Erik Franco – Pagina 4 – Progress in Research

Glide4Heat: promoting transformation of heat pump and refrigeration technologies

Posted on 29/11/202306/08/2024 by Erik Franco

The research project Glide4Heat, funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) as part of the Projects of Relevant National Interest (PRIN), has officially kicked-off under the coordination of Professor Luca Molinaroli. Its aim is to revolutionize the use of eco-friendly technologies.

Researchers from the Politecnico di Milano – Department of Energy, the Università degli Studi di Udine and the Università degli Studi di Padova will study carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon mixtures with the aim of redefining the applications of high-temperature heat pumps and refrigerators in accordance with European environmental regulations.

The project involves theoretical and experimental activities. The experimental apparatus has been installed in the refrigerant fluids laboratory of our Department of Energy, where researchers will test different refrigerant mixtures and characterizing both the system and the compressor.

IPROP: ion propulsion in atmosphere

Posted on 28/11/202306/08/2024 by Erik Franco

The European project IPROP – Ionic PROPulsion in Atmoshpere had its kick-off meeting on 21-22 November. The project is co-ordinated by Prof Marco Belan of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DAER) at Politecnico di Milano and funded through the ‘EIC Pathfinder Open’ call, promoted by the European Innovation Council to support innovative ideas that can pave the way for new technologies.

So far, ion propulsion has only found application in space, and now IPROP aims to explore its development potential for application in the atmosphere, going beyond the current pioneering phase to understand whether this technology can achieve widespread use in the future.

The programme will engage the partners in an extensive fundamental research phase that will cover the very theory of ionisation phenomena, the study of electrode geometries used in ion propulsion and even explore the integration of innovative thrusters on flying prototypes.

As part of the project, an actual ion-powered prototype aircraft will be realised. It will be an airship and will serve as a technology demonstrator: a first step towards larger-scale applications at higher altitudes. Great expectations are focused is precisely on the possible uses of this technology in the stratosphere, as it combines long, maintenance-free operating times and very low environmental impact.

The IPROP consortium, led by Politecnico di Milano, also includes Università di Bologna, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Technische Universität Dresden, Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Aeronord company.
The team involved for Politecnico currently includes Filippo Maggi, Carlo Riboldi, Stefano Cacciola, Raffaello Terenzi, Stefano Trovato, Davide Usuelli, Domenico Montenero and Marco Belan for the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology; Paolo Barbante, Lorenzo Valdettaro and Carlo de Falco for the Department of Mathematics.

MESSI: management energy systems for smart island

Posted on 27/11/202306/08/2024 by Erik Franco

Kick off meeting of the MESSI project at the Department of Energy, with five researchers involved.

The MESSI (Management Energy Systems for Smart Island) project aims to integrate and develop innovative devices and algorithms for the efficient management of energy in islands.

The project will implement an automated energy management system for microgrids capable of integrating renewable energy sources, supercaps, storage systems, electric vehicles and e-boats, charging stations and desalination units controlled in a coordinated way using ICT systems and Artificial Intelligence.

The objective is to meet the energy transition challenges and at the same time guarantee the grid reliability and energy independence of smart and green islands, with a real test bed in Ponza island.

The MESSI project represents an important step towards the integration of innovative solutions for the energy management in islands. The main objective is to promote energy efficiency through the use of cutting-edge technologies and the integration of renewable sources, and electric vehicles and boats.
Professor Sonia Leva

MESSI is funded with €276,959, of which €205,817 from the Ministry of University and Research as a “Project of significant national interest” (PRIN). In addition to our university, it sees the participation of the University of ROME “La Sapienza”, under the coordination of Professor Sonia Leva of the Department of Energy of Politecnico di Milano.

ERC consolidator grant for an innovative cure for spina bifida

Posted on 23/11/202306/08/2024 by Erik Franco

Revolutionising the treatment of Spina Bifida Aperta through the application of a new method based on tissue engineering, a branch of biomedical engineering that aims to reconstruct or regenerate damaged or pathological tissues and organs: this is the aim of the 3D.FETOPRINT project of Professor Alessandro Pellegata, lecturer at Politecnico di Milano, who received a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).

