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Questions tagged [building-physics]

The physics of buildings, specifically thermal conduction, convection, & radiation; heating and cooling; ventilation; transmission and management of water vapour & pollutants

-2 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to make a pulley system with a mechanical advantage of 0.5 [closed]

Problem Hi I was working for an engineering club and we needed to do this as soon as possible: We wanted to make a pulley system with a mechanical advantage of 0.5 I know that we have to do ...
Kevin Wolfe's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
188 views

Dimensionless Thickness

I have encounter this notion: "Dimensionless Thickness". Does anyone have any idea how to interpret this? One can find such a term here. My interpretation is that the name comes from the fact that ...
Physther's user avatar
  • 614
3 votes
1 answer
196 views

Recreating Focaults Pendulum

I am having issues building a recreation of Focaults Pendulum (basic, inexpensive, undergrad project). At this point, I am going to purchase aircraft cable or suspension cable unless someone can ...
Fixieis's user avatar
  • 33
2 votes
0 answers
173 views

Mathematic modeling of an overshot water wheel [closed]

We're working on a project that require some mechanical engineering and electronics engineering. In this project we've to model this overshot water wheel (so the water comes from the left top side and ...
Popiru's user avatar
  • 21
3 votes
3 answers
1k views

Tower crane with a cabin on ground level

Pardon me for kind of a stupid question, but I keep wondering. Traditionally, tower cranes' cabins are located at the top of the tower. I can understand why it have been necessary up to ~1990s, when ...
GreyCat's user avatar
  • 131
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why don't we make bricks out of coffee grounds?

Okay, so I've noticed that a lot of people grind coffee, and a lot of companies grind it on an industrial scale. Having produced some of the drink we called coffee, a huge proportion of the mass of ...
user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

Rubber Band for Belt in Belt Drive system

Looking to drive a series of belts for lateral translation using a series of pallet bands (92" rubber bands about 1" wide). Approximately 16 bands would be driven by a singular band as illustrated (...
user15921's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
191 views

Recoil of hydraulic lift/elevator

I noticed that when a group of people enter in an hydraulic lift/elevator often when the last person steps in the lift/elevator has a small but noticeable recoil: the lift goes down a few mm then it ...
Luca's user avatar
  • 159
2 votes
1 answer
446 views

What's the purpose of these small closet-like-rooms-without-a-door?

I was recently on the UCLA campus (University of California Los Angeles) and I saw the Bunche Hall. I love the design and the architecture of the building. However I saw a little (what I would call) a ...
Fixed Point's user avatar
38 votes
2 answers
19k views

What is the purpose of these diversions in a natural gas line?

The campus where I work has a long covered walkway (~.5 mile) which has several labeled pipes running under the roof (chilled water, fuel oil, air...). All of the pipes run dead straight except for ...
Gretchen's user avatar
  • 483
0 votes
2 answers
144 views

Is making a toilet flush backwards problematic? [closed]

The Coriolis effect impacts the way water tends to circle before going down the drain. Many (most, all?) toilets are designed to work with the Coriolis effect. I am considering a line of toilets ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
128 views

Where to insulate Underfloor air distribution system in a temperate climate

I have a proposed underfloor air distribution system (UFAD) for a one level office in a temperate climate. Typically the demand for heating and cooling in this climate is about even for offices. ...
pandita's user avatar
  • 377
16 votes
3 answers
8k views

What is the most efficient means of warming a building with a high ceiling?

Consider a large auditorium, a church, or some other very large, essentially one roomed building with a high ceiling. Suppose that the building has many entrances which enable cold air in/hot air out ...
Paul's user avatar
  • 2,569

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