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Born in Marsciano (PG, Italy) in 1966; Master Degree in Civil Engineering in 1990; University of Perugia (Italy): - Researcher in Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer since 1990, - PhD in Applied Physics, 1995; - Assistant professor of Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer and Environmental Control Techniques, 1997 ‐ 2004; - Associate professor of Applied Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer, HVAC Plants, and Environmental Control Techniques, since 2005, - Qualification as Full Professor in the National Scientific Qualification, Field 09/C2 since 03/02/2014 (I round 2012, validity from 03/02/2014 to 03/02/2020; last round 2018, validity from 08/10/2018 to 08/10/2027). - Member of the Board of the Department of Engineering at University of Perugia since 2014. - Delegate of the University of Perugia in the Umbria Spring Cluster (Green Chemistry), Territorial Development and Dissemination Committee, since 2017. - Member of the Professors Council of the PhD in Energy and Sustainable Development (Biomass Research Centre, University of Perugia) since 2013. - Delegate for Umbria Section of AIDI (Italian Illuminating Association). - Member of the CIRIAF Council ‐ Interuniversity Research Centre on Pollution.
This paper concerns the development of an automatic tool, based on Fuzzy Logic, which is able to identify the proper solutions for the energy retrofitting of existing buildings. Regarding winter heating, opaque and glazing surfaces are considered in order to reduce building heat dispersions. Starting from energy diagnosis, it is possible to formulate retrofitting proposals and to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention considering several aspects (energy savings, costs, intervention typology). The innovation of this work is represented by the application of a fuzzy logic expert system to obtain an indication about the proper interventions for building energy retrofitting, providing as inputs only few parameters, with a strong reduction in time and effort with respect to the software tools and methodologies currently applied by experts. The novelty of the paper is the easy handling properties of the developed tool, which requires only a few data about the buildings: not many such methods were developed in the last years. The energy requirements for winter heating before and after particular interventions were evaluated for a consistent set of buildings in order to produce the required knowledge base for the tool’s development. The identified appropriate inputs and outputs, their domains of discretization, the membership functions associated to each fuzzy set, and the linguistic rules were deduced on the basis of the knowledge determined in this was. Therefore, the system was successfully validated with reference to further buildings characterized by different design and architecture features, showing a good agreement with the intervention opportunities evaluated.
Linda Barelli; Elisa Belloni; Gianni Bidini; Cinzia Buratti; Emilia Maria Pinchi. Development of a Decisional Procedure Based on Fuzzy Logic for the Energy Retrofitting of Buildings. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9318 .
AMA StyleLinda Barelli, Elisa Belloni, Gianni Bidini, Cinzia Buratti, Emilia Maria Pinchi. Development of a Decisional Procedure Based on Fuzzy Logic for the Energy Retrofitting of Buildings. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):9318.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLinda Barelli; Elisa Belloni; Gianni Bidini; Cinzia Buratti; Emilia Maria Pinchi. 2021. "Development of a Decisional Procedure Based on Fuzzy Logic for the Energy Retrofitting of Buildings." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 9318.
Multiple high quality wood waste from a window manufacturer is identified and collected. Eco-sustainable panels, with promising acoustic and thermal insulating performance, were then fabricated. The available wood is of different tree species (pine, oak, and mahogany) and size (pieces of wood, mixed coarse chips, and mixed fine chips). Moreover, scraps of olive tree pruning from local areas were collected for reuse. The aim of the research is to assembly panels (300 × 300 mm2) both with different techniques (hand-made and hot-pressed) and type of adhesive (vinyl and flour glues) and to evaluate their thermal, acoustic, and environmental performance. All the panels present thermal and acoustic performance comparable with the similar ones available in the literature or with commercial solutions. The thermal conductivity varies in the 0.071 to 0.084 W/mK range at an average temperature of 10 °C, depending on the tree species, the assembly technique, and regardless of the type of adhesive used. Oak wood panels are characterized by both better sound absorption (α peak value of 0.9, similar to pine pressed sample with flour glue) and insulation (transmission loss up to 11 dB at 1700 Hz) properties. However, their added value is the low environmental impact assessed through life cycle analysis in compliance with ISO 14040, especially for panels assembled with natural glue.
Francesca Merli; Elisa Belloni; Cinzia Buratti. Eco-Sustainable Wood Waste Panels for Building Applications: Influence of Different Species and Assembling Techniques on Thermal, Acoustic, and Environmental Performance. Buildings 2021, 11, 361 .
AMA StyleFrancesca Merli, Elisa Belloni, Cinzia Buratti. Eco-Sustainable Wood Waste Panels for Building Applications: Influence of Different Species and Assembling Techniques on Thermal, Acoustic, and Environmental Performance. Buildings. 2021; 11 (8):361.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesca Merli; Elisa Belloni; Cinzia Buratti. 2021. "Eco-Sustainable Wood Waste Panels for Building Applications: Influence of Different Species and Assembling Techniques on Thermal, Acoustic, and Environmental Performance." Buildings 11, no. 8: 361.
