1,354,955 research outputs found
Solar spectral reflectance of building envelope materials after natural exposure in Rome and Milano, and after accelerated aging
No full textMaterial weathering, dirt deposition (mainly soot and organic matter) and microbial growth, collectively referred to as aging, modify the optical and radiative response of building envelopes. Long-term data about the initial and aged solar reflectance are available for roofing products exposed at three sites in the U.S. (Arizona, Florida, and Ohio). Based on this dataset, an accelerated weathering and soiling protocol was developed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to mimic the spectral reflectance after three years of natural exposure.
Herein, we present an extension of the accelerated aging protocol to reproduce in the laboratory the conditions in Italian urban areas (and, in general, in urban areas), by tuning the spraying duration and soiling composition.
We compared the UV-Vis-NIR reflectance of naturally-aged samples (18 months in Rome and Milano) with that of samples exposed to accelerated weathering and soiling in the laboratory, achieving a good agreement between the spectral reflectance of the naturally-aged samples and of those aged with the accelerated protocol. The results herein presented relate to single-ply roofing membranes, terracotta tiles, and façades finishing coats. For very reflective membranes (initial solar reflectance greater than 0.80), after the first 18 months of natural exposure, we observe absolute losses of solar reflectance in average equal to 0.20 (maximum of 0.25), and the accelerated exposure is able to reproduce the UV-Vis-NIR spectra to within 0.02 for most of tested products
F. Cucchi, F. Finocchiaro & G. Muscio
No full textTra i dati registrati nell’“archivio di pietra” (le successioni rocciose) un ruolo di primo piano spetta alle evidenze cosiddette sedimentologiche. Sono rappresentate dal tipo di stratifi cazione (e laminazione)
del sedimento, dalle geometrie che formano i vari pacchi di strati, dalle dimensioni dei loro costituent (frammenti, ciottoli, granuli, polveri...), e cosi via. Questo sito particolare, in destra Tagliamento, esemplifi ca tutto questo con particolare effi cacia. Lo fa proponendosi come testimonianza, chiara anche ai non esperti, di un ambiente deltizio-lagunare che, circa 10 milioni di anni fa (Miocene sup., Tortoniano), fi ssava la fascia costiera adriatica all’altezza degli attuali rilievi pedemontani carnici, a quel tempo non ancora compiutamente formati
Understanding demand for innovation in the food industry
No full textPurpose – This paper aims to focus on understanding how demand for innovation is articulated in low-tech industries, dominated by SMEs, where innovation is often based on informal processes and uncodified knowledge, relying on intangible assets. Design/methodology/approach – The authors hypothesize that the problems found in the innovation area are exacerbated in a traditional industry. SMEs might have difficulty understanding what their requirements might be, let alone finding the optimal provider of technologies. The authors therefore expect to find three main forms of demand: real, latent, and potential. The specific case is the food industry in Apulia, Italy. First, focus groups identified general business and technology needs. Then in-depth interviews were conducted with 87 firms, stratified in order to be representative of food firms in Apulia. Findings – The authors detected 285 different needs requiring an innovative solution. In most cases, firms understand the areas to be improved, but do not have a technological solution in mind. Demand for innovation is mostly latent. Research limitations/implications – The study is narrow in geographic and industry scope. This limits generalizability, but the methodology is transferable and the results comparable. The authors studied the demand side, whereas interaction between supply and demand needs to be understood. Future studies into regional public research organizations (PROs) and intermediaries can therefore be useful. Practical implications – The findings can be used to understand how PROs can engage with SMEs and what policymakers can do to facilitate the interaction. Originality/value – This study applies thinking typically used in high-tech sectors to a traditional sector, hence testing and extending the theoretical boundaries.Alessandro Muscio, Gianluca Nardone and Antonio Dottor
Industry 4.0: national and regional comparative advantages in key enabling technologies
No full textIndustry 4.0 is a name used to indicate a ‘fourth industrial revolution’, characterised by the emergence of smart factories in which cyber-physical systems monitor physical processes and communicate with each other and human beings in real time. European Member States and regions are committed to adapt their innovation systems to the trends of Industry 4.0 and Europe as a whole is facing the challenge of finding a balance between promoting research and innovation excellence and putting less advanced regions in the position to benefit from the ongoing industrial revolution. However, relatively little is known about the magnitude of this economic phenomenon, the comparative advantages of countries and regions and their technological specialisation. We use data from European regions’ participation in collaborative research projects promoted by the 7th Framework Programme for research and innovation to investigate relative and absolute advantages in the enabling technologies of Industry 4.0. Data are regionalised and categorised on the basis of an original taxonomy of technologies developed with the support of a team of European experts in each technological domain. The article also explores regional networks promoted by the Framework Programme and draws policy indications to support the competitiveness of European manufacturing
DENTRO LE ALPI CARNICHE La geologia vista da vicino [a cura di G. Muscio]
No full textE' un volume di grandi dimensioni che, attraverso foto spettacolari spesso frutto di riprese da droni, introduce il grosso pubblico alla geologia del Geoparco transfrontaliero delle Alpi Carniche. Lo fa scegliendo i migliori panorami e siti - spesso identificabili con geositi di particolare rilevanza - rappresentandone attraverso ricostruzioni in 3D l'evoluzione geologica e/o geomorfologica
Analisi della conduttività termica di progetto dei materiali da costruzione
No full textIn questo periodo caratterizzato da profondi cambiamenti climatici e da continui allarmi da parte degli studiosi sul riscaldamento globale, la Comunità Europea ha deliberato una serie di norme destinate al settore edilizio che mirano a contenere e ridurre in maniera drastica i fabbisogni di energia primaria degli edifici.