Spina Bifida is a congenital disorder characterised by the failure of the spine to close properly during the development of the foetus, that causese significant disabilities throughout the child’s life. The innovative approach of 3D.FETOPRINT involves the development of a gel containing stem cells, designed to be printed in real time during fetoscopic surgery through 3D bioprinting technology. The objective is to promote healing and proper formation of fetal tissue. This revolutionary approach will allow surgeons to customise the procedure, tailoring it to the patient’s specific needs.

This project, which combines biomedical engineering, tissue engineering and fetal surgery, aims to maximise the benefits for both the newborn and the mother.

ERC Consolidator Grants are intended for researchers, with at least 7 years of experience since obtaining their PhD and with a very promising scientific profile, who aim to consolidate their independence in research, strengthening their research group and continuing to develop a career in Europe.

MIMO: new multidisciplinary modelling platform

Posted on 06/11/202306/08/2024 by Erik Franco

Kick off meeting of the MIMO project at the Department of Energy, with ten professors and researchers involved.

The MIMO (Multi-sectoral Integrated Modelling platform for planning national energy transition pathways) project aims to develop a new multidisciplinary modelling platform, based on the integration of energy and micro- and macro-economic models. A platform that will make it possible to determine how and where economic resources should be allocated to promote the energy transition, the type of technological evolution to be adopted to ensure a predetermined energy target and whether the necessary technological changes are actually compatible with sustainable growth.

These are innovative interconnected tools responding to the need to assess the technological feasibility of the transition process and quantify the implications in terms of economic, social and environmental sustainability, supporting policy decisions.

MIMO is funded with €350,000, of which €220,000 by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) as a “Project of Relevant National Interest” (PRIN). In addition to our university, it sees the participation of Università di Macerata, Università degli Studi di Firenze and IRPET, under the coordination of Professor Matteo Vincenzo Rocco of the Department of Energy of the Politecnico di Milano.

HERMES: optimising design and performance of hypersonic vehicles

Posted on 03/11/202306/08/2024 by Erik Franco

Hypersonic flight is currently a topic of great interest for both academic research and the modern space industry. Examples of hypersonic vehicles – i.e., travelling at speeds much faster than the speed of sound – include the capsules for the re-entry of astronauts into the Earth’s atmosphere, reusable launchers, experimental aircraft for high-altitude flight or capsules launched on sub-orbital trajectories for space tourism.

The HERMES project (Hypersonic Vehicles Enhancement via Robust Multi-fidelity Optimisation for the Exploitation of Space), which recently got underway under the coordination of Giulio Gori and Francesco Bonelli from the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology at Politecnico di Milano, aims to optimise the design processes of this type of vehicle.

To optimise the design and performance of hypersonic vehicles, it is important to develop reliable mathematical models capable of providing accurate predictions of the complex physical phenomena that characterise hypersonic flight. This optimisation process is also inevitably hampered by the many sources of uncertainty due to limitations in scientific knowledge in this area. Consequently, a robust approach to the design of new hypersonic aircraft is required; however, this approach currently entails unacceptable computational costs.

Through the exploitation of mathematical models of varying fidelity, the HERMES project aims to develop new, low computational cost methodologies for the robust optimisation of hypersonic aircraft. The integration of information of different quantity and quality makes it possible to complement the available database and develop more efficient methodologies. The ultimate goal is to innovate the design of hypersonic aircraft, improving their performance and flight efficiency and ultimately reducing the cost of vehicle launching and accessing space.

The HERMES project is funded under PRIN 22 programme for Research Projects of National Interest (Project No. 2022YPMRNW).

NABUCCO: revolutionary wings for sustainable aviation

Posted on 02/11/202306/08/2024 by Erik Franco

Aircraft capable of changing their shape during different flight conditions, addressing two of the most important challenges for the future of sustainable aviation: weight reduction and increased efficiency. These are the challenges of the NABUCCO research project by Professor Chiara Bisagni of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology at Politecnico di Milano.

NABUCCO develops radically new concepts of adaptive composite structures, ie those capable of changing their shape, by exploiting the phenomenon of structural instability, to be applied to next-generation aircraft. In aeronautics, structural buckling is generally avoided as it can instantly generate large deformations and even cause a catastrophic collapse.

