The Use of Phase Changing Materials for Cooling of Buildings Combined with Night Sky Radiant Cooling

Il presente studio analizza il funzionamento di un’applicazione che combina la tecnologia del night sky radiant cooling con materiali in cambiamento di fase (PCM) per il condizionamento di un ufficio. La tesi comprende una revisione della letteratura esistente nell’ambito dei materiali in cambiamento di fase e in quello del night sky radiant cooling per applicazioni di condizionamento degli edifici, uno studio sperimentale e un’analisi parametrica effettuata con il software TRNSYS 17ope

Bioreactors landfills: comparison and kinetics of the different systems

The need for more sustainable landfilling has increased interest in bioreactor landfills as a suitable tool for optimising degradation processes. Bioreactors can be categorised as follows: anaerobic, aerobic, semi aerobic and hybrid. The choice of a specific bioreactor can be strongly influenced by the desired treatment objectives (i.e., energy recovery, increased rate of waste stabilisation, washing) as well as by the specific site conditions (e.g., waste characteristics, climate and social/economic situation, regulations). However, the increased rate of waste stabilisation should be the primary driving principle in the bioreactor landfill design (Cossu, 2010). Full-scale bioreactor landfills are still uncommon and one of the reasons is the perception that the effectiveness of this technology is not well demonstrated. This paper aims to contribute to filling this knowledge gap by analysing and comparing the lab scale applications of different types of bioreactors available in the literature and providing a survey of the different methods by considering their respective advantages and disadvantages. Qualitative analysis of the main types of bioreactor landfills is provided according to a few selected characteristics (i.e. energy recovery, biochemical kinetics, technological complexity, costs). Considering landfill sustainability, the discussion is primarily focused on the quantification of the stabilisation capability of the different bioreactors which is calculated in terms of COD and ammonia removal kinetics. The results demonstrate that the optimisation of COD removal kinetics is the highest in aerated bioreactors, while ammonia removal kinetics is maximum in hybrid bioreactors (i.e., 6 and 10 times higher, respectively, compared to the anaerobic bioreactors)

The burden of waste in 21st-century Africa

It is well known that the development of a country rests on the creation of jobs and the distribution of wealth among its population. Today many African countries are facing such an opportunity with enthusi-asm, and this is giving a positive impulse to lifestyles and socio-cultural activities. However, as recent history from other parts of the world shows, the downside of this process is the wide-ranging impacts of the increasing demands of water, energy and raw materials to feed the new economy, as well as the huge quantities of waste produced by new activities and new consumers. A further concern is the African population growth. Between 2017 and 2050, 1.3 billion people will be located mainly in urban areas, with an expected waste production of 244 million tonnes by 2025, which, if not properly managed, may negatively affect the environment and dramatically downsize the advantages of economic development. In case of inappropriate waste management, the cost to society exceeds the financial cost per capita by a factor of 5-10. The protection of the environment is an urgent issue in Africa, because of the general lack of attention to the impacts human activities have on natural resources. This paper looks at waste management and at the related threats and challenges that the continent is going to face due to its fast economic growth, with the aim of raising awareness on what may be called ‘fake’ progress

LA NUOVA DISCIPLINA DEI CONTRATTI DERIVATI OVER THE COUNTER

Il presente lavoro si propone di analizzare in una prospettiva funzionale la nuova disciplina dei contratti derivati over the counter introdotta in Europa con il Regolamento 648/2012 (EMIR) e in USA con il Dodd-Frank Act, con l’obbiettivo di metterne in luce punti di forza e di debolezza. Per perseguire compiutamente detto obiettivo, la tesi propone un percorso logico che parte dall’approfondimento delle cause economico-giuridiche che hanno favorito il propagarsi degli effetti negativi della crisi, che successivamente si sofferma sulle possibili risposte normative ai problemi posti dagli strumenti derivati. Infine, l’analisi si termina sottolineando gli aspetti problematici legati all’effettività della nuova disciplina, soprattutto alla luce delle policy dynamic che si sviluppano intorno al lungo procedimento di approvazione di norme complesse.This dissertation aims at analyzing, with a functional approach, the new regulations of over the counter derivatives introduced in Europe with the 648/2012 Regulation (EMIR) and in the US under the Dodd-Frank Act, with the goal to underlying the strengths and weaknesses. To fully achieve this objective, the thesis proposes a logical path that starts from the deepening of economic and legal causes that have favored the spread of the negative effects of the crisis, then focuses on possible regulatory responses to the problems posed by derivatives. Finally, the analysis ends pointing out the problematic aspects related to the effectiveness of the new rules, especially in light of the policy dynamic developed during the long process of approval of these complex rules

Final quality of a sustainable landfill and postclosure management

Landfill should be designed and constructed in line with the principle of environmental sustainability, guaranteeing over a period of less than one generation (typically considered 30 years) the environmental equilibrium of Final Storage Quality, when waste stability and immobilisation of contaminants is achieved and all active measures of control may be removed without posing any further risk to the environment. The practical definition of FSQ, when a landfill can be released from aftercare, and a procedure for the technical and administrative termination of the post-closure management phase are an evident regulatory strategic need to assure the design of sustainable landfill. The aim of this paper is to provide a criterion to define the FSQ of landfill, based on the control of the analytical emission parameters and of stability indexes related to the residual emission potential. These should concur with the law’s acceptance criteria for the landfilling of wastes (LAC), and with the legal limit values (LLV) established for the emission of contaminants into the environment. The interrelationship between, stability indexes (emission potential), analytical emission parameters, LAC and LLV is discussed and reference values are provided. Finally, the paper proposes a procedure for the termination of technical and administrative aspects following the post-closure management in accordance with FSQ

Simple-Tech Solutions for Sustainable Waste Management

This thesis originated from a desire to explore the issue of solid waste, the appropriate management of which continues to represent a privilege for the few, in order to investigate alternative cost-effective solutions aimed at promoting access of the population worldwide to sustainable waste management systems. The work had a particular focus on landfilling from a holistic point of view, investigating environmental, technical and economical sustainable solutions in terms of landfill management and emissions control. The thesis work was developed over a three-year period in four steps. In the first step, activities focused on the study and gaining a better understanding of the need for a global approach to waste management, with the application of identical concepts and knowledge throughout the world and envisaging appropriate and sustainable technical solutions, not only in environmental terms but also in economic (they should be low cost) and technical terms (they should easy to construct, operate and maintain). Further to carrying out literature reviews and taking part in a series of International Conferences where waste management in DCs was discussed in detail, a field stage abroad, on the Ivory Coast, proved of fundamental importance for the development of this first step. In the second step, the sustainability of landfills was studied and analyzed by considering the tools which could be implemented to control long-term emissions in the case of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfilling. Research activities were focused on the comprehensive study of bioreactor landfills, comparing (using literature data) lab scale applications of different types of bioreactors, and evaluating the advantages and disadvantages. Having conducted a qualitative analysis of the main types of bioreactor landfills, landfill sustainability was quantified using a first order kinetic model for the COD and ammonia removal processes. Amongst the different sustainable landfill alternatives, semi-aerobic landfill represented a viable option meeting environmental, technical and economical sustainability requirements. During the third step of the thesis work, semi-aerobic landfills were studied in detail in order to identify innovative solutions to optimise the design and management of the system under different situations. The fourth step of research activities was inspired by a need to identify cost-effective solutions to solve the key issue in landfilling sustainability: leachate treatment. An innovative alternative potential solution based on exploiting the versatility and voracity of Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae was investigated. The adaptability of larvae to leachate, the treatment performance and the quality of the biomass rich in fats and proteins were initially assessed. Additionally, the potential of proteins and fats to be conveniently converted into commercial resources, such as animal feed and biodiesel was evaluated. During this fourth step, for three months at the beginning of the 2019, a research stage was specifically organised at the KUET University, Bangladesh to investigate the potential of mangroves for use in the phytotreatment of landfill leachate, exploiting the high resistance to salinity of these plants. A preliminary study has been carried out using as a comparison other tropical plant species such as Canna indica

Problems in traditional landfilling and proposals for solutions based on sustainability

In recent years, the Circular Economy has become the key lynchpin underlying the waste management system. However, the emphasis placed on recycling has led, on one hand, to an underestimation of the critical issues that are currently emerging so dramatically (i.e. limited recyclability of materials, instability of markets for secondary raw materials, and accumulation of contaminants present in the recycled materials), whilst on the other to neglect the inescapable role of landfill in waste management. In many cases, landfills are seen as a simple and economical means of disposing of waste, and from a political, legislative and technical viewpoint they are frequently denied the attention devoted to other engineering works, lacking ade-quate financial investment to cover the costs required to ensure a sustainable landfill system. Landfill should be designed and constructed in line with the principle of environmental sustainability, by adopting technical measures aimed at guaranteeing waste stability and immobilisation of contaminants over a period of less than one generation and ensuring a Final Storage Quality in equilibrium with the environment. This article summarises the concept of sustainable landfilling, identifies the technical strategies that characterise this system, describes the critical issues frequently encountered after decades of operation and proposes a series of solutions aimed to control long-term behavior