In particolare la direttiva 2010/31/UE [1] impone, per i privati, che le nuove costruzioni e le ristrutturazioni importanti siano ad energia quasi zero.
La riduzione del fabbisogno di energia primaria, dipende direttamente dal grado di isolamento termico dell’involucro e quindi dalla quantità di isolante impiegato e dalle caratteristiche dello stesso.
Il presente studio non mira a caratterizzare l’incidenza dei fabbisogni specifici, quanto l’incidenza che i coefficienti maggiorativi hanno sulla determinazione della trasmittanza dell’involucro opaco e quindi sul fabbisogno di energia termica di involucro
Ventilated pitched roof with forced ventilation and flow homogenizer device: Testing and performance assessment
No full textVentilated tile roofs are common objects in the construction sector of Italy. A preferred type is characterized by a ventilated air space between the upper tile layer and the roof structure below. The air enters through openings at the gutters level, flows up below sheathing in the air space along the pitch and is finally discharged through openings along the ridge. This setup, which leaves the room below the roof sealed and habitable, allows removing the heat brought by the absorbed solar radiation thanks to the flow that is established by natural ventilation in the air space. However, its actual performance is often weak and also unpredictable due to continuously changing buoyancy forces. Nonetheless, a permanent and adequate flow can be ensured even through a relatively thin air space and for whichever irradiance and wind conditions by forced ventilation: a properly designed fan can provide the desired flow rate by extracting the air after this is collected along the ridge by a manifold. A thorough design and manufacturing of the manifold is needed, however, to avoid a highly inhomogeneous flow, which would follow the easiest path and leave most of the pitch practically unventilated. As an alternative, a throttling shutter parallel to the ridge has been proposed to progressively choke the flow entering the manifold through parallel climbing ducts as the fan is approached, possibly allowing onsite adjustment after installation. In this work the solution, developed by means of a small scale test bed, is illustrated in details and some methods to assess the performance are presented
Potential of Thermal Engine Encapsulation on Automotive Diesel Engines
No full textThermal Engine Encapsulation (TEE) is a technique for reducing heat loss from an engine after it has been switched off, in order to get a warmer re-start. This practice yields benefits in terms of fuel economy, emissions and wear, especially for vehicles used for short journeys in cold weather and with engines warming up slowly. In this study, the encapsulation of a small automotive diesel engine is investigated by means of theoretical and experimental analyses. In particular, the influence of oil temperature on brake specific fuel consumption and emissions is calculated. Furthermore, the thermal behavior of the engine has been simulated by a lumped-capacitance model, in order to assess the correlation between encapsulation thickness and cool-down time. Finally, the 0-D thermal model and the 1-D engine model have been coupled in order to predict the influence of engine cranking temperature on fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, considering a B-class vehicle running a short journey (15 minutes) at medium speed and load and very low external temperature (0emDC)
Raffreddamento di superfici lisce mediante array di gocce
No full textIl presente lavoro è rivolto allo studio sperimentale del raffreddamento di superfici metalliche lisce, causato dalla deposizione o impatto di gocce singole o di un array composto da due gocce di liquido disposte in parallelo. Lo scopo è stato quello di ottenere immagini e dati sperimentali sui meccanismi di evaporazione di gocce di acqua distillata su superficie orizzontale in acciaio inossidabile a diverse temperature e per numeri di Weber differenti (cioè per differenti valori dell'altezza di rilascio delle gocce). La piastra metallica è riscaldata a valori di temperatura superiori alla temperatura di vaporizzazione dell'acqua, mediante un flusso di olio diatermico che scorre inferiormente alla superficie liscia di impatto. Attenzione è stata rivolta alla determinazione dell'angolo di contatto, dell'area bagnata dalle gocce, dei tempi di evaporazione e della temperatura della superficie solida in funzione del tempo. E' stata inoltre studiata l'interazione termica tra due gocce deposte a distanze differenti sulla superficie metallica. Nell'indagine è stata utilizzata la tecnica della termografia nell'infrarosso che permette di effettuare misure di temperatura superficiale in modo non invasivo. I risultati sono mostrati in numerosi grafici, ottenuti per diversi valori della distanza tra le due gocce e per diversi valori del numero di Weber
- …