Livestock production as a contributing factor of global warming has become a critical aspect of policy development among scientists, institutions, governments, and societies. Improving the animal farms performance in the several countries is a key strategy to meet the demand for animal protein, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving resource use efficiency. In this context, this chapter presents a global overview of beef production systems, their diversity, the way they can contribute to major global environmental issues and the evaluation of specific points for intervention. The characteristics of the beef production systems all over the world are analyzed, together with the goal and scope, the types of analysis (methods for the evaluation of the carbon footprint), the functional units generally implemented for the analyses, the allocation methods, and the uncertainties of the studies. This detailed overview allows a critical analysis of the selected studies, which are discussed in the last section of the chapter. It was found that it is important to improve the understanding of biological processes involved in the emissions of methane and nitrous oxide processes, in order to obtain more valid and reliable carbon footprint results.
C. Buratti; E. Belloni; F. Fantozzi. Environmental Impact of Beef Production Systems. Advances of Footprint Family for Sustainable Energy and Industrial Systems 2021, 59 -91.
AMA StyleC. Buratti, E. Belloni, F. Fantozzi. Environmental Impact of Beef Production Systems. Advances of Footprint Family for Sustainable Energy and Industrial Systems. 2021; ():59-91.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC. Buratti; E. Belloni; F. Fantozzi. 2021. "Environmental Impact of Beef Production Systems." Advances of Footprint Family for Sustainable Energy and Industrial Systems , no. : 59-91.
Recycled waste materials obtained from industrial and agricultural processes are becoming promising thermal and acoustic insulating solutions in building applications; their use can play an important role in the environmental impact reduction. The aim of the present paper is the evaluation of the thermal performance of recycled waste panels consisting of cork scraps, rice husk, coffee chaff, and end-life granulated tires, glued in different weight ratios and pressed. Six panels obtained from the mixing of these waste materials were fabricated and analyzed. In particular, the scope is the selection of the best compromise solutions from the thermal and environmental points of view. To this aim, thermal resistances were measured in laboratory and a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis was carried out for each panel; a cross-comparative examination was performed in order to optimize their properties and find the best panels solutions to be assembled in the future. Life Cycle Analysis was carried out in terms of primary Embodied Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, considering a ‘‘cradle-to-gate” approach. The obtained thermal conductivities varied in the 0.055 to 0.135 W/mK range, in the same order of magnitude of many traditional systems. The best thermal results were obtained for the panels made of granulated cork, rice husk, and coffee chaff in this order. The rubber granulate showed higher values of the thermal conductivity (about 0.15 W/mK); a very interesting combined solution was the panel composed of cork (60%), rice husk (20%), and coffee chaff (20%), with a thermal conductivity of 0.08 W/mK and a Global Warming Potential of only 2.6 kg CO2eq/m2. Considering the Embodied Energy (CED), the best solution is a panel composed of 56% of cork and 44% of coffee chaff (minimum CED and thermal conductivity).
Paola Ricciardi; Elisa Belloni; Francesca Merli; Cinzia Buratti. Sustainable Panels Made with Industrial and Agricultural Waste: Thermal and Environmental Critical Analysis of the Experimental Results. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 494 .
AMA StylePaola Ricciardi, Elisa Belloni, Francesca Merli, Cinzia Buratti. Sustainable Panels Made with Industrial and Agricultural Waste: Thermal and Environmental Critical Analysis of the Experimental Results. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (2):494.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaola Ricciardi; Elisa Belloni; Francesca Merli; Cinzia Buratti. 2021. "Sustainable Panels Made with Industrial and Agricultural Waste: Thermal and Environmental Critical Analysis of the Experimental Results." Applied Sciences 11, no. 2: 494.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Union College, Schenectady, NY, 12308, USA Ann M. Anderson, Bradford A. Bruno, Frank Dilone & Matthew T. LaRosa Department of Chemistry, Union College, Schenectady, NY, 12308, USA Thomas F. Andre, Chris Avanessian & Mary K. Carroll You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar Correspondence to Ann M. Anderson. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The online version of the original article can be found at https://doi.org/10.1007/s40825-020-00165-z Reprints and Permissions Anderson, A.M., Bruno, B.A., Dilone, F. et al. Correction to: Effect of Copper Loading in Copper-Alumina Aerogels on Three-Way Catalytic Performance. Emiss. Control Sci. Technol. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40825-020-00175-x Download citation Published: 19 October 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40825-020-00175-x
Ann M. Anderson; Bradford A. Bruno; Frank Dilone; Matthew T. LaRosa; Thomas F. Andre; Chris Avanessian; Mary K. Carroll. Correction to: Effect of Copper Loading in Copper-Alumina Aerogels on Three-Way Catalytic Performance. Emission Control Science and Technology 2020, 6, 462 -462.
