreasing fracture toughness upon the degradation of expansive clays with increasing water content. It was also shown that the decrease of the fracture toughness with increasing humidity is less significant than the concomitant decrease in the measured value of the subcritical stress intensity factor. This was likely as a result of stress corrosion having little influence on the fracture toughness. We conclude that crack growth in rock is affected by humidity, and that clay content is an important contributing factor to changes in fracture toughness and subcritical stress intensity factor.     

制动磨损源大气颗粒物排放的研究进展

交通运输工具种类及数量的持续增长,势必会给环境保护带来严重的影响. 交通运输工具于摩擦制动过程释放的制动磨损颗粒物(即制动粉尘)已成为城市大气颗粒物的重要贡献源,显著影响着城市的空气质量. 为贯彻落实绿色发展理念,探索制动磨损源大气颗粒物排放的控制措施,需深入了解颗粒物排放的准确信息. 基于此,本文中综述了近年来以制动磨损为源头的大气颗粒物排放研究进展. 首先,从机理层面介绍了制动过程中磨屑的衍化,简述了摩擦层的形成机制和制动粉尘的来源及排放特性;其次,重点阐述了制动器结构、材料类型、外界环境、制动速度和制动载荷等因素对制动磨损源大气颗粒物排放的影响,分析了各因素对大气颗粒物排放特性(如颗粒形貌、颗粒尺寸和颗粒浓度等)的影响规律;最后,提出了制动磨损源大气颗粒物排放研究需要加强的几方面内容.      

Numerical analysis of heat and mass transfer in a compact finned tubes air heat exchanger under dehumidification conditions

A simulation model of a fin-and-tube heat exchanger is presented. The effect of the relative humidity, air speed, fin base temperature, and inlet air temperature on the estimation of the overall heat-transfer coefficient and fin efficiency under wet conditions is also investigated. This model considers a non-uniform airflow velocity as well as a variable sensible heat transfer coefficient.     

Heat-and-mass transfer analysis from vegetable and fruit products stored in cold conditions

Heat and mass transfer process taking place during fruit and vegetable products in cold storage are studied. A mathematical model describing these processes is presented and the resulting governing equations are solved for different storing conditions. The relative humidity of the ventilating air and the temperature of the stored product bulk are found for different initial air relative humidity and airflow rates. As the product bulk depth increased up to 4.2 m, the relative humidity of the ventilating air approaches the steady state value. When the relative humidity is larger than the equilibrium relative humidity value, an increase in the ventilating air rate reduces the losses of the product during the period of its storage, while larger losses occur when the relative humidity values are lower than the equilibrium ones.     

置换通风的数值模拟

首先介绍了用于数值模拟置换通风室内空气分布的N点风口模型、新零方程湍流模型，以简化和加快实际工程中对置换通风的模拟计算。然后利用这些模型对某办公室置换通风的室内温度场和速度场进行了模拟，并和实验数据进行对比。结果表明，计算所得速度和温度分布与实测值吻合得很好，所用的风口模型和湍流模型能将置换通风的温度分层特性和速度场合理地模拟出来，可用于指导和优化置换通风气流组织设计。     

Measurement of electrical charges carried by airborne bacteria laboratory-generated using a single-pass bubbling aerosolizer

Widely used bioaerosol generators like Collison nebulizer probably produce electrostatically charged particles, but the electrical charges carried by laboratory-generated airborne microorganisms using bubbling aerosolizers are poorly understood. In this study, we measured the fraction of neutral particles and number of elementary charges per particle as a function of the aerodynamic diameter of airborne bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus hirae). Bioaerosols were produced by a liquid sparging aerosolizer-type bubbling generator, with particle sizes ranging from roughly 0.6 to 2 μm. The experimental setup included an electrostatic precipitator and real-time devices including an electrometer, aerodynamic particle sizer, and electrical low-pressure impactor. Experimental results obtained for various operating conditions showed that aerosols produced with a higher bubbling airflow contained a larger proportion of neutral particles (from around 30% to 50%) and that bacteria carried a greater average absolute number of elementary charges (from around –10 to –60 elementary units) than those under lower airflow. Under the investigated conditions, a neutralization step is unnecessary because it may have a negative effect on the viability of sensitive microorganisms. Our results suggest that the neutral fraction can be used downstream of an electrostatic precipitator, and that this setup may have advantages over bipolar neutralizers.     

Status of large scale wind turbine technology development abroad

To facilitate the large scale (multi-megawatt) wind turbine development in China, the foreign efforts and achievements in the area are reviewed and summarized. Not only the popular horizontal axis wind turbines on-land but also the offshore wind turbines, vertical axis wind turbines, airborne wind turbines, and shroud wind turbines are discussed. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive comment and assessment about the basic work principle, economic aspects, and environmental impacts of turbines.     

