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In this chapter the potential to use water-based Trombe walls to provide heated water for building applications during the summer months is investigated. Design Builder software is used to model a simple single-story building with a south-facing Trombe wall. The effects of using different thermal storage mediums within the Trombe wall on building heating loads during the winter and building cooling loads during the summer are modeled. The amount of thermal energy stored and temperature of water within the thermal storage medium during hot weather conditions were also simulated. On a sunny day on Toronto, Canada, the average temperature of the water in a Trombe wall integrated into a single-story building can reach ∼57°C, which is high enough to provide for the main hot water usages in buildings. Furthermore, the amount of water heated is three times greater than that required in an average household in Canada. The results from this work suggest that water-based Trombe walls have great potential to enhance the flexibility and utility of Trombe walls by providing heated water for building applications during summer months, without compromising performance during winter months.

This paper aims to provide a view on the implications of large‐scale increases in demand for biomass production on water storage behaviours. In climates of high variability in rainfall, the pressures on farmers to build up on‐farm surface water supplies to the detriment of communities and businesses downstream is already present. Therefore, the added water storage pressures that arise from future demands for biomass need to be investigated.

This viewpoint presents a review of the issues surrounding the forecast for demand for agriculturally produced biomass and the increased demands on surface water storage created. The paper then presents the problem of unfair and unsafe water storage in agriculture through a review of the surrounding literature and policy in place in Australia.

The paper finds that if predicted skyrocketing future demand for biomass production for energy eventuates, then surface water on‐farm storages would be placed at increased risk as farmers experience pressure to store more water than they are entitled to. Increased demands from biomass production could mean that surrounding communities suffer increased threat from unfair water sharing in times of drought, and unsafe water storage in times of flood.

Policy should be developed rapidly to address the current unsustainable water storage management practices of farmers and sustainable biomass production. Water management behaviour certification should be introduced immediately to counter the risk of over storage in light of the demands of the future.

The paper provides an overview of the issues surrounding unfair and unsafe on farm water storage in dams in climate extremes placed in the context of a new and emerging demand on farmers to produce in an unsustainable manner.

This study aims to provide and illustrate the application of a framework for conducting techno-economic analyses (TEA) of early-stage designs for net-zero water and energy, single-family homes that meet affordable housing criteria in diverse locations.

The framework is developed and applied in a case example of a TEA of four designs for achieving net zero-water and energy in an affordable home in Saint Lucie County, Florida.

Homes built and sold at current market prices, using combinations of well versus rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems and grid-tied versus hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, can meet affordable housing criteria for moderate-income families, when 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are at 2%–3%. As rates rise to 6%, unless battery costs drop by 40% and 60%, respectively, homes using hybrid solar PV systems combined with well versus RWH systems cease to meet affordable housing criteria. For studied water and electricity usage and 6% interest rates, only well and grid-tied solar PV systems provide water and electricity at costs below current public supply prices.

This article provides a highly adaptable framework for conducting TEAs in diverse locations for designs of individual net-zero water and energy affordable homes and whole subdivisions of such homes. The framework includes a new technique for sizing storage tanks for residential RWH systems and provides a foundation for future research at the intersection of affordable housing development and residential net-zero water and energy systems design.

To modify a conventional evacuated tube, an improved asymmetric U-type evacuated tube (AUET) is proposed. This study aims to investigate the thermal and hydrodynamic performances of a modified tube and determine the optimal structural form.

Based on the variation of fluid proprieties with temperature, the formulated numerical model was validated and then deployed to investigate the natural circulation in the evacuated tubes. A dimensionless number was proposed to quantify the stratification effect. The influence of the degree of asymmetry of U-type evacuated tubes on the flow patterns, mass flow rate, temperature distribution, thermal stratification and energy conversion efficiency was studied.

When the degree of asymmetry is large, a higher velocity and better thermal stratification are achieved, thereby avoiding stagnant water at the bottom of the tubes simultaneously. Compared with the conventional evacuated tube, the improved evacuated tube exhibited a higher thermal efficiency.

