578 research outputs found
Large-scale numerical modelling of CO2 injection and containment phases for an Italian near-coast reservoir using PFLOTRAN
A potential CO2 storage site located offshore the west coast of Italy, has been modelled using PFLOTRAN assuming an injection rate of 1.5 Mtons/year for 20 years. The model predicts a CO2 footprint characterised by a diameter of about 3.5 km and a maximum pressure build up of 38 bars. The solubility trapping has been quantified, predicting a dissolution in brine of 69% and 79% of the total amount of CO2 injected after 1000 and 2000 years respectively. The residual trapping has also been found to play an important role, with 9% and 6% of the injected CO2 being locked into the hosting matrix pores after 1000 and 2000 years respectively. Considering a worst-case scenario for leakages, where zero critical capillarity pressure has been assumed, minor CO2 leakages through the caprock have been identified, caused by the combined effects of the long-term structural trapping and the large and lasting overpressure caused by the CO2 injection in an ideally closed system. Finally, some preliminary work undertaken as part of an ongoing effort to couple a geochemical model to the multi-phase flow simulations reveals i) small changes in mineral volume fraction and porosity during and after the injection (~5% after 1000 years), and ii) a not negligible self-sealing effect due to precipitation of calcite in the lower layer of the caprock. Further investigations and longer physical time runs are needed to confirm this assumption, but also to gain more confidence on the geochemical model built so far and to estimate the mineral trapping potential for this site. © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of SINTEF Energi AS
Geochemistry of fluids discharged over the seismic area of the Southern Apennines (Calabria region, Southern Italy): Implications for Fluid-Fault relationships
The first comprehensive geochemical data-set of the fluids circulating over a 14,000 km2-wide seismicprone
area of the Southern Apennines, Calabria Region (Italy), is presented here. The geochemical investigations
were carried out with the twofold aim of constraining the origin and interactions of the circulating
fluids and to investigate possible relationships with local faults. Sixty samples of both thermal and cold
waters were collected, from which the dissolved gases were extracted. The geochemical features of the
water samples display different types and degrees of water–rock interactions, irrespective of the outlet
temperature. The calculated equilibrium temperatures of the thermal waters (60–160 C) and the low heat
flow of thewhole study area, are consistent with a heating process due to deep water circulation and rapid
upflow through lithospheric structures. The composition of the dissolved gases reveals that crustal-originating
gases (N2 and CO2-dominated) feed all the groundwaters. The 3He/4He ratios of the dissolved He, in
the range of 0.03–0.22Rac for the thermal waters and 0.05–0.63Rac for the cold waters (Rac = He isotope
ratio corrected for atmospheric contamination), are mainly the result of a two-component (radiogenic
and atmospheric) mixing, although indications of mantle-derived He are found in some cold waters. As
the study area had been hit by 18 of the most destructive earthquakes (magnitude ranging from 5.9 to
7.2) occurring over a 280-a time span (1626–1908) in the Southern Apennines, the reported results on
the circulating fluids may represent the reference for a better inside knowledge of the fault-fluid relationships
and for the development of long-term geochemical monitoring strategies for the area
Epidemiological and virological assessment of influenza activity in Apulia, Italy, during the seasons 2004 - 2005 and 2005 - 2006.
This study evaluated the impact of influenza and vaccination coverage in Apulia, Italy, during the 2004–2005 and 2005–2006 seasons, using epidemiological and virological surveillance data collected through the Italian Net of Surveillance of Influenza (InfluNet) organized by the Superior Institute of Health (ISS) and the Inter-University Centre of Research on Influenza (CIRI). Vaccination coverage was calculated from the number of doses administered to individuals aged ≤ 65 years. Sentinel physicians reported weekly influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory illness (ARI) occurrences among patients. Influenza viruses were isolated and identified by cell culture on Madin-Darby Canine Kidney cells and polymerase chain reaction techniques. Vaccination coverage reached 72.7% and 77.0% during the 2004–2005 and 2005–2006 seasons, respectively. Incidence of ILI was higher during the 2004–2005 season compared with the 2005–2006 season, whereas the incidence ARI appeared to show a more constant trend. Incidence rates for ILI and ARI were higher in the 0 − 14-year age group. The increase in vaccination coverage and implementation of a network of epidemiological and virological surveillance are fundamental for the control and prevention of influenza
Diagnostics of electro-mechanical actuators based upon the back-EMF reconstruction
Electrical systems are gradually replacing the more traditional hydraulic and pneumatic solutions for the transmission of secondary energy for onboard aircraft equipment. Therefore fault detection and health management strategies properly conceived for electrical devices are becoming a highly relevant topic for research and development in the aerospace disciplines. One possible practical implementation of these methodologies would be the identification of parameters for diagnostic and prognostic monitoring, which are highly sensitive to incipient faults but, at the same time, are less influenced by operating conditions (external loads, command input, temperatures, etc.). In this paper, the authors evaluated the effectiveness of counter-electromotive force (back-EMF) coefficient as a prognostic parameter, emphasizing a novel sampling approach that significantly lower the computational effort required while maintaining a good back-EMF coefficient curve reconstruction. The approach is virtual sensor-like, using only already available data for the correct operation of the BLDC motor. The proposed method was tested by evaluating the back-EMF coefficient reconstruction as a function of some progressive failures typical of EMA motors, such as inter-turn partial shorts and rotor static eccentricity. Its robustness to external disturbances has been tested by evaluating different actuation commands and operating conditions. As expected, the back-EMF signal shows a marked dependence on the considered failure modes and, at the same time, a suitable insensitivity to the other external factors
Preliminary Analysis on Environmental and Intrinsic Factors on FBG-Based Vibration Sensors
In recent years, optical-based sensors have sparked interest for the many advantages over traditional, electrical-based sensors, such as EMI insensitivity, ease of multiplexing on a single line, resilience to hostile environment and very compact size and global weight saving due to signal cables reduction. Considering said properties, optical sensors offer a compelling alternative to traditional sensing elements. One type of optical sensor is the Fiber Braggs Gratings sensors (FBG), which is a type of sensor that reflects a very narrow band of wavelengths, called Bragg wavelength, while being transparent for others; this behavior is achieved by local variations of the core refractive index. The Bragg wavelength can be easily correlated with physical changes in the sensor itself, due to either physical strain or temperature variation. It should be noted that the achievable measurement accuracy is thus comparable to the Bragg wavelength. However, for any practical application, FBGs need to be bonded to a support or surface; in this case, there is a lack of understanding of the effects of temperature and humidity variations on the combined sensor-glue system. In this work, a setup, intended to characterize the sensitivity of the fiber-glue combination to humidity and temperature will be presented
Design and development of innovative FBG-based fiber optic sensors for aerospace applications
In recent years aeronautical systems are becoming increasingly complex, as they are
often required to perform various functions. New intelligent systems are required capable of
self-monitoring their operation parameters, able to estimate their health status, and possibly
perform diagnostic or prognostic functions. For these purposes, these systems frequently need
to acquire several different signal types; although it is sometimes possible to implement virtual
sensor techniques, it is usually necessary to implement dedicated sensing hardware. On the
other hand, the installation of the required sensors can, however, significantly increase the
complexity, the weight, the costs and the failure rate of the entire system. To overcome these
drawbacks, new types of optical sensors, minimally invasive for measuring the system
parameters and having a high spatial resolution and a minimum added complexity are now
available. Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) sensors are suitable for measuring various technical
parameters in static and dynamic mode and meet all these requirements. In aerospace, they can
replace several traditional sensors, both in structural monitoring and in other system
applications, including mechatronic systems diagnostics and prognostics. This work reports the
results of our experimental research aimed at evaluating and validating different FBG
installation solutions such as deformation, bending, vibration, and temperature sensors. These
were compared with numerical simulations results and measurements performed with
traditional strain gauges and accelerometers
Spatial distribution of arsenic, uranium and vanadium in the volcanic-sedimentary aquifers of the Vicano–Cimino Volcanic District (Central Italy)
Arsenic concentrations were analysed for 328 water samples collected in the Vicano–Cimino Volcanic District
(VCVD), an areawhere severe contamination of groundwater has become a serious problemfollowing the recent
application of the EU Directive on the maximum allowable concentration level for As in drinking waters. In
addition, uranium and vanadium concentrations were also analysed in light of the enhanced interest on their
environmental toxicity. Waters were collected from springs and wells fed by cold and shallow volcanic–sedimentary
aquifers, which locally represent the main drinking water source. Thermal springs (≤63 °C) related
to an active hydrothermal reservoir and waters associated with a CO2-rich gas phase of deep provenance were
also analysed. The collected data showed that the As concentrations in the shallow aquifers varied in a wide
range (0.05–300 μg/L) and were primarily controlled by water–rock interaction processes. High As concentrations
(up to 300 μg/L) were measured in springs and wells discharging from the volcanic products, and about
66% exceeded the limit of 10 μg/L for drinkingwaters,whereaswaters circulatingwithin the sedimentary formations
displayed much lower values (0.05–13 μg/L; ~4% exceeding the threshold limit). Thermal waters showed
the highest As concentrations (up to 610 μg/L) as the result of the enhanced solubility of As-rich volcanic rocks
during water–rock interaction processes at high temperatures. Where the local structural setting favoured the
rise of fluids from the deep hydrothermal reservoir and their interaction with the shallow volcanic aquifer, relatively
higher concentrations were found. Moreover, well overexploitation likely caused the lateral inflow of
As-rich waters towards not contaminated areas.
