Higher Institute on Territorial Systems for Innovation
PORTO Publications Open Repository TOrinoNot a member yet
91193 research outputs found
Sort by
Integration of renewable energy to power public transport at the Island of Pantelleria
No full textThe following paper deals with the use of renewable energy to supply a system of electric bus in Pantelleria. The renewables considered in the work are wave, wind and photovoltaic. The wave power is harvested through the ISWEC (Inertial Sea Wave Energy Converter) device, a floating slack moored gyroscopic system already deployed in Pantelleria in 2015. A detailed model of the ISWEC is provided and used to derive the hourly resolute power fed to the grid knowing the sea state. PV and wind turbine modeling are also included and together with the wave model provide input to the electric bus model. The electric bus model is composed of a main storage, representing the bus recharging station, and the model of the onboard storage in buses. A first design of the integrated renewables-storage-buses is performed to identify the design starting point. Then a minimization algorithm provides the correct sizing of the renewable energy mix and a sensitivity analysis with respect to the storages capacities provides the trade-offs on the percentage of renewable energy exploitable by the system
EU methodology for critical raw materials assessment: Policy needs and proposed solutions for incremental improvements
No full textRaw materials form the basis of Europe's economy to ensure jobs and competitiveness, and they are essential for maintaining and improving quality of life. Although all raw materials are important, some of them are of more concern than others, thus the list of critical raw materials (CRMs) for the EU, and the underlying European Commission (EC) criticality assessment methodology, are key instruments in the context of the EU raw materials policy. For the next update of the CRMs list in 2017, the EC is considering to apply the overall methodology already used in 2011 and 2014, but with some modifications. Keeping the same methodological approach is a deliberate choice in order to prioritise the comparability with the previous two exercises, effectively monitor trends, and maintain the highest possible policy relevance. As the EC's in-house science service, the Directorate General Joint Research Centre (DG JRC) identified aspects of the EU criticality methodology that could be adapted to better address the needs and expectations of the resulting CRMs list to identify and monitor critical raw materials in the EU. The goal of this paper is to discuss the specific elements of the EC criticality methodology that were adapted by DG JRC, highlight their novelty and/or potential outcomes, and discuss them in the context of criticality assessment methodologies available internationally
More on the hidden symmetries of 11D supergravity
No full textIn this paper we clarify the relations occurring among the osp(1|32) algebra, the M-algebra and the hidden superalgebra underlying the Free Differential Algebra of D=11 supergravity (to which we will refer as DF-algebra), that was introduced in the literature by D'Auria and Frè in 1981 and is actually a (Lorentz valued) central extension of the M-algebra including a nilpotent spinor generator, Q'. We focus in particular on the 4-form cohomology in 11D superspace of the supergravity theory, strictly related to the presence in the theory of a 3-form A^(3). Once formulated in terms of its hidden superalgebra of 1-forms, we find that A^(3) can be decomposed into the sum of two parts having different group-theoretical meaning: One of them allows to reproduce the FDA of the 11D Supergravity due to non trivial contributions to the 4-form cohomology in superspace, while the second one does not contribute to the 4-form cohomology, being a closed 3-form in the vacuum, defining however a one parameter family of trilinear forms invariant under a symmetry algebra strictly related to osp(1|32). We further discuss about the crucial role played by the 1-form spinor eta (dual to the nilpotent generator Q') for the 4-form cohomology of the eleven dimensional theory on superspace
Trends and Hybridization Factor for Heavy-Duty Working Vehicles
No full textReducing the environmental impact of ground vehicles is one of the most important issues in modern society. Construction and agricultural vehicles contribute to pollution due to their huge power trains, which consume a large amount of petrol and produce many exhaust emissions. In this study, several recently proposed hybrid electric architectures of heavy-duty working vehicles are presented and described. Producers have recently shown considerable attention to similar research, which, however, are still at the initial stages of development. In addition, despite having some similarities with the automotive field, the working machine sector has technical features that require specific studies and the development of specific solutions. In this work, the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid electric solutions are pointed out, focusing on the greater electromechanical complexity of the machines and their components. A specific hybridization factor for working vehicles is introduced, taking into account both the driving and the loading requirements in order to classify and compare the different hybrid solution
Experimental characterization of elastic-plastic behavior of MEMS electroplated gold specimens
No full textThis paper presents the design, FEM modeling and experimental characterization of the elastic-plastic behavior of electroplated gold specimens undergoing tensile loading. The test structures are designed and optimized to achieve high stress values in the double-clamped specimen with a rectangular crosssection in the middle of the test structure. High stresses in the specimen are achieved by using electrostatic actuation to the plates, constrained using hinges. The range of electrostatic actuation is increased using bottom partial-plate electrodes on the substrate. The static deflection of the central specimen in the test structures under multiple loading cycles is obtained using experimental characterization and a change in the static pull-in voltage with each loading cycle is observed evaluating the permanent strain due to plasticity
A Low-Cost Solution for the Monitoring of Air Pollution Parameters Through Bicycles
No full textThe monitoring of air quality parameters is a fundamental requirement for smart cities development and it is of primary importance for the quality of human life. In fact, the knowledge of air quality parameters along the days and in different areas of the city is essential to monitor its behavior and to take some preventive measurements to limit the concentration. Especially in big cities, it is very hard to have widespread updated data about pollutants and air quality parameters since normally only few air quality monitoring stations are available. In Piedmont (Italy), the reference public body for this kind of information is the ARPA (Regional Agency for the Protection of the Environment) which is responsible for the collection and the disclosure of environmental data. However, the number of monitoring stations along the city is limited and they have fixed positions. A solution through mobile sensors would be preferable to have a more comprehensive description of the phenomenon. In this paper, the authors describe the implementation of a new solution based on a mobile system to house environmental air quality and imaging sensors (since also the knowledge of the shape of the environment is a fundamental aspect). In particular, a bicycle is adopted and the paper describes all the analyses involved in the choice of the more appropriate sensors and their evaluation and behavior in a real environment. Finally, the collection and management of the acquired data is analyzed through the implementation of a dedicated GIS (Geographical Information System)
Low-Cost Mini Radar: Design Prototyping and Tests
No full textRadar systems are largely employed for surveillance of wide and remote areas; the recent advent of drones gives the opportunity to exploit radar sensors on board of unmanned aerial platforms. Nevertheless, whereas drone radars are currently available for military applications, their employment in the civilian domain is still limited. e present research focuses on design, prototyping, and testing of an agile, low-cost, mini radar system, to be carried on board of Remotely Piloted Aircra (RPAs) or tethered aerostats. In particular, the paper faces the challenge to integrate the in-house developed radar sensor with a low-cost navigation board, which is used to estimate attitude and positioning data. In fact, a suitable synchronization between radar and navigation data is essential to properly reconstruct the radar picture whenever the platform is moving or the radar is scanning di erent azimuthal sectors. Preliminary results, relative to tests conducted in preoperational conditions, are provided and exploited to assert the suitable consistency of the obtained radar pictures. From the results, there is a high consistency between the radar images and the picture of the current environment emerges; nally, the comparison of radar images obtained in di erent scans shows the stability of the platform
Study and experimentation of innovative textile pneumatic muscle prototypes
No full textThis article shows some innovative artificial and textile pneumatic muscles designed at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS) of the Politecnico di Torino. The study was carried on using a specific test bench suitable to work with these textile pneumatic muscles. Various geometries were tested giving interesting information about their behavior analyzed with different materials and constructions. These prototypes are useful to be integrated into active clothing for robotic rehabilitation of upper limbs