高速列车受电弓风洞试验研究

为了研究高速列车受电弓在较高速度下的整体气动特性、弓网接触压力以及受电弓对支持绝缘子的作用力等综合性能,在FD-09低速风洞中进行了测力试验。试验采用测力天平和力传感器进行测量。通过在FD-09风洞试验段内安装收缩地板的方式首次将受电弓试验风速提高到了380km/h,可以满足高速列车受电弓高速性能研究的需求。研究结果表明：受电弓相对列车运行方向对受电弓升力特性有显著的影响,对弓网接触压力也有较大的影响;通过调节导风板的角度可以有效控制弓网接触压力;受电弓对支持绝缘子的作用力表现为前面拉力后面压力。     

不同湿度条件下N、Si共掺杂DLC膜的摩擦学性能研究

采用射频化学气相法沉积了氮、硅共掺杂类金刚石碳膜(N-Si-DLC).用X射线光电子能谱仪、拉曼光谱仪、表面形貌仪及扫描电子显微镜等对薄膜结构进行了表征,用球-盘往复摩擦试验机考察了不同湿度(RH为15%,45%和75%)空气中薄膜与316L不锈钢球配副的摩擦学性能.结果表明:与Si-DLC相比,N-Si-DLC膜内sp~2C成分含量较高,N主要以C=N、C≡N、Si-N键形式存在于膜内;膜的内应力低,硬度和杨氏模量较低;含N量少的N-Si-DLC膜显示出更低的摩擦与磨损,其摩擦学性能对湿度的变化表现出较低的敏感性.     

Effect of humidity and R-ratio on the near threshold fatigue crack growth of two granular bainitic microstructures

The present report has shown that in ferrite-martensite microstructures, the relative humidity of an air environment can affect both the near threshold fatigue crack growth behaviour and the intermediate Stage II fatigue characteristics. The magnitude of the threshold stress intensity, ΔK_th, was not affected by relative humidity and the significant effect of R-ratio on ΔK_th was suitably demonstrated.The relative humidity affected the nature of both the subcritical static failure mode and the final stage III static failure mode. A direct relationship between the degree of fatigue crack growth enhancement and the extent of transgranular cleavage was evidenced.     

Measurement of the relative air permeability of compacted earth in the hygroscopic regime of saturation

The hygroscopic behavior of earthen materials has been extensively studied in the past decades. However, while the air flow within their porous network may significantly affect the kinetics of vapor transfer and thus their hygroscopic performances, few studies have focused on its assessment. For that purpose, a key parameter would be the gas permeability of the material, and its evolution with the relative humidity of the air. Indeed, due to the sorption properties of earthen material, an evolution of the water content, and thus of relative permeability, are foreseeable if the humidity of in-pore air changes. To fill this gap, this paper presents the measurement of relative permeabilities of a compacted earth sample with a new experimental set-up. The air flow through the sample is induced with an air generator at controlled flow rate, temperature, and humidity. The sample geometry was chosen in order to reduce, as much as possible, its heterogeneity in water content, and the tests were realized for several flow rates. The results, which show the evolution of gas permeability with the relative humidity of the injected air and with the water content of the material, either in adsorption or in desorption, were eventually successfully compared to predictions of the well-known Corey's law.     

Hysteretic Behaviour and Moisture Buffering of Hemp Concrete

Moisture transfer in hygroscopic building materials affects the indoor air quality by exchanging moisture and buffering the ambient relative humidity variations. The paper deals with experimental and numerical study on hysteretic sorption behaviour of the hemp concrete sorption process. Experimental intermediate scanning curves of hemp concrete are measured and used to compare two hysteresis models, Huang’s model and Carmeliet’s model. An original method is achieved to fit the numerical results on the experimental ones leading to the identification of the main desorption curve. The most relevant model, Huang’s model, is implemented in a heat and moisture transfer model based on Künzel formalism. The transient hydric response of hemp concrete submitted to cyclic hydric loadings is investigated and compared to experimental results issued from the literature. These investigations show the relevance to consider the hysteresis phenomenon into the model. Then, the influence of initial conditions is discussed. The results point out that transient response of hemp concrete strongly depends on the initial hydric state (initial moisture content as well as initial relative humidity).     

方型散流器空调室内空气流动的数值模拟

 用N点风口动量模型和一个新零方程湍流模型对某办公室方型散 流器空调的室内温度场和速度场进行了模拟，并和实验数据进行对比. 结果表明，计算所得速度和温度分布与实测值吻合得很好，所用的风 口模型和湍流模型能快速地将方型散流器空调通风的温度和速度场合 理地模拟出来，可用于指导和优化同类空调通风气流组织设计.