Performance evaluation of an integrated solar water heater as an option for building energy conservation

Since a majority of residential and industrial building hot water needs are around 50 degrees C, an integrated solar water heater could provide a bulk source that blends collection and storage into one unit. This paper describes the design, construction and performance test results of one such water-heating device. The test unit has an absorber area of 1.3 m(2) and can hold 1701 of water, of which extractable volume per day is 1001. Its performance was evaluated under various typical operating conditions. Every morning at about 7:00 a.m., 1001 of hot water were drawn from the sump and replaced with cold water from the mains. Although, during most of the days, the peak temperatures of water obtained are between 50 and 60 degrees C, the next morning temperatures were lower at 45-50 degrees C. Daytime collection efficiencies of about 60% and overall efficiencies of about 40% were obtained. Tests were conducted with and without stratification. Night radiation losses were reduced by use of a screen insulation.

Embodied and operational energy of urban residential buildings in India

Globally, buildings consume nearly half of the total energy produced, and consequently responsible for a large share of CO2 emissions. A building's life cycle energy (LCE) comprises its embodied energy (EE) and operational energy (OE). The building design, prevalent climatic conditions and occupant behaviour primarily determines its LCE. Thus, for the identification of appropriate emission-reduction strategies, studies into building LCE are crucial. While OE reflects the energy utilized in operating a, EE comprises the initial capital energy involved in its construction (material and burden associated with material consumption in buildings. Assessment of EE and OE in buildings is crucial towards identifying appropriate design and operational strategies for reduction of the building's life cycle energy. This paper discusses EE and OE assessment of a few residential buildings in different climatic locations in India. The study shows that share of OE and EE in LCE greatly depends upon the types of materials used in construction and extent of space conditioning adopted. In some cases EE can exceed life cycle OE. Buildings with reinforced concrete frame and monolithic reinforced concrete walls have very high EE. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cu-II-Azide Polymers of Cu-3 and Cu-6 Building Units: Synthesis,Structures, and Magnetic Exchange Mechanism

Two new neutral copper-azido polymers [Cu-3(N-3)(6)(tmen)(2)](n)(1)and [Cu-6(N-3)(12)(deen)(2)](n) (2) [tmen = N,N,N, N-tetramethylethylenediamine and deen = N,N-diethylethylenediamine] have been synthesized by using lower molar equivalents of the chelating diamine ligands with Cu(NO3)(2)center dot 3H(2)O and an excess of NaN3. The single crystal X-ray structure shows that in the basic unit of the 1D complex 1, the three Cu-II ions are linked by double end-on azido bridges with Cu-N-EO-Cu angles on both sides of the magnetic exchange critical angle of 108 degrees. Complex 2 is a 3D framework of a basic u-6 cluster. Cryomagnetic susceptibility measurements over a wide range of temperature exhibit dominant ferromagnetic behavior in both the complexes. Density functional theory calculations (B3LYP functional) have been performed on the trinuclear unit to provide a qualitative theoretical interpretation of the overall ferromagnetic behavior shown by the complex 1.

[B4O9H2] Cyclic Borate Units as the Building Unit in a Family of Zinc Borate Structures

A solvothermal reaction of ZnO, boric acid (B(OH)(3)), and aliphatic airlines in a water-pyridine mixture gave four zinc borate phases of different dimensionalities: [Zn(B4O8H2)(C3H10N2)], I (one-dimensional); [Zn(B4O8H2)(C3H10N2)] H2O, II (two-dimensional); [Zn(B5O10H3)(C10H24N4)]center dot H2O, III (two-dimensional): and [Zn-2(B8O15H2)(C3H10N2)(2)], IV (three-dimensional). The structures are formed by the connectivity involving polyborate chains and layers with Zn2+ species. In all the compounds, the amine molecules act its file ligand binding either the same or different zn centers. The formation of two different structures, II and IV, from the same amine by varying the reaction time is noteworthy. Transformation studies on II indicate that the formation of IV. from II, is facile and has been investigated for the first time. Two of file compounds, I and III, exhibit activity for second-order nonlinear optical behavior. The UV exposure of the sample indicates the absorption of all the UV radiation suggesting that the zinc borate compounds could be exploited for UV-blocking applications. The compounds have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, UV-vis, photoluminescence, and NMR studies.

