130,435 research outputs found
New-concept gas turbine burner simulation in moderate intense Low-Oxygen Combustion Regime
No full textIn a trapped-vortex combustor (TVC) flame stabilization is achieved through intense internal exhaust gases recirculation, which is promoted by the adoption of cavities. Thanks to its peculiar features, a trapped-vortex burner produces low pressure drop and emissions and it is characterized by extended blow-out limits. The strong mixing of fresh reactants with flue gases due to internal recirculation represents the basis for the establishment of a distributed MILD, i.e. "Moderate Intense Low-Oxygen Dilution Combustion" regime, which is characterized by reduced temperature peaks, volumetric distributed reactions, low NOx emissions and no thermo-acoustic instabilities. Aim of the work is to study the possibility to obtain a MILD regime in our available trapped-vortex device, taking the advantage of the combined effect of TVC strong internal exhaust gases recirculation and of oxy-combustion external exhaust recirculation, attaining the benefits of CO2 capture at the same time. To this end a series of computational fluid dynamics simulations were conducted on our TVC device, in order to understand the influence on combustion of the main operating parameters, such as the equivalence ratio, the level of dilution, the injection temperature, the velocity, etc.. A preheating temperature and a range of oxygen concentrations that at the same time complies with a distributed reactions regime and an efficient combustion were identified for the premixed and non-premixed operating modes
Sounding the solar atmosphere: from synoptic telescopes design to gravity waves detection
No full textUnderstanding and identifying the Space Weather precursors constitute a crucial aspect on solar and stellar physics and for the realization of services to protect human technological assets. Continuous multi-line observations of the Sun can be used to infer the 3D structure of the magnetic field and dynamics of the Sun. Full-disk magnetic and velocity maps of the Sun are fundamental elements to study and forecast Space Weather events, such as flares, coronal mass ejections and solar energetic particles, looking for precursors and descriptors. A better understanding of the physical processes behind these events is possible only by monitoring continuously the Sun. The main driver of these, and other, phenomena is the magnetism of the Sun. The interaction between the solar plasma and magnetic field can be studied according to the laws of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). These laws consider both the fluid mechanics and Maxwell’s electromagnetism, and its mathematical approach is fundamental in Solar Physics. The solution of MHD equations can be used to study the propagation of waves in the Sun and in its atmosphere or to simulate the solar magneto-convection. We still do not have a full comprehension of the phenomena related to MHD, and therefore to Space Weather precursors; for these reasons, we need new data and tools. The Tor vergata Synoptic Solar Telescope (TSST) is a new robotic and compact facility that will observe continuously the Sun providing three kinds of full-disk maps: chromospheric image (Hα line), photospheric Dopplergram (Ki D1 line) and photospheric magnetogram (Ki D1 line). The same custom channel based on potassium Magneto-Optical Filters (MOF) will acquire Dopplergrams and magnetograms. The characterization of these filters confirms the excellent stability of the passbands, and the custom optical design will provide almost diffraction-limited maps. In this thesis work I faced the problem of solar activity and the precursors of Space Weather events with a dual approach. First I worked on the development of the TSST. I collaborated in the realization of the telescope optics on the optical bench of the Solar Physics Lab in Tor Vergata, I spectrally qualified the MOF filters (in collaboration with the colleagues of the INAF Astronomical Observatory of Naples), I acquired the first light of the TSST and finally I improved and tested a pipeline of data reduction for MOF based telescopes. Second aspect, I analyzed full disk dopplergrams from ground-based telescopes (e.g., MOTH) and high resolution from space instruments (SDO/HMI and SOT/HINODE), to study the complex pattern of acoustic and gravity oscillations present in the solar atmosphere (photosphere and chromosphere). For this purpose, I also developed a 3D numerical model of internal gravity wave propagation. In this thesis, I present the main results obtained during my PhD work on these topics
Gas Turbine Combustion Technologies for Hydrogen Blends
No full textThe article reviews gas turbine combustion technologies focusing on their current ability to operate with hydrogen enriched natural gas up to 100% (Formula presented.). The aim is to provide a picture of the most promising fuel-flexible and clean combustion technologies, the object of current research and development. The use of hydrogen in the gas turbine power generation sector is initially motivated, highlighting both its decarbonisation and electric grid stability objectives; moreover, the state-of-the-art of hydrogen-blend gas turbines and their 2024 and 2030 targets are reported in terms of some key performance indicators. Then, the changes in combustion characteristics due to the hydrogen enrichment of natural gas blends are briefly described, from their enhanced reactivity to their pollutant emissions. Finally, gas turbine combustion strategies, both already commercially available (mostly based on aerodynamic flame stabilisation, self-ignition, and staging) or still under development (like the micro-mixing and the exhaust gas recirculation concepts), are described
Flare-forecasting algorithms based on high-gradient polarity inversion lines in active regions