AMA StyleAnn M. Anderson, Bradford A. Bruno, Frank Dilone, Matthew T. LaRosa, Thomas F. Andre, Chris Avanessian, Mary K. Carroll. Correction to: Effect of Copper Loading in Copper-Alumina Aerogels on Three-Way Catalytic Performance. Emission Control Science and Technology. 2020; 6 (4):462-462.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnn M. Anderson; Bradford A. Bruno; Frank Dilone; Matthew T. LaRosa; Thomas F. Andre; Chris Avanessian; Mary K. Carroll. 2020. "Correction to: Effect of Copper Loading in Copper-Alumina Aerogels on Three-Way Catalytic Performance." Emission Control Science and Technology 6, no. 4: 462-462.
A simplified algorithm using an artificial neural network (ANN, a feed-forward neural network) for the assessment of the predicted mean vote (PMV) index in summertime was developed, using solely three input variables (namely the indoor air temperature, relative humidity, and clothing insulation), whilst low air speed (<0.1 m/s), a minimal variation of radiant temperature (25.1 °C ± 2 °C) and steady metabolism (1.2 Met) were considered. Sensitivity analysis to the number of variables and to the number of neurons were performed. The developed ANN was then compared with three proven methods used for thermal comfort prediction: (i) the International Standard; (ii) the Rohles model; (iii) the modified Rohles model. Finally, another network able to predict the indoor thermal conditions was considered: the combined calculation of the two networks was tested for the PMV prediction. The proposed algorithm allows one to better approximate the PMV index than the other models (mean error of ANN predominantly in ±0.10–±0.20 range). The accuracy of the network in PMV prediction increases when air temperature and relative humidity values fall into 21–28 °C and 30–75% ranges. When the PMV is predicted by using the combined calculation (i.e., by using the two networks), the same order of magnitude of error was found, confirming the reliability of the networks. The developed ANN could be considered as an alternative method for the simplified prediction of PMV; moreover, the new simplified algorithm can be useful in buildings’ design phase, i.e., in those cases where experimental data are not available.
Domenico Palladino; Iole Nardi; Cinzia Buratti. Artificial Neural Network for the Thermal Comfort Index Prediction: Development of a New Simplified Algorithm. Energies 2020, 13, 4500 .
AMA StyleDomenico Palladino, Iole Nardi, Cinzia Buratti. Artificial Neural Network for the Thermal Comfort Index Prediction: Development of a New Simplified Algorithm. Energies. 2020; 13 (17):4500.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDomenico Palladino; Iole Nardi; Cinzia Buratti. 2020. "Artificial Neural Network for the Thermal Comfort Index Prediction: Development of a New Simplified Algorithm." Energies 13, no. 17: 4500.
Olive tree leaves, an abundant agricultural by-product without enough industrial market outlets, are presented in this study as a relevant resource of available carbohydrates to be chemically treated for monomeric sugar production. Characterization of two main granulometric fractions is the starting point for testing the specific effect and the relevance of three main factors (time, temperature, and sulfuric acid concentration) on diluted acid hydrolysis with respect to oligosaccharides, simple sugars, and fermentation inhibitory compounds production. The selected conditions (100 ∘ C, 90 min, and 6% w/w H 2 SO 4 ) to perform the small scale hydrolytic process, considering response surface methodology (2 3 factorial design with center points), implied production of acetic acid and hydroxymethylfurfural in concentrations not exceeding 1.10 kg m − 3 and 0.25 kg m − 3 , respectively. Thus, these experimental conditions were the reference framework to evaluate the effect of a meaningful scaling stage in a hydrolysis reactor, considering kinetic parameters based on hydrolysis rates and D-glucose and D-xylose generation.
Soledad Mateo; Pilar Mateo; Marco Barbanera; Cinzia Buratti; Alberto J. Moya. Acid Hydrolysis of Olive Tree Leaves: Preliminary Study towards Biochemical Conversion. Processes 2020, 8, 886 .
AMA StyleSoledad Mateo, Pilar Mateo, Marco Barbanera, Cinzia Buratti, Alberto J. Moya. Acid Hydrolysis of Olive Tree Leaves: Preliminary Study towards Biochemical Conversion. Processes. 2020; 8 (8):886.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSoledad Mateo; Pilar Mateo; Marco Barbanera; Cinzia Buratti; Alberto J. Moya. 2020. "Acid Hydrolysis of Olive Tree Leaves: Preliminary Study towards Biochemical Conversion." Processes 8, no. 8: 886.
