Optimization of Electric-Vehicle Charging: scheduling and planning problems

The progressive shift from traditional vehicles to Electric Vehicles (EVs ) is considered one of the key measures to achieve the objective of a significant reduction in the emission of pollutants, especially in urban areas. EVs will be widely used in a not-so-futuristic vision, and new technologies will be present for charging stations, batteries, and vehicles. The number of EVs and Charging Stations (CSs) is increased in the last years, but, unfortunately, wide usage of EVs may cause technical problems to the electrical grid (i.e., instability due to intermittent distributed loads), inefficiencies in the charging process (i.e., lower power capacity and longer recharging times), long queues and bad use of CSs. Moreover, it is necessary to plan the CSs installation over the territory, the schedule of vehicles, and the optimal use of CSs. This thesis focuses on applying optimization methods and approaches to energy systems in which EVs are present, with specific reference to planning and scheduling decision problems. In particular, in smart grids, energy production, and storage systems are usually scheduled by an Energy Management System (EMS) to minimize costs, power losses, and CO2 emissions while satisfying energy demands. When CSs are connected to a smart grid, EVs served by CSs represent an additional load to the power system to be satisfied, and an additional storage system in the case of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is enabled. However, the load generated by EVs is deferrable. It can be thought of as a process in which machines (CSs) serve customers/products (EVs) based on release time, due date, deadline, and energy request, as happens in manufacturing systems. In this thesis, first, attention is focused on defining a discrete-time optimization problem in which fossil fuel production plants, storage systems, and renewables are considered to satisfy the grid's electrical load. The discrete-time formalization can use forecasting for renewables and loads without data elaboration. On the other side, many decision variables are present, making the optimization problem hard to solve through commercial optimization tools. For this reason, an alternative method for the optimal schedule of EVs characterized by a discrete event formalization is presented. This new approach can diminish the number of variables by considering the time intervals as variables themselves. Of course, the solution's optimality is not guaranteed since some assumptions are necessary. Moreover, the last chapter proposes a novel approach for the optimal location and line assignment for electric bus charging stations. In particular, the model provides the siting and sizing of some CSs to maintain a minimum service frequency over public transportation lines

ORGANIZZAZIONE DEL CANTIERE E TECNICHE COSTRUTTIVE TRA X E XI SECOLO NEL CASTELLO DELLA BRINA (SP). IL PROCESSO PRODUTTIVO DELLE STRUTTURE MURARIE ALLA LUCE DELLE RECENTI INDAGINI ARCHEOLOGICHE

La tesi ha per oggetto l’analisi delle tracce di cantiere e delle tecniche costruttive documentate presso il castello della Brina (SP) in occasione delle più recenti indagini archeologiche. In particolare l’attenzione è focalizzata sul periodo compreso tra il X e l’XI secolo, quando il sito si trasforma gradualmente da insediamento in materiale deperibile a fortificazione in pietra. In relazione a questo periodo sono state documentate fasi di cantiere caratterizzate dall’impiego di soluzione tecniche, materie prime e modalità di sfruttamento delle risorse locali diversificate, riflesso dell’operato di maestranze con differenti gradi di specializzazione. Questi aspetti hanno permesso, a loro volta, di precisare le diverse scelte delle committenze in relazione alle esigenze militari ed insediative, contribuendo a meglio delineare le forme locali dell’organizzazione signorile

Design & Crafts in Italia: l'altra origine degli oggetti. Gli scenari futuri dell'handmade. Tra artigianato, industria e Made in Italy