Micro-treatment options for components of organic fraction of MSW in residential areas

There is a growing interest in management of MSW through micro-treatment of organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSW) in many cities of India. The OFMSW fraction is high (> 80%) in many pockets within South Indian cities like Bangalore, Chikkamagalur, etc. and is largely represented by vegetable, fruit, packing and garden wastes. Among these, the last three have shown problems for easy decomposition. Fruit wastes are characterized by a large pectin supported fraction that decomposes quickly to organic acids (becomes pulpy) that eventually slow down anaerobic and aerobic decomposition processes. Paper fraction (newsprint and photocopying paper) as well as paddy straw (packing), bagasse (from cane juice stalls) and tree leaf litter (typical garden waste and street sweepings) are found in reasonably large proportions in MSW. These decompose slowly due to poor nutrients or physical state. We have examined the suitability of these substrates for micro-composting in plastic bins by tracking decomposition pattern and physical changes. It was found that fruit wastes decompose rapidly to produce organic acids and large leachate fraction such that it may need to be mixed with leachate absorbing materials (dry wastes) for good composting. Leaf litter, paddy straw and bagasse decompose to the tune of 90, 68 and 60% VS and are suitable for composting micro-treatment. Paper fractions even when augmented with 10% leaf compost failed to show appreciable decomposition in 50 days. All these feedstocks were found to have good biological methane potential (BMP) and showed promise for conversion to biogas under a mixed feed operation. Suitability of this approach was verified by operating a plug-flow type anaerobic digester where only leaf litter gathered nearby (as street sweepings) was used as feedstock. Here only a third of the BMP was realized at this scale (0.18 m(3) biogas/kg VS 0.55 m(3)/kg in BMP). We conclude that anaerobic digestion in plug-flow like digesters appear a more suitable micro-treatment option (2-10 kg VS/day) because in addition to compost it also produces biogas for domestic use nearby.

Synthetic investigation on the building of ring A of steroids

Methyl 7-keto-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,7-octahydronaphthoate (Va) has been prepared by the reduction of 7-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthoic acid (III) with lithium and ammonia followed by hydrolysis of the enol ether, esterification and migration of the double bond. Alkylation of Va has led to the substitution at the expected 8-position. Methyl 4-keto-7-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthoate (X), an intermediate in the preparation of III, has been converted into methyl 3-methyl-3-cyano-4-keto-7-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthoate (XIII).

A building-up process in open-framework metal carboxylates that involves a progressive increase in dimensionality

Extensive research work has been carried out in the last few years on the synthesis and characterization of several families of open-framework materials, including aluminosilicates,[1] phosphates,[2] and carboxylates.[3] These studies have shown the occurrence of a variety of three dimensional (3D) architectures containing channels and other features.

A Series of Cu-II-Azide Polymers of Cu-6 Building Units and the Role of Chelating Diamine in Controlling their Dimensionality: Synthesis, Structures, and Magnetic Behavior

Four new neutral copper-azido polymers Cu-6(N-3)(12)(aem)(2)](n)(1), Cu-6(N-3)(12)(dmeen)(2)(H2O)(2)](n) (2), Cu-6(N-3)(12)(N,N'-dmen)(2)](n) (3), and Cu-6(N-3)(12)(hmpz)(2)](n) (4) aem = 4-(2-aminoethyl)morpholine; dmeen = N,N-dimethyl-N'-ethylethylenediamine; N,N'-dmen = N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine and hmpz = homopiperazine] have been synthesized by using 0.33 mol equiv of the chelating diamine ligands with Cu(NO3)(2)center dot 3H(2)O/CuCl2 center dot 2H(2)O and an excess of NaN3. Single crystal X-ray structures show that the basic unit of these complexes, especially 1-3, contains very similar Cu-6(II) building blocks. But the overall structures of these complexes vary widely in dimensionality. While 1 is three-dimensional (3D) in nature, 2 and 3 have a two-dimensional (2D) arrangement (with different connectivity) and 4 has a one-dimensional (1D) structure. Cryomagnetic susceptibility measurements over a wide range of temperature exhibit dominant ferromagnetic behavior in all the four complexes. The experimental susceptibility data have been analyzed by some theoretical model equations.

Current State of Domestic Concealed Wiring Practices in Bangalore, India

In a modernising world, building and construction trends in recent urban centres such as Bangalore, set precedence for developments in other urban centres of the country. Under such conditions, evaluating the current state of building practices could prove useful for identifying the likely nature of nationwide building trends. This paper comprises a study to evaluate the current state of domestic concealed wiring practices in the context of a modern urban centre area in India. Presently, concealed wiring is the predominant wiring method adopted for residences, both bungalows and apartments. A modern residential block in the city of Bangalore (India) was chosen as the study area. The study included extensive interaction and surveys amongst residents, professionals (architects and engineers) and site personnel (contractors and electricians). In addition, the study also included site verification on the state of wiring practices in the residential block. The study indicates that while aesthetics was the prime reason that dictated the choice of concealed wiring, its effectiveness as an appropriate and safe wiring method is severely compromised. Details of the study, results and recommendations are presented in this paper.