Aerogels are high surface area, low density, low thermal mass, nanoporous materials that are stable at high temperatures. This unique combination of physical characteristics makes them promising for use in three-way catalyst systems. Their high surface area has the potential to result in more active sites and improved gas/solid interaction. Their high temperature stability may reduce active site diffusion/sintering and allow for close coupling, which combined with the low thermal inertia may lead to a reduced time to light-off. It is relatively easy to incorporate a variety of metals, including non-precious group metals, into an aerogel backbone. We have developed a series of copper-alumina (CuAl) aerogels via sol-gel synthesis and rapid supercritical extraction drying. Different amounts of copper were incorporated into the alumina gel, resulting in materials with 20% to 40% copper by mass. Scanning electron microscopy imaging shows copper-containing particles distributed in the material, and powder X-ray diffraction indicates that the copper may be in the copper aluminate spinel phase after heat treatment. The materials were tested in the Union Catalytic Aerogel Testbed (UCAT), which evaluates catalytic material performance for conversion of NO, HCs, and CO over a range of temperatures from 200 to 700 °C using a simulated exhaust gas mixture with and without air. UCAT test results indicate that adding more copper to the aerogel lowers the light-off temperature from 350 to 225–250 °C for the conversion of CO and from 500 to 425–450 °C for the conversion of HCs (in the presence of air) and from 425 to 325 °C for NO (without air).
Ann M. Anderson; Braford A. Bruno; Frank Dilone; Matthew T. LaRosa; Thomas F. Andre; Chris Avanessian; Mary K. Carroll. Effect of Copper Loading in Copper-Alumina Aerogels on Three-Way Catalytic Performance. Emission Control Science and Technology 2020, 6, 324 -335.
AMA StyleAnn M. Anderson, Braford A. Bruno, Frank Dilone, Matthew T. LaRosa, Thomas F. Andre, Chris Avanessian, Mary K. Carroll. Effect of Copper Loading in Copper-Alumina Aerogels on Three-Way Catalytic Performance. Emission Control Science and Technology. 2020; 6 (3):324-335.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnn M. Anderson; Braford A. Bruno; Frank Dilone; Matthew T. LaRosa; Thomas F. Andre; Chris Avanessian; Mary K. Carroll. 2020. "Effect of Copper Loading in Copper-Alumina Aerogels on Three-Way Catalytic Performance." Emission Control Science and Technology 6, no. 3: 324-335.
Transparent elements of buildings account for most of the variation in the spectrum of transmitted daylight. This behavior has a considerable impact on the luminous quality of the indoor environment, because the light spectral composition affects the perceived color and brightness of the illuminated objects. As a consequence, the effect of light colour and intensity on the behavior and health of the occupants is very important. Among the innovative transparent solutions for buildings, monolithic aerogel is one of the most promising, both in terms of lighting and thermal performance. In this context, the present study investigates the colour rendering properties of monolithic aerogel. For the analysis we employed a machine vision system based on a dome-shape illuminator, a digital camera, a chroma meter, and a colour checker. We evaluated the effect of the aerogel on colour rendering by measuring the RGB and CIE Lab coordinates of the reference colours of the colour checker with and without the aerogel. The results show that, in general, the presence of aerogel tends to shift all the colours towards a blue hue, the maximum variations occurring with dark tones of red, yellow, and green. Finally the Colour Rendering Index Ra was calculated for the examined monolithic aerogel by means of a methodology developed in accordance to the EN ISO 410 standard and CIE standard procedures. The obtained values prove a rather good visual quality of the monolithic aerogel (Ra = 85).
C. Buratti; E. Belloni; F. Merli; F. Bianconi. Experimental characterization of the color rendering properties of transparent monolithic aerogel. Solar Energy 2020, 205, 183 -191.
AMA StyleC. Buratti, E. Belloni, F. Merli, F. Bianconi. Experimental characterization of the color rendering properties of transparent monolithic aerogel. Solar Energy. 2020; 205 ():183-191.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC. Buratti; E. Belloni; F. Merli; F. Bianconi. 2020. "Experimental characterization of the color rendering properties of transparent monolithic aerogel." Solar Energy 205, no. : 183-191.
The main topics of this Special Issue regard energy efficiency in buildings and the use of innovative materials for design and retrofitting to pursue this goal
Cristina Cornaro; Cinzia Buratti. Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Innovative Materials for Building Construction. Applied Sciences 2020, 10, 2866 .
AMA StyleCristina Cornaro, Cinzia Buratti. Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Innovative Materials for Building Construction. Applied Sciences. 2020; 10 (8):2866.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristina Cornaro; Cinzia Buratti. 2020. "Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Innovative Materials for Building Construction." Applied Sciences 10, no. 8: 2866.
