Topics available for the 39th cycle

In recent years, the need to develop highly efficient systems for propulsion and energy production with extremely small overall dimensions has become increasingly urgent. With this aim, the solutions that make use of small combustion chambers and clean fuels (e.g. hydrogen or methane) appeared to be the most promising, with significantly higher energy densities, smaller dimensions and lower impact on the environment than traditional systems. In this context, prototypes of innovative hydrogen thrusters have recently been proposed, whose micro swirling combustion chambers can be much smaller than 6 cm3 and have huge potentialities in both aerospace and terrestrial fields. Despite many numerical studies in the technical-scientific literature, the assessment of the above-mentioned potentialities, through the design and the development of repeatable and reproducible experimental methods for measuring the mechanical, thermal and functional characteristics of such micro-thrusters, is still a challenging, innovative and interdisciplinary goal, being a mandatory step in the in-depth knowledge of their management and optimization as well as in improving their quality, in view of more and more complex applications of great interest to the community, in a field that is one of the frontiers in the current technological scenario.

Prof. Salvatore Andrea Sciuto

Microplastics are generally defined as plastic fragments smaller than 5000 µm in any dimension with a lower limit of 0.1 µm, they are often classified into primary microplastics, already manufactured as small particles (e.g. from cosmetic and pharmaceutical products), and secondary microplastics, derived from disintegration of larger plastic waste. Despite the small size of the particles, issues associated with them are huge, since it is estimated that millions of tons of microplastics are currently released into the marine environment yearly. The first step to handle and reduce this problem needs the measurement of the quantity of particles per m3 of water: into the sea it is usually carried out through sampling by particular nets and sieves dragged by boats and a microscope analysis by specialized staff. Anyway it should be pointed out that the above activity is expensive in terms of time and resources, moreover it can be done occasionally and over very large areas. Therefore there is great interest from the scientific community and many public and private organizations on the development of new methods and systems for the continuous in situ concentration measurement of the microplastics in the marine environment, reducing both sampling and analysis costs as well as the impact on the environment, and ensuring the repeatability, reproducibility and accuracy of the results.

Prof. Salvatore Andrea Sciuto

Prof. Ambra Giovannelli

In recent years, the MEMS market has grown significantly due to the huge number of applications in different areas, with particular reference not only to the automotive and telecommunication industries but also to biology and medicine, that appear to be the most promising segments for the near future. Among MEMS for biomedical applications, microgrippers are of widespread interest to the scientific community, due to their potential in micromanipulation of cells and tissues, even allowing in some applications the measurement of physical quantities, such as very small displacements and forces. The assessment of the above-mentioned potentialities, through the design and development of objective, repeatable and reproducible methods for measuring the performance of microgrippers, is still a challenging and very interesting goal, despite the great number of studies on these devices, providing a necessary step in the full knowledge of their use and optimization, but also for their improvement, in view of more and more complex applications that are significant for the community, in a field that is at the frontier of the current technological landscape.

Prof. Salvatore Andrea Sciuto

Owing to its great usefulness and versatility, diagnostic ultrasound is among the most important diagnostic imaging technologies in the world and can be segmented in three main classes: 2D imaging (the largest technology segment), the 3D&4Dimaging and Doppler. In particular Doppler ultrasound is used to detect the presence, direction, velocity and properties of blood flow in vessels and today Colour Flow Imaging (CFI) is one of its most typical applications: a scanning mode that combines gray-scale imaging with two-dimensional colour mapping of flow information in real-time, superimposing different colours on the bidimensional gray scale image. Performances evaluation of diagnostic ultrasound equipment is a widespread and actual issue for the scientific community, as well as for manufacturers and end users (i.e. physicians, technicians), and it can be used for technological development and maintenance purposes, nevertheless, a shared worldwide standard on ultrasound equipment testing is not published yet and, despite the great number of publications in literature, there is a lack especially on CFI testing. Nevertheless the CFI is much more technical demanding than other ultrasound technologies (i.e. B-mode, PW-Doppler) with a continuous evolution and improvements, that need the definition of objective criteria, procedures and methods for quality assessment by means of repeatable and objective measurements. This is useful both for maintenance and research purposes, taking also into account the often irreplaceable real-time and patient-safety characteristics of the ultrasound technology.

