This work considers the behaviour of air inside pipes when the air is expelled through air valves. Generally, the air shows isothermal behaviour. Nevertheless, when the transient is very fast, it shows adiabatic behaviour. In a real installation, an intermediate evolution between these two extreme conditions occurs. Thus, it is verified that the results vary significantly depending on the hypothesis adopted. To determine the pressure of the air pocket, the most unfavourable hypothesis (isothermal behaviour) is typically adopted. Nevertheless, from the perspective of the water hammer that takes place when the water column arrives at the air valve and abruptly closes, the most unfavourable hypothesis is the opposite (adiabatic behaviour). In this case, the residual velocity with which the water arrives at the air valve is higher, and, consequently, the water hammer generated is greater.

Environmental awareness has led to an increased concern about low carbon technologies implementation. Among these technologies, the following research is focused on the natural ventilation effect evaluation in buildings prior to its construction. The aim is to select the most suitable architectural solution to ensure comfortable indoor environment in the most efficient way in the early building design stage. The design approach takes into account the wind conditions in the region and the building surroundings to evaluate the façade opening distribution impact on natural ventilation performance. The design approach is based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In this article, a case study located in the Valencian Community (Spain) is depicted. The Valencian Community coastal climatic conditions are evaluated to assess the low carbon technology energy saving potential. Moreover, the main drivers and barriers involved in the design approach implementation in the region are discussed. The conclusions show that the natural ventilation design approach can improve up to 9.7% the building energy performance respect an initial building design, in which natural ventilation has not been considered. The results contribute to an assessment of the complete low carbon technology effect in the region.

In some countries, summer over-heating is a big problem in a building’s energy balance. Ventilated façades are a useful tool when applied to building design, especially in bioclimatic building design. A ventilated facade is a complex, multi-layer structural solution that enables dry installation of the covering elements. The objective of this paper is to quantify the efficiency improvement in the building thermal when this sort of facade is installed. These improvements are due to convection produced in the air gap of the façade. This convection depends on the air movement inside the gap and the heat transmission in this motion. These quantities are mathematically modelled by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques using a commercial code: STAR CCM+. The proposed method allows an assessment of the energy potential of the ventilated façade and its capacity for cooling.En muchos países, el calentamiento en los edificios que se da en verano se convierte en una fuente de consumo energético importante. La fachada ventilada se convierte en una herramienta de diseño sostenible, especialmente en diseños preocupados por el bioclimatismo. La fachada ventilada es un sistema de envolvente del edificio basada en la combinación de los paneles cerámicos con la cámara de aire con objeto de favorecer un ahorro energético en condiciones adecuadas, especialmente frente a las necesidades de refrigeración. El objetivo de la presente contribución es cuantificar la contribución a la eficiencia energética en el comportamiento térmico de los edificios cuando se instala este tipo de fachada. Estas mejoras se deben a la convección producida por el movimiento del aire en la capa de la fachada. El movimiento convectivo del aire está ligado al intercambio de calor con los paneles de la fachada. Esta cuantificación se realiza por medio de la Fluido Dinámica Computacional utilizando un código comercial: STAR CCM+. La metodología propuesta permite una estimación del potencial ahorro de uso de fachada ventilada en unas ciertas condiciones, en relación con el enfriamiento del edificio

La presente publicación es una recopilación de los apuntes de clase explicados en las diferentes asignaturas recogidas bajo la denominación de Máquinas Hidráulicas en las diferentes titulaciones que se imparten en la E.T.S. de Ingenieros Industriales de Valencia. El contenido del presente libro se ajusta al temario correspondiente a los Fundamentos de Máquinas Hidráulicas. Dicho contenido se complementaría con los correspondientes a asignaturas más avanzadas, como es el caso de Ampliación de Máquinas Hidráulicas, Turbinas Hidráulicas, Energía Eólica y Centrales Hidroeléctricas, impartidas también en esta Escuela.