Liangjian Lei^1,2, Yihang Lu^1,2,*

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.23, No.6, pp. 2109-2126, 2025, DOI:10.32604/fhmt.2025.072643 - 31 December 2025

Abstract Internal thermal mass, such as furniture and partitions, plays a crucial role in enhancing building energy efficiency and indoor thermal comfort by passively regulating temperature fluctuations. However, the irregular geometry of these elements poses a significant challenge for accurate modeling in building energy simulations. This study addresses this gap by developing a rigorous analytical model that idealizes internal thermal mass as a sphere, thereby capturing multi-directional heat conduction effects that are neglected in simpler one-dimensional slab models. The transient heat conduction within the sphere is solved analytically using Duhamel’s theorem for three representative indoor air… More >

Xueqing Lu, Yuetao Shi^*, Jinsong Li

Energy Engineering, Vol.120, No.6, pp. 1325-1352, 2023, DOI:10.32604/ee.2023.026142 - 03 April 2023

Abstract In this study, a model of combined cooling, heating and power system with municipal solid waste (MSW) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) as energy sources was proposed and developed based on the energy demand of a large community, and MSW was classified and utilized. The system operated by determining power by heating load, and measures were taken to reduce operating costs by purchasing and selling LNG, natural gas (NG), cooling, heating, and power. Based on this system model, three operation strategies were proposed based on whether MSW was classified and the length of kitchen waste… More > Graphic Abstract

Mingxin Li, Benzhi Hou, Yihua Zheng^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.11, pp. 3079-3091, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.020167 - 29 June 2022

Abstract This work proposes a novel heating and cooling system, with incorporated thermoelectric module, that can achieve energy balance using a self-water supply heat exchange subsystem. The thermoelectric effect is used to achieve controlled and adjustable heating of the circulating water. Simulations were conducted to study the thermal performance of the system while it simultaneously produces hot and cold water, with different working conditions for the hot-and cold-side water outlets. The results show that the water temperature at the hot side outlet increases from 32°C to 75°C when the power increases from 4.5 to 50 W. More >