The mean age of air (MAA) is one of the most useful parameters in evaluating indoor air quality in natural ventilated buildings. Its evaluation is generally based on the CO2 monitoring within the environment; however, other methods can be found in the literature, but they have not always led to satisfactory results. In this context, the present paper is focused on two main topics: the effect of the windows airtightness and of the environmental conditions on MAA and the application of artificial neural network (ANN) for the CO2 prediction within the room. Two case studies (case study 1 located in Terni and case study 2 located in Perugia) were investigated, which differ in geometric dimensions (useful area, volume, window area) and in airtightness of windows. The indoor and outdoor environmental conditions (air temperature, pressure, relative humidity, air velocity, and indoor CO2 concentration) were monitored in 33 experimental campaigns, in four room configurations: open door-open window (OD-OW); closed door-open window (CD-OW); open door-closed window (OD-CW); closed door-closed window (CD-CW). Tracer decay methodology, according to ISO 16000-8:2007 standard, was compiled during all the experimental campaigns. A feedforward ANN, able to simulate the indoor CO2 concentration within the rooms, was then implemented; the monitored environmental conditions (air temperature, pressure, relative humidity, and air velocity), the geometric dimensions (useful area, volume, window area), and the airtightness of windows were provided as input data, while the CO2 concentration was used as target. In particular, data of 19 experimental campaigns were provided for the training process of the network, while 14 were only used for testing the reliability of ANN. The CO2 concentration predicted by ANN was then used for the MAA calculation in the four room configurations. Experimental results show that MAA of case study 2 is always higher, in all the examined configurations, due to the higher airtightness characteristics of the window and to the higher volume of the room. When the difference between indoor and outdoor temperature increases, the MAA increases too, in almost all the investigated configurations. Finally, the CO2 concentration predicted by ANN was compared with experimental data; results show a good accuracy of the network both in CO2 prediction and in the MAA calculation. The predicted CO2 concentration at the beginning of experimental campaigns (time step 0) always differs less than 2% from experimental data, while a mean percentage difference of −18.8% was found considering the maximum CO2 concentration. The MAA calculated using the predicted CO2 of ANN was greater than the one obtained from experimental data, with a difference in the 0.5–1.3 min range, depending on the configuration. According to the results, the developed ANN can be considered an alternative and valuable tool for a preliminary evaluation of MAA.
Cinzia Buratti; Domenico Palladino. Mean Age of Air in Natural Ventilated Buildings: Experimental Evaluation and CO2 Prediction by Artificial Neural Networks. Applied Sciences 2020, 10, 1730 .
AMA StyleCinzia Buratti, Domenico Palladino. Mean Age of Air in Natural Ventilated Buildings: Experimental Evaluation and CO2 Prediction by Artificial Neural Networks. Applied Sciences. 2020; 10 (5):1730.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCinzia Buratti; Domenico Palladino. 2020. "Mean Age of Air in Natural Ventilated Buildings: Experimental Evaluation and CO2 Prediction by Artificial Neural Networks." Applied Sciences 10, no. 5: 1730.
Silica aerogels are unique materials with characteristics that allow them to be used in a wide variety of applications. They are nanoporous, with low density, large surface area, low thermal conductivity, and they are relatively translucent. Recently, the use of a CO2 engraving and cutting system to etch a variety of patterns, including text and photographs, onto the surface of silica aerogel with minimal damage to the bulk aerogel was demonstrated; however, the mechanism by which the aerogel surface is altered was not understood and the extent of the damage not quantified. In this paper we present results on the effect of etching on, and cutting through, silica aerogel material with a CO2 laser engraving and cutting system, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas adsorption analysis. SEM analyses of the etched aerogel material show evidence of melting. Surface areas of the etched portion of aerogel monoliths are lower compared that the unetched material while pore diameters are larger. FTIR shows that little structural change occurs on the molecular level during etching of the silica aerogel. Silica aerogel can be etched using a CO2 laser engraver and cutting system: (a) a photograph of aerogel etched with a geometric pattern shows no damage to the bulk material; (b) an SEM micrograph of a single laser pulse indicates that some of the material is removed via vaporization; and (c) a higher magnification SEM micrograph of an etched section of the aerogel shows evidence of melting/sintering due to interaction of the laser pulse with the surface.
Allison M. Stanec; Ann M. Anderson; Chris Avanessian; Mary K. Carroll. Analysis and characterization of etched silica aerogels. Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology 2020, 94, 406 -415.
AMA StyleAllison M. Stanec, Ann M. Anderson, Chris Avanessian, Mary K. Carroll. Analysis and characterization of etched silica aerogels. Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology. 2020; 94 (2):406-415.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAllison M. Stanec; Ann M. Anderson; Chris Avanessian; Mary K. Carroll. 2020. "Analysis and characterization of etched silica aerogels." Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology 94, no. 2: 406-415.
