Rapid urbanization of the planet is occurring at an unprecedented pace, primarily in arid and semi-arid hot climates [Golden, J.S., 2004. The built environment induced urban heat island effect in rapidly urbanizing arid regions – a sustainable urban engineering complexity. Environ. Sci. J. Integr. Environ. Res. 1 (4), 321–349]. This growth has manifested itself as a cause of various impacts including elevated urban temperatures in comparison to rural sites known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect [Oke, T.R., 1982. The energetic basis of the urban heat island. Q. J. R. Meteor. Soc. 108, 1–24]. Related are the increased demands for electric power as a result of population growth and increased need for mechanical cooling due to the UHI. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency has developed a three-prong approach of (1) cool pavements, (2) urban forestry and (3) cool roofs to mitigate the UHI. Researchers undertook an examination of micro scale benefits of the utilization of photovoltaic panels to reduce the thermal impacts to surface temperatures of pavements in comparison to urban forestry. The results of the research indicate that photovoltaic panels provide a greater thermal reduction benefit during the diurnal cycle in comparison to urban forestry while also providing the additional benefits of supporting peak energy demand, conserving water resources and utilizing a renewable energy source.

This paper discusses the theoretical approximation and attempted measurement of the quantum <br/>force produced by material interactions though the use of a tuning fork-based atomic force microscopy <br/>device. This device was built and orientated specifically for the measurement of the Casimir force as a <br/>function of separation distance using a piezo actuator for approaching and a micro tuning fork for the <br/>force measurement. This project proceeds with an experimental measurement of the ambient Casmir force <br/>through the use of a tuning fork-based AFM to determine its viability in measuring the magnitude of the <br/>force interaction between an interface material and the tuning fork probe. The ambient measurements <br/>taken during the device’s development displayed results consistent with theoretical approximations, while<br/>demonstrating the capability to perform high-precision force measurements. The experimental results<br/>concluded in a successful development of a device which has the potential to measure forces of <br/>magnitude 10−6 to 10−9 at nanometric gaps. To conclude, a path to material analysis using an approach <br/>stage, alternative methods of testing, and potential future experiments are speculated upon.

Water heaters that are manufactured for swimming pools come in several forms, most of which require an electrical input for a source of power. Passive-circulation systems, however, require no electrical power input because fluid circulation occurs as a result of thermal gradients. In solar-based systems, thermal gradients are developed by energy collected from sunlight. The combination of solar collection and passive circulation yields a system in which fluids, particularly water, are heated and circulated without need of assistance from external mechanical or electrical sources. The design of such a system was adapted from that of forced-circulation solar collector systems, as were the equations describing its thermodynamic properties. The design was developed based on such constraints as material corrosion resistance, overall system cost, and location-controlled size limitations. The thermodynamic description of the designed system was adjusted on the basis of the designed system’s physical aspects, such as the configuration and material of each component within the solar collector. Numerical analysis performed with the altered thermodynamic equations projected a total energy gain of 7.39 W between 9:00 and 10:00 A.M. and a total energy gain of 13.12 W between 4:00 and 5:00 P.M. The temperature of heated water exiting the collector system was projected to be 17.62°C in the morning and 25.56°C in the afternoon. The morning projection utilized an initial fluid temperature of 12°C and an ambient air temperature of 13°C, while the afternoon projection utilized an initial fluid temperature of 17°C and an ambient air temperature of 22°C. Field testing of the designed passive thermosyphon solar collector system was performed over a period of about one month with one temperature measurement taken at the collector outlet in the morning and another taken in the afternoon. For an ambient air temperature of 13°C, the linear regression developed from the morning dataset yielded an outlet water temperature of 20°C and that for the afternoon dataset yielded an outlet water temperature of 39°C for an ambient air temperature of 17°C. The percentage error between the projected and measured results was 13.51% for the morning period and 52.58% for the afternoon period. Numerical simulation and field data demonstrated that while the collector system operated successfully, its effects were limited to the volume of water immediately surrounding the outlet of the system; the rate of circulation within the system was too low for there to be a meaningful increase in the temperature of the water body at large. The stated results demonstrate that while the particular configuration of passive circulation solar collection technology developed in this instance is capable of transferring solar thermal energy to water without additional energy sources, significant modifications are necessary in order to improve the effectiveness of the technology. Such changes may come from improvements in material availability or alterations to the configuration of components of the collector system.

This paper investigates near-field thermal radiation as the primary source of heat transfer between two parallel surfaces. This radiation takes place extremely close to the heated surfaces in study so the experimental set-up to be used will be done at the nanometer scale. The primary theory being investigated is that near-field radiation generates greater heat flux that conventional radiation governed by Planck’s law with maximum for blackbodies. Working with a phase shift material such as VO2 enables a switch-like effect to occur where the total amount of heat flux fluctuates as VO2 transitions from a metal to an insulator. In this paper, the theoretical heat flux and near-field radiation effect are modeled for a set-up of VO2 and SiO2 layers separated by different vacuum gaps. In addition, a physical experimental set-up is validated for future near-field radiation experiments.