Enhancing Internal Temperature Control in Student Residential Colleges: Investigating the Potential of Retrofitting Rainwater Collection Tanks

Zhang, Yue; Ariffin, A.R.M

doi:10.22036/ncr.2023.420183.1333

Enhancing Internal Temperature Control in Student Residential Colleges: Investigating the Potential of Retrofitting Rainwater Collection Tanks

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

10.22036/ncr.2023.420183.1333

Abstract

This study investigated the potential of retrofitting rainwater collection tanks (RWH) into the facades of student residential colleges to improve internal temperature control. Carbon nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene, were incorporated into the RWH facades to enhance thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. The aim was to address urbanization and climate change challenges through passive cooling strategies. The study analyzed ambient temperature, relative humidity, and wall surface temperature based on heat transfer principles. Statistical attributes, such as maximum, minimum, and average values, as well as daily fluctuations were examined. Heat transmission from external to internal walls was also quantified. Materials analysis in this study involved the utilization of X-ray diffraction (XRD) for phase analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for investigating the morphology of CNTs, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for further characterization. The results demonstrated the cooling effectiveness and thermal efficiency of the proposed RWH technology. The west-facing walls with RWH facades showed a remarkable cooling effect of up to 14.41°C compared to non-RWH counterparts. Similarly, east-facing walls equipped with RWH facades exhibited a maximum temperature reduction of 3.41°C. Carbon nanomaterials enhanced the structural integrity of the RWH facades, ensuring long-lasting reliability under challenging conditions. This study highlighted the effectiveness of RWH facades as passive cooling strategies for student residential colleges. The utilization of carbon nanomaterials further enhanced their thermal and mechanical properties. The results indicated valuable insights for improving internal temperature control and addressing climate change challenges in urban environments.

