The material and technical condition of the outpatient polyclinic in Russian Federation: analysis of the current situation

The article analyzes the main indicators of the technical condition of buildings of outpatient medical organizations (units) in the Russian Federation for the period 2012–2019. The number of outpatient medical organizations (units) in emergency condition and requiring demolition tended to decrease from 215 units to 96 for the period from 2012 to 2017 in the Russian Federation. The number of units requiring reconstruction in the Russian Federation declined from 511 to 179 for 2012–2019. The number of units requiring major overhaul in the Russian Federation went down from 4,347 to 2,378 for the period from 2012 to 2018, and in 2019 rose sharply to 4,113. The number of units located in adapted premises increased from 6,723 to 8,126 for 2014–2019 in the Russian Federation. The number of units located in the rented area in the Russian Federation decreased from 1,443 to 1,414 for 2014–2019. The number of units with central water supply went up from 17559 to 19440 for 2012–2019 in the Russian Federation. The number of units with hot water supply in the Russian Federation increased from 13,012 to 15,124 for 2012–2019. The number of units with central heating rose from 16,893 to 17,546 for 2012–2019 in the Russian Federation. The number of units with a central sewer went up from 17,111 to 18,969 in the Russian Federation for 2012–2019. The number of units with telephone communication increased from 17,806 to 19,266 for 2012–2019 in the Russian Federation. The number of units with autonomous power supply rose from 941 to 1,227 in the Russian Federation for 2012–2019. The total number of outpatient medical organizations (units) in the study period increased by 7.9 %. The number of buildings requiring renovation and modernization between 2012 and 2018 tended to decrease. Not all indicators have a positive trend. Health care modernization is not completely structural.

Circulation management in hot water supply systems

The compliance of the actual heat consumption for heating cold water for public hot water supply service with the approved standard has been analyzed. Using passive engineering experiments, we studied the operating modes of hot water supply systems for several groups of houses, in which different methods for regulating water consumption in hot water supply systems were used. Data were collected using online energy monitoring and commercial metering system. Features of the static and dynamic load regulation of hot water systems have been investigated. The effect of methods for regulating the heat load of hot water supply systems on their actual heat consumption has been analyzed. An assessment has been made of the possibility of bringing the actual operating mode of the hot water systems to the specified value which is the basis for calculating the consumption rate. Ways to improve the efficiency of hot water supply systems have been determined. Conclusions have been drawn concerning the need to revise the standardized indicators of hot water quality and adjust the methodology for calculating the consumption rate in hot water supply systems.

Investigation of the co-firing of natural gas and RDF in a model combustion chamber**

The production and utilization of fuel derived from municipal solid waste (RDF/SFR) is an effective method for saving organic fuel and decreasing emissions of harmful substances and greenhouse gases at landfill and refuse dumps. Ukraine has a potential for the production of 1.5–2 million tons of RDF/SFR with a calorific value of 10–25 MJ/kg annually. In the case of involving these fuels to power sector, about 2500 GW-h of electricity and 4500 GW-h of heat can be produced annually. One of the promising variants to involve RDF/SFR to power sector is their combustion, including co-firing with natural gas, aimed at the production of heat and electricity, in particular, using the existing boilers of small and middle steam capacity in compliance with stringent ecological requirements (Directive 2010/75/EU etc.). For performing this investigation, we chose a GMP-16 gas-and-oil-fired burner, mounted into a cylindrical combustion chamber. The gas-and-oil-fired hot-water boilers of KVGM grade, designed for heating and hot water supply, are equipped with burners of this type. In computer modeling, we determined the influence of RDF additions on the co-firing with natural gas for a given geometry of the combustion chamber components (with a burner of 18.6 MW heat output). We obtained calculated dependences of temperatures, velocities, distributions of gas component concentrations, carbon remained in the solid phase, as well as the concentrations of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide over the combustion chamber. According to preliminary assessments, we established that additions of up to 20% RDF/SFR (by heat at input) in their co-firing with natural gas will not change substantially the technical and ecological parameters in operation of the combustion chamber.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF COMBINED HEAT SUPPLY SYSTEMS

The consumption of energy resources in the world states is constantly growing from year to year. The production of fossil fuels is also increasing, but for various reasons it cannot fully cover the required amount from consumers. One of the most important consumption sectors is heat loads from heating, ventilation and hot water supply of industrial and residential buildings. To cover the thermal loads of heating and hot water supply, the necessary heat carrier is water heated to a certain temperature. The most promising from the point of view of heating water for hot water supply are solar collectors. Hot water for heating needs to be reheated practically throughout the entire heating period. The introduction of heat pumps is promising. When using solar collectors, the heating agent can be reheated in heat pumps. The aim of the study is to develop such a combined heat supply system that uses more renewable energy and as a peak source a fossil fuel boiler (electric energy), as well as a method for calculating this system to determine the optimal composition of equipment and rational modes of its operation. The methodology for calculating heat supply systems combining solar collectors, heat pumps and fossil fuel boilers is presented. The problem of load distribution between the main elements of the combined heat supply system should take into account the probabilistic component. This is due to the fact that with a changing real mode of operation, different thermal load of the equipment can be optimal. This is primarily influenced by the variable heat inputs from solar collectors during the day. According to the above method, it is possible to determine the optimal parameters of the heat supply system for different operating modes, at which the minimum consumption of fossil fuel will be ensured.

