Mazin Ismael Raheem

Energy management is a key challenge in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), primarily due to the limited battery resources of sensors, which shorten the network lifespan. Uneven energy consumption and high routing overhead significantly reduce network longevity. In this paper, we present an energy efficient clustering method called green hybrid-low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (GH-LEACH). The proposed method selects balanced and energy-efficient cluster heads (CHs) during the setup phase by considering residual energy, node density, node centrality, and distance to the base station (BS). Additionally, an adaptive CH rotation mechanism and multi-hop communication among CHs are incorporated to reduce transmission energy and distribute the network load more effectively. Results demonstrate that GH-LEACH minimizes network overhead, extends the time until the first node dies (FND), improves overall network performance, and enhances throughput compared to existing protocols such as conventional LEACH, LEACH-C, TL-LEACH, and LEACH-F. This approach distributes the energy load among sensors more evenly, especially in denser networks.

One of the biggest contributors to the world's energy consumption and carbon emissions is the building industry, especially in hot and dry countries where the yearly building energy use is dominated by the need for cooling. Passive cooling techniques that can lessen reliance on traditional air conditioning systems are desperately needed in Iraq due to the country's severe summer heat and ongoing electricity problems. The effectiveness of a thermal thrust-assisted courtyard earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) as a passive cooling option for residential structures in Baghdad is examined in this study. Using ANSYS Fluent, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was created to simulate heat transfer and airflow in an underground pipe system under typical local soil and climate conditions. The impacts of pipe diameter (0.2–0.4 m), pipe length (30–80 m), pipe burial depth (1–5 m), and inlet air velocity (1–5 m/s) were methodically assessed. According to simulation results, an ideal balance between thermal performance and pressure losses is achieved with a burial depth of roughly 3 m, pipe length of 60 m, and pipe diameter of 0.25 m. At an intake velocity of 1 m/s, the suggested system was able to reduce the air temperature by up to 20.75 °C during the hottest summer months. Passive airflow and cooling performance are greatly improved when thermal buoyancy (stack effect) is integrated with a courtyard-based EAHE. The findings show that the suggested solution can help hot, dry residential buildings lower their cooling energy consumption and related carbon emissions. These results show how low-carbon building design in Iraq and other climates can be supported by combining contemporary passive cooling technologies with traditional courtyard architecture.

In order to address current urban difficulties, this study investigates how artificial intelligence (AI) can improve smart city frameworks. This paper contends that integrating AI techniques—such as machine learning, predictive analytics, and data-driven decision-making—can greatly enhance urban performance and sustainability, despite the fact that traditional smart city models mostly rely on information and communication technology. The research employs an applied and inductive methodology. First, by combining AI-driven systems with smart city concepts, a thorough theoretical framework is created. Second, a set of AI-oriented urban indicators are used to assess the framework's efficacy in the city of Baghdad as a case study. In order to replicate AI-assisted decision-making, the analysis combines survey data with analytical interpretation. The results show that AI-enhanced smart city systems can boost resource management, government transparency, environmental sustainability, and service efficiency. However, sociocultural, technological, and economic obstacles continue to be major obstacles to implementation. The study's conclusion suggests strategic investments in digital infrastructure, data systems, and AI capabilities as well as an AI-based urban model that can be modified for growing cities.

The built environment in Iraq has been negatively affected by climate change, with high external temperatures and increased heat transfer into buildings creating greater dependence on mechanical and electrical systems for heating and cooling. While these systems are vital for ensuring thermal comfort and healthy indoor conditions, they also drive-up overall energy consumption—an issue of global concern that increases operational costs and places financial pressure on building occupants. This situation highlights a research gap: the widespread reliance on purely mechanical solutions in Iraq overlooks the potential of climate-responsive design strategies to reduce energy demand. By integrating such approaches and applying modern technologies to cover the remaining energy needs, it is possible to significantly cut energy consumption and ultimately achieve zero-energy buildings. In order to control indoor temperature in hot, dry conditions, this study suggests an integrated passive design approach that incorporates courtyard microclimate, thermal stress-driven airflow, and an earth-air heat exchanger system. The suggested method makes use of natural temperature gradients to produce indoor thermal comfort between 21 and 25°C, in contrast to traditional methods that mostly rely on mechanical devices. The paper addresses the limited application of climate-responsive design solutions in such contexts by presenting a low-energy, context-specific design strategy appropriate for areas like Iraq.

Rapid urbanisation necessitates reconsidering conventional urban management strategies and embracing creative alternatives for sustainable development due to rapid urbanisation and growing environmental challenges, including climate change, air pollution, and resource scarcity, which are mounting environmental concerns. In this regard, the idea of "smart cities" has surfaced as a strategic framework for enhancing urban efficiency via data-driven governance, digital technology, and intelligent infrastructure systems. This study looks at how digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and governance frameworks can be integrated into existing cities to create smart and sustainable urban systems. A comparative case study analysis of Barcelona, Singapore, Dubai, and Baghdad is used in conjunction with a conceptual integration technique. Infrastructure, data systems, artificial intelligence, and governance are the four interconnected layers that make up the study's Smart City Transformation Framework. The results emphasise how crucial data-driven decision-making, adaptive governance, and legacy infrastructure integration are to attaining sustainable urban change. The report also highlights important issues, such as data ethics, energy demands, and sociopolitical limitations. By presenting a multi-layered, context-sensitive model for changing existing cities, the suggested framework advances urban theory.

Due to severe cooling requirements and a lack of passive-geothermal system integration in residential design, achieving low-energy buildings in hot, dry climates continues to be a significant issue. Although Earth-Air Heat Exchangers (EAHEs) have shown encouraging cooling potential, there hasn't been enough research done on how to incorporate them into climate-responsive building typologies, especially courtyard housing. By incorporating an under-courtyard EAHE system into a low-energy residential building in Baghdad, Iraq, this study suggests a novel geothermal–passive hybrid cooling framework. The method improves passive cooling efficacy by combining courtyard-induced microclimatic management with subsurface thermal stability. Using ANSYS Fluent, a high-resolution Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model was created to assess system performance under harsh summer circumstances (ambient temperature up to 47 °C). Important design factors were methodically optimised, such as pipe length, airflow velocity, diameter, and burial depth. The suggested system may lower the incoming air temperature to 23–28 °C, according to the results, with a maximum cooling potential that surpasses 21 °C during peak conditions. The ideal setup shows a balanced performance between thermal efficiency and pressure losses (3 m burial depth, 0.20 m pipe diameter, 60 m pipe length, and airflow velocity of 1–5 m/s). A transferable design framework for incorporating EAHE systems into courtyard-based residential architecture is presented in the study, emphasising its potential to drastically lower cooling energy use and facilitate the construction of low-energy homes in hot, dry areas. The results help close the gap between climate-responsive architecture design and geothermal technical solutions.