A technological solution for everywhere energy supply

The hydrogen economy is still at the beginning, but society innovation, and the market push inexorably toward hydrogen, inspiring the idea to build an energy-integrated system that can satisfy, in an independent way, the energy needs of small-sized consumers. The technologies used for the system design are already available in the market and, at least for the standard Solutions, sufficiently mature. The innovation consists of an integration, optimization, and industrialization of this modular system, which is an electric zero-emissions generator giving 3.5 kW(p) as an output power This is the only system able to produce its own fuel, guaranteeing renewable and clean energy., available where and when you want. This system is constituted by a polymer membrane electrolyzer, a metal hydrides tank (which absorbs and desorbs hydrogen), and a polymer fuel cell (PEM). The system modularity can also satisfy higher energy requirements, and the low-pressure hydrogen storage system through metal hydrides guarantees the system safety. (ASME Transactions

The concept of energy traceability: Application to EV electricity charging by Res

The energy sustainability, in the era of sources diversification , can be guaranteed by an energy resources utilization most correct, foreseeing no predominance of one source over the others in any area of the world but a proper energy mix, based on locally available resources and needs. In this scenario, manageable with a smart grid system, a virtuous use of RES must be visible, recognizable and quantifiable, in one word traceable. The innovation of the traceability concept consists in the possibility of having information concerning the exact origin of the electricity used for a specific end use, in this case EV charging . The traceability, in a context of increasingly sustainability and smartness city, is an important develop tool because only in this way it is possible to quantify the real emissions produced by EVs and to ensure the real foresight of grid load. This paper wants investigate the real ways to introduce this kind of real energy accounting, through the traceabilit

Energy and economic analysis of a residential Solar Organic Rankine plant

To answer the actual energy, water, economic, social and environmental challenges, renewable, distributed power plants need to be developed. Among renewables, solar tri-generative power plants can be a solution where there is big low temperature heating/cooling demand and small electricity demand, like many residential and industrial utilities. In this case, solar thermal plants can produce thermal energy with low cost and high efficiency. The higher temperature heat not needed by the user can be exploited via Organic Rankine Cycle to produce electrical energy and desalinized water via reverse osmosis. The present paper analyses, via TRNSYS simulation, a system composed of 50 m2 of CPC solar thermal collectors, 3 m3 of thermal storage, a synthetic heat transfer fluid, 3 kWe ORC, 8 kWth absorber, 200 l/h direct reverse osmosis desalination device. The system is able to produce power, heating/cooling and fresh water needs for a residential house. Although system’s components are well known technologies, the integration to a efficient and economic working system is still a challenge. Global energy and economic analyses have been performed. Low temperature heating/cooling terminals allow to increase not only the use of thermal energy but also the ORCand absorber efficiency. ORC-Absorber configuration and relative fluids and temperatures are central. Government support and/or cost reduction of 30% are necessary to have positive NPV and acceptable PBT and IR

Experimental tests to recover the photovoltaic power by battery system

The uncertainty and variability of the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) power plants within the power grid is an open issue. The present study focuses on the use of batteries to overcome the limitations associated with the photovoltaic inverter operation, trying to maximize the global energy produced. A set of switches, was placed between a few photovoltaic modules and a commercial inverter, capable to change configuration of the plant dynamically. Such system stores the power that the inverter is not able to let into the grid inside batteries. At the base of this optimization, there is the achievement of two main configurations in which the batteries and the photovoltaic modules are electrically connected in an appropriate manner as a function of inverter efficiency and thus solar radiation. A control board and the relative program, to change the configuration, was designed and implemented, based on the value of the measured radiation, current, batteries voltage, and calculated inverter efficiency. Finally from the cost and impact analysis we can say that, today the technology of lithium batteries, for this application, is still too expensive in comparison with lead-acid batteries

Critical issues of double-metal layer coating on FBG for applications at high temperatures

Use of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) to monitor high temperature (HT) applications is of great interest to the research community. Standard commercial FBGs can operate up to 600 ∘ C. For applications beyond that value, specific processing of the FBGs must be adopted to allow the grating not to deteriorate. The most common technique used to process FBGs for HT applications is the regeneration procedure (RP), which typically extends their use up to 1000 ∘ C. RP involves a long-term annealing of the FBGs, to be done at a temperature ranging from 550 to 950 ∘ C. As at that temperature, the original coating of the FBGs would burn out, they shall stay uncoated, and their brittleness is a serious concern to deal with. Depositing a metal coating on the FBGs prior to process them for RP offers an effective solution to provide them with the necessary mechanical strengthening. In this paper, a procedure to provide the FBG with a bimetallic coating made by copper and nickel electrodeposition (ED) is proposed, discussing issues related to the coating morphology, adherence to the fiber, and effects on the grating spectral response. To define the processing parameters of the proposed procedure, production tests were performed on dummy samples which were used for destructive SEM-EDS analysis. As a critical step, the proposed procedure was shown to necessitate a heat treatment after the nickel ED, to remove the absorbed hydrogen. The spectral response of the FBG samples was monitored along the various steps of the proposed procedure and, as a final proof test for adherence stability of the bimetallic coating, along a heating/cooling cycle from room temperature to 1010 ∘ C. The results suggest that, given the emergence of Kirkendall voids at the copper-nickel interface, occurring at the highest temperatures (700-1010 ∘ C), the bimetallic layer could be employed as FBG coating up to 700 ∘ C