No full textSolar flares emanate from solar active regions hosting complex and strong bipolar magnetic fluxes. Estimating the probability of an active region to flare and defining reliable precursors of intense flares are extremely challenging tasks in the space weather field. In this work, we focus on two metrics as flare precursors, the unsigned flux R, tested on Michelson Doppler Imager/Solar and Heliospheric Observatory data, one of the most used parameters for flare-forecasting applications, and a novel topological parameter D, representing the complexity of a solar active region. In greater detail, we propose an algorithm for the computation of the R value, which exploits the higher spatial resolution of Helioseismic Magnetic Imager maps. This algorithm leads to a differently computed R value, whose functionality is tested on a set of solar cycle 24 flares. Furthermore, we introduce a topological parameter based on the automatic recognition of magnetic polarity inversion lines in identified active regions and are able to evaluate its magnetic topological complexity. We use both a heuristic approach and a supervised machine-learning method to validate the effectiveness of these two descriptors to predict the occurrence of X- or M-class flares in a given solar active region during the following 24 hr period. Our feature ranking analysis shows that both parameters play a significant role in prediction performances. Moreover, the analysis demonstrates that the new topological parameter D is the only one, among 173 overall predictors, that is always present for all test subsets and is systematically ranked within the top 10 positions in all tests concerning the computation of the weights with which each predictor impacts the flare forecasting
Sorption enhanced steam methane reforming in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor: Simulation and analysis by the CPFD method
No full textThis work reports the modelling and simulation results of a bubbling fluidized bed reactor using the Computational Particle Fluid Dynamics (CPFD) method of the Barracuda® software. The reactor under investigation is the carbonator installed in the ENEA ZECOMIX research infrastructure, where Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) happens simultaneous with CO2 capture via solid sorbents. In this intensified process, namely Sorption Enhanced Steam Methane Reforming (SE-SMR), steam methane reforming is coupled with high temperature CO2 sorption and calcium looping (CaL) process, in order to increase the H2 yield, beyond thermodynamic limits. Currently, the reactor is operated in batch mode and is used also for sorbent regeneration, by switching the fluidizing gas flow from steam/methane to oxy-burner combustion products. With the aim of studying the process when it is operated as a closed loop, in this paper the reactor is continuously fed by a fresh sorbent flow and a riser/calciner reactor for sorbent regeneration, to be connected with the carbonator, has been sized. The continuous circulation of solid material between the two reactors ensures the maintenance of different operating temperatures and therefore greater operational optimization. The numerical analysis presented in this paper will serve as a valid support for the experimental activities. For this purpose, a sensitivity study on the SE-SMR process has been conducted, by varying the main operating conditions (e.g. sorbent conversion, sorbent/catalyst ratio, fluidizing gas flow), to evaluate the hydrogen purity yield. Two different kinetic mechanisms have been compared for the gas phase reactions. A post-processing routine has been written, in order to analyze bubbles sizes and velocities inside the fluidized environment. The effect of sorbent and catalyst particles segregation has been also investigated. The same modelling approach has been used for the sizing of the fast riser calciner reactor
A new method for detecting solar atmospheric gravity waves: a new method to detect gravity waves
No full textInternal gravity waves have been observed in the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans, on Mars and Jupiter, and in the Sun’s atmosphere. Despite ample evidence for the existence of propagating gravity waves in the Sun’s atmosphere, we still do not have a full understanding of their characteristics and overall role for the dynamics and energetics of the solar atmosphere. Here, we present a new approach to study the propagation of gravity waves in the solar atmosphere. It is based on calculating the three-dimensional cross-correlation function between the vertical velocities measured at different heights. We apply this new method to a time series of co-spatial and co-temporal Doppler images obtained by SOHO/MDI and Hinode/SOT as well as to simulations of upward propagating gravity wave-packets. We show some preliminary results and outline future developments
Tor vergata Synoptic Solar Telescope: Preliminary optical design and spectral characterization
No full textSynoptic telescopes are fundamental tools in solar physics. They are tipically used for high cadence full-disk observations of the Sun at different wavelengths, in order to study the solar activity across the solar cycle. The TSST (Tor vergata Synoptic Solar Telescope) is a new synoptic telescope composed of a Ha filter-based telescope centered at 656 nm and a custom Magneto Optical Filter (MOF)-based telescope centered in the potassium (KI D1) absorption line at 770 nm. Observations of the Ha line are important for the detection of flaring regions and to track the Sun during the acquisition. The aim of the telescope is to monitor the solar activity using the line of sight (LoS) magnetograms and dopplergrams of the solar photosphere produced by the MOF-based telescope. Magnetograms are essential for the study of the geometry of the magnetic field in active regions, while dopplergrams can be used to study the dynamics of the solar lower atmosphere. In this work, we focus our attention on the custom MOF-based telescope. Firstly, we present the optical design of the instrument. It is a refractor telescope with a 80 mm aperture and an effective focal length of ∼1m. We also present details on the preliminary spectral characterization of this instrument at different cell temperatures, which is a mandatory step to calibrate magnetograms and dopplergrams. The results obtained during this first test are in agreement with the peaks separation (∼200 mÅ) and FWHM (∼ 50 mÅ) that we expected
