On the example of the Poynting-Thomson-Zener rheological model for solids, which exhibits both dissipation and wave propagation -with nonlinear dispersion relation -, we introduce and investigate a finite difference numerical scheme. Our goal is to demonstrate its properties and to ease the computations in later applications for continuum thermodynamical problems. The key element is the positioning of the discretized quantities with shifts by half space and time steps with respect to each other. The arrangement is chosen according to the spacetime properties of the quantities and of the equations governing them. Numerical stability, dissipative error and dispersive error are analysed in detail. With the best settings found, the scheme is capable of making precise and fast predictions. Finally, the proposed scheme is compared to a commercial finite element software, COMSOL, which demonstrates essential differences even on the simplest -elastic -level of modelling.

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This research investigates and evaluates the University Politehnica of Bucharest (UPB) possibilities to become an energy self-supplying by building up its own power plant and becoming an energy distributor. The campus has already been connected to the national natural gas supplying pipe and the local district heating and electrical network.A set of criteria was used to evaluate the feasibility of this project. Technical, financial, and environmental considerations were taken into account to determine the most suitable solution. The feasibility study assumed three proposals of an energy supply system considered for the university buildings / campus. Gas-fired heating plant, gas-fired Internal Combustion Engine cogeneration plant and gas fired Internal Combustion Engine for cogeneration with an Organic Rankine Cycle ORC.The details of each proposal were discussed to obtain the optimum solution. Elaborate. It was found from a financial and environmental perspective that the most feasible project is gas-fired Internal Combustion Engine cogeneration, considering profit revenue from selling / exporting power to the domestic electricity grid. And the Net Present Value was around one million euros for 15 years life.