The hygrothermal performance of building materials is a very important issue for indoor comfort. The aim of this study is to measure the water vapour resistance factor μ of recycled waste materials. Leather cuttings, rice husk, and coffee chaff were used in order to manufacture innovative panels for thermal-noise building insulation. The permeability measurements were carried out by the dry cup method in compliance with the Standard EN ISO 12572. In the experimental campaign, conventional gypsum plaster and expanded polystyrene were also considered, whose hygrothermal characteristics are known from the Literature, in order to verify the reliability of the method. The moisture transfer properties of the innovative panels are higher than the values available in the Literature for other vegetable and mineral fibers-based panels (sheep wool, wood, cork, expanded vermiculite and perlite, glass or stone wool, and so on). However, the high μ-value obtained for coffee chaff panels (equal to 392) could involve an increase in heat loss and acoustically weak points.
C. Buratti; E. Belloni; F. Merli. Water vapour permeability of innovative building materials from different waste. Materials Letters 2020, 265, 127459 .
AMA StyleC. Buratti, E. Belloni, F. Merli. Water vapour permeability of innovative building materials from different waste. Materials Letters. 2020; 265 ():127459.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC. Buratti; E. Belloni; F. Merli. 2020. "Water vapour permeability of innovative building materials from different waste." Materials Letters 265, no. : 127459.
In the last few decades, the attention of researchers has been focused on the characterization of aerogels in order to improve the thermal performance of transparent building envelopes. Granular aerogel is already spread in the market thanks to the easy manufacturing system, whereas the difficulty in producing monoliths without defects, cracks, and inhomogeneity limited the diffusion of monolithic aerogel systems. A new production process for the monolithic panels was developed at Union College (Schenectady, NY, USA); it is a rapid supercritical extraction technique which allows a reduction in production time (only a few hours) and results in less solvent waste. Panes with maximum dimensions of about 100 × 100 mm were fabricated and composed in a unique glazing system, with external dimensions 300 × 300 mm. The thermal characterization of the innovative monolithic aerogel glazing system (simple float glazing 4.7-mm-thick monolithic aerogel pane 15-mm-thick simple float glazing 4.7 mm thick), which was carried out by means of a Small Hot Box apparatus, showed a thermal transmittance value of about 1.1 W/(m2K). Data was used in dynamic simulations of a typical non-residential building. They showed that the new investigated solution allows a valuable reduction with respect to a low-e double glazing system in terms of heating energy demand (about 5–7% for Helsinki, 8–12% for Paris, and 10–15% for Turin), for different window-to-wall ratios.
Cinzia Buratti; Elisa Moretti; Elisa Belloni; Michele Zinzi. Experimental and Numerical Energy Assessment of a Monolithic Aerogel Glazing Unit for Building Applications. Applied Sciences 2019, 9, 5473 .
AMA StyleCinzia Buratti, Elisa Moretti, Elisa Belloni, Michele Zinzi. Experimental and Numerical Energy Assessment of a Monolithic Aerogel Glazing Unit for Building Applications. Applied Sciences. 2019; 9 (24):5473.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCinzia Buratti; Elisa Moretti; Elisa Belloni; Michele Zinzi. 2019. "Experimental and Numerical Energy Assessment of a Monolithic Aerogel Glazing Unit for Building Applications." Applied Sciences 9, no. 24: 5473.
In the last decades noticeable research efforts focused on aerogels, due to their thermal and acoustic insulation properties and potential applications in energy efficient translucent windows. In this work, thermal-energy and lighting performance of innovative double glazing units is evaluated through in-field experimental campaigns. Two identical rooms (Test and Reference) and a weather station are installed on the roof of a building in the Campus of Engineering (University of Perugia, Italy). An aerogel glazing system (AGS), consisted of aerogel granules mixed with opaque hollow silica in the interspace of a double glazing, is mounted in the window frame of the Test Room, whereas a standard double glazing system (SGS) with air in interspace is mounted in the Reference Room. The main quantities that influence the thermo-hygrometric and lighting conditions are monitored; preliminary results (June 2018) show that the indoor air temperature in the Test Room, especially the peak values, is about 6–7 °C lower than the one in the Reference Room. This trend is due to the presence of silica dust, which contributes to the reduction of the solar factor. At the same time, the maximum illuminance values close to the window are about 5000–8000 lux with SGS and about 2000–2500 lux with AGS; the Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI) calculated during the working hours (8 a.m–6 p.m.) shows for AGS values 57% higher than SGS, highlighting the aerogel ability to diffuse light and to reduce glare.
C. Buratti; E. Moretti; Elisa Belloni; F. Merli; V. Piermatti; T. Ihara. Field Experimental Study on Energy Performance of Aerogel Glazings with Hollow Silica: Preliminary Results in Mid-Season Conditions. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes 2019, 185 -197.
