NOTICE: Due to a lapse in annual appropriations, most of this website is not being updated. Learn more.
Form submissions will still be accepted but will not receive responses at this time. Sections of this site for programs using non-appropriated funds (such as NVLAP) or those that are excepted from the shutdown (such as CHIPS and NVD) will continue to be updated.
An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Amy S. Rushing, Joshua D. Kneifel, Barbara C. Lippiatt
This is the 2012 edition of energy price indices and discount factors for performing life-cycle cost analyses of energy and water conservation and renewable energy projects in federal facilities. It will be effective from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013
Randall J. McDermott, Hyun Wook Park, Kiyoung Moon, Ezgi Oztekin, Changhoon Lee, Jung-il Choi
A well-known challenge for large eddy simulation (LES) is to provide a smooth transition from molecular to turbulent transport near the wall without having to explicitly resolve the viscous sublayer. We propose a simple but efficient approach based on
This paper presents a computational investigation of two reinforced concrete beam-column assemblies, each comprising three columns and two beams, subjected to monotonically increasing vertical displacement of the unsupported center column simulating a
Lisa C. Ng, Amy Musser, Andrew K. Persily, Steven J. Emmerich
Sixteen commercial reference buildings were created in the multizone airflow and contaminant transport program CONTAM in order to support airflow and indoor air quality (IAQ) analyses, which are not possible using the existing EnergyPlus input files for
This paper quantifies the influence of Al2O3 nanoparticles on the pool boiling performance of R134a/polyolester mixtures on a rectangular finned boiling surface. Nanolubricants with 10 nm diameter Al2O3 nanoparticles of various volume fractions (1AlO, 2AlO
This report documents the development of finite-element models (FEM) of the National Fire Research Laboratory (NFRL) and its modular support structure. The models enable a future user of the NFRL to add a potential test structure and perform thermal and
This paper examines the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as platforms to capture imagery at the neighborhood and individual building level for use in post-disaster field studies. Applications of UAVs in recent disasters as described in the literature
This paper presents a procedure for estimating parametric probabilistic models of hurricane wind speeds from existing information on estimated wind speeds with various mean recurrence intervals (MRIs). Such models may be needed, for example, for the
Mauro Zammarano, Szabolcs Matko, Roland H. Kraemer, Rick D. Davis, Jeffrey W. Gilman, Shivani N. Mehta
The objective of this study was to evaluate whether polyurethane foam (PUF) could be produced as a standard reference material for ultimate use in a standard test intended to ensure the smoldering performance of commercially available upholstered furniture
Erica D. Kuligowski, Bryan Hoskins, Richard D. Peacock, Emily A. Wiess
The time that it takes a population to reach safety when descending a stairwell during building evacuations is typically described by measureable engineering variables. These engineering variables include stairwell geometry, speed, density, and pre
Steve M. Gwynne, Erica D. Kuligowski, Michael Spearpoint
In this paper, the use of default values in egress models is explored and specific values are proposed to combat issues of model misuse. The authors suggest that defaults should represent the most credibly conservative estimates available for core egress
This paper presents a portion of the authors PhD dissertation involving a qualitative study of occupant behavior in response to the 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) disaster. Through analyses of transcripts from 245 face-to-face interviews with survivors
In 2006, researchers from 22 organizations in ten countries began a joint effort to enable the cost-effective commissioning of existing and future buildings to improve the buildings operating performance. The commissioning techniques developed through
Christian Neumann , Henk Pietsman, Harunori Yoshida , Hideki Yuzawa, Takeshi Watanabe, Katsuhiro Kamitani, Hiroshige Kikuchi , Dirk Jacob, Oliver Baumann, Daniel Choiniere, Natascha S. Milesi-Ferretti
This report summarizes part of the work of IEA-ECBCS Annex 47 Cost-Effective Commissioning of Existing and Low Energy Buildings. It is based on the research findings from the participating countries. The publication is an official Annex report. Report 1,
Hannah Friedman, Marti Frank, David Claridge, Kristin Heinemeier, Kim Crossman, Eliot Crowe, Cory Toole, Natascha S. Milesi-Ferretti, Daniel Choniere
Commissioning of new and existing buildings has been shown to reduce energy usage and can also produce non-energy related benefits such as improved occupant comfort. When compared with other initiatives such as installation of high efficiency equipment or
This paper quantifies the influence of Al2O3 nanoparticles on the pool boiling performance of R134a/polyolester mixtures on a roughened, horizontal, flat surface. Nanofluids are liquids that contain dispersed nano-size particles. A lubricant based
An in-depth analysis of U.S. residential fire statistics shows that although the total number of fires and deaths due to mattress fires has dropped as a result of several regulatory approaches, the mattress/bedding fires continue to account for one of the
Therese P. McAllister, Fahim Sadek, John L. Gross, Jason D. Averill, Richard G. Gann
This paper summarizes the primary structural systems which comprised World Trade Center 1, World Trade Center 2, and World Trade Center 7. The buildings were destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This paper describes the four major
In this study, environmentally stressed OS fabrics containing melamine fiber blends were evaluated for thermal and mechanical properties that are critical to the protective performance of firefighter turnout gear. Environmental stress factors that affect
Tinh Nguyen, Bastien T. Pellegrin, Coralie Bernard, Savelas A. Rabb, Paul E. Stutzman, Justin M. Gorham, Xiaohong Gu, Lee L. Yu, Joannie W. Chin
Nanofillers are increasingly used for enhancing multiple properties of polymeric materials in many applications. However, polymers are susceptible to photodegradation by solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation Therefore, nanofillers in a polymer nanocomposite
Therese P. McAllister, Fahim Sadek, John L. Gross, Steven W. Kirkpatrick, Robert S. MacNeill, R. Bocchieri, Mehdi S. Zarghamee, Omer O. Erbay, Andrew T. Sarawit
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducted an extensive investigation of the collapse of World Trade Center towers (WTC 1 and WTC 2) and the WTC 7 building. This paper describes the reconstruction of impact damage to each of the
This paper describes the development and implementation of a simulation testbed used to study the concept of employing intelligent agents to optimize the performance of building Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. One day simulated
Kevin B. McGrattan, Andrew J. Lock, Nathan D. Marsh, Marc R. Nyden
This report documents the first phase of a multi-year program called CHRISTIFIRE (Cable Heat Release, Ignition, and Spread in Tray Installations during Fire). The overall goal of the program is to quantify the burning characteristics of grouped electrical