Polytechnic University of Milan

About: Polytechnic University of Milan is a education organization based out in Milan, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Computer science & Finite element method. The organization has 18231 authors who have published 58416 publications receiving 1229711 citations. The organization is also known as: PoliMi & L-NESS.

Predictive models of biohydrogen and biomethane production based on the compositional and structural features of lignocellulosic materials.

Abstract: In an integrated biorefinery concept, biological hydrogen and methane production from lignocellulosic substrates appears to be one of the most promising alternatives to produce energy from renewable sources. However, lignocellulosic substrates present compositional and structural features that can limit their conversion into biohydrogen and methane. In this study, biohydrogen and methane potentials of 20 lignocellulosic residues were evaluated. Compositional (lignin, cellulose, hemicelluloses, total uronic acids, proteins, and soluble sugars) as well as structural features (crystallinity) were determined for each substrate. Two predictive partial least square (PLS) models were built to determine which compositional and structural parameters affected biohydrogen or methane production from lignocellulosic substrates, among proteins, total uronic acids, soluble sugars, crystalline cellulose, amorphous holocelluloses, and lignin. Only soluble sugars had a significant positive effect on biohydrogen production. Besides, methane potentials correlated negatively to the lignin contents and, to a lower extent, crystalline cellulose showed also a negative impact, whereas soluble sugars, proteins, and amorphous hemicelluloses showed a positive impact. These findings will help to develop further pretreatment strategies for enhancing both biohydrogen and methane production.

Accurate Trajectory Tracking of Disturbed Surface Vehicles: A Finite-Time Control Approach

Abstract: In this paper, accurate trajectory tracking problem of a surface vehicle disturbed by complex marine environments is solved by creating a finite-time control (FTC) scheme whereby the nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode (NFTSM) and finite-time disturbance observer (FDO) techniques are deployed. Salient features are as follows. By devising an FDO, complex disturbances arising from marine environments can be exactly identified within a short time, in conjunction with the defined NFTSM manifold, and thereby contributing to exact trajectory tracking. Finite-time disturbance observation is completely decoupled from the nominal FTC scheme, and achieves stronger disturbance rejection and faster transient response, simultaneously. Both disturbance observation and trajectory tracking errors can exactly reach to zero in a finite time. Simulation results and comparisons are comprehensively conducted on CyberShip II and demonstrate remarkable superiority of the FTC scheme.