Prof. Salvatore Andrea Sciuto

The research project is aimed at developing multidimensional models to be used both supporting the experiments and investigating particular phenomena, such as cavitation and mechanical-hydraulic transients. The modeling is based on a comprehensive approach, covering 3-D CFD and lumped parameter tools. A fundamental methodological point is the use of open-source simulation environments and the development of ad hoc experimental set-up, to carry out investigation insights, fine-tuning and validation activities of the developed models.

The emerging technology of supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) cycles show potential advantages if compared to conventional plants. The current barrier in exploiting such cycles is the development of novel components such as turbomachines and heat-exchangers. The work will be focused on design and analysis of the main plant components and on the analysis at design and off-design conditions of the power plants.

The research aims to study and develop tools and methods for supporting the designer in defining support structures and part orientation in additive processes from powders. In particular, the additive technologies analyzed here are Selective Laser Melting for metal parts and Selective Laser Sintering for plastic and composite material. At first, the Ph.D. student will work on commercial CAD/CAE tools to analyze the state of the art relating to the modeling of the support structures, the choice of the 3D printing orientation, and the results of FEM simulations. The study of state of the art will continue with recent papers published on Design for Additive Manufacturing. Afterward, the Ph.D. student will formalize a Knowledge Base of rules to identify the surfaces to be supported, design the support structures, evaluate the time and cost of printing, and estimate the part’s distortion due to the printing process. The Knowledge Base studied will be implemented using a programming language in a plug-in for CAD software with a graphic interface for interacting with the user. In the last phase, the research will include the study of genetic algorithms and optimization tools for the multiobjective optimization of the support structures and part’s orientation during the printing process. The design objectives will concern the reduction of time in printing, the reduction of the printing volume, and the reduction of post-printing distortion. The tools and methods will be validated through case studies on mechanical components manufactured by additive processes with metallic and polymeric powders.

Variability is everything that makes a system deviate from its intended nominal state or performance. It includes either predictable variations of the systems or surrounding environment state, and random phenomena or incomplete knowledge of phenomena at play (epistemic uncertainty). While uncertainty and variability are unavoidable, they make difficult proper design and operation of technical systems (devices, equipment, plants, supply chains etc.) and generate the risk that systems do not behave as intended. While methods have been devised to pragmatically coper with uncertainty in design and management of technical systems, they are often aimed at solving specific issues or sources of uncertainty, and only include a few risk factors. In most cases, however, uncertainty is simply neglected, by referring to nominal specifications or supposed average operating conditions. The research topic is focused on developing theorical and methodological evaluation tools and design methods having general applicability, allowing to take into account and counteract all simultaneous variability causes, and analyze their combined effects on technical and economic performances of technical systems, plants and supply chains, allowing development of cost-effective and robust systems.

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is a paradigm shift in industrial production based on the large scale introduction of Cyberphysical systems (CPS) where physical entities (machines, robots, products, etc.), interconnected via information networks, interact in real time adopting autonomous and distributed decisions, based on information derived from big data processing. This allows to build “smart factories” where human and automated technological resources collaborate in intelligent manner (Smart Production), and interact with esternal systems or entities (customers and products) allowing “Smart Services” and better resources utilization, including energy saving (Smart Energy). The I4.0 model is based on a wide range of enabling technologies allowing the extended system including suppliers, manufactures, products, customers, users to be more reactive, efficient and flexible, simultaneously improving the dimensions of quality, productivity and service level. This also gives opportunity to increase competitivity through extended products functionalities and new business models. The proposed research is aimed at exploring strengths, weaknesses, problems and opportunities of I4.0 in the Small and Medium Enterprises sector, developing integrated analysis and design tools and methodologies for practically implementing CPS in manufacturing systems.