AMA StyleC. Buratti, E. Moretti, Elisa Belloni, F. Merli, V. Piermatti, T. Ihara. Field Experimental Study on Energy Performance of Aerogel Glazings with Hollow Silica: Preliminary Results in Mid-Season Conditions. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes. 2019; ():185-197.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC. Buratti; E. Moretti; Elisa Belloni; F. Merli; V. Piermatti; T. Ihara. 2019. "Field Experimental Study on Energy Performance of Aerogel Glazings with Hollow Silica: Preliminary Results in Mid-Season Conditions." Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes , no. : 185-197.
Nowadays, the belief that lighting can influence comfort, productivity and people's health is well established. In educational rooms the absence of adequate levels of indoor comfort can greatly influence the learning ability of students. The evaluation of lighting indoor quality is often limited to test and check the illuminance levels of the main tasks. However, the lighting quality and the achievement of adequate levels of visual comfort strongly depend on other factors that cannot be overlooked in a detailed analysis. The authors propose an original lighting quality assessment method for the evaluation of lighting in educational rooms, aimed at analysing all the main aspects and at defining a ranking of the critical issues, in order to consider improvements. The method based on the selection of lighting criteria, sub-criteria, and related indicators. Since an analytic hierarchy process was applied to assign a weight to each criterion that has a different impact on the lighting quality. The proposed method was applied at the scale of the single classroom and of a group consisting of six classrooms, considering the buildings of the School of Engineering at University of Pisa as case study. Finally, with the aim of verifying the correspondence between results of the proposed method and actual users' perception, a subjective survey was carried out in the same investigated classrooms. A total of 420 questionnaires were filled, and the results revealed the correspondence between the proposed method and the subjective surveys, proving the validity of the method.
F. Leccese; G. Salvadori; M. Rocca; C. Buratti; E. Belloni. A method to assess lighting quality in educational rooms using analytic hierarchy process. Building and Environment 2019, 168, 106501 .
AMA StyleF. Leccese, G. Salvadori, M. Rocca, C. Buratti, E. Belloni. A method to assess lighting quality in educational rooms using analytic hierarchy process. Building and Environment. 2019; 168 ():106501.
Chicago/Turabian StyleF. Leccese; G. Salvadori; M. Rocca; C. Buratti; E. Belloni. 2019. "A method to assess lighting quality in educational rooms using analytic hierarchy process." Building and Environment 168, no. : 106501.
Building retrofitting plays a key-role in energy saving and a growing interest is focused on insulating materials that allow a reduction in heat loss from envelopes with low thickness, by a process of reducing heating and cooling demand. In this context, a complete characterization of the physical properties of Moroccan natural gypsum materials was carried out. Basic information on the mineralogical, microstructure, thermal, mechanical, and acoustic characteristics of the rocks sampled from two Moroccan regions is provided. It was found that mineralogy, porosity, and water content are the main factors governing the development of the structure and the strength of the samples. The measured values of the porosity were 8.94%, the water content varied between 2.5–3.0% for the two studied typologies, coming from Agadir and Safi, respectively. Gypsum powder was used for fabricating samples, which were investigated in terms of thermal and acoustic performance. Thermal properties were measured by means of a hot disk apparatus and values of conductivity of 0.18 W/mK and 0.13 W/mK were obtained for Agadir and Safi Gypsum, respectively. The acoustic performance was evaluated in terms of absorption coefficient and sound insulation, measured by means of a Kundt’s Tube (ISO 10534-2). The absorption coefficients were slightly higher than the ones of conventional plasters with similar thickness. A good sound insulation performance was confirmed, especially for Safi Gypsum, with a transmission loss-value up to about 50 dB at high frequency.
Said Bouzit; Said Laasri; Mohamed Taha; Abdelaziz Laghzizil; Abdelowahed Hajjaji; Francesca Merli; Cinzia Buratti. Characterization of Natural Gypsum Materials and Their Composites for Building Applications. Applied Sciences 2019, 9, 2443 .
AMA StyleSaid Bouzit, Said Laasri, Mohamed Taha, Abdelaziz Laghzizil, Abdelowahed Hajjaji, Francesca Merli, Cinzia Buratti. Characterization of Natural Gypsum Materials and Their Composites for Building Applications. Applied Sciences. 2019; 9 (12):2443.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSaid Bouzit; Said Laasri; Mohamed Taha; Abdelaziz Laghzizil; Abdelowahed Hajjaji; Francesca Merli; Cinzia Buratti. 2019. "Characterization of Natural Gypsum Materials and Their Composites for Building Applications." Applied Sciences 9, no. 12: 2443.