La ricerca, un viaggio tutto italiano intorno alla relazione contemporanea tra design e handmade, vuole essere il risultato di una condivisione di intenti e contributi incrociati che ha permesso di costruire attorno ad un ambito importante quale la disciplina del design, una linea di pensiero trasmissibile e aperta ad ulteriori sviluppi, con l’obiettivo di proporre una possibile analisi del panorama attuale mettendo a sistema una selezione ragionata di autori e progetti che, negli ultimi dieci anni, hanno lasciato una traccia significativa anche a livello internazionale, riconducibili ad un fenomeno-movimento identificato come Design & Crafts. Un lavoro coinvolgente, che ha avuto come premessa alcune considerazioni circa il sistema del design italiano, la relazione tra artigianato e industria del secolo scorso, il ruolo della cultura manifatturiera e lo sconfinamento che sta segnando la diffusione di una tendenza pronta a tracciare traiettorie alternative del design Made in Italy. Tali valutazioni sono basate sull’esistenza di un nuovo tipo di percorso, parallelo all’industrial design, che appare assolutamente contemporaneo e frutto di trasformazioni concettuali e formali in sintonia con la cultura internazionale. La ricognizione prende il via da una indagine attorno all’allargamento di campo di cui è stato protagonista negli ultimi dieci anni il mondo del progetto, e alla conseguente evoluzione della figura del designer, nel tentativo di capire come è cambiato, e sta cambiando, l’approccio alla progettazione degli oggetti. Il fenomeno è ancora in fieri, e anche se provare a sintetizzare lo svolgersi di un’operazione che si ha ancora sotto gli occhi può risultare un’impresa rischiosa, o peggio presuntuosa, il volume intende offrire un aggiornamento del significato e del ruolo dell’artigianato italiano e individua il filo rosso che lo lega al sistema del design contemporaneo. Lo scenario preso in considerazione viene descritto attraverso un’interessante operazione di mappatura che coinvolge la generazione dei progettisti under 40. I protagonisti vengono individuati con l’obiettivo di mettere a sistema i lavori e le opere che si sono riappropriati di quel settore tecnico e pratico fondato sull’uso colto dei materiali, sullo sviluppo delle relazioni tattili e sulla valorizzazione delle abilità manuali che rappresentano il fiore all’occhiello dell’eccellenza italiana. La campionatura prende forma grazie al contributo di alcuni curatori ed esperti di design, abili osservatori e interpreti dei cambiamenti in atto.The research, an all-Italian journey around the contemporary relationship between design and handmade, is intended to be the result of a sharing of intents and cross-contributions that has made it possible to build around an important field such as the discipline of design, a line of thought that is transmissible and open to further development, with the aim of proposing a possible analysis of the current panorama by systematizing a reasoned selection of authors and projects that, in the last ten years, have left a significant trace also at the international level, traceable to a phenomenon-movement identified as Design & Crafts. An engaging work, whose premise was some considerations about the Italian design system, the relationship between craftsmanship and industry in the last century, the role of manufacturing culture and the encroachment that is marking the spread of a trend ready to trace alternative trajectories of Made in Italy design. These assessments are based on the existence of a new type of path, parallel to industrial design, which appears to be absolutely contemporary and the result of conceptual and formal transformations in tune with international culture. The reconnaissance begins with an investigation around the widening of the field in which the design world has been protagonist in the last decade, and the consequent evolution of the figure of the designer, in an attempt to understand how the approach to the design of objects has changed, and is changing. The phenomenon is still a work in progress, and although trying to summarize the unfolding of an operation that is still in front of one's eyes may be a risky undertaking, or worse presumptuous, the volume intends to offer an update of the meaning and role of Italian craftsmanship and identifies the red thread that binds it to the contemporary design system. The scenario considered is described through an interesting mapping operation involving the generation of designers under 40. The protagonists are identified with the aim of systemizing the works and works that have reappropriated that technical and practical field founded on the cultured use of materials, the development of tactile relations and the enhancement of manual skills that represent the flagship of Italian excellence. The sampling takes shape thanks to the contributions of a number of curators and design experts, skilled observers and interpreters of the changes taking place

Preliminary experimental analysis of Reservoir Computing approach for balance assessment

Evaluation of balance stability in elderly people is of prominent relevance in the field of health monitoring. Recently, the use of Wii Balance Board has been proposed as valid alternative to clinical balance tests, such as the widely used Berg Balance Scale (BBS) test, allowing to measure and analyze static features such as the duration or the speed of assessment of patients' center of pressure. In an innovative way, in this paper we propose to take into consideration the whole temporal information generated by the balance board, analyzing it by means of dynamical neural networks. In particular, using Recurrent Neural Networks implemented according to the Reservoir Computing paradigm, we propose to estimate the BBS score from the temporal data generated by the execution of one simple exercise on the balance board. Preliminary experimental assessments of the proposed approach on a real-world dataset show promising results

Impact-based flash-flood forecasting system: Sensitivity to high resolution numerical weather prediction systems and soil moisture

