Showing papers by "Umberto Desideri published in 2014"
TL;DR: In this article, the performance of concentrated solar power plants equipped with molten salts thermal storage to cover a base load of 3MWel was investigated in two locations: Gela in southern Italy and Luxor in Egypt.
132 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the benefits and drawbacks of uncontrolled feed-in tariffs for PV power plants and highlight the benefits but also some significant drawbacks that the application of uncontrolled tariffs has produced.
88 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the fuel and oxidant composition influence on MCFC performance as a temperature function and voltage was investigated as a fuel composition function in a laboratory-sized MCFC.
77 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an analysis was carried out in a rotary volumetric expander based on the Wankel concept, which was never studied before for this application, in order to evaluate the relationship between the used working fluid, the inlet temperature and the delivered mechanical power.
69 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the functional parameters optimization to obtain a compact filter with high removal activity was studied in micro-CHP applications, and the influence on adsorption capacity of operating parameters, such as gas hourly space velocity, gas matrix composition (N 2, CH 4 and CO 2 ), humidity, temperature, H 2 S concentration (50-1000ppmv), and filter geometry, was investigated.
62 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a study of household energy consumption in terms of energy sources and energy end uses, and analysis of technical and economic issues associated with the use of biomass and renewable energy and the replacement of fossil fuels.
57 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an experimental study on hydrogen production by using a 200 W solid oxide stack working in reverse mode, where a thermodynamic study of the process was performed by measuring the heat and mass balance of stack at different operating conditions.
54 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the same methodology used for forestry trees (model tree) was adopted to estimate the biomass and the respective carbon stock of the below-ground and above-ground parts of the olive tree as well as quantification of the non-permanent components periodically removed, i.e. fruits and pruning.
54 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an experimental test performed to evaluate the feasibility of NH3 directly fed to a 50 cm2 single cell solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is presented. And the results show that the cell can operate at 300mW/cm-2 and 30% efficiency based on ammonia LHV.
Abstract: In this study, ammonia is presented as a feasible fuel for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Ammonia has several interesting features as fuel due to low-production cost, high-energy density and, focusing on fuel cells and hydrogen application, ammonia is an excellent H2 carrier thanks to high value of volumetric and gravimetric densities. The paper reports experimental test performed to evaluate the feasibility of NH3 directly fed to a 50 cm2 single cell SOFC. A test plan was developed to compare pure ammonia with an equivalent mix of ammonia, nitrogen, and hydrogen and the study of temperature and voltage values strongly indicates that a two stage oxidation of ammonia can be predicted and a previous cracking reaction occurs in the cell due to the nickel catalytic contribution. The study of temperatures and of heat flows show how the cell is cooled down to lower temperature because of heat adsorbed by the reaction and by flow mix entering the anode. The study shows also how for operative temperatures below 800 °C the cracking reaction takes place in the cell active area. Efficiency test demonstrates that the cell can operate at 300 mW cm–2 and 30% efficiency based on ammonia LHV.
45 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a survey of the PV market in Italy was done studying a number of installations of different sizes whose economic data were known and assessed, and it is quite clear that the costs of PV plants component are not driven by the amount of installations but by the tariffs, with a trend that follows the decreases in the incentives and not the global installed power.
40 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an energetic and economic comparison between natural gas and biogas as fuel used for the system proposed, which is useful to identify the feasible applications for this system, such as residential sector in isolated areas, hotels, universities etc.
Abstract: Cogeneration may be defined as the simultaneous production of electric power and useful heat from the burning of a single fuel. This technique of combined heat and power production has been applied in both the industrial and tertiary sectors. It has been mainly used because of its overall efficiency, and the guarantee of electricity with a low level of environmental impact. The compact cogeneration systems using internal combustion engine as prime movers are thoroughly applied because of the good relationship among cost and benefit obtained in such devices. The cogeneration system of this study consists of an internal combustion engine using natural gas or biogas as fuel, combined with two heat exchangers and an absorption chiller utilising water–ammonia as working mixture. This work presents an energetic and economic comparison between natural gas and biogas as fuel used for the system proposed. The results are useful to identify the feasible applications for this system, such as residential sector in isolated areas, hotels, universities etc.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors presented a study of carbon capture systems based on chemical absorption and stripping with amines in pulverized coal fired power plants and the technical feasibility is shown for a 90% CO 2 removal on 100% of the exhaust gas flow rate.
TL;DR: In this paper, a 0-D model of SOFC thermal transients was developed by applying system identification techniques, starting from experimental tests carried out on a stack made up of four single cells.
Abstract: Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is one of the most promising technologies for future power generation. In order to make this technology marketable, many issues as cost reduction, durability, and operational management have to be overcome. Therefore, the understanding of thermodynamic and electrochemical mechanisms, that govern the SOFC behavior in steady-state and in transient operation, becomes fundamental. In this context, the modeling of fuel cell (FC) thermal transient is of great interest because it can predict the temperature time variation, useful to the dimensioning of auxiliary devices and to avoid unwanted operational states affecting cell durability.
In the present study, a 0-D model of SOFC thermal transients was developed by applying system identification techniques, starting from experimental tests carried out on a stack made up of four single cells. Moreover, it was successfully validated in reference to further experimental data.
The model allows to evaluate, in term of dynamic response, the effect of the main operating parameters on FC temperature. As further result, some control/regulation considerations useful to limit thermal stresses were proposed.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the multifunctional complex "Solaria", a development project of an unused industrial area, located in a urban district in the immediate outskirts of Perugia (Italy), conceived and designed according to principles of sustainable buildings.