Machinery and Systems for the Energy and the Environment

The research themes related to the "Machinery and Systems for the Energy and the Environment" specialization are oriented toward the development of advanced expertise in the sectors of conventional and renewable energy conversion technologies, modelling for the energy management in complex engineering systems and for the territorial energy planning, technologies for the environmental impact control in conversion processes, diagnostic and prognostic technologies applied to industrial systems and processes, computational thermo-fluid-dynamics applied to fluid machineries. Examples connected to the topics are: the development of numerical models for energy technologies simulation; the execution of numerical studies and experimental tests in basin (in cooperation with CNR-INSEAN) of ocean energy conversion plants; the execution of numerical studies and experimental tests in fluid bed gasifier for biomass gasification processes with Carbon Capture and Storage; the execution of numerical studies and experimental tests in stacks and a pilot plant (up to 1 kW) of high efficient conversion systems: fuel cells (SOFC, DMFC, PEMFC); the modeling of complex energy systems, with conventional and advanced renewable sources, in on- and off-grid environments; the energy and environmental territorial planning; the industrial processes and energy performance analysis using complex systems analysis tecniques and the analysis of performance dynamics in time; the application of Social Network Analysis techniques to sensor network; the analysis of the performance and the pollutant emissions of engines fuelled with straight vegetable oils and waste cooking oils; the development of synthetic models for turbomachinery design optimization; the computational thermo-fluid analysis of internal flows pertinent to turbomachinery and heat exchangers; the modeling of two-phase flows and prediction of erosion or/and deposit formation (in turbomachinery applications); the analysis, development and implementation of models for the finite element simulation of fluid-structure interaction phenomena in turbomachinery applications; the driving turbomachinery design to new solutions with in-house tailor-made numerical modelling (e.g. passive stall control in axial flow fans, virtual test rigs for ventilation systems); the applications of advanced LES, hybrid LES-RANS, URANS recipes to fluid dynamics and heat transfer problems (e.g. internal cooling of gas turbines, compressor aerodynamics); the cross-fertilization of flow solutions between different applications (e.g. stall control in axial fans with biomimicry-inspired leading edge).

Objectives

The educational objective of the "Machinery and Systems for the Energy and the Environment" sector is the training of a highly specialized professional, able to manage and conduct industrial R&D programmes, design technological innovation (processes and products) in the energy arena. As such the education focuses on competences and capabilities in the modelling, technologies and management of energy conversion systems and uses, and their environmental impacts and remedial strategies. Pre-condition to these objectives, it the strict collaboration with industrial partners and research institutions enforced through the organization of collaborative projects and visits.