Utilization of sea waves as a renewable energy source is becoming a concrete opportunity, as witnessed by the number of experimental initiatives all over the world. Among the different wave energy conversion devices described in the literature, of particular interest, although scarcely studied, are the gyroscopic energy converters. In such devices the torque generate by a gyroscope installed on a floating body when oscillating under wave excitation, is used to generate electrical power. This system appear as particularly suited to closed seas, as the Mediterranean, characterized by low wave heights as compared to open oceans. The research is aimed at investigating in detail the many technical issues neglected in the preliminary design of proposed solutions described in the literature, including energy storage solutions based on hydrogen, providing tools for robust design and realistic evaluation of technical and economic performances of such devices, adopting a system engineering perspective.

Atmospheric emission regulations throughout the world have created a need for automotive manufacturers to continually refine engines in order to meet these regulations while remaining cost competitive. Aftertreatment solutions for internal combustion engines that include NOx and particulate control are an option to comply with the future legislation. SCR and DPF have been investigated in several numerical and experimental activities. The research activity focus on the developing of a model for the prediction of the aftertreatment efficiency and of its impact on the engine performance to be used in control oriented algorithms for the engine management. Experimental activity aims at validating the predicted results in terms of particle number and size distribution.

The real time monitoring and control of combustion effectiveness has been recognized as a valid tool to reduce pollutant emissions and fuel consumption from in internal combustion reciprocating engines. The control can be performed by means of closed loop algorithms able to provide information about the quality of combustion events through the evaluation of measured burn parameters. Most of the developed strategies to this purpose is based on the in-cylinder pressure signal with the aim to maintain the combustion phasing at an optimized value, despite changes due to engine ageing, fuel properties variation. Indirect methods have demonstrated their great potential for engine diagnosis. The pressure increase caused by the combustion process in the chamber gives rise to the engine structure vibrations. The vibrations contain information about the combustion phenomenon but also comprise non-combustion related components; therefore it is necessary to process the signal in order to extract the combustion related components. The aim of the research is to implement a vibration-based methodology to be used in on-board control algorithms for the combustion control.

The research topics proposed aim to design and build a new generation of disposable products, intended for use in contact with foodstuffs, not currently present on the market. The type of products treated will be mainly, but not exclusively, that of disposable tableware (plates, glasses, cutlery), allowing an increase in productivity and industrial sustainability, as well as a reduction in the environmental impact. More specifically, the research will focus on the topic of packaging and new technologies for food quality through the development of alternative technologies that allow the production and adoption of materials that respect and exceed the current regulations regarding the production materials and products suitable for food contact. The research will therefore be aimed at the use of biodegradable and compostable materials (both in industrial and domestic environments), as well as biodegradable materials in the marine environment in the production of eco-sustainable products. The characteristics of the plastic materials that will be used in the studies are such that they can be defined as “Advanced Materials” and are part of the key enabling technologies (KETs – Key Enabling Technologies). Therefore, with this research topic, it is proposed to demonstrate the possibility of designing and manufacturing disposable products for the food sector through the use of high-performance bioplastics and innovative technologies. In this context, the selected candidate will have to orientate the research in accordance with the principles of the circular economy, having as an objective the reduction of the environmental impact relative to the production process of disposable products, their use and disposal, as well as the creation of value through the application and development of strategies for reusing resources and limiting waste generation. In the light of the recent directives on anti-pollution disclosed by the European Commission (in particular COM340 / 2018 Final), the candidate should aim to develop three classes of materials based on polymeric blends with compostability characteristics (in domestic environments) and on blends with high biodegradability on soil and in a marine environment.

