The present paper describes the problem and effects of water scarcity and the possibility of rational use of this resource in the idea of a Circular Economy (CE) and sustainable development. Rational water management requires innovation, due to the growing demand for this raw material. It seems that water is widely available, e.g., in Poland, there is no problem with drought. Unfortunately, Polish water resources are shrinking and modern solutions, as well as the construction of new and modernisation of old infrastructure, are some of the few solutions that can protect against a shortage of potable water. Water is also an essential resource for economic development. It is used in every sector of the economy. Limited water resources lead to an inevitable energy transformation because, in its present state, the Polish energy industry consumes huge amounts of water. Due to the above statements, the authors propose a solution in the form of an interactive shower panel that contributes to more rational water management (e.g., in households or hotels) based on the latest technological achievements. This device enables the creation of water consumption statistics based on accurate liquid flow measurements and the transfer of data to the user’s mobile device. This innovation aims to make the user aware of the amount of water used, which in turn can contribute to lower water consumption.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate the procedure for determining the thermal conductivity of a solid material with relatively high thermal conductivity, using an original self-designed apparatus. Design/methodology/approach: The thermal conductivity measurements have been performed according to the ASTM D5470 standard. The thermal conductivity was calculated from the recorded temperature values in steady-state heat transfer conditions and determined heat flux. Findings: It has been found from the obtained experimental results that the applied standard test method, which was initially introduced for thermal conductivity measurements of thermal interface materials (TIMs), is also suitable for materials with high thermal conductivity, giving reliable results. Research limitations/implications: The ASTM D5470 standard test method for measurement of thermal conductivity usually gives poor results for high conductive materials having thermal conductivity above 100 W/mK, due to problems with measuring heat flux and temperature drop across the investigated sample with reasonably high accuracy. Practical implications: The results obtained for the tested material show that the presented standard test method can also be used for materials with high thermal conductivity, which is of importance either for the industrial or laboratory applications. Originality/value: The thermal conductivity measurements have been carried out using an original self-designed apparatus, which was developed for testing broad range of engineering materials with high accuracy.

This paper presents an efficient nondestructive testing (NDT) method for detection of plies displacement in carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites using the active thermography technique. To assess the capability of the proposed technique for detection of plies displacement, the CFRP composite specimens with simulated fault were designed and manufactured. The IR thermography measurements were conducted using two-sided experimental arrangement. From recorded sequences of thermal images, the temperature variations versus time plots were extracted to obtain the maximum thermal contrasts. For quantitative interpretation of the results, the thermal diffusivity values for each composite material were determined and related to the fiber volume fraction. The experimental results showed that the thermal diffusivity increases with an increase of fiber volume fraction; further, the values of thermal diffusivity are specimen thickness dependent. The obtained values of thermal diffusivity varied from 1.5 × 10⁻⁷ m²/s (for 3.2 mm composite with 8.5 vol.% carbon fiber) to 2.6 × 10⁻⁷ m²/s (for 7.7 mm composite with 34.1 vol.% carbon fiber). On the basis of these results, it was concluded that the active thermography combined with thermal diffusivity analysis can be considered as a reliable NDT technique for detection of plies displacement in CFRP composites.

A significant acceleration of degradation process is observed during occurrence of the self-heating effect, which has a character of mechanical energy dissipation and causes heating-up of structures. Following this, it is essential to evaluate a critical value of self-heating temperature at which a thermal domination of fatigue processes occurs. With a progress of degradation irreversible structural changes occur. In this study, an experimental evaluation of the degradation process was performed based on analysis of apparent thermal diffusivity of a composite structure at various self-heating temperature values. The obtained results show that the estimated apparent thermal diffusivity is a sensitive measure which allows for effective evaluation of structural changes caused by fatigue processes.