Keywords

References

1. Hassan WH, Hussein HH, Nile BK. The effect of climate change on groundwater recharge in unconfined aquifers in the western desert of Iraq. Groundwater for Sustainable Development. 2022;16:100700.
2. Chophel Y. Global Warming and Climate Change (GWCC) Realities. The Nature, Causes, Effects and Mitigation of Climate Change on the Environment. 2022:3.
3. Kubota T, Hooi S, Remaz DCT. Energy consumption and air-conditioning usage in residential buildings of Malaysia. Journal of International Development and Cooperation. 2011;17:61-9.
4. Gwoździej-Mazur J, Jadwiszczak P, Kaźmierczak B, Kózka K, Struk-Sokołowska J, Wartalska K, et al. The impact of climate change on rainwater harvesting in households in Poland. Applied Water Science. 2022;12(2):15.
5. Fanger PO. Thermal comfort. Analysis and applications in environmental engineering.244 pp.
6. Imteaz MA, Shanableh A, Rahman A, Ahsan A. Optimisation of rainwater tank design from large roofs: A case study in Melbourne, Australia. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2011;55(11):1022-9.
7. Tuck NW, Zaki SA, Hagishima A, Rijal HB, Zakaria MA, Yakub F. Effectiveness of free running passive cooling strategies for indoor thermal environments: Example from a two-storey corner terrace house in Malaysia. Building and Environment. 2019;160:106214.
8. Venkiteswaran VK, Lern WD, Ramachanderan SS. A Case Study on the Use of Harvested Rainwater to Operate Passive Cooling Water Wall (PCWW) for SEGi University Tower. Energy Procedia. 2017;105:419-26.
9. Imessad K, Derradji L, Messaoudene NA, Mokhtari F, Chenak A, Kharchi R. Impact of passive cooling techniques on energy demand for residential buildings in a Mediterranean climate. Renewable Energy. 2014;71:589-97.
10. Mohammed T, Megat Mohd Noor MJ, Megat Mohd Noor MJ, Noor A, Ghazali A. Study on Potential Uses of Rainwater Harvesting in Urban Areas. 2006.
11. JL A, Bolong N, Makinda J. Feasibility study of rainwater harvesting in Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s residential colleges in support of the eco-campus initiative. Journal of BIMP-EAGA Regional Development. 2015;1(1):1-9.
12. Shaari N, Ani AIC, Nasir N, Zain MFM, Fui GS. Rainwater Harvesting: Potential for Quality Living. Icbedc; 2008.
13. Aghandeh P, Kouhestani F, Isamorad F, Akbari S, Tanbakuchi B, Motamedian SR. Efficacy of Application of Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells in Bone Regeneration: A Systematic Review of Animal Studies. Dental Hypotheses. 2022;13(4):111-6.
14. Zaidan SM, Rafeeq RA. Comparison of shear bond strength of three luting materials used in band and loop space maintainer cementation: an in vitro study. Dental Hypotheses. 2022;13(4):136-8.
15. Kadhem DJ, Al Haidar AHM. Remineralization of dentine caries using moringa oleifera based nano-silver fluoride: a single-blinded, randomized, active-controlled clinical trial. Dental Hypotheses. 2022;13(3):82-5.
16. Fanger PO. Assessment of man’s thermal comfort in practice. British journal of industrial medicine. 1973;30(4):313-24.
17. Ricciardi P, Buratti C. Thermal comfort in open plan offices in northern Italy: An adaptive approach. Building and Environment. 2012;56:314-20.
18. Franz DJ. Quantitative research without measurement. Reinterpreting the better-than-average-effect. New Ideas in Psychology. 2023;68:100976.
19. Matović N, Ovesni K. Interaction of quantitative and qualitative methodology in mixed methods research: integration and/or combination. International Journal of Social Research Methodology. 2023;26(1):51-65.
20. Rouleau G, Hong QN, Kaur N, Gagnon MP, Côté J, Bouix-Picasso J, et al. Systematic Reviews of Systematic Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Studies Reviews in Healthcare Research: How to Assess the Methodological Quality of Included Reviews? Journal of Mixed Methods Research. 2021;17(1):51-69.
21. Mariani MM, Machado I, Nambisan S. Types of innovation and artificial intelligence: A systematic quantitative literature review and research agenda. Journal of Business Research. 2023;155:113364.
22. Qi L, Han G, Jiang Z. Optimal design of E-type coaxial thermocouples for transient heat measurements in shock tunnels. Applied Thermal Engineering. 2023;218:119388.
23. Moscoso-García P, Quesada-Molina F. Analysis of Passive Strategies in Traditional Vernacular Architecture. Buildings [Internet]. 2023; 13(8).
24. Vox G, Blanco I, Schettini E. Green façades to control wall surface temperature in buildings. Building and Environment. 2018;129:154-66.
25. Blanco I, Schettini E, Scarascia Mugnozza G, Vox G. Thermal behaviour of green faÃ§ades in summer. Journal of Agricultural Engineering. 2018;49(3):183-90.
26. Blanco I, Convertino F, Schettini E, Vox G. Wintertime thermal performance of green façades in a Mediterranean climate. Urban Agriculture City Sustainability II. 2020;243:1147.