Experimental studies of energy efficiency of heat pump equipment for hot water supply and air conditioning systems in apartment buildings

Experimental studies of this article are aimed at solving the problem of reforming the housing and communal services of Russia through rational integration of non-traditional energy sources and secondary energy resources into the energy balance of buildings and structures. An important component of the work was the creation and development of industrial production of reliable competitive heat pump systems of a new generation, cogenerating heat energy and cold in an autonomous mode and providing energy savings of at least 50% due to the combined use of low-potential thermal energy of the soil, the atmospheric air and the exhaust air of ventilation systems for hot water supply and air conditioning systems of apartment buildings.

Nontargeted vs. Targeted vs. Smart Load Shifting Using Heat Pump Water Heaters

Deployment of CTA-2045–enabled devices is increasing in the U.S. market. These devices allow utilities or third-party aggregators to control appliance energy use in homes, and could also be applied to end uses in small commercial buildings. This study focuses on a field study using CTA-2045–enabled water heaters to shift electric load off the peak and toward periods when renewable resources are more prevalent (e.g., near noon for solar resources and near midnight for wind resources). The following load shifting strategies were compared to understand effects on the aggregate load-shifting capabilities of Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWHs) and on consumer hot water supply: non-targeted (traditional), targeted (grouped, with different shifting schedules) and “smart” (adaptive control commands). The results of this study show that targeted and smart control strategies yield significantly more load-shifting potential from a population of water heaters than the non-targeted approach without sacrificing hot water supply to occupants. However, as control commands become more aggressive, aggregators may face challenges in meeting consumer hot water demand. The findings and lessons learned can benefit electric utilities and inform updates to manufacturer controls and communications standards. The data collected may also be useful for developing and validating HPWH models.

Problems and Need for Alterations in Design of Hot Water Supply in Apartment Buildings

The water supply system and structure used in apartment buildings have been described. Urgent issues of a hot water supply design currently faced by consumers have been identified. Solutions to the problem of hot water supply in apartment buildings have been proposed.

A novel concept for energy-efficient floor heating systems with minimal hot water return temperatures

The study proposed and investigated a new concept for hydronic floor heating in dwellings with the aim of reducing hot water temperatures toward a more robust and energy efficient operation. Modern heating systems often rely on low return temperatures to improve operation efficiencies through reduced heat losses from return pipes, greater utilisation of condensation heat from boiler flue gases or from the increased COP of heat pumps. Our study investigated the potential of using an apartment heating substation (or ‘flat station’) to supply space heating through two mixing loops using hot water supply temperatures of 30°C to bathrooms and 24°C to all non-bathrooms. The concept sought to minimise hot water supply temperatures to utilise a self-regulating effect while ensuring low return temperatures. In the first iteration of the concept, the high-temperature return water from the bathrooms was cascaded to the non-bathrooms to heat these rooms and provide further cooling of the hot water. The calculated energy-weighted return temperature under this original concept was 25.6 °C for the example case of a new energy-efficient apartment building. However, there was limited potential to utilise the cascaded coupling, so considering the complexity of its configuration and controls, the authors simplified the proposed concept to two mixing loops without a cascaded coupling. The calculated return temperature with the updated concept was 25.7 °C. The control of the floor heating included some aspect of self-regulation because the heat transfer strongly depended on the indoor temperature. Based on the results of this preliminary investigation, the concept may provide a robust and energy-efficient option for configuring floor-heating systems in situations that rely on low hot-water return temperatures.

Modernization of electrical complex for producing thermal energy for an industrial enterprise

The object of research is the electrical complex for the preparation of thermal energy at the enterprise. The electrotechnical complex is a heat supply unit that provides thermal energy to the building of the enterprise for the needs of heating, ventilation and hot water supply. One of the identified shortcomings of this facility is the overconsumption of energy resources for heating, caused by the lack of the ability to control consumption. Modernization of heat points and equipping them with automation means will provide quantitative and qualitative control of the heat carrier depending on the outside air temperature. In the course of the study, the method of statistical data analysis was used to analyze the heat load of buildings for heating, ventilation and hot water supply, and the distribution of heat loads by the temperature of the indoor air. Also, an improved discounted method for evaluating the effectiveness of investment projects was used when calculating economic indicators and a method for calculating heat consumption for heating according to aggregated indicators when determining energy consumption for heating. On the basis of the analysis of the heat load and a certain structure of its distribution according to the temperature of the internal air, it was found that more energy resources are consumed for heating. The largest consumer is defined as a building with an internal temperature Tin=16 °C. Calculations of the commercial attractiveness of the proposed technical solutions for buildings with an internal temperature Tin=18 °C have confirmed the feasibility of their implementation in terms of their payback, which does not exceed the period of 3.5 heated seasons. Thanks to the modernization of heat points and the introduction of automated monitoring and regulation systems, optimal heat energy consumption will be ensured depending on the ambient temperature. Unlike other similar studies, the feasibility of introducing automated systems is determined by an improved discounted method, which allows not only to take into account the change in the value of money in the future, but also the required minimum percentage of thermal energy savings to break even projects.