Conversely, NABUCCO no longer sees structural instability as a phenomenon to be avoided, but as a design opportunity to be explored for its revolutionary potential. The idea is to use the disadvantages of instability in a positive way to conceive, design and build composite structures – and in particular adaptive wings. Professor Chiara Bisagni will develop new design, analysis and optimisation methods based on analytical formulations, neural network algorithms and an integrated, multidisciplinary design approach.

Professor Bisagni was awarded the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant from the European Research Council for her NABUCCO project. These European funds enable internationally established researchers to conduct innovative, high-risk research projects by obtaining funding of up to 2.5 million euros for a duration of five years.

The Grant allowed Chiara Bisagni to return to Italy after more than 10 years abroad: first at the University of California San Diego in the United States and then at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Bisagni is also a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), an Executive Council Member of the International Committee on Composite Materials (ICCM) and a Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy.

NEMESIS: new-generation numerical methods

Posted on 27/10/202306/08/2024 by Erik Franco

Developing new-generation numerical methods for the technological challenges of the 21^st century, mainly in sustainability. This is the objective of NEMESIS (NEw GEneration MEthods for Numerical SImulationS), an international research project which has been awarded a Synergy Grant of 7.8 million euros for 6 years by the European Research Council. ERC Synergy Grants fund research on topics that are ambitious and complex enough to require the creation of a specific team including two to four researchers operating in strong synergy.

Paola F. Antonietti, professor of Numerical Analysis and head of the MOX Modelling and Scientific Computing Laboratory of the Department of Mathematics at Politecnico di Milano, is a member of the NEMESIS team together with Lourenço Beirao da Veiga, professor of Numerical Analysis at Università di Milano-Bicocca; Daniele A. Di Pietro, professor of Numerical Analysis at Université de Montpellier; and Jérôme Droniou, director of research at CNRS – Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.

NEMESIS is in the field of applied and computational mathematics and aims to develop a new generation of numerical methods, starting from the theoretical foundations through to their computational implementation. It also faces the challenge of validating their use in sustainability-relevant applications such as geophysics (e.g., in the mitigation of the effects of anthropic activities in the subsoil and energy transition issues) and advanced manufacturing processes.

The NEMESIS project is the second Synergy Grant won by Politecnico di Milano and addresses fascinating and critically important issues in the field of sustainable development. This is a unique achievement that consolidates Politecnico’s ability to conduct research of excellence and cutting-edge research in important international scientific contexts”.
Vice Rector for Research Alberto Guadagnini

Specifically, a numerical method will be able to simulate the seismic and environmental risks associated with past and future CO₂ storage operations in the subsoil, indicating possible telluric movements or infiltration of pollutants in a given area subjected to this process. Another possible application will be systems for aluminium extraction by smelting, in the Industry 4.0 domain. Mathematical models will be able to simulate the steps for the low environmental impact production of aluminium from bauxite.

This methodology, compared to previous ones, will have a better ability to approximate the data and the geometric domain, will allow for the direct integration of specific physics laws into the numerical domain, thus reflecting the true structure of the physical problem under investigation, and will be more efficient in computational processing.

This year, out of 395 proposals submitted under the ERC Synergy Grants programme, 37 projects (5 of which were participated in by Italian scientists) received funding, involving 135 researchers who will carry out their projects at 114 universities and research centres in 19 countries in Europe and beyond.

Muspell project to pioneer next-gen thermal energy storage system

Posted on 12/10/202306/08/2024 by Erik Franco

The consortium comprising of Swisspod Technologies, EURAC Research, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, the National Institute of Chemistry in Slovenia, the Politecnico di Milano and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya has received a €3.5M Pathfinder grant by the European Innovation Council (EIC): €3.1 million by the European Commission, supplemented by an additional €400,000 contribution from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI).

The funding will drive the development of the Muspell project, a novel, state-of-the-art Thermal Energy Storage System (TESS) — an important component of a sustainable and reliable energy system. The project has commenced in October 2023 and is set to span a duration of 4 years.

