Coal gasification by indirect heating in a single moving bed reactor: Process development & simulation

In this work, the development and simulation of a new coal gasification process with indirect heat supply is performed. In this way, the need of pure oxygen production as in a conventional gasification process is avoided. The feasibility and energetic self-sufficiency of the proposed processes are addressed. To avoid the need of Air Separation Unit, the heat required by gasification reactions is supplied by the combustion flue gases, and transferred to the reacting mixture through a bayonet heat exchanger installed inside the gasifier. Two alternatives for the flue gas generation have been investigated and compared. The proposed processes are modeled using chemical kinetics validated on experimental gasification data by means of a standard process simulator (Aspen PlusTM), integrated with a spreadsheet for the modeling of a special type of heat exchanger. Simulation results are presented and discussed for proposed integrated process schemes. It is shown that they do not need external energy supply and ensure overall efficiencies comparable to conventional processes while producing syngas with lower content of carbon dioxide

Segmentation of Corneal Endothelial Cells Contour by Means of a Genetic Algorithm

Corneal images acquired by in-vivo microscopy provide clinical information on the cornea endothelium health state. The reliable estimation of the clinical morphometric parameters requires the accurate detection of cell contours in a large number of cells. Thus for the practical application of this analysis in clinical settings an automated method is needed. We propose the automatic segmentation of corneal endothelial cells contour through an innovative technique based on a genetic algorithm, which combines information about the typical regularity of endothelial cells shape with the pixels intensity of the actual image. Ground truth values for the clinical parameters were obtained from manually drawn cell contours. Results show that an accurate automatic estimation is achieved: for each parameter, the mean difference between its manual estimation and the automated one is always less than 4%, and the maximum difference is always less than 7%

Automated Morphometric Analysis of in-vivo Human Corneal Endothelium

In-vivo specular and confocal microscopy provide information on the corneal endothelium health state. The reliable estimation of the clinical parameters requires the accurate detection of cell contours. We propose a method for the automatic segmentation of cell contour. The centers of the cells are detected by convolving the original image with Laplacian of Gaussian kernels, whose scales are set according to the cell size preliminary estimated through a frequency analysis. A structure made by connected vertices is derived from the centers, and it is fine-tuned by combining information about the typical regularity of endothelial cells shape with the pixels intensity of the actual image. Ground truth values for the clinical parameters were obtained from manually drawn cell contours. An accurate automatic estimation is achieved on 30 images: for each clinical parameter, the mean difference between its manual estimation and the automated one is always less than 7%

IR Thermography for Non-Destructive Monitoring of Moisture in Cultural Heritage

One of the main sources of damage to historical buildings is the presence of humidity. It is fundamental to develop a diagnosis protocol to identify the presence of water, evaluate the damage in a building (the whole structure, part of it or individual materials), assess its vulnerability and, finally, carry out a restoration plan. IR thermography is a sustainable method to guarantee structure analysis and preservation. Here, an application is presented, permitting us to identify the wet and dry areas and transition zone related to evaporation on the surface of the investigated materials. Thanks to temperature maps, it is possible to observe saturated regions, qualitatively at first and then quantitatively, processing the images by plotting reference lines/points and correlating surface temperatures with moisture

La leadership nei contesti dell’interazione virtuale

Tra i diversi ambiti di ricerca, quello che assume il ruolo più importante per la prospettiva dell’ergonomia sociale è in buona parte rappresentato dagli studi sulla leadership. L’importanza di una leadership nella guida di un gruppo per il raggiungimento di risultati, sia in termini di efficacia ed efficienza, sia in termini di soddisfazione per i partecipanti al gruppo, è condizione nota e segnalata da innumerevoli ricerche. Disegnare e favorire le migliori condizioni affinché, all’interno dei contesti di Comunicazione Mediata dal Computer (CMC), questo avvenga è uno dei compiti propri dell’ergonomia sociale. In questo articolo vengono evidenziate le caratteristiche della leadership secondo alcune importanti aree di ricerca, vedremo la leadership all’interno della teoria dell’Identità Sociale, gli aspetti di riconoscibilità del leader, la leadership condivisa e la leadership trasformazionale e transazionale. Cercheremo, infine, di inquadrare ciascuno di questi aspetti all’interno delle dinamiche proprie della comunicazione mediata dal computer

Vapochromic features of new luminogens based on julolidine-containing styrene copolymers

We report on vapochromic films suitable for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs), based on new polystyrene copolymers containing julolidine fluorescent molecular rotors (JCAEM). Poly(styrene-co-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) copolymers functionalized with cyanovinyl-julolidine moieties of different compositions were prepared, (P(STY-co-JCAEM)(m) with m = 0.06-0.61). The sensing performance of the spin-coated copolymer films demonstrated significant vapochromism when exposed to VOCs characterized by high vapour pressure and a favourable interaction with the polymer matrix, such as Et2O and CH2Cl2. It is worth mentioning that the fluorescence decrease rate was 7 times faster than that of previously investigated julolidine-based fluorescent molecular rotors dispersed in PS films. This phenomenon was attributed to the better control of the JCAEM moiety distribution in the polymer matrix conferred by the covalent approach, combined with a minimal film thickness of 4 microns. These factors, in concert, strongly accelerate the deactivation pathways of the JCAEM units in the presence of VOCs which interact well. Overall, the present results support the use of julolidine-enriched styrene copolymers as effective chromogenic materials suitable for the fast detection of VOCs

Building renovation : Which kind of guidelines could be proposed for policy makers and professional owners?

IEA IBC Annex 56 methodology provides the basis for the assessment and evaluation of energy related renovation options of residential building stock, first and foremost with respect to cost, energy use and carbon emissions. Furthermore, it allows also for a broader approach going beyond cost effective reduction of carbon emissions and energy use by taking into account co-benefits achieved in a renovation process. Besides impact indicators for primary energy use, carbon emissions and costs it also provides a methodological framework for integrating at least embodied energy use for renovation measures as part of a lifecycle impact assessment. The methodology and resulting fundamentals for renovation standards have to be applicable to different climatic and country specific situations. The Guideline for policy makers proposed by the Annex 56 gives useful information and suggestions to the drafting of legislative and administrative measures, at the national or local level, for reducing the amount of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in renovation of residential buildings. The reachable saving targets must be defined in agreement with the actors in the energy market, as the owners and / or the managers of buildings, but policy makers must be aware of their responsibility in defining cost effective levels for nearly zero energy or emissions building renovation, using a life cycle perspective, and the relevance of preparing adequate financial packages to support ambitious levels for building renovation. Furthermore, the Guideline for professional owners shall report outlines key drivers for building retrofit and use and the resulting impacts on energy consumption. This Guideline shall describe building and energy efficiency trends specific to the residential building sectors

L’ergonomia sociale

Il ruolo speciale degli aspetti sociali all’interno dei contesti di Comunicazione Mediata dal Computer è sempre più evidente. Lo scritto analizza come si giunge a una concettualizzazione dell’ergonomia sociale a partire da modelli teorici consolidati e da prospettive diverse, al fine di giungere a una proposta volta a ricercare la migliore progettazione dei sistemi formativi al fine di avere un apprendimento efficace