Higher Institute on Territorial Systems for Innovation
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Estimating Building Air Change Rates with Multizone Models at Urban Scale: Comparative Case Studies
Get PDFAccurate estimation of building-specific air change rates is important for reliable urban scale energy modeling, particularly in densely populated regions where airflow calculations must account for complex boundary conditions associated with urban geometry. This study applied lumped-parameter airflow models to simulate interzone airflow by calculating the internal pressures using simplified building representations. Air change rates were calculated by solving a system of nonlinear equations, with boundary conditions defined by localized wind inputs corrected using aerodynamic parameters extracted from three dimensional urban geometry. By linking these wind-related boundary conditions with lumped-parameter airflow models, the methodology describes spatial variability in natural infiltration across a broad range of urban densities. Two cities were compared to test the variability in building air change rates using local boundary conditions: New York City, a dense modern city, and Turin, a typical medium-density European city. Moreover, verifying the lumped-parameter model against CONTAM (Version 3.4.0.6) showed accurate results, with a mean absolute percentage error of 1.2% across 120 simulated weather scenarios. Furthermore, comparing energy consumption predictions using building-specific air change rates to those using fixed air change rates showed improved accuracy, resulting in an average error reduction of 27% over the entire heating season for a sample building.This scalable, automated approach enables more accurate assessments of ventilation-driven energy use in compact urban areas
On the relevance of facesheet orifice geometry to acoustic liner impedance
Get PDFThe impact of minor manufacturing deviations in facesheet orifice geometries on the acoustic impedance of liners is studied. Using the lattice-Boltzmann method, simulations of a normal impedance tube (NIT) with plane acoustic waves at sound pressure levels of 130 and 145 dB and frequencies of 800, 1400, and 2000 Hz were performed. Experimental validation was conducted at the Federal University of Santa Catarina using a baseline geometry obtained via 3D scanning and characterized by rounded orifice edges. This geometry was modified to investigate the influence of various edge configurations: sharp edges, double chamfers, and single top chamfers. Results show that sharp-edged orifices increase acoustic resistance and absorption, while geometries with rounded or chamfered edges reduce resistance by up to 28% and lower the absorption coefficient. This is similar to what was found experimentally by performing NIT measurements over different parts of the liner sample. Velocity field analysis reveals that flow separation at the orifice edge is the primary mechanism driving impedance variation, independent of frequency or sound pressure level. These findings underscore the significant influence of small geometric imperfections, often introduced during manufacturing, on liner performance, highlighting the need to consider such variations in industrial design and quality assurance processes
State of the art in soft eversion robots for colonoscopy: a review
Get PDFThis review explores the current state of eversion robotics in the context of colonoscopy, given the need for less invasive, more patient-friendly screening technologies. Conventional colonoscopy often leads to discomfort and patient reluctance, contributing to delayed diagnoses and high colorectal cancer mortality rates. Eversion robots, also known as vine robots or soft growing robots are soft, pressure-driven devices that extend by everting from the tip whilst offering a promising option by enabling frictionless advancement and potentially pain-free procedures. We examine the key challenges and opportunities in adapting eversion robots for clinical endoscopic use, focusing on material selection, actuation, steering, and payload delivery. From the literature, thermoplastic polyurethane emerges as the most viable material for the robot’s sleeve due to its airtightness, biocompatibility, suitability for heat or ultrasonic welding, and availability in highly flexible thin layers. Tip-steering mechanisms are identified as the most effective strategies for navigation, allowing high flexibility without increasing the wall thickness of the robot, as required in alternative approaches using distributed actuation mechanisms. The review also evaluates strategies for integrating functional tools at the tip of the robot, concluding that cap-free designs provide superior adaptability to the varying colon diameter, preserve compressibility, and keep tip friction to a minimum, unlike cap-based payload delivery methods. By consolidating current research and identifying pathways for innovation, this review supports the development of eversion soft robots as a next-generation solution for minimally invasive colorectal diagnostics and therapy
Transparent wood for a bio-based future: A critical review
No full textTransparent wood (TW) is an emerging class of bio-based composites that combines high optical transmittance,
mechanical strength, and tunable light scattering. This review provides a critical and integrated overview of
recent advances in the design and processing of TW, with particular emphasis on how modifications of the wood
template, through chemical, structural, and cell-wall engineering, govern optical and mechanical performance.
Tailoring haze is highlighted as a key design parameter, enabling precise control of light diffusion and optical
response for applications ranging from clear glazing to diffusive solar harvesting and smart window systems.
Beyond functional low- and high-haze TW, the review also addresses the emerging class of aesthetic TW, in
which visual appearance, diffuse light transmission, and architectural integration are prioritized over maximum
transparency. Dynamic and functionalized TW systems, including thermo- and photo-responsive structures,
luminescent films, and composites incorporating micro- and nano-scale fillers, are discussed as routes toward
adaptive and multifunctional materials.
