h2020 – Progress in Research

CO2OLHEAT

Posted on 13/01/202206/08/2024 by Erik Franco

Politecnico di Milano is a partner in CO2OLHEAT – Supercritical CO2 power cycles demonstration in Operational environment Locally valorising industrial Waste Heat, a research project funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon 2020 programme with a total budget of 18.8 million euros.

The aim of the project is to support the EU objectives relating to energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by recovering waste heat from industrial processes and converting it into electricity via an energy system based on innovative closed thermodynamic cycles using carbon dioxide in supercritical conditions (sCO2).

This four-year project will lead to construction of the EU’s first sCO2 energy plant, which will be installed and operate in the CEMEX cement works, in Prachovice in the Czech Republic.

The Politecnico di Milano research group, headed by Professor Giacomo Persico, will provide a multi-disciplinary contribution to the project, systematising the competences of the Laboratory of Fluid-Dynamics of Turbomachinery (LFM) with those of the Group for Energy Conversion Systems (GECOS) in the Department of Energy.
On the fluid dynamics front, research with focus on shape optimisation of the sCO2 compressor, the most critical component of the system, and on high-fidelity analysis of performance and function of the compressor itself and the high-pressure turbine.
On the energy front, studies will concentrate on analysis of the system’s thermodynamic behaviour, under both project and non-project conditions.

PhD student Neda Taymourtash wins ERF Chairman’s award

Posted on 12/01/202206/08/2024 by Erik Franco

Dr. Neda Taymourtash, a double PhD student in Aerospace Engineering of Politecnico di Milano and University of Glasgow won the Chairman’s award at the 47th European Rotorcraft Forum. It is one of the premier events for the rotorcraft community, bringing together manufacturers, research establishments, academia, operators and regulatory agencies to discuss advances in research and development.

Neda Taymourtash is part of the project NITROS, a H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Joint European Doctorate dedicated to Rotorcraft Safety.

The operation of rotorcraft close to the obstacles in windy conditions is often a complex task that increases significantly the pilot workload, due to the air turbulence created by the wind, to the interaction of the craft and to the flows generated by it. Flight testing is required to study those phenomena and understand the effects over flight security. However, it is frequently expensive and potentially hazardous. Computational tools can actually be helpful, but they too require experimental verification of their ability to grasp all aspects of phenomena of intrinsic complexity.

In this research it is proposed to pursue a different path, that will start directly from experimental measures carried out in real time and based on scale models of helicopters near obstacles conducted in the Polimi large wind tunnel environmental test section. These measurements can be used directly to represent the influence of the flow field on aircraft by using them directly within flight simulators. Such flight simulators can then be used to test robust approach strategies that can help the pilot reduce the additional workload in the presence of highly turbulent flow fields.

The path of our young researcher is already full of experiences. After a BSc in Aerospace Engineering and a MSc in Flight Control and Dynamics in Tehran, Neda Taymourtash was able to deepen her research interests in flight mechanics, flight simulation and advanced flight control methods at the universities of Brussels and Lausanne, before arriving at the Politecnico di Milano.

A part of her prize consists of a fully paid invitation to present her work on “Simulation and Testing of Helicopter-Ship Aerodynamic Interaction” to the next Asian/Australian Rotorcraft Forum, scheduled in late 2022.

SER-Social Energy Renovations

Posted on 21/07/202106/08/2024 by Erik Franco

Financing sustainable building renovations in the service sector with an innovative tool that will accelerate the ecological transition and counteract energy poverty: This is the objective of the European project SER-Social Energy Renovations, which sees the participation of the Italian CGM Finance, Politecnico di Milano, ENEA, and Fratello Sole, a consortium of non-profit entities dedicated to fighting energy poverty. Other partners include the Spanish company GNE Finance, the project leader, Secours Catholique-Caritas France, and the Bulgarian branch of Econoler.

Financed under the Horizon 2020 programme, the project will last three years, in which a de-risking mechanism will be designed and developed to reduce the risk associated with financing and allow access to credit, even for subjects with limited economic capacity. The mechanism will include analysis and technical standardization when defining interventions to make buildings more energy efficient.

The projects will be consolidated and subject to social impact assessment and then financed, allowing investors to access safe, effective investments in line with ESG criteria. It will also allow social companies to carry out green renovations at accessible prices with the necessary technical assistance.

ENEA and Fratello Sole will involve service entities and select buildings used for non-profit activities, intervening with energy-efficient and sustainable restorations. Energy renovation will be carried out by Fratello Sole Energie Solidali – ESCo, a joint venture between Fratello Sole Scarl and Iren Energia.

Within the project, the Politecnico di Milano will identify indicators to assess and analyse the social impact of the financed projects.

The question of evaluating social impact is as current as it is complex, growing from a topic of interest to few people into an integral part of business strategy and an essential issue in finance.

Mario Calderini, professor of social innovation in the Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering Department He adds:

This project aims to improve not only the environmental impact generated by building efficiency interventions, but also the social impact generated by service-sector organizations, which will be able to offer better services due to the benefits of such interventions.

Finally, Secours Catholique-Caritas France, together with the Bulgarian branch of the energy efficiency consultation company Econoler, will explore the possibility of replicating of this tool in other European countries.