The originally proposed AUET was proven to have better performance in avoiding stagnant water, reducing fluid mixing and improving the heat transfer efficiency.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the technology, design and application of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems in a UK context and identify areas of research and development.

A comprehensive range of literature from 1978‐2010 is reviewed and divided into the following sections: history, application in developed countries, benefits of RWH, system categories and components, storage capacity, rainwater quality and factors influencing the use of RWH systems.

This paper provides a useful source of information relating to the potential benefits of RWH systems, different types of system and components used to supply non potable water. To ensure the potential of RWH systems in the UK is realized, an integrated approach to their application is required. This may improve the financial viability of these systems and sustainability credentials but requires further research.

It is not an exhaustive list of publications but attempts to draw on major sources of literature which catalogue the development and design of RWH systems. Current sources of literature are also identified which identify various factors influencing the future development and application of rainwater systems.

The paper provides practitioners with an initial basis for evaluating or undertaking the initial design of RWH systems.

The study provides historical context for the recent and ongoing development of RWH. In particular areas of further research and development are identified to ensure the potential of RWH systems are realized in the future.

A healthy and easy-to-use orange snack obtained from the freeze-dried orange pulp puree is proposed. Once the commercial packaging of the snack has been opened, the effect of conventional home storage temperature on its physicochemical properties and on the content of bioactive compounds has been studied. This research aims to recommend the consumer, and therefore the manufacturer, the best conditions for home storage of this product, keeping its nutritional quality and antioxidant capacity, as well as maintaining its colour and crispness.

The water content, water activity, hygroscopicity, crispness, colour, vitamin C, β-carotene, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were characterised both when the orange snack was newly obtained and after one, two and six months of storage inside zipper bags, at 4 and 20 ºC.

The results indicated that, in these conditions, the orange snack increased its water content, causing a loss in both its porosity and its characteristic crispness. Nevertheless, the bioactive compounds remained stable throughout the storage period, with the exception of β-carotene, the content of which decreased markedly when the orange snack was stored at 20 ºC.

Few studies have evaluated the stability of food products during home storage. The findings showed that the maximum storage time to ensure a proper texture of the orange snack studied is between two and six months, both at 4 and 20 ºC. However, from the point of view of the conservation of both vitamin C and, especially, of β-carotene, it is recommended that this product be stored in refrigeration.

The purpose of this study is to investigate what represents “balanced” policy. Drought conditions create pressures on farmers to store excessive water unfairly, creating unsafe structures in flood, which creates a dual-extreme risk with potentially catastrophic social consequences downstream. “Balanced” policy for socially responsible water storage management that accounts for farmers’ responses to regulations is a key to minimising this risk.

This study investigated the problem through application of Oliver’s (1991) strategic response typology to a survey of 202 agribusiness managers in four different institutional environments.

Evidence of diverse policy in Australia and results of 202 farmers surveyed suggest that “unbalanced” policy that does not infringe on farmer decision-making power will engender lower resistance, but in a “best balance” environment, stronger resistance is evident.

The study demonstrates a need to consider more reflexive regulatory mixes for socially responsible water-storage behaviour by agribusiness.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the long‐term ability of the Integrated Southern Ghor Project (ISGP) to meet the required water demands, assess the resulting energy requirements, pumping costs, water transfers, benefits of the current system with respect to predevelopment conditions and effect of projected water demands increase on the resulting water deficits.

A surface water resources management model is developed using dynamic programming. The model inputs are the hydrological inflows from the different wadis in the project area, reservoirs characteristics and evaporation rates, system water demands. The model outputs are water deficits at the different demand areas, reservoirs storage and release sequences, water transfers and energy requirements and the associated costs. The average annual values of different performance criteria with the annual frequency curves are used to evaluate the implications of different water scenarios on the ISGP.

The results show the efficiency of the ISGP model in reducing the water deficits in the demand areas as compared to predevelopment conditions. Increased demand scenario showed the importance of finding new water projects to supplement the Southern Ghor Area in the future in order to meet the increasing water demands. The proposed water transfer will reduce the resulting deficits at the agricultural areas without the expenses of increasing the water deficits at other demand areas. The application of this model is expected to enhance decision making regarding water policies in Jordan.

This paper provides critical quantitative information to decision makers in Jordan about the potential of the different storage facilities and proposed transfers in meeting the required water demands in the Southern Ghor Project and assesses the required energy for that. This can help decision makers to have a holistic view about the expected water deficits in the area and therefore assist them in determining the areas impacted most and what alternative solution to use. The paper also shows the importance of using optimal control/management models to support water resources decision making in Jordan.

This papers aims to study the influence of water absorption on the mechanical properties of poly lactic acid (PLA) and PLA/Wood composites. Virgin PLA and PLA/Wood double-bone-shaped specimens were prepared by two methods: injection moulding and 3D printing. The results were compared to each other and showed the influence of the production method on the properties of the produced parts.

Morphology studies were done by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) from fracture surfaces of tensile and notched impact specimens of all samples. Tensile properties were analysed by the production and testing of dog-bone-shaped samples. Heat deflection temperature (HDT) was tested, as also was the crystallinity of the tested samples by differential scanning calorimetry.

The values for notched impact strength were higher upon water uptake in the case of injection-moulded specimens, which was not the case with 3D-printed specimens. Tensile properties of the specimens produced by both methods were reduced after water absorption tests. Values of the HDT were also lower after water absorption tests studied for both processing methods.

Morphology studies were done by SEM from fracture surfaces of tensile as well as notched impact specimens of injection-moulded and 3D-printed samples. The effect of water storage on various samples was tested. The two different production technologies were compared to each other owing to their influence of water storage. This study also dealt with NFC compounds and produced NFC composites and the influence of water storage on these samples.

There has been a general promotion of small and medium sized dams as the solution to supply water for domestic, sanitation and other livelihood purposes in the less industrialised countries of the world. This paper aims to communicate and share ideas and experiences with policy makers and other engineering practitioners in issues related to the sedimentation of, and the development of small and medium sized dams so that relevant issues are taken into account in the planning, design and implementation of such small and medium sized dams.

This paper, which is a viewpoint, utilises the findings of various research work carried out in Zimbabwe and findings from other regional and international literature as a basis for discussion and arriving at some engineering and other developmental policy recommendations. The research work utilised and analysed in this paper is based on actual field work carried out by others as cited.

The paper concludes that the following policy and technical issues should always be borne in mind in the promotion of small and medium sized dams: the predicted increase in rainfall intensities due to climate change/variability requires the review of existing small and medium sized dam spillway capacity designs; an increase in the minimum storage ratios of small and medium sized dams should be made from the current recommended 0.1‐0.3; further research work is required to validate the postulation that rainfall intensities are increasing due to the effects of climate change/variability resulting in increased sedimentation of reservoirs; whilst sediments are required for ecosystem sustenance, they can also be viewed as a pollutant in respect of certain other human water supply needs; do not build small dams on large catchments as such small dams will silt‐up quickly and thereafter pose challenges in the management and disposal of the accumulated sediments and nutrients when decommissioning/rehabilitating them; every dam site, irrespective of the resultant dam size, should be developed to its maximum potential in respect of the dam site's water yield and/or prevailing topography; WHO predicts that road traffic injuries will rise to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030. The “vulnerable road users” and/or their estates should also receive like attention and timely compensation benefits as advocated for the large dam's “disadvantaged and vulnerable” people.

Every year, about 1 per cent of the world's reservoir capacities are lost to sedimentation. Most researchers postulate that an increase in the intensity of rainfall due to climate change/variability is imminent and will result in increased sediment loads with resultant negative impacts on dam reservoir life‐spans and usefulness. This paper discusses the advantages, disadvantages and efficiency of small and medium sized dams in satisfying the various beneficiary needs in the less industrialised countries of the world. The technical issues that have to be considered in the design and construction of such small and medium sized dams in order to minimise the negative impacts of sedimentation in their development are also presented and discussed. The opinions and conclusions drawn in the viewpoint are those of the author.