Mechanical Systems
13 October, 2023
There are various types of Mechanical systems that go into taking care of a building. Some of these systems include, renewable sources, and heating/cooling systems. It is important to make sure the mechanical systems we use are sustainable sources and make the human experience comfortable. Some energy sources that the United States acknowledges are bioenergy, hydrogen, coal, fossil fuels, solar, wind, electric power, etc... Some of these systems are more sustainable than others however each of them have there positive and negative effects.
Energy sources can be divided into two parts, renewable and non-renewable. Renewable sources include wind, hydro, solar, biomass, and others. The reason why renewable was introduced was to lead the earths energy sources toward the direction of clean energy that is more domestic than non-renewable sources. Some non-renewable energy sources are, oil, coal, natural gas, and more. These sources can be taxing to the earth and can cause future environmental challenges. There is an on going political debate on which energy sources should be used because even though renewable energy sources seem like the way to go, these energy sources can involve more money than non-renewable energy sources. Other problems include the question, are renewable energy sources capable of completely replace fossil fuels.
Mechanical systems such as HVAC are an important factor to think about when building a building or home. These systems handle human comfort which is a huge part of interior design. When dealing with these systems there is something called the Psychrometric Chart.
The Psychometric Chart helps pin point when humidity takes place and the dew points. This chart helps HVAC specialists see where the comfort zone is for people to enjoy the inside temperatures of a building. Some heating systems include, hydronic, air, electric, wood stove, and fireplaces. Many of these systems we see in our house such as hydronic heatings systems can be seen in our water heaters and radiators. Air systems can be our furnaces because furnaces are a forces air systems. Moving onto cooling systems, some different systems can be heat pumps, central station, split system, and through wall unit. These cooling systems goal is to avoid heat gain, mechanical cooling, and passive cooling strategies.
Research: Wind Power
Wind power is a popular type of renewable energy source. How wind power works is these wind turbines are sent up and they use the power of the wind to collect energy and reuses the energy. These turbines can turn kinetic energy into mechanical energy that can then be used for different systems such as plumbing. Residential onsite energy requires a turbine less than 10 kilowatts due to the size of energy needed, however when there is a bigger need of energy the turbine sizes can vary. Large commercial or industrial energy use requires about 500KW-1.5MW. These turbines are often placed in spaces where there is nothing near because they can be loud and hazardous. Some negative effects of these wind power turbines is they can be expensive and do harm to birds and other flying creatures.
Eva,
ReplyDeleteI thought your blog was well-summarized, understandable, and engaging. I liked that you mentioned the question of whether or not renewable energy sources can completely replace fossil fuels, and you made sure to note that all energy sources have positives and negatives. I thought your description and picture of the Psychometric chart was really helpful and interesting. I also liked your simplified explanation on wind power - it helped me understand that transfer of energy (from kinetic to mechanical) better. Overall, good job!
Eva,
ReplyDeleteYour blog was really informative and detailed by explaining the different mechanic systems and then explaining the key components to renewable energy and nonrenewable energy. Your further research on wind power was very interesting and really deep dived on the positives of this renewable energy.
Eva,
ReplyDeleteYou did a really good job with this blog and the organization of it. The details you added in regard to mechanical systems was very informative and was easy to understand. I think your pictures contributed heavily to that understanding and related well to the topics you discussed in each paragraph. Your research of wind power was just as detailed and informative. I feel like wind is something we look past because we feel it every day, but you did a good job of describing wind as an energy source and not just a weather condition. Good job!
Eva,
ReplyDeleteIt was really cool to see the focus on sustainable mechanical systems and renewable energy sources in building management from your blog. You showed all of us that through incorporating renewable sources like wind power and prioritizing the human experience through HVAC systems, we are taking crucial steps towards a more eco-friendly and comfortable future. While you noted that there are challenges to address, such as cost and environmental impact, you also showed us that the commitment to cleaner energy and efficient mechanical systems is a promising path forward for both our environment and quality of life. Nice job!