Search results for "Mechanical engineering"
showing 10 items of 4245 documents
Building integrated solar thermal design: assessment of performances of a low cost solar wall in a typical Italian building
2016
Abstract Present work deals with the topic of building integration of solar thermal collector (BIST) as a refurbishment measure. Such equipment, more than its main function as heating generator, plays a specific role as a building component (envelope finishes, thermal insulation layer, roof cover etc). Consequently, from a heat transfer point of view, an integrated component affects twice the global building balance: supporting the thermal plant (i.e. providing heat for final uses) and modifying the wall heat-transfer pattern (i.e. reducing thermal losses). In turn, the collector performance itself is influenced by the wall structure (back losses reduction). Present work proposes a method f…
Assessing, measuring and modelling erosion in calanchi areas: A review
2016
Calanchi are erosion landforms characterised by a heavily dissected terrain with steep, unvegetated slopes and channels with a dendritic pattern, which rapidly incise and extend headwards. Recent literature focusing on badland systems highlights their similarity with other larger fluvial landforms, stating that these behave as a full size laboratory, due to their rapid development in space and time and to the diversity of geomorphic processes involved. In this paper, a brief review of the most important results on badland research is firstly presented. Then, the morphometric similarity between calanchi and other erosion landforms is discussed. Finally, models quantitatively relating the vol…
Tokamak cooling systems and power conversion system options
2022
DEMO will be a fusion power plant demonstrating the integration into the grid architecture of an electric utility grid. The design of the power conversion chain is of particular importance, as it must adequately account for the specifics of nuclear fusion on the generation side and ensure compatibility with the electric utility grid at all times. One of the special challenges the foreseen pulsed operation, which affects the operation of the entire heat transport chain. This requires a time-dependant analysis of different concept design approaches to ensure proof of reliable operation and efficiency to obtain nuclear licensing. Several architectures of Balance of Plant were conceived and dev…
Pre-conceptual design of EU-DEMO Divertor primary heat transfer systems
2021
Abstract In the frame of the activities promoted and encouraged by the EUROfusion Power Plant Physics and Technology (PPPT) department aimed at developing the EU-DEMO fusion reactor, strong emphasis has been recently addressed to the whole Balance of Plant (BoP) which represents the set of systems devoted to convert the plasma generated thermal power into electricity and to deliver it to the grid. Among these systems, the Divertor Primary Heat Transfer Systems (PHTSs) are intended to feed coolant to the two main components of the Divertor assembly, namely the Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) and the Cassette Body (CB). Since the DEMO Divertor must withstand high heat flux loads together with…
Progress in the design development of EU DEMO helium-cooled pebble bed primary heat transfer system
2019
Abstract In the frame of the activities promoted and encouraged by the EURO-fusion Power Plant Physics and Technology (PPPT) department aimed at developing the EU-DEMO fusion reactor, strong emphasis has been recently posed to the whole Balance of Plant (BoP) which represents the set of systems devoted to convert the plasma generated thermal power into electricity and to deliver it to the grid. Among these systems, a very important role is played by the Breeding Blanket (BB) Primary Heat Transfer System (PHTS) as it is responsible to extract more than 80% of the fusion plasma power. In this framework, University of Palermo, Ansaldo Nucleare and CREATE have focused their work to improve ther…
Improving accuracy of FIR filters for computing convolution transforms for smooth non-bandlimited signals
2019
We propose to improve the accuracy of FIR filters for computing convolution transforms for smooth non-bandlimited (NBL) signals by designing filters by the identification method with using a pair of bandlimited portions of the chosen NBL input and output signals related with each other by the given transform. A design example of type IV linear phase differentiator is presented, where filter coefficients are calculated from the bandlimited portions of the Cauchy pulse and its derivative. The performance of the designed differentiator is evaluated by comparing the accuracy of computed derivatives for several smooth NBL test signals, such as the Cauchy pulse, the Hilbert transform of Cauchy pu…
Multi-Resource Management for Multi-Tier Space Information Networks: A Cooperative Game
2019
With the drastic increase of space information network (SIN) traffic and the diversity of network traffic types, the optimal allocation of the scarce network resources is of great significance for optimizing the SIN system capability. In this paper, we propose a multi-resource management method for multi-tier SIN using the cooperative Nash bargaining solution. Since the original problem is a non-convex problem, we firstly make logarithmic transition, and then find a tightest lower bound function to convert the initial problem into a convex one. In order to carry out the optimal bandwidth and power allocation in SIN, we construct a joint bandwidth and power allocation (JBPA) algorithm. Simul…
Numerical modelling of the tensile behaviour of BFRCM strips
2019
This paper aims at investigating the tensile behaviour of basalt fibres on cementitious matrix for the strengthening of masonry structures. The use of Basalt Fibre Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (BFRCM) is favourably considered by the scientific community because it represents a natural composite material with high compatibility with stone and masonry substrate. The study is developed through the generation of Finite Element (FE) models capable of reproducing the tensile behaviour of BFRCM strips with different number of layers of grid. For the scope, the micro-modelling approach is adopted assuming different levels of detail for the simulation of the interface constitutive behaviour. Fibre…
Some aspects regarding the static behavior of basalt in the machine building industry
2017
Basalt is a material available in big quantities in nature. It has a low price and can be used in various domains. It can be relatively easily extracted from natural deposits and processed by means of melting. Melted and recrystallized basalt has demonstrated promising behavior with regards of its use in manufacturing, as reported in the literature. This work aims to present some aspects regarding the opportunity of using basalt in manufacturing the subassemblies of machine-tools. The research was made using grey cast iron and steel parts as reference for a comparative study. The researches presented in this work were focused on analyzing the behavior of basalt parts submitted to static str…
Mauna Kea, Hawaii, as an Analog Site for Future Planetary Resource Exploration: Results from the 2010 ILSO-ISRU Field-Testing Campaign
2013
Within the framework of the International Lunar Surface Operation - In-Situ Resource Utilization Analogue Test held on January 27 - February 11, 2010 on the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii, a number of scientific instrument teams collaborated to characterize the field site and test instrument capabilities outside laboratory environments. In this paper, we provide a geological setting for this new field-test site, a description of the instruments that were tested during the 2010 ILSO-ISRU field campaign, and a short discussion for each instrument about the validity and use of the results obtained during the test. These results will form a catalogue that may serve as reference for future test cam…