Increasingly stringent environmental regulations are pushing the film market towards the search for so-called plastic-free solutions. In particular, materials are sought that have plastic behaviour, filmability and high draping properties and which, in this sense, exhibit similar functions to polyolefins and polyesters from fossil sources, but which are wholly derived from unmodified bioavailable material. To date, there are multiple solutions that can make it possible to produce films with bioavailable materials, but the related manufacturing processes are always afflicted by very high environmental impacts (e.g., cellophane or viscose) or by the need to intervene with chemical modifications (e.g. esterified celluloses). Instead, this project intends to study a material completely based on bioavailable resources, whose manufacturing process is completely free from substances harmful to the environment and human health and which does not involve the intervention of chemical modifications on the material. The studies will focus on the design and experimentation of the bioavailable material, on the study and prototyping of the filming process for cast and blown extrusion and, finally, on the evaluation of the technological and functional performance of the finished products.

The proposed research themes aim at the design and construction of a new generation of bioplastic products, even with complex geometry, using rapid 3D prototyping techniques. In particular, attention will be paid to the so-called 4d printing techniques, where the products acquire a “fourth” dimension, being them manufactured with materials that are sensitive to external stimuli, such as heat or exposure to specific light radiation. To date, most of the plastic materials production processes are based on consolidated technologies that involve the use of molds and capital goods (in general, presses). This approach has made it possible to significantly reduce the costs of plastic products, whenever it is necessary to envisage mass production to the point of being able to amortize the high investments in capital goods. However, these production techniques can suffer the effects of sudden market declines, as they are not flexible and are not adaptable to dramatic reductions in market demand (i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic). In addition, these techniques require continuous investment in molds, whenever the design of the products becomes obsolete. The 3D printing technology allows, on the other hand, to obtain theoretically also a unit lot as an economic lot. Therefore, many industrial segments has shown a strong interest in this technology, which responds optimally to the flexibility needs of modern manufacturing production. The 4d printing techniques, adding a degree of freedom to the immense potential of 3d printing, extend further its field of interest in many industrial sectors, including biomedical, pharmaceutical, space. Specifically, the studies planned during the PhD program will focus on the design of compounds in innovative bioplastic materials suitable for 4D prototyping, on the development of the production processes of the compound and of the filament necessary for feeding the rapid prototyping machines as well as on the identification of a wide range of scenarios of potential application interest. Further studies will concern the optimization of the 3D rapid prototyping process, the programming of the products through external stimuli and the evaluation of the achievable performance. The characteristics of the bioplastic materials that will be used in the studies are such that they can be defined as “advanced materials” and, therefore, fall within the fundamental enabling technologies (KETs – Key Enabling Technologies).

During the design phase of V-belt drives, it is essential to know the actual transmission ratio for the design of Continuously Variable Ratio Transmissions (CVTs); this knowledge is even more important as the transmission ratio varies during operation. However, the actual instantaneous transmission ratio does not correspond in reality to the theoretical one, i.e. the ratio of the belt diameters on the two pulleys. Based on experimentally obtained data, the study aims to propose an analytical formulation that links the theoretical transmission ratio to the real one. The model has to consider not only construction factors but also the instantaneous operating conditions of the transmission itself.

This topic is focused on the research and development of an innovative vibration damping system based on the utilization of smart-materials in order to enhance the performance and comfort of professional tennis racquets currently available. Specifically, the research aims to develop a system that is capable of minimizing the vibrations transmitted to the tennis player’s arm and simultaneously reducing the rate of muscle fatigue. Research activity will include the modelling, analysis, design and development of an innovative vibration damping system for tennis racket, using so-called smart-materials. The development of an analytical model, verified using a finite element code (FEM) and experimental campaigns, to simulate the dynamic behavior of the system is of particular interest.

