Dynamic Model for the EV's Charging Infrastructure Planning Through Finite Element Method

The rapid increase in the number of electric vehicles around the world, the high demands on the charging stations, and the challenges for locating the charging stations made researchers around the globe to think for a proper solution. In this paper, a new method to locate EV's charging infrastructures, based on the parallelism between mobility needs and heat equation implemented with Finite Element Method analysis (FEM), is proposed. The method is applied for two cities with similar metropolitan area: Boston (USA) and Milan (Italy), with further results. Although FEM is a mathematical tool for solving physical problems, the behavior of different parameters in this paper is modeled as physical objects. In addition, the parameters are modeled according to the heat equation. Heat density maps are elaborated for the considered case studies. The two cities with extremely different characteristics are chosen to demonstrate the general application of the proposed method. Heat density maps show the likely demand points to establish charging infrastructures for EV's. The annual electricity consumption maps of the two considered cities are reported. The analysis of heat density and electricity consumption maps, together with the considerations of mains supply capacity can give a perspective for the location of charging stations in the future urban environments. The developed method contributes to deploy charging stations in an urban environment

PHOTOVOLTAIC PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT IN STOCHASTIC OPTIMIZED MICROGRIDS

The microgrids are composed of small scale fueled generation capacities, renewable energy sources, storage energy systems, controllable loads, and autonomously can connect or disconnect from the mains supply. The microgrids can operate connected to the upstream main grid, or in an islanded operation mode following a large perturbation in the upstream grid. The microgrid analyzed in this paper is composed of a photovoltaic system, a thermal engine, an electrochemical storage system, critical and interruptible loads. As backup generation is considered a classical generation engine and a small scale storage unit. The autonomous switching between grid-connected and islanding operation modes can occur, under an excess/deficit of generation and function of the electricity market price. The paper deals with an optimization model for minimizing the microgrid operation costs under intermittent generation and variable demand function of microgrid operation constrains. The optimization model is tested on a 24 hours horizon. The gridconnected optimized operation accounts also the exchanged power with the upstream grid function of the electricity price within the public network

Smart stormwater management in urban areas by roofs greening

By 2050 the world population will grow to about 9 billion contributing to deep changes in urban areas structure. This would increase the effect of water deficiency and along with projected climate changes the impact of urban flood-ings, urban heat islands or drought. Smart cities could be key part of the solution contributing to improve the quality life of citizen in urban areas with the adoption of smart, intelligent technologies and infrastructure for energy, water, mobility, buildings, and government. The concept of smart water refers to the ability to provide and manage this primary resource in quantitative and qualitative terms in order to satisfy the future needs of population. The green roof (GR) is a technique belonging to the sectors of smart energy and smart water. It could provide several benefits: sound and thermal insulation of the buildings, mitigation of the urban heat island effects, reduction of air pollution, additionally, GR induces important hydraulic advantages acting as an effective tool for reducing flood risk in urban area with runoff reduction, attenuation and delay of the peak flow. In this paper, the retention capacity of two green roof test beds located in the campus of University of Salerno has been investigated. The analysis has referred to measures of runoff and rainfall conducted in 2017 during the months of February and March. The two roofs substantially differ in the composition of the water storage layer made up of expanded clay in GR1 and of commercial drainage panels in GR2. The retention capacity of the two test beds has been compared. The results confirm that both green roofs, although to a different extent, are effective for the reduction of total runoff volume of rainwater falling on their area

A Unified Definition of a Smart City

Part 1: Smart Governance, Government and CitiesInternational audienceThere is some consensus among researchers that the first urban civilization labeled a ‘city’ was Sumer in the period 3,500–3,000 BC. The meaning of the word, however, has evolved with the advancement of technology. Adjectives such as digital, intelligent, and smart have been prefixed to ‘city’, to reflect the evolution. In this study, we pose the question: What makes a ‘Smart City’, as opposed to a traditional one? We review and synthesize multiple scientific studies and definitions, and present a unified definition of Smart City—a complex concept. We present the definition as an ontology which encapsulates the combinatorial complexity of the concept. It systematically and systemically synthesizes, and looks beyond, the various paths by which theory and practice contribute to the development and understanding of a smart city. The definition can be used to articulate the components of a Smart City using structured natural English. It serves as a multi-disciplinary lens to study the topic drawing upon concepts from Urban Design, Information Technology, Public Policy, and the Social Sciences. It can be used to systematically map the state-of-the-research and the state-of-the-practice on Smart Cities, discover the gaps in each and between the two, and formulate a strategy to bridge the gaps

Intellectual Capital and Innovation for Sustainable Smart Cities: The Case of N-Tuple of Helices

The purpose of this chapter is to explore and discuss, in the context of Smart Cities (SC), the relations between three concepts: Intellectual Capital (IC), Innovation Process (IP) and Sustainability (S). It is important to note that, in this context, the concept of IC refers to Smart Cities Intellectual Capital (SCIC), which is characterised by four components (Human Capital, Process Capital, Renewal Capital, Clients Capital), also used for Nations IC. The Innovation analysis considers two models: the first one expresses the dependencies and limits of innovation, resulting from physical limitations such as city area and city population; and the second one is the N-Tuple of Helices model. The concept of Smart City will be modelled as a living being capable of rational behaviour, knowledge production, and intellectual activity