Muspell aims to introduce to the market a more efficient mid-to-long term TESS, transcending the limitations of current available systems. By adopting an innovative approach grounded in material research, the consortium sets out to engineer a compact, highly flexible and modular system that offers increased energy density and seamless integration of heat-pump capabilities. The novel TESS will unlock new avenues of application across energy-intensive industries — from manufacturing, textile, food processing, and construction materials, to transportation, energy and environmental services industries.

A TESS allows for efficient storage and usage of thermal energy, providing flexibility, energy management, cost savings, as well as environmental benefits as it can integrate renewable energy sources. The operation of this system involves receiving thermal energy input from various sources like waste/excess heat, solar thermal collectors, electricity, and storing it in a suitable medium, such as a thermo-chemical or a phase-change material. When the stored energy is needed, the TESS transfers it to the desired application at the required temperature level.

This groundbreaking initiative aligns with multiple Sustainable Development Goals, facilitating access to clean energy while simultaneously mitigating the carbon footprint associated with various industries. By emphasizing material development and optimization, as well as system level innovation, the project is committed to achieving high performance while minimizing environmental impact to the greatest extent possible.

The novel TESS will also serve as a cutting-edge thermal battery, enabling the efficient capture, storage, and usage of waste heat generated during industrial processes. Thus, the system not only curtails energy waste, but also mitigates the environmental impact associated with greenhouse gas emissions.

The Politecnico di Milano leverages its expertise in innovation and technology management to prioritize energy efficiency, technological assessment, and renewable solutions for the industrial sector. In collaboration with Swisspod and EURAC Research, we are going to conduct interviews and gather market insights on the application scenarios of TESS, while analyzing the system’s integration into a broader ecosystem.

Polimi considers it extremely important to perform an analysis on the potential markets of the technology that Consortium is going to develop. The activity aims at analyzing technological and economic fit of the TESS in different application sectors as well as evaluating its environmental and economic impacts.
Simone Franzò, Senior Assistant Professor

iHEART Simulator, a mathematical model of the heart for cardiac research

Posted on 25/09/202306/08/2024 by Erik Franco

A mathematical and computational model of the human heart, entirely developed at Politecnico di Milano and designed for studying coronary artery disease, is the focus of research published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. The project was born from collaboration between the MOX lab of the Department of Mathematics and the LaBS of the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering ‘Giulio Natta’ of Politecnico di Milano, and now presents the results of the iHEART Simulator.

iHEART Simulator is the result of years of research within the iHEART (Integrated Heart) project funded by the European Union through an ERC Advanced Grant, directed and coordinated by Professor Alfio Quarteroni.

What makes iHEART Simulator unique is its ability to combine the complex processes of electromechanics, haemodynamics and cardiac perfusion into a single platform. This level of integration offers unprecedented biophysical accuracy in the simulation of heart function and related diseases.

One of the most innovative aspects of this study is the application of this model to the analysis of coronary artery disease, such as ischaemia and acute myocardial infarction. Thanks to the iHEART Simulator, researchers will be able to study these diseases in a more detailed and accurate manner, paving the way for new therapies.

In collaboration with the IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele di Milano and Humanitas Research Hospital in Milan, the iHEART project has also developed mathematical models to understand cardiac arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia or atrial fibrillation. In addition, increasingly faster algorithms are in an advanced developed phase; they will allow to speed up the surgery decision-making process.

In collaboration with Ospedale Sacco di Milano, a model was also developed to guide cardiac surgeons in removing part of the interventricular septum to treat hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Mathematical simulation is part of the pre-operative phase, and has been considered by doctors as an effective guidance tool for this delicate surgery.

In collaboration with Ospedale Santa Maria del Carmine in Rovereto (Trento province), a mathematical tool was created to optimise cardiac resynchronisation therapy. This reduces the time for mapping the left ventricle, which is necessary for implanting a resynchronisation device, and thus also reduces the patient’s exposure time in invasive treatments.

The results of this study were presented in a Plenary Lecture by Professor Quarteroni at ICIAM 2023 Conference in Tokyo, where he was awarded the prestigious Lagrange Prize by the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM).

Read the article online