Showing papers by "Umberto Desideri published in 2012"

SOFC Micro-CHP integration in residential buildings

Abstract: SOFC technology has reached many of the performance goals that where indicated by scientific society and is providing several application that permits market penetration. One of the main targets is related to Micro Cogeneration Heat and Power ( -CHP) for residential application. The integration of this system with a residential house has to be deeply investigated to individuate market targets in terms of costs and efficiency. This study evaluates the Italian market condition and analyzes the integration possibility with both thermal and electrical systems. Different solutions are investigated evaluating thermal and electrical driven logic for -CHP SOFC based unit and the opportunity of integration with local electrical grid. Evaluation on heat and electricity storage was also considered as integration strategy. The study is based on electrical and thermal loads in typical residential users and the evaluation is based on Italian technical standards and guidelines. Several operating conditions were evaluated and compared to obtain an optimized size and integration of CHP SOFC based solution.

Analysis of different typologies of natural insulation materials with economic and performances evaluation of the same in building

Abstract: Considering the significant impact that the residential sector has on energy consumption, it is particularly important to implement policies aimed at improving energy efficiency in buildings for saving primary energy, and also to spread the concept of sustainable development through the use of appropriate technology and proper project criteria both for new constructions and for the rehabilitation of existing ones. It is in this context and in an attempt to reduce as much as possible the consumption of resources that fits the possibility of utilizing “natural” materials for the insulation of buildings. In this work they have been analyzed the natural insulation materials present on the Italian building market, where for “natural” it is meant the ones that are derived from renewable materials, which emit no pollutants and that are recyclable or biodegradable. Then it has been created a database which highlights the physical and thermohygrometrical characteristics (density, conductivity, specific heat, vapor permeability, etc.), as well as the possible applications (ceiling, wall, roof). Then it has been carried out a performing and economic comparison related to the replacement of the traditional insulation of a residential building located in Perugia (Central Italy) with the majority of the insulating materials identified in relation to its type of use. The synthetic insulating materials have been replaced in order to reach, for the analysed building, the same thermal performances obtained with the application of traditional insulators. From the analysis of dynamic thermal parameters has been deduced that the building envelope insulated with natural products has better thermal summer performances compared to the same insulated with traditional materials such as XPS, with the same thermal winter performances. This improvement is mainly due to the high value of the specific heat characteristic of the natural insulators. Finally, it has been carried out an economic comparison between the two types of insulation from which it has been possible to deduce that the utilize of natural insulation products have meant an increase in the costs which is widely variable depending on the type of natural insulator used.

Feasibility study to realize an anaerobc digester fed with vegetables matrices in central Italy

Abstract: The present paper assessed a feasibility study to build a small-size anaerobic digester, where a forage legume, (Alfalfa, Medicago sativa L.), together with other crops, such as sorghum, could be used. Alfalfa is a highly sustainable crop, since it can fix nitrogen, with the benefit of avoiding underground water pollution by nitrates, its residual products are rich with nitrogen, thus improving soil structure and fertility more than popular graminaceous crops such as corn, and it needs little irrigation. All these characteristics make it one of the vegetable species with the lowest energy and water needs for growing. The aims of this feasibility study are: (1) optimization of feedstock in the bio-digester; (2) typology of bio-digester; (3) size of bio-digester in relation with land availability for growing the energy crops; (4) the utilization of bio-gas produced by bio-digester as fuel in combined heat and power systems; (5) disposal of waste-water according to regional and national laws. The final aim of this study is to verify the possibility to develop an alternative economical use of marginal soils in relatively dry areas of central Italy that could be applied in other areas with similar climatic conditions.