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Article Citation - WoS: 36Citation - Scopus: 42Development of a Personalized Thermal Comfort Driven Controller for Hvac Systems(Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, 2021) Turhan, Cihan; Simani, Silvio; Akkurt, Gulden GokcenIncreasing thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption are two main objectives of advanced HVAC control systems. In this study, a thermal comfort driven control (PTC-DC) algorithm was developed to improve HVAC control systems with no need of retrofitting HVAC system components. A case building located in Izmir Institute of Technology Campus-Izmir-Turkey was selected to test the developed system. First, wireless sensors were installed to the building and a mobile application was developed to monitor/ collect temperature, relative humidity and thermal comfort data of an occupant. Then, the PTC-DC algorithm was developed to meet the highest occupant thermal comfort as well as saving energy. The prototypes of the controller were tested on the case building from July 3rd, 2017 to November 1st, 2018 and compared with a conventional PID controller. The results showed that the developed control algorithm and conventional controller satisfy neutral thermal comfort for 92 % and 6 % of total measurement days, respectively. From energy consumption point of view, the PTC-DC decreased energy consumption by 13.2 % compared to the conventional controller. Consequently, the PTC-DC differs from other works in the literature that the prototype of PTC-DC can be easily deployed in real environments. Moreover, the PTC-DC is low-cost and user-friendly. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Article Citation - WoS: 1Citation - Scopus: 1Recycling Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades for Post-Disaster Housing Applications(Mdpi, 2025) Turhan, Cihan; Durak, Murat; Saleh, Yousif Abed Saleh; Kalayci, AlperThe growing adoption of wind energy has resulted in an increasing number of decommissioned wind turbine blades, which pose significant disposal challenges due to their size, material composition, and environmental impact. Recycling these blades has thus become essential. To this aim, this study explores the potential of using recycled wind turbine blades in post-disaster housing applications and examines the feasibility of re-purposing these durable composite materials to create robust, cost-effective, and sustainable building solutions for emergency housing. A case study of a post-earthquake relief camp in Hatay, T & uuml;rkiye, affected by the 2023 earthquake, is used for analysis. First, the energy consumption of thirty traditional modular container-based post-disaster housing units is simulated with a dynamic building simulation tool. Then, the study introduces novel wind turbine blade-based housing (WTB-bH) designs developed using the same simulation tool. The energy consumption of these (WTB-bH) units is compared to that of traditional containers. The results indicate that using recycled wind turbine blades for housing not only contributes to waste reduction but also achieves 27.3% energy savings compared to conventional methods. The novelty of this study is in demonstrating the potential of recycled wind turbine blades to offer durable and resilient housing solutions in post-disaster situations and to advocate for integrating this recycling method into disaster recovery frameworks, highlighting its ability to enhance sustainability and resource efficiency in construction. Overall, the output of this study may help to present a compelling case for the innovative reuse of decommissioned wind turbine blades, providing an eco-friendly alternative to traditional waste disposal methods while addressing critical needs in post-disaster scenarios.Article Akıllı Bina Uygulamalarındaki Havalandırma Sıstemı Kontrol Stratejılerınde Kullanıcı Sayısı Tespıtı Temellı Yenı Bır Yaklaşım(2021) Turhan, Cihan; Çeter, Aydın EgeBinalarda kullanılan geleneksel havalandırma sistemleri tutarlı bir şekilde işlevini yerine getirmesine karşın, iç ortamda yeterli konforu sağlamamaktadır. Akıllı havalandırma sistemleri ise enerji tüketimini en aza indirirken, istenilen iç hava kalitesini sağlamak için iç ortam parametrelerini isteğe bağlı olarak kullanıcı sayısı tespiti ile ayarlamaktadır. Kabul edilebilir iç hava kalitesi için havalandırma gereksinimlerini düzenleyen ASHRAE 62 standardı, zamandan bağımsız kullanıcı sayısı tespit algoritmaları kullanmaktadır. Ancak bu tip simülasyon çalışmalarında dinamik metot ve algoritmaların kullanılması gerekmektedir. Bu amaç doğrultusunda, Ankara ATILIM Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi’nde yer alan bir ofis alanında, kullanıcı sayısı tespiti ile yeni bir dinamik havalandırma sistemi kontrol stratejisi geliştirilmiştir. Bu algoritma, karbondioksit konsantrasyonu, iç hava sıcaklığı ve kapı konumunu tespit eden bir dizi sensör yardımı ile elde edilmiştir. Üretilen prototip, HVAC sistemin hava akışını düzenlemektedir ve gerçek koşullarda test edilmiştir. Geliştirilen yeni yöntemin testleri 1 Ocak 2020 – 15 Ağustos 2020 tarihleri arasında yapılmış olup, termal konfor ve enerji tüketimi bağlamında geleneksel HVAC yönetim sistemi ile karşılaştırılmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlara göre yeni kontrol stratejisi ve prototipin enerji tüketimini %16 azalttığını, aynı zamanda kişilerin %94’ünün ısıl konforu sağladığı tespit edilmiştir.Article Citation - WoS: 22Citation - Scopus: 25Thermal Comfort Analysis of Historical Mosques. Case Study: the Ulu Mosque, Manisa, Turkey(Elsevier Science Sa, 2021) Diler, Yusuf; Turhan, Cihan; Arsan, Zeynep Durmus; Akkurt, Gulden GokcenMosques are sanctuary places for Muslims where they can perform their religious activities and also can communicate with each other. On the other hand, historical mosques may contain artworks which have cultural heritage values. These mosques originally have not any Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning systems. For this reason, obtaining thermal comfort becomes a significant issue. In this study, a systematic approach on monitoring and evaluating thermal comfort of historical mosques were developed. As a case study, The Ulu Mosque, Manisa/Turkey was monitored from 2015 to 2018, and thermal comfort evaluation of the mosque was conducted during prayer times based on the method provided by ISO 7730. A dynamic Building Energy Performance Software, DesignBuilder, was used to model the mosque, and the model was calibrated by using hourly indoor temperature data. The calibrated model was then used to evaluate existing conditions of the mosque and develop retrofitting scenarios in order to increase thermal comfort of prayers. Thirteen different scenarios were proposed to improve thermal comfort of prayers during worship periods. The results were evaluated according to EN 16883 for conservation of cultural heritage of the mosque. Electrical radiator heating with intermittent operating schedules was obtained as the best scenario to protect cultural heritage via artworks, while decreasing disssatisfaction level of the prayers from 45% to 10% in winter months. Additionally, intermittent operation saved 46.9% of energy compared to continuous operating schedule. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Article Citation - WoS: 3Citation - Scopus: 5Impact of Green Wall and Roof Applications on Energy Consumption and Thermal Comfort for Climate Resilient Buildings(Mdpi, 2025) Turhan, Cihan; Carpino, Cristina; Austin, Miguel Chen; Ozbey, Mehmet Furkan; Akkurt, Gulden GokcenNowadays, reducing energy consumption and obtaining thermal comfort are significant for making educational buildings more climate resilient, more sustainable, and more comfortable. To achieve these goals, a sustainable passive method is that of applying green walls and roofs that provide extra thermal insulation, evaporative cooling, a shadowing effect, and the blockage of wind on buildings. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of green wall and roof applications on energy consumption and thermal comfort in an educational building. For this purpose, a university building in the Csb climate zone is selected and monitored during one year, as a case study. Then, the case building is modelled in a well-calibrated dynamic building energy simulation tool and twenty-one different plant species, which are mostly used for green walls and roofs, are applied to the envelope of the building in order to determine a reduction in energy consumption and an increase in thermal comfort. The Hedera canariensis gomera (an ivy species) plant is used for green walls due to its aesthetic appeal, versatility, and functional benefits while twenty-one different plants including Ophiopogon japonicus (Mando-Grass), Phyllanthus bourgeoisii (Waterfall Plant), and Phoenix roebelenii (Phoenix Palm) are simulated for the green roof applications. The results show that deploying Hedera canariensis gomera to the walls and Phyllanthus bourgeoisii to the roof could simultaneously reduce the energy consumption by 9.31% and increase thermal comfort by 23.55% in the case building. The authors acknowledge that this study is solely based on simulations due to the high cost of all scenarios, and there are inherent differences between simulated and real-world conditions. Therefore, the future work will be analysing scenarios in real life. Considering the limited studies on the effect of different plant species on energy performance and comfort, this study also contributes to sustainable building design strategies.Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 3Latent Psychological Pathways in Thermal Comfort Perception: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Uncertainty on Depression and Vigour(MDPI, 2025) Ozbey, Mehmet Furkan; Turhan, Cihan; Alkan, Nese; Akkurt, Gulden GokcenThermal comfort is the condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment, and it is assessed through subjective evaluation, according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers. While research has traditionally emphasised physical factors, growing evidence highlights the role of the state of mind in shaping thermal perception. In a prior Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis, six mood subscales-Anger, Confusion, Vigour, Tension, Depression, and Fatigue-were examined for how they affect the absolute difference between actual and predicted thermal sensation. Depression and vigour were found to be the most influential, while confusion appeared least impactful. However, to accurately assess the role of confusion, it is necessary to consider its potential interactions with other mood subscales. To this end, a mediation analysis was conducted using Hayes' PROCESS tool. The mediation analyses revealed that confusion partially mediated depression's effect in males and vigour's effect in females. These results suggest that, despite a weak direct impact, confusion critically influences thermal perception by altering the effects of key mood states. Accounting for the indirect effects of mood states may lead to more accurate predictions of human sensory experiences and improve the design of occupant-centred environments.Article Citation - WoS: 5Citation - Scopus: 7Enhancing Urban Sustainability With Novel Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines: a Study on Residential Buildings in Çeşme(Mdpi, 2025) Saleh, Yousif Abed Saleh; Durak, Murat; Turhan, CihanThis study investigates the integration of three types of vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs)-helical, IceWind, and a combined design-on residential buildings in & Ccedil;e & scedil;me, T & uuml;rkiye, a region with an average wind speed of 7 m/s. The research explores the potential of small-scale wind turbines in urban areas, providing sustainable solutions for renewable energy generation and reducing reliance on conventional energy sources. The turbines were designed and analyzed using SolidWorks and ANSYS Fluent, achieving power outputs of 350 W for the helical turbine, 430 W for the IceWind turbine, and 590 W for the combined turbine. A total of 42 turbines were mounted on a five-storey residential building model, and DesignBuilder software was utilized to simulate and evaluate the energy consumption. The baseline energy consumption of 172 kWh/m2 annually was reduced by 18.45%, 22.93%, and 30.88% for the helical, IceWind, and combined turbines, respectively. Furthermore, the economic analysis showed payback periods of 12.89 years for the helical turbine, 10.60 years for the IceWind turbine, and 10.49 years for the combined turbine. These findings emphasize the viability of integrating VAWTs into urban buildings as an effective strategy for reducing energy consumption, lowering costs, and enhancing energy efficiency.Article İÇ HAVA SICAKLIĞI VE OPERATİF SICAKLIK BAZLI HVAC SİSTEMLERİNİN ISIL KONFOR VE ENERJİ TÜKETİMİ BAKIMINDAN KARŞILAŞTIRILMASI(2020) Turhan, CihanIsıtma, Soğutma ve Havandırma (HVAC) sistemlerinin ana amacı kullanıcılar için ısıl konforu sağlamaktır. Geleneksel olarak, HVAC sistemleri ısıl konforu sağlayabilmek için iç hava sıcaklığını sürekli ölçerek set-değerlerini ayarlar. Ancak, bir kabül edilebilir ısıl çevre standardı olan ASHRAE 55, iklimlendirilmiş binalar için operatif sıcaklık kabül aralıklarını kullanmayı önermektedir. Operatif sıcaklığın, iç hava sıcaklığı ve ortalama radyant sıcaklığın bir fonksiyonu olduğu düşünülürse, kullanıcıların nötr ısıl konforunun sağlanması için HVAC sistemlerinin set-değerleri operatif sıcaklığa göre kontrol edilebilir. Bu çalışma, biri operatif sıcaklık ve diğeri iç hava sıcaklığı bazlı aynı özellikteki iki oda bulunan aynı özellikteki iki HVAC sistemini ısıl konfor ve enerji tüketimi bakımından karşılaştırmaktadır. Örnek çalışma olarak, Ankara-Türkiye’de bulunan aynı mimari özelliklerdeki iki ofis odası seçilmiştir. HVAC sistemleri aynı zamanda ve aynı doluluk oranlarında ayrı ayrı operatif sıcaklık ve iç hava sıcaklığı bazlı kontrol edilerek çalıştırılmıştır. Sonuçlar, operatif bazlı HVAC sisteminin enerji tüketimini az da olsa arttırdığını fakat daha iyi ısıl konfor sağladığını göstermiştir. Bu çalışmanın sonuçları sadece enerji verimli HVAC sistemleri tasarlamak için değil, daha konforlu ortamlar yaratmak açısından da yol gösterici olacaktır.Conference Object Citation - WoS: 1Citation - Scopus: 2Hardware-In Assessment of a Fault Tolerant Fuzzy Control Scheme for an Offshore Wind Farm Simulator(Elsevier, 2022) Simani, Silvio; Farsoni, Saverio; Turhan, CihanTo enhance both the safety and the efficiency of offshore wind park systems, faults must be accommodated in their earlier occurrence, in order to avoid costly unplanned maintenance. Therefore, this paper aims at implementing a fault tolerant control strategy by means of a data-driven approach relying on fuzzy logic. In particular, fuzzy modelling is considered here as it enables to approximate unknown nonlinear relations, while managing uncertain measurements and disturbance. On the other hand, the model of the fuzzy controller is directly estimated from the input-output signals acquired from the wind farm system, with fault tolerant capabilities. In general, the use of purely nonlinear relations and analytic methods would require more complex design tools. The design is therefore enhanced by the use of fuzzy model prototypes obtained via a data-driven approach, thus representing the key point if real-time solutions have to implement the proposed fault tolerant control strategy. Finally, a high-fidelity simulator relying on a hardware-in-the-loop tool is exploited to verify and validate the reliability and robustness characteristics of the developed methodology also for on-line and more realistic implementations. Copyright (C) 2022 The Authors.Article Citation - WoS: 15Citation - Scopus: 11The Relation Between Thermal Comfort and Human-Body Exergy Consumption in a Temperate Climate Zone(Elsevier Science Sa, 2019) Turhan, Cihan; Akkurt, Gulden GokcenHuman body exergy balance calculation method gives minimum human body exergy consumption rates at thermal neutrality (TSV = 0) providing more information on human thermal responses than other methods. The literature is lacking the verification of this method in various climatic zones. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between thermal comfort and human body exergy consumption in a temperate climate zone. A small office building in Izmir Institute of Technology campus, Izmir/Turkey, was chosen as a case building and equipped with measurement devices. The occupant was subjected to a survey via a mobile application to obtain his Thermal Sensation Votes. Objective data were collected via sensors and used for predicting occupant thermal comfort and for exergy balance calculations. Under given conditions, the results show that Thermal Sensation Votes are generally zero at a T-i range of 21-23 degrees C and, are mostly lower than Predicted Mean Votes in summer while the opposite is observed in winter. Predicted Mean Votes at minimum Human Body Exergy Consumption rates were on slightly warm side while Thermal Sensation Votes are zero. It means that for given case, the HBexC rate calculation gave a better prediction of the environmental parameters for the best thermal comfort. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