Synthesis and characterization of TiO2 nanotubes as anodic material in lithium-ion batteries

The aim of this work is to analyze the efficiency of titania nanotubes acting as anode for lithium-ion batteries. The titania nanotubes has been obtained using an anodization process in a ethylene glycol solution, containing ammonium fluoride and a small quantity of water. After a heat treatment, needed to crystallize the material in the anatase form, the nanotubes has been analyzed in their performance as anode in a Li-ion battery. Structural and morphologic characterization of the titania nanotubes have been studied using XRD and SEM analysis, while the galvanostatic cycles has been collected in order to examine the electrochemical performance as electrodic material. Finally, a comparison of the electrochemical performance between our samples and commercial nanostructured titanium oxide, has been made, obtaining that the TiO2 nanotube electrodes treatmen reduces the overall cell voltage and provides good retention capacity on cycling and higher capacity at all used C-rate

Innovative nanomaterials for fuel cells fed with biogas

Challenges on sustainability promote research policy focused on renewable-energy technology development in order to enhance global energy security, local energy independence, environmental protection and economic growth. Biomass resources offer renewable energies that can play a key role in the current global strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by partially replacing fossil fuels. The conversion of biomass chemical energy into electrical energy and cogenerated heat can be obtained by fuel cells. In particular, molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) is the most suitable device for bioenergy production because it can be fed directly with biogas, whose primary constituents all improve the performance of the cell. However hydrogen sulfide, which is the main biogas impurity, poisons the traditional nickel based anode, affecting the power and the endurance of the cell. In order to overcome this problem, an innovative anode material that resists against the sulfide corrosions has been developed. This material, made of a nanostructured and porous nickel support covered with a thin layer of ceria, exhibits high sulfur tolerance and recovering capability

Innovative nanomaterials for fuel cells fed with biogas

Challenges on sustainability promote research policy focused on renewable-energy technology development in order to enhance global energy security, local energy independence, environmental protection and economic growth. Biomass resources offer renewable energies that can play a key role in the current global strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by partially replacing fossil fuels. The conversion of biomass chemical energy into electrical energy and cogenerated heat can be obtained by fuel cells. In particular, molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) is the most suitable device for bioenergy production because it can be fed directly with biogas, whose primary constituents all improve the performance of the cell. However hydrogen sulfide, which is the main biogas impurity, poisons the traditional nickel based anode, affecting the power and the endurance of the cell. In order to overcome this problem, an innovative anode material that resists against the sulfide corrosions has been developed. This material, made of a nanostructured and porous nickel support covered with a thin layer of ceria, exhibits high sulfur tolerance and recovering capability

Phage displayed peptides/antibodies recognizing growth factors and their tyrosine kinase receptors as tools for anti-cancer therapeutics.

The basic idea of displaying peptides on a phage, introduced by George P. Smith in 1985, was greatly developed and improved by McCafferty and colleagues at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and, later, by Barbas and colleagues at the Scripps Research Institute. Their approach was dedicated to building a system for the production of antibodies, similar to a naïve B cell repertoire, in order to by-pass the standard hybridoma technology that requires animal immunization. Both groups merged the phage display technology with an antibody library to obtain a huge number of phage variants, each of them carrying a specific antibody ready to bind its target molecule, allowing, later on, rare phage (one in a million) to be isolated by affinity chromatography. Here, we will briefly review the basis of the technology and the therapeutic application of phage-derived bioactive molecules when addressed against key players in tumor development and progression: growth factors and their tyrosine kinase receptors

Synthesis and characterization of a Mg–Ni-RE alloy for hydrogen storage

The synthesis and characterization of a Mg–Ni alloy having La and Ce as catalysts, have been performed. The alloy behavior was studied at given fixed temperature and pressure during hydrogen absorption/desorption tests. The La and Ce addition was carried out starting from a commercial alloy, named “Firesteel”. The alloy synthesized has the following formula Mg68Ni26M5X, where X represents Si and Fe impurities and M stands for the mixture of rare earths metals. The alloy has been prepared by a melting process in an induction furnace equipped with a centrifugal casting system and then grinded, by both hydraulic press and ball milling. The alloy has been characterized by SEM, BET, XRD, DSC-TGA analysis and by a mass flow measurement apparatus. The experiments on alloy sample showed that, after activation, hydrogenation occurs at 300 °C in three stages at three different pressures: 3, 4 and 7 atm, involving respectively 0.15 wt%, 0.4 wt% and 2.2 wt% of hydrogen absorbed. Reversible hydride dehydrogenation, inside the mass flow measurement apparatus, requires a working temperature of 350 °C to obtain, with remarkable reaction rate, about 2.7%, hydrogen desorption