Aerogel is a promising building envelope material that can be used to improve thermal and lighting performance. In monolithic form, aerogels allow visual interaction between the built and outdoor environments, unlike aerogels in granular form. However, the high production cost of large monoliths limits their use. In this work, monolithic silica aerogels were fabricated using tetramethyl orthosilicate as the precursor in a base-catalysed recipe, and a novel rapid supercritical extraction method. The method produces transparent aerogel monoliths in as little as six hours. A 30 × 30 cm glazing sample was constructed from nine 15-mm-thick aerogel monoliths sandwiched between two pieces of 4.7-mm-thick float glass. The glazing sample was characterized in terms of directional and hemispherical optical and visual properties. Measurements were made with an in-house-constructed spectrophotometer equipped with a 75-cm-diameter integrating sphere in the 380- to 2300- nm wavelength range with variable incidence angles. The light and direct solar transmittance are 0.69 and 0.62, while the light and direct solar reflectance are 0.25 and 0.19, respectively. The sample is also characterized by a high general colour rendering index (Ra = 96), allowing indoor visual comfort. Gonio-photometric and directional spectral transmittance measurements show negligible visual distortion and colour variation at different observation angles. The light transmittance of the prototype is lower than that of glazing units present on the market, but about 10% higher than an equivalent unit with granular aerogel. This performance is promising for applications where view through a window is required. However, the size of the samples currently fabricated with the innovative process is limited to 14 × 14 cm and they are characterized by some optical defects that must be removed if the process is to be used for commercial product.
Michele Zinzi; Giuseppe Rossi; Ann M. Anderson; Mary K. Carroll; Elisa Moretti; Cinzia Buratti. Optical and visual experimental characterization of a glazing system with monolithic silica aerogel. Solar Energy 2019, 183, 30 -39.
AMA StyleMichele Zinzi, Giuseppe Rossi, Ann M. Anderson, Mary K. Carroll, Elisa Moretti, Cinzia Buratti. Optical and visual experimental characterization of a glazing system with monolithic silica aerogel. Solar Energy. 2019; 183 ():30-39.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMichele Zinzi; Giuseppe Rossi; Ann M. Anderson; Mary K. Carroll; Elisa Moretti; Cinzia Buratti. 2019. "Optical and visual experimental characterization of a glazing system with monolithic silica aerogel." Solar Energy 183, no. : 30-39.
Silica aerogels are thermally and acoustically insulating and can offer advantages in building thermal applications. They come in granular (multiple small pieces) and monolithic (single piece) form. Granular aerogels are relatively easy to produce and can be incorporated into large window systems. Large monolithic aerogels are more difficult to produce, but they offer superior optical and thermal performance. The aim of this paper is to experimentally investigate the acoustic properties of monolithic aerogel samples fabricated using a rapid supercritical extraction method. The acoustic absorption coefficient (α) and the transmission loss (TL) were measured at normal incidence in a traditional impedance tube in the 100–5000 Hz frequency range, for three thicknesses, from 12.7 to 25.4 mm. Good acoustic performance was achieved: 12.7-mm-thick cylindrical monoliths have a peak acoustic absorption coefficient of 0.88 at ∼1500 Hz. When the thickness increases, α decreases (to 0.78 and 0.54 for 19-mm and 25.4-mm thick samples, respectively), with peaks at lower frequencies (1300 and 1100 Hz). The transmission loss increases with aerogel thickness with values as high as 10–15 dB in the 100- to 1600-Hz range. When compared to granular aerogels, the monoliths have TLs that are 5–7 dB larger in the 100- to 1600-Hz range. To further compare performance, small glazing packages were fabricated from glass panels with air, granular, or monolithic aerogel in the interspace. The TL was evaluated and found to be in the 35- to 45-dB range for all samples. The monolithic aerogel glazing had the highest TL, particularly in the 200- to 1000-Hz range. Based on these results, we estimated a 3-dB increase in the sound insulation index for the glazing system with a monolith when compared to the glazing system with air, and a 1- to 2-dB increase when compared to the granular aerogel glazing. This study demonstrates that the use of transparent monolithic silica aerogel in the interspace of conventional glazing systems would result in significant improvement in noise insulation.
Francesca Merli; Ann M. Anderson; Mary K. Carroll; Cinzia Buratti. Acoustic measurements on monolithic aerogel samples and application of the selected solutions to standard window systems. Applied Acoustics 2018, 142, 123 -131.
AMA StyleFrancesca Merli, Ann M. Anderson, Mary K. Carroll, Cinzia Buratti. Acoustic measurements on monolithic aerogel samples and application of the selected solutions to standard window systems. Applied Acoustics. 2018; 142 ():123-131.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesca Merli; Ann M. Anderson; Mary K. Carroll; Cinzia Buratti. 2018. "Acoustic measurements on monolithic aerogel samples and application of the selected solutions to standard window systems." Applied Acoustics 142, no. : 123-131.