Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are typically highlighted for their potential application in gas storage, separations and catalysis. In contrast, the unique prospects these porous and crystalline materials offer for application in electronic devices, although actively developed, are often underexposed. This review highlights the research aimed at the implementation of MOFs as an integral part of solid-state microelectronics. Manufacturing these devices will critically depend on the compatibility of MOFs with existing fabrication protocols and predominant standards. Therefore, it is important to focus in parallel on a fundamental understanding of the distinguishing properties of MOFs and eliminating fabrication-related obstacles for integration. The latter implies a shift from the microcrystalline powder synthesis in chemistry labs, towards film deposition and processing in a cleanroom environment. Both the fundamental and applied aspects of this two-pronged approach are discussed. Critical directions for future research are proposed in an updated high-level roadmap to stimulate the next steps towards MOF-based microelectronics within the community.

/pdf/an-updated-roadmap-for-the-integration-of-metal-organic-4ryw3jm11n.pdf

An updated roadmap for the integration of metal–organic frameworks with electronic devices and chemical sensors

Can commercial low-cost sensor platforms contribute to air quality monitoring and exposure estimates?

The rise of low-cost sensing for managing air pollution in cities.

. SURFEX is a new externalized land and ocean surface platform that describes the surface fluxes and the evolution of four types of surfaces: nature, town, inland water and ocean. It is mostly based on pre-existing, well-validated scientific models that are continuously improved. The motivation for the building of SURFEX is to use strictly identical scientific models in a high range of applications in order to mutualise the research and development efforts. SURFEX can be run in offline mode (0-D or 2-D runs) or in coupled mode (from mesoscale models to numerical weather prediction and climate models). An assimilation mode is included for numerical weather prediction and monitoring. In addition to momentum, heat and water fluxes, SURFEX is able to simulate fluxes of carbon dioxide, chemical species, continental aerosols, sea salt and snow particles. The main principles of the organisation of the surface are described first. Then, a survey is made of the scientific module (including the coupling strategy). Finally, the main applications of the code are summarised. The validation work undertaken shows that replacing the pre-existing surface models by SURFEX in these applications is usually associated with improved skill, as the numerous scientific developments contained in this community code are used to good advantage.

/pdf/the-surfexv7-2-land-and-ocean-surface-platform-for-coupled-261aoq10jv.pdf

The SURFEXv7.2 land and ocean surface platform for coupled or offline simulation of earth surface variables and fluxes

https://researchrepository.ucd.ie/bitstream/10197/8711/1/Manuscript_GI_Review_Accepted_Version.pdf

Air pollution abatement performances of green infrastructure in open road and built-up street canyon environments – A review

Fault detection in commercial building VAV AHU: A case study of an academic building

Ultrafine particles (UFP; diameter less than 100 nm) are ubiquitous in urban air, and an acknowledged risk to human health. Globally, the major source for urban outdoor UFP concentrations is motor traffic. Ongoing trends towards urbanisation and expansion of road traffic are anticipated to further increase population exposure to UFPs. Numerous experimental studies have characterised UFPs in individual cities, but an integrated evaluation of emissions and population exposure is still lacking. Our analysis suggest that average exposure to outdoor UFPs in Asian cities is about four-times larger than those in European cities but impacts on human health are largely unknown. This article reviews some fundamental drivers of UFP emissions and dispersion, and highlights unresolved challenges, as well as recommendations to ensure sustainable urban development whilst minimising any possible adverse health impacts.

Ultrafine particles in cities

The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is a welldocumented phenomenon, in which the airtemperature in an urban area is elevated relative to the regional air-temperature. This paper evaluates two recently developed methods for generating urban weather files from a rural station that account for microclimatic impacts on dry-bulb temperature and relative humidity. The two methods examined are computationally inexpensive. The first method is the urban weather generator (UWG) a model developed by Bueno et al. and the second is a temperature alteration scheme developed by Crawley (Bueno et al., 2012; Crawley, 2008). Actual weather data is used to validate the modeled urban data. Actual and modeled weather data is used in simulation of a typical single-family and small office building to quantify model output in terms of combined heating and cooling energy use intensity (EUI). The difference between urban and rural EUI actual is 13% and 17% for the small office and single family building, respectively. The UWG reduces this difference to 8% and 13%. The Crawley scheme reduces this difference to 9 % and 14 % (ΔDB = 1°C) or -9% and -4% (ΔDB = 5 °C).

Urban heat island in boston - an evaluation of urban air- temperature models for predicting building energy use

A modular variable-speed heat pump model is developed from first principles. The system model consists of steady-state evaporator, compressor, and condenser component sub-models. The compressor model currently implemented accounts for re-expansion, valve pressure drop, and back leakage using empirical coefficients obtained from tests covering a wide range of pressure ratio and shaft speed. Variations in heat transfer coefficients with refrigerant and secondary fluid flow rates are modeled over a wide range of capacity. Pressure drops in piping and heat exchangers are also modeled. The resulting heat pump model is flexible and fast enough for use in finding optimal compressor, fan, and pump speeds and optimal subcooling for any specified capacity fraction and operating condition. To confirm the model's accuracy, simulation results are compared to experimental data with condenser inlet air temperatures ranging from 15°C to 45°C, evaporator inlet air (dry) from 14°C to 34°C, and cooling capacity from 1.1 kW ...

Leslie Norford

Papers

Fault detection in commercial building VAV AHU: A case study of an academic building

Ultrafine particles in cities

Urban heat island in boston - an evaluation of urban air- temperature models for predicting building energy use

Variable-speed heat pump model for a wide range of cooling conditions and loads

A modelling-mapping approach for fine-scale assessment of pedestrian-level wind in high-density cities