On the example of the Poynting–Thomson–Zener rheological model for solids, which exhibits both dissipation and wave propagation, with nonlinear dispersion relation, we introduce and investigate a finite difference numerical scheme. Our goal is to demonstrate its properties and to ease the computations in later applications for continuum thermodynamical problems. The key element is the positioning of the discretized quantities with shifts by half space and time steps with respect to each other. The arrangement is chosen according to the spacetime properties of the quantities and of the equations governing them. Numerical stability, dissipative error, and dispersive error are analyzed in detail. With the best settings found, the scheme is capable of making precise and fast predictions. Finally, the proposed scheme is compared to a commercial finite element software, COMSOL, which demonstrates essential differences even on the simplest—elastic—level of modeling.

This study examines reinforcement learning (RL) and fuzzy logic control (FLC) for optimizing battery energy storage in residential systems with photovoltaic (PV) power, grid interconnection, and dynamic or fixed electricity pricing. Effective management strategies are crucial for reducing costs, extending battery lifespan, and ensuring reliability under fluctuating demand and tariffs. A 24 h simulation with minute-level resolution modeled diverse conditions, including random household demand and ten initial state of charge (SOC) levels from 0% to 100%. RL employed proximal policy optimization (PPO) for adaptive energy scheduling, while FLC used rule-based logic for charge–discharge cycles. Results showed that FLC rapidly restored SOC at low levels, ensuring immediate availability but causing cost fluctuations and increased cycling, particularly under stable pricing or low demand. RL dynamically adjusted charging and discharging, reducing costs and smoothing energy flows while limiting battery cycling. Feature importance analysis using multiple linear regression (MLR) and random forest regression (RFR) confirmed SOC and time as key performance determinants. The findings highlight a trade-off between FLC’s rapid response and RL’s sustained cost efficiency, providing insights for optimizing residential energy management to enhance economic and operational performance.

This research investigates and evaluates the University Politehnica of Bucharest (UPB) possibilities to become an energy self-supplying by building up its own power plant and becoming an energy distributor. The campus has already been connected to the national natural gas supplying pipe and the local district heating and electrical network.A set of criteria was used to evaluate the feasibility of this project. Technical, financial, and environmental considerations were taken into account to determine the most suitable solution. The feasibility study assumed three proposals of an energy supply system considered for the university buildings / campus. Gas-fired heating plant, gas-fired Internal Combustion Engine cogeneration plant and gas fired Internal Combustion Engine for cogeneration with an Organic Rankine Cycle ORC.The details of each proposal were discussed to obtain the optimum solution. Elaborate. It was found from a financial and environmental perspective that the most feasible project is gas-fired Internal Combustion Engine cogeneration, considering profit revenue from selling / exporting power to the domestic electricity grid. And the Net Present Value was around one million euros for 15 years life.

Transpired solar collectors preheat ventilation air and reduce heat loss through building envelopes, but the effect of glazing remains insufficiently resolved. This study combines experiments, computational fluid dynamics, and techno‐economic analysis to compare glazed and unglazed collectors sharing the same 6 m ² perforated absorber, 0.35% porosity and 110 mm plenum. Tests covered solar irradiance of 200–1000 W/m ² and specific airflow rates of 18–144 m ³ /(h·m ² ). The CFD model was validated against outlet‐temperature rise, absorber‐temperature distribution, and plenum‐centreline velocity and was used to interpret the internal flow and heat‐transfer mechanisms. The glazed collector achieved thermal efficiencies of 48%–75%, compared with 42%–65% for the unglazed collector. The model‐derived energy balance showed that glazing increased the useful‐heat fraction from 55% to 62%, mainly by reducing convective loss from 26% to 17%, while introducing a 5% optical loss. The unglazed collector exhibited slightly higher heat‐exchange effectiveness, whereas the glazed collector produced higher absorber and outlet‐air temperatures. At module level, their heating functions were complementary: the unglazed collector's wall heat‐loss recapture index decreased from 93% to 63%, while the glazed collector reduced ventilation‐heating load by 60%–90%. The glazed configuration also achieved passive efficiency above 50% at the upper tested cavity heights. Including rated fan input reduced efficiency by about three percentage points for both systems. The glazed collector delivered approximately 11% more modelled seasonal useful heat, while discounted payback was 5.5 years for the unglazed system and 6.8 years for the glazed system. Collector selection should therefore balance heat delivery, dynamic insulation, passive‐operation potential, maintenance, and capital recovery.