In recent years, continuous improvements have been made in weather forecasting and flood prediction with great benefit from Early Warning Systems (EWSs). Despite the continuous quest for innovation from the scientific and user communities, EWSs remain based mostly on hazard forecast, and the information on possible consequences and potential impacts is generally missing. In this work, a methodology for quantitative real-time impact assessment for flash floods is presented. The methodology uses a multi-model ensemble approach and considers soil moisture uncertainty. Moreover, the flood forecasting chain, which normally provides only the discharge probability of exceeding a given threshold, is extended to include a fully 2D hydraulic model and a damage estimation model to quantitatively assess impacts in terms of economic losses and the people involved. The procedure was tested on recent flood events occurring in Genoa in northwestern Italy. This paper discusses the potential challenges and opportunities offered by this approach in the decision-making workflow in an operational context

Inferring a network from dynamical signals at its nodes

We give an approximate solution to the difficult inverse problem of inferring the topology of an unknown network from given time-dependent signals at the nodes. For example, we measure signals from individual neurons in the brain, and infer how they are inter-connected. We use Maximum Caliber as an inference principle. The combinatorial challenge of high-dimensional data is handled using two different approximations to the pairwise couplings. We show two proofs of principle: in a nonlinear genetic toggle switch circuit, and in a toy neural network

Cardionephrology: A Widespread Discipline for 21th Century Medical Students and Young Nephrology Residents

N

Explicit representation of subgrid heterogeneity in a GCM land-surface scheme

Permission to place copies of these works on this server has been provided by the American Meteorological Society (AMS). The AMS does not guarantee that the copies provided here are accurate copies of the published work. © Copyright 2003 American Meteorological Society (AMS). Permission to use figures, tables, and brief excerpts from this work in scientific and educational works is hereby granted provided that the source is acknowledged. Any use of material in this work that is determined to be “fair use” under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act or that satisfies the conditions specified in Section 108 of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 USC §108, as revised by P.L. 94-553) does not require the AMS’s permission. Republication, systematic reproduction, posting in electronic form on servers, or other uses of this material, except as exempted by the above statement, requires written permission or a license from the AMS. Additional details are provided in the AMS Copyright Policy, available on the AMS Web site located at (http://www.ametsoc.org/AMS) or from the AMS at 617-227-2425 or [email protected] the treatment of subgrid-scale soil moisture variations is recognized as a priority for the next generation of land surface schemes. Here, the impact of an improved representation of subgrid-scale soil moisture heterogeneity on global climate model (GCM) simulations of current and future climates is carried out using Version three of the Hadley Centre Atmospheric Climate Model (HadAM3) coupled to the Met Office Surface Exchange Scheme (MOSES). MOSES was adapted to make use of the rainfall runoff model TOPMODEL algorithms, which relate the local water table depth to the grid box mean water table depth, assuming that subgrid-scale topography is the primary cause of soil moisture heterogeneity. This approach was also applied to produce a novel model for wetland area, which can ultimately be used to interactively model methane emissions from wetlands. The modified scheme was validated offline by forcing with near-surface Global Soil Wetness Project (GSWP) data, and online within the HadAM3 global climate model. In both cases it was found to improve the present-day simulation of runoff and produce realistic distributions of global wetland area. (Precipitation was also improved in the online simulation.) The new scheme results in substantial differences in the modeled sensitivity of runoff to climate change, with implications for the modeling of hydrological impacts

The Collection of Adipose Derived Stem Cells using Water-Jet Assisted Lipoplasty for their Use in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: A Preliminary Study

The graft of autologous fat for the augmentation of soft tissue is a common practice frequently used in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. In addition, the presence of adipose derived stem cells (ASCs) in adipose tissue stimulates the regeneration of tissue in which it is applied after the autologous fat grafting improving the final clinical results. Due to these characteristics, there is an increasing interest in the use of ASCs for the treatment of several clinical conditions. As a consequence, the use of clean room environment is required for the production of cell-based therapies. The present study is aimed to describe the biological properties of adipose tissue and cells derived from it cultured in vitro in clean room environment according to current regulation. The collection of adipose tissue was performed using the water-jet assisted liposuction in order to preserve an high cell viability increasing their chances of future use for different clinical application in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery