Microclimatic modeling of the urban thermal environment of Singapore to mitigate urban heat island

This study investigates the urban heat island effect in Singapore and examines the key factors causing this effect. The possibilities of improving heat extraction rate by optimizing air flow in selected hot spots were explored. The effect of building geometry, façade materials and the location of air-conditioning condensers on the outdoor air temperature was explored using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. It was found that at very low wind speeds, the effect of façade materials and their colours was very significant and the temperature at the middle of a narrow canyon increased up to 2.5 °C with the façade material having lower albedo. It was also found that strategically placing a few high-rise towers will enhance the air flow inside the canyon thereby reducing the air temperature. Adopting an optimum H/W ratio for the canyons increased the velocity by up to 35% and reduced the corresponding temperature by up to 0.7 °C.     

回归传统：当代数字化建筑几何建构策略研究

当复杂形式的建筑设计日益普遍,几何学对于建筑师理解复杂建筑形体的操作实质变得前所未有的重要,并以此催发几何学与建筑学关联性的重新审视。本文从梳理两者关系的演变历程出发,分析了当代数字化建筑实践的4种几何建构策略——几何生形、几何转化、协同模拟和几何重构,并结合具体案例研究,指出面向建筑本体需求的数字化几何思维是建筑学传统的回归,可以为数字化建筑设计提供更为合理的认识和参考。     

Friction factor correlation and pressure loss of single-phase flow inside herringbone microfin tubes

Pressure drop of single-phase turbulent flow inside herringbone microfin tubes of different fin dimensions has been measured experimentally to develop a general correlation of single-phase friction factor for the herringbone tubes. Water has been used as a working fluid and the mass flow rate has been varied from 0.03 to 0.2 kg/s, where the Reynolds number range is 10⁴ to 6.5 × 10⁴. Comparison of experimental data of the herringbone microfin tubes with those of helical microfin and smooth tubes shows that pressure drop of the herringbone tube is significantly higher than the helical and smooth tubes depending on the fin geometric parameters and mass velocity of the working fluid. Through semi-analytical approach and using the present experimental data, a new correlation of single-phase friction factor for the herringbone microfin tubes has been proposed incorporating the effects of fin geometric parameters. The proposed correlation can predict the experimental data within ±10%.     

Experimental thermal performance study of an inclined heat pipe heat exchanger operating in high humid tropical HVAC systems

In an earlier paper [Y.H. Yau, Application of a heat pipe heat exchanger to dehumidification enhancement in tropical HVAC systems – a baseline performance characteristics study, International Journal of Thermal Sciences 46 (2) (2007) 164–171], the author had established the baseline performance characteristics of the eight-row wickless heat pipe heat exchanger (HPHX) for a vertical configuration under a range of conditions appropriate for a tropical climate. Now, the same basic experimental set-up was to be used in the present research with the HPHX tilted 30°. In this configuration, the gravitational force would be expected to enhance drainage of any condensation forming on the extended fin surfaces of the HPHX evaporator section, and therefore, the effectiveness of the HPHX could be anticipated to be better than the vertical configuration, particularly when processing inlet air with high RH. The investigation has been carried out for 32 experiments with typically high RH and the results are presented in this paper. The results suggested that the possibly adverse influence of condensate forming on the fins of the HPHX was negligible, and therefore the HPHX in a typically-used vertical configuration could perform equally as well as it would if the HPHX was installed in an inclined position.     

Optimal Control of Open-Channel Flow Using Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis

An optimal flow control methodology based on adjoint sensitivity analysis for controlling nonlinear open channel flows with complex geometries is presented. The adjoint equations, derived from the nonlinear Saint-Venant equations, are generally capable of evaluating the time-dependent sensitivities with respect to a variety of control variables under complex flow conditions and cross-section shapes. The internal boundary conditions of the adjoint equations at a confluence (junction) derived by the variational approach make the flow control model applicable to solve optimal flow control problems in a channel network over a watershed. As a result, an optimal flow control software package has been developed, in which two basic modules, i.e., a hydrodynamic module and a bound constrained optimization module using the limited-memory quasi-Newton algorithm, are integrated. The effectiveness and applicability of this integrated optimal control tool are demonstrated thoroughly by implementing flood diversion controls in rivers, from one reach with a single or multiple floodgates (with or without constraints), to a channel network with multiple floodgates. This new optimal flow control model can be generally applied to make optimal decisions in real-time flood control and water resource management in a watershed.     

关键几何尺寸对转子叶片疲劳可靠性的影响

基于改进的一次二阶矩法,利用线弹性随机有限元分析和局部应力应变法,考虑几何尺寸随机性进行转子叶片结构疲劳寿命可靠性的数值分析.根据榫头喉部关键尺寸的随机特性确定应力的统计特性,然后采用一种等概率方法,通过确定性数值计算得到叶片寿命的概率密度、均值和变异系数,讨论榫头喉部几何尺寸的随机性对危险点寿命可靠度的影响.     

三维纺织结构增强复合材料的几何模型

基于对织物断面显微照片的观察和分析，首先建立了三维正交织物的单元结构模型，并以此为基础建立了正交接结织物的单元结构模型；利用几何模型公式推导建立几何结构特征参数与编织工艺参数之间的理论关系；在此基础上计算了纱线长度、接结经与经纱的取向角和纤维体积含量；通过几何极限条件定义了织物紧度，为进一步研究其力学性能奠定基础。     

Pictures worth a thousand tiles,a geometrical programming language for self-assembly

We present a novel way to design self-assembling systems using a notion of signal (or ray) akin to what is used in analyzing the behaviour of cellular automata. This allows purely geometrical constructions, with a smaller specification and easier analysis. We show how to design a system of signals for a given set of shapes, and how to transform these signals into a set of tiles which self-assemble into the desired shapes.     

Electrostatic Halftoning

We introduce a new global approach for image dithering, stippling, screening and sampling. It is inspired by the physical principles of electrostatics. Repelling forces between equally charged particles create a homogeneous distribution in flat areas, while attracting forces from the image brightness values ensure a high approximation quality. Our model is transparent and uses only two intuitive parameters: One steers the granularity of our halftoning approach, and the other its regularity. We evaluate two versions of our algorithm: A discrete version for dithering that ties points to grid positions, as well as a continuous one which does not have this restriction, and can thus be used for stippling or sampling density functions. Our methods create very few visual artefacts, reveal favourable blue‐noise behaviour in the frequency domain, and have a lower approximation error under Gaussian convolution than state‐of‐the‐art methods.     

Collision Detection for Deformable Objects

Interactive environments for dynamically deforming objects play an important role in surgery simulation and entertainment technology. These environments require fast deformable models and very efficient collision handling techniques. While collision detection for rigid bodies is well investigated, collision detection for deformable objects introduces additional challenging problems. This paper focuses on these aspects and summarizes recent research in the area of deformable collision detection. Various approaches based on bounding volume hierarchies, distance fields and spatial partitioning are discussed. In addition, image‐space techniques and stochastic methods are considered. Applications in cloth modeling and surgical simulation are presented.