Lanthanide Luminescent Coordination Polymer Constructed from Unsymmetrical Dinuclear Building Blocks Based on 4-((1H-Benzod]imidazol-1-yl)methyl)benzoic Acid

Lanthanide coordination polymers of the general formula Ln(2)(L)(5)(NO3)(H2O)(4)](n) (Ln = Eu (1), Tb (2), Gd (3)) supported by a novel aromatic carboxylate ligand 4-((1H-benzod]imidazol-1-yl)methyl)benzoic acid (HL) have been synthesized, characterized, and their photoluminescence behavior is examined. The powder X-ray diffraction patterns of complexes 1-3 showed that 1-3 are isostructural; thus, 1 has been chosen as an example to discuss in detail about the molecular structure by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 is a one-dimensional (1D) helical chain-like coordination polymer consisting of unique unsymmetrical dinuclear lanthanide building blocks. The 1D chains are further linked by the significant intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions to form a two-dimensional supramolecular network. The Tb3+ complex exhibits bright green luminescence efficiency in the solid state with a quantum yield of 15%. On the other hand, poor luminescence efficiency has been noted for Eu3+-benzoate complex.

Chain folding and A:T pairing in human telomeric DNA: a model-building and molecular dynamics study

The various types of chain folding and possible intraloop as well as interloop base pairing in human telomeric DNA containing d(TTAG(3)) repeats have been investigated by model-building, molecular mechanics, and molecular dynamics techniques. Model-building and molecular mechanics studies indicate that it is possible to build a variety of energetically favorable folded-back structures with the two TTA loops on same side and the 5' end thymines in the two loops forming TATA tetrads involving a number of different intraloop as well as interloop A:T pairing schemes. In these folded-back structures, although both intraloop and interloop Watson-Crick pairing is feasible, no structure is possible with interloop Hoogsteen pairing. MD studies of representative structures indicate that the guanine-tetraplex stem is very rigid and, while the loop regions are relatively much more flexible, most of the hydrogen bonds remain intact throughout the 350-ps in vacuo simulation. The various possible TTA loop structures, although they are energetically similar, have characteristic inter proton distances, which could give rise to unique cross-peaks in two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) experiments. These folded-back structures with A:T pairings in the loop region help in rationalizing the data from chemical probing and other biochemical studies on human telomeric DNA.

Towards building an intelligent decision support system for project management

Management of large projects, especially the ones in which a major component of R&D is involved and those requiring knowledge from diverse specialised and sophisticated fields, may be classified as semi-structured problems. In these problems, there is some knowledge about the nature of the work involved, but there are also uncertainties associated with emerging technologies. In order to draw up a plan and schedule of activities of such a large and complex project, the project manager is faced with a host of complex decisions that he has to take, such as, when to start an activity, for how long the activity is likely to continue, etc. An Intelligent Decision Support System (IDSS) which aids the manager in decision making and drawing up a feasible schedule of activities while taking into consideration the constraints of resources and time, will have a considerable impact on the efficient management of the project. This report discusses the design of an IDSS that helps in project planning phase through the scheduling phase. The IDSS uses a new project scheduling tool, the Project Influence Graph (PIG).

Synthesis, Structures, and Magnetic Behavior of a Series of Copper(II) Azide Polymers of Cu-4 Building Clusters and Isolation of a New Hemiaminal Ether as the Metal Complex

Four new neutral copper azido polymers, Cu-4(N-3)(8)(L-1)(2)](n) (1), Cu-4(N-3)(8)(L-2)(2)](n) (2), Cu-4(N-3)(8)(L-3)(2)](n) (3), and Cu-9(N-3)(18)(L-4)(4)](n) (4) L1-4 are formed in situ by reacting pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde with 22-(methylamino)ethyl]pyridine (mapy, L-1), N,N-dimethylethylenediamine (N,N-dmen, L-2), N,N-diethylethylenediamine (N,N-deen, L-3), and N,N,2,2-tetramethylpropanediamine (N,N,2,2-tmpn, L-4)], have been synthesized by using 0.5 mol equiv of the chelating tridentate ligands with Cu-(NO3)(2)center dot 3H(2)O and an excess of NaN3. Single-crystal X-ray structures show that the basic unit of these complexes, especially 1-3, contains very similar Cu-4(II) building blocks. The overall structure of 3 is two-dimensional, while the other three complexes are one-dimensional in nature. Complex 1 represents a unique example containing hemiaminal ether arrested by copper(R). Complexes 1 and 2 have a rare bridging azido pathway: both end-on and end-to-end bridging azides between a pair of Cu-II centers. Cryomagnetic susceptibility measurements over a wide range of temperature exhibit dominant ferromagnetic behavior in all four complexes. Density functional theory calculations (B3LYP functional) have been performed on complexes 1-3 to provide a qualitative theoretical interpretation of their overall ferromagnetic behavior.

Understanding the building-up process of three dimensional open-framework metal phosphates: Acid degradation of the 3D structures to lower dimensional structures

Acid degradation of 3D zinc phosphates primarily yields a one-dimensional ladder compound, an observation that is significant considering that the latter forms 3D structures on heating in water.