Uraniumand vanadiumconcentrations ofwaters circulating in the volcanic rocks ranged from0.01 to 85 μg/L and
0.05 to 62 μg/L, respectively. Less than 2% of analysed samples exceeded theWorld Health Organization's provisional
guidelines for U (30 μg/L), while none of them was above the Italian limit value of V in drinking water
(120 μg/L). Lower U (0.07–22 μg/L and 0.02–13 μg/L, respectively) and V concentrations (0.05–24 μg/L and
0.18–17 μg/L, respectively) were measured in the water samples from the sedimentary aquifer and thermal
waters. Local lithology appeared as the main factor affecting the U and V contents in the shallow aquifers, due
to the high concentrations of these two elements in the volcanic formations when compared to the sedimentary
units. In addition, high U concentrations were found in correspondence with U mineralization occurring within
the VCVD, fromwhich U is released in solution mainly through supergene oxidative alteration. Redox conditions
seem to play amajor role in controlling the concentrations of U and V inwaters. Oxidizing conditions characterizing
the cold waters favour the formation of soluble U- and V-species, whereas thermal waters under anoxic
conditions are dominated by relatively insoluble species. Geostatistical techniques were used to draw contour
maps by using variogram models and kriging estimation aimed to define the areas of potential health risk characterized
by As, U and V-rich waters, thus providing a useful tool for water management in a naturally contaminated
area to local Authorities
Innovative actuator fault identification based on back electromotive force reconstruction
The ever increasing adoption of electrical power as secondary form of on-board power is leading to an increase in the usage of electromechanical actuators (EMAs). Thus, in order to maintain an acceptable level of safety and reliability, innovative prognostics and diagnostics methodologies are needed to prevent performance degradation and/or faults propagation. Furthermore, the use of effective prognostics methodologies carries several benefits, including improved maintenance schedule capability and relative cost decrease, better knowledge of systems health status and performance estimation. In this work, a novel, real-time approach to EMAs prognostics is proposed. The reconstructed back electromotive force (back-EMF), determined using a virtual sensor approach, is sampled and then used to train an artificial neural network (ANN) in order to evaluate the current system status and to detect possible coils partial shorts and rotor imbalances
Lumped parameters multi-fidelity digital twins for prognostics of electromechanical actuators
The growing affirmation of on-board systems based on all-electric secondary power sources is causing a progressive diffusion of electromechanical actuators (EMA) in aerospace applications. As a result, novel prognostic and diagnostic approaches are becoming a critical tool for detecting fault propagation early, preventing EMA performance deterioration, and ensuring acceptable levels of safety and reliability of the system. These approaches often require the development of various types of multiple numerical models capable of simulating the performance of the EMA with different levels of fidelity. In previous publications, the authors already proposed a high-fidelity multi-domain numerical model (HF), capable of accounting for a wide range of physical phenomena and progressive failures in the EMA, and a low-fidelity digital twin (LF). The LF is directly derived from the HF one by reducing the system degrees of freedom, simplifying the EMA control logic, eliminating the static inverter model and the three-phase commutation logic. In this work, the authors propose a new EMA digital twin, called Enhanced Low Fidelity (ELF), that, while still belonging to the simplified types, has particular characteristics that place it at an intermediate level of detail and accuracy between the HF and LF models. While maintaining a low computational cost, the ELF model keeps the original architecture of the three-phase motor and the multidomain approach typical of HF. The comparison of the preliminary results shows a satisfactory consistency between the experimental equipment and the numerical models
Study of FBG-based optical sensors for thermal measurements in aerospace applications
Optical fibers have revolutionized several technological sectors in recent decades, above all that of communication, and have also found many applications in the medical, lighting engineering, and infrastructural fields. In the aerospace field, many studies investigated the adoption of fiber optics considering the planned transition from fly-by-wire to fly-by-light flight controls. A significant feature of optical fiber is its ability to be used not only as a transmission medium but also as a basis for fiber-embedded sensors; one of the most prominent types is based on Bragg gratings (FBGs). FBGs can replace several traditional sensors, providing measures of temperature, vibrations, and mechanical deformation. Optical sensors provide many advantages over traditional, electrical-based sensors, including EMI insensitivity, ease of multiplexing on a single line, resilience to harsh environments, very compact sizes and global weight saving. Furthermore, punctual knowledge of the temperature field is essential to perform the thermal compensation of the optical sensors used for strain measurements. In this work, the authors analyzed the performance of thermal sensors based on FBGs to verify their stability, accuracy, and sensitivity to operating conditions. Two different methods of FBGs surface application have been considered (gluing with pre-tensioning vs. non-tensioned bonding). The results were then compared to those acquired using typical temperature sensors to determine the relationship between the observed temperature and the Bragg wavelength variation (i.e. the proportionality coefficient Kt). The effects on the proportionality coefficient Kt, arising from fiber pre-tensioning and thermal expansion of the structural support, were then evaluated by comparing the results obtained with the two bonding approaches
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