Finally, the review critically examines the challenges associated with scalability, reproducibility, standardization, and sustainability, including processing bottlenecks, measurement comparability, and life-cycle considerations. By linking material design, optical scattering mechanisms, and manufacturing constraints, this work
outlines a coherent pathway from laboratory-scale innovation to the development of industrially viable, biobased, and circular TW materials
Metamaterials and Fluid Flows
Get PDFUnderstanding and controlling the dynamic interactions between fluid flows and solid materials and structures-a field known as fluid-structure interaction-is central not only to established disciplines such as aerospace and naval engineering, but also to emerging technologies such as energy harvesting, soft robotics, and biomedical devices. In recent years, the advent of metamaterials has provided exciting opportunities to rethink and redesign fluid-structure interactions. The idea of engineering the internal structure of materials that interface with fluid flows opens a new horizon for the precise and effective manipulation and control of coupled fluidic, acoustic, and elastodynamic responses. This review focuses on this relatively unexplored interdisciplinary theme with broad technological significance. Salient potential applications, such as fuel consumption in transport systems, efficiency of renewable energy extraction, noise mitigation, and resilience against structural fatigue, depend on controlling interactions among flow, acoustic, and vibration mechanisms. Flow control, for example, which spans a wealth of regimes such as laminar, transitional, turbulent, and unsteady separated flows, is strongly influenced by fluid-structure interaction. This review surveys and discusses conceptual frameworks that describe the interplay between fluids and elastic solids, with a focus on contemporary and emerging concepts. The paper is organised into three main sections: flow-structure and fluid-phonon interactions, flow and acoustic interactions with metamaterials, and exotic metamaterial concepts with potential impact on fluid-structure interaction. It concludes with perspectives on current challenges and future directions in this rapidly expanding area of research
Buildings' Energy modeling and Platforms for a Sustainable Development of Cities and Communities
No full textL'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen
Nonlinear analysis of hyperelastic materials and structures using higher-order finite elements
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Comparative Evaluation of Multiple-Model Kalman Filters for Highly Maneuvering UAV Tracking
Get PDFTracking highly maneuvering, non-cooperative UAVs poses significant challenges due to rapid and unpredictable changes in target dynamics. Under such conditions, traditional single-model filters often fail to maintain reliable state estimates, resulting in degraded tracking performance. Multiple-Model Kalman Filter (MMKF) approaches, including the Generalized Pseudo Bayesian (GPB1) and Interacting Multiple-Model (IMM) algorithms, improve robustness by simultaneously considering multiple candidate motion models and weighting them according to the observed target behavior. Adaptive strategies, such as chi2-test-based or t-test-based methods, further enhance performance by dynamically responding to changes in maneuvering patterns. This paper presents a multi-criteria comparative assessment of four MMKF formulations-GPB1, IMM, chi2-test-based, and t-test-based filters- under a consistent modeling and simulation framework. Particular emphasis is placed on systematically analyzing the role of the transition probability matrix (TPM), investigating how fixed, adaptive, and TPM-free strategies affect estimation accuracy, robustness to noise, and mode-identification performance. Beyond conventional Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) metrics, the filters' comparison is carried out through confusion matrices and dwell time analysis to highlight performance nuances and trade-offs. This allows to establish which filter formulation is preferable in different operational conditions
Communication Frameworks and Architectures: From Radio Interface Evaluation to Constellation Design
No full textL'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen
Quantitative MYD88 L265P and flow cytometry levels for outcome determination in IgM gammopathies: the SAL-TO study
Get PDFWaldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare indolent B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder, often preceded by a history of IgM monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (IgM-MGUS). In this retrospective multicentric study, we collected real-life data from 577 IgM gammopathy patients (221 symptomatic WM, sWM, 245 asymptomatic WM, aWM, 111 IgM-MGUS) from 22 Spanish Centers, with a validation cohort of 166 patients (73 sWM, 71 aWM, 22 IgM-MGUS) from University Hospital of Torino, Italy. Median overall survival (OS) was 126.7 months for the Spanish cohort and 202.8 for the Torino cohort. Multivariate analysis identified significant age > 65 years, male gender, diagnosis of sWM and beta-2-microglobulin >3 as significant predictors for shorter OS. Additionally, age > 65 years, bone marrow (BM) biopsy infiltration, haemoglobin 0.162 (either by ddPCR or quantitative PCR) together with multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) infiltration >4.39% had a significant impact on OS and TTFT; the combination of MYD88 and MFC levels allowed to stratify patients into high-, intermediate-, and low-risk groups, with high-risk IgM gammopathy patients showing increased disease-related death in competing risk analysis