27. Campiotti CA, Gatti L, Campiotti A, Consorti L, De Rossi P, Bibbiani C, et al. Vertical Greenery as Natural Tool for Improving Energy Efficiency of Buildings. Horticulturae [Internet]. 2022; 8(6).
28. Madushika U, Ramachandra T, Zainudeen N. Operational energy saving in buildings: a comparison of green vs conventional wall. 2021.
29. Ako AA, Nzali CT, Lifongo LL, Nkeng GE. Rainwater harvesting (RWH): a supplement to domestic water supply in Mvog-Betsi, Yaoundé-Cameroon. Water Supply. 2021;22(1):1141-54.
30. Bolhari A, Castaneda DI, Arehart JH, Tillema SJ. Performance analysis and life cycle assessment of acrylic concrete structures for rainwater harvesting. Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances. 2022;13:200063.
31. Han D, Ng BF, Wan MP. Preliminary study of passive radiative cooling under Singapore’s tropical climate. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. 2020;206:110270.
32. Rahman A. Rainwater Harvesting for Sustainable Developments: Non-Potable Use, Household Irrigation and Stormwater Management. Water [Internet]. 2021; 13(23).
33. Christian Amos C, Rahman A, Mwangi Gathenya J. Economic Analysis and Feasibility of Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Urban and Peri-Urban Environments: A Review of the Global Situation with a Special Focus on Australia and Kenya. Water [Internet]. 2016; 8(4).
34. GhaffarianHoseini A, Tookey J, GhaffarianHoseini A, Yusoff SM, Hassan NB. State of the art of rainwater harvesting systems towards promoting green built environments: a review. Desalination and Water Treatment. 2016;57(1):95-104.
35. Peker E. Enabling widespread use of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems: challenges and needs in twenty-first-century Istanbul. European Planning Studies. 2023;31(1):103-22.
36. Istchuk RN, Ghisi E. Influence of Design Variables on the Financial Feasibility of Rainwater Harvesting Systems. Water [Internet]. 2023; 15(6).
37. Istchuk RN, Ghisi E. Influence of rainfall time series indicators on the performance of residential rainwater harvesting systems. Journal of Environmental Management. 2022;323:116163.
38. Ghosh S, Ahmed T. Assessment of Household Rainwater Harvesting Systems in the Southwestern Coastal Region of Bangladesh: Existing Practices and Household Perception. Water. 2022; 14(21).
39. Fonseca L, Olmeda P, Novella R, Valle RM. Internal Combustion Engine Heat Transfer and Wall Temperature Modeling: An Overview. Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering. 2020;27(5):1661-79.
40. Ghadirinejad N, Ghadiri Nejad M, Alsaadi N. A fuzzy logic model and a neuro-fuzzy system development on supercritical CO2 regeneration of Ni/Al2O3 catalysts. Journal of CO2 Utilization. 2021;54:101706.
41. Al-Sanea SA. Evaluation of Heat Transfer Characteristics of Building Wall Elements. Journal of King Saud University - Engineering Sciences. 2000;12(2):285-312.
42. Iwaro J, Mwasha A. Effects of Using Coconut Fiber–Insulated Masonry Walls to Achieve Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort in Residential Dwellings. Journal of Architectural Engineering. 2019;25(1):04019001.
43. Ghasemi M, Nejad MG, Alsaadi N, Abdel-Jaber Mt, Ab Yajid MS, Habib M. Performance Measurment and Lead-Time Reduction in EPC Project-Based Organizations: A Mathematical Modeling Approach. Mathematical Problems in Engineering. 2022;2022:5767356.
44. Lei J, Yang J, Yang E-H. Energy performance of building envelopes integrated with phase change materials for cooling load reduction in tropical Singapore. Applied Energy. 2016;162:207-17.
45. Holman JP. Heat Transfer. 2010;10th Edition.
46. Davani PP, Kloub AWM, Ghadiri Nejad M. Optimizing the first type of U-shaped assembly line balancing problems. Annals of Optimization Theory and Practice. 2020;3(4):65-82.
47. Rabani M, Kalantar V, Dehghan AA, Faghih AK. Empirical investigation of the cooling performance of a new designed Trombe wall in combination with solar chimney and water spraying system. Energy and Buildings. 2015;102:45-57.
48. Radhakrishnamacharya G, Srinivasulu C. Influence of wall properties on peristaltic transport with heat transfer. Comptes Rendus Mécanique. 2007;335(7):369-73.
49. Wong NH, Kwang Tan AY, Chen Y, Sekar K, Tan PY, Chan D, et al. Thermal evaluation of vertical greenery systems for building walls. Building and Environment. 2010;45(3):663-72.
50. Hammad AWA, Akbarnezhad A, Oldfield P. Optimising embodied carbon and U-value in load bearing walls: A mathematical bi-objective mixed integer programming approach. Energy and Buildings. 2018;174:657-71.
51. Xian S, Xu F, Ma C, Wu Y, Xia Q, Wang H, et al. Vapor-enhanced CO2 adsorption mechanism of composite PEI@ ZIF-8 modified by polyethyleneimine for CO2/N2 separation. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2015;280:363-9.