MeSH term explosion and author rank improve expert recommendations
No full textInformation overload is an often-cited phenomenon that reduces the productivity, efficiency and efficacy of scientists. One challenge for scientists is to find appropriate collaborators in their research. The literature describes various solutions to the problem of expertise location, but most current approaches do not appear to be very suitable for expert recommendations in biomedical research. In this study, we present the development and initial evaluation of a vector space model-based algorithm to calculate researcher similarity using four inputs: 1) MeSH terms of publications; 2) MeSH terms and author rank; 3) exploded MeSH terms; and 4) exploded MeSH terms and author rank. We developed and evaluated the algorithm using a data set of 17,525 authors and their 22,542 papers. On average, our algorithms correctly predicted 2.5 of the top 5/10 coauthors of individual scientists. Exploded MeSH and author rank outperformed all other algorithms in accuracy, followed closely by MeSH and author rank. Our results show that the accuracy of MeSH term-based matching can be enhanced with other metadata such as author rank
Effects of hydrogen blending and exhaust gas recirculation on NOx emissions in laminar and turbulent CH4/Air flames at 25 bar
No full textIn this work, the effect of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) on NOx emissions in a CH4/H2/air combustion at 25 bar, at an equivalence ratio Φ = 0.7, is analyzed in laminar and turbulent partially premixed flames. Numerical simulations of twenty premixed and partially premixed counterflow flames with H2 ranging from 0 to 100%, with and without EGR, are carried out. Analysis of NO formation mechanisms shows that the thermal path is the main responsible for the NOx production in each flame, with a contribution of nearly 80%. In laminar flames an increase of H2 leads to an increase in NOx emissions. The addition of the exhaust gas decreases the flame temperature and therefore NOx: each laminar flame shows a NOx reduction of about 60% with the presence of exhaust gas. Four turbulent slot jet flames with a CH4/H2/Air/EGR premixed central core and Air/EGR as coflow are studied in a two-dimensional framework using the Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) approach and the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) methodology, to take into account some flame dynamics, despite the 2D context. Accurate molecular transport properties are considered and, a reduced specifically designed chemical mechanism for methane/hydrogen-air combustion at Φ=0.7, consisting of 48 transported species and 465 elementary reactions is adopted. The four turbulent flames were simulated with 0 and 50% hydrogen concentration, with and without EGR. The presence of hydrogen reduces CO2 emissions, but at the same time increases NO concentration, the thermal path being the main NO formation mechanism. The use of exhaust gas recirculation leads to NO reduction as in laminar flames. The results obtained in this work show that at high pressure, the hydrogen enrichment of natural gas in the EGR mode leads to lower NOx as well as CO2 emissions
Effects of hydrogen blending and exhaust gas recirculation on NOx emissions in laminar and turbulent CH4/Air flames at 25 bar
No full textIn this work, the effect of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) on NOx emissions in a CH4/H2/air combustion at 25 bar, at an equivalence ratio ������ = 0.7, is analyzed in laminar and turbulent partially premixed flames. Numerical simulations of twenty premixed and partially premixed counterflow flames with H2 ranging from 0 to 100%, with and without EGR, are carried out. Analysis of NO formation mechanisms shows that the thermal path is the main responsible for the NOx production in each flame, with a contribution of nearly 80%. In laminar flames an increase of H2 leads to an increase in NOx emissions. The addition of the exhaust gas decreases the flame temperature and therefore NOx: each laminar flame shows a NOx reduction of about 60% with the presence of exhaust gas. Four turbulent slot jet flames with a CH4/H2/Air/EGR premixed central core and Air/EGR as coflow are studied in a two-dimensional framework using the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach and the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) methodology, to take into account some flame dynamics, despite the 2D context. Accurate molecular transport properties are considered and, a reduced specifically designed chemical mechanism for methane/hydrogen-air combustion at ������ = 0.7, consisting of 48 transported species and 465 elementary reactions is adopted. The four turbulent flames were simulated with 0 and 50% hydrogen concentration, with and without EGR. The presence of hydrogen reduces CO2 emissions, but at the same time increases NO concentration, the thermal path being the main NO formation mechanism. The use of exhaust gas recirculation leads to NO reduction as in laminar flames. The results obtained in this work show that at high pressure, the hydrogen enrichment of natural gas in the EGR mode leads to lower NOx as well as CO2 emissions
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