The project aims to develop innovative techniques for the design of structures functioning on the principle of selective compliance that can be fabricated using nanotechnology-based procedures. In fact, kinematic synthesis of plane mechanisms can be applied to pseudo-rigid body equivalent mechanisms (PRBMs) that, at the following stage, are transferred on a wafer at the micro- or nano- scale. The activity requires high expertise in topological and kinematic synthesis methods and also considerable knowledge of micro- and nano- fabrication processes in order to adapt the PRBM mechanism to a geometry that could be conveniently suitable to the fabrication and to its following actuation at the micro- and nano- scale. During the design stage, these structures can be customized to specific biomedical, surgical, pharmaceutical, and biological applications.

The most recent applications require inertial navigation systems to be more and more accurate and fast in responding to changes in a body’s attitude in space. Therefore, a technologically innovative solution is needed to collect data from various sensors and merge them (sensor fusion) in order to provide a quick and accurate estimate of a body’s orientation. This is required in all navigation applications such as marine and submarine navigation, ROVs and AUVs, terrestrial vehicle, airplanes, and satellites. The activity therefore requires a thorough knowledge of the mechanics of rigid body systems in space and of the dynamic simulation of multibody systems. In addition, knowledge regarding the inertial sensors hardware is also required.

To date, the most innovative techniques are image-guided radiotherapy and adaptive radiotherapy. The systems capable of performing these treatments simultaneously are hybrid systems that integrate a linear accelerator with a magnetic resonance imaging system. The research activities will concern the characterization of the influence of the magnetic field on the dose distribution in different clinical situations. The execution of the measurements will require the management of complex equipment with the use of the most modern hardware and software technologies. Also the elaboration and/or development of Monte Carlo simulations will be necessary for the description of physical phenomena related to the delivery of a beam of radiation in the presence of the magnetic field. These activities will make use of advanced mathematical methods and computational tools, in order to understand the aspects of the experimental physical system that are not yet fully characterized.

The development of highly efficient solar energy conversion plants and electric energy storage systems will play a vital role in future sustainable energy scenarios. The proposed concept combines an air-based central receiver Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), a Thermal Energy Storage (TES) and, finally, a Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) to maximize conversion efficiency and electric grid management, enabling a new operation strategy and business models. The doctoral activity will be focused on the techno-economic- optimization of CSP-TES-CAES systems characterized by an installed power ranging from 1 to 50 MW plant using real world boundary conditions.

Prof. Ambra Giovannelli

The research will concern the modeling, analysis, design and development of an innovative ” Whole Body Vibration (WBV) platform for use in sports and rehabilitation. In particular, the focus of the study will be the relationships between plate vibration characteristics (amplitudes, frequencies, etc.) and biological effects.

The word Critical Raw Materials (CRM) refers to those materials of strategic importance for the economy, characterized by having high risk of supply due to their few availabilities in Europe, other than difficulties in being replaced with other elements. These materials are crucial in making wide range of products and applications, ranging from digital technologies to the construction of batteries and electric engines, up to the production of renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic panels and wind turbines. The transition to new digital economies, characterized by having high energy efficiency and climate neutrality, is expected to lead to an ever-increasing demand for CRM in the next future. In this context, the European Parliament urged Member States to increase CRM exploration and procurement, in compliance with current environmental and social standards. Due to recent discoveries of silica in the Upper Lazio area, this research aims to investigate methodological aspects associated with the exploitation of this kind of mineral, starting from the analysis of the resources, both in terms of economic/industrial perspective and environmental impact. The study also aims to better understand problems associated with new exploitation techniques as well as methods of industrial and extractive sites’ reclamation. Not least, the study aims to investigate occupational health and safety issues, not only referred to those risks normally associated with mining activities, but also analyzing potential new risks, linked to the peculiarities of the context, and to date only partially investigated in Italy, as they belong to mining sites never activated before in our Country.

The doctoral project focuses on new issues concerning the system integration, product design and planning of the production process, as well as the production system of an innovative hydrogen combustor intended for both space propulsion and compact electric power generation unit for space and terrestrial applications. Since this is a completely new product concept, the issues relating to the project management of the innovation process are of fundamental importance, as well as the compliance with the applicable European standards (e.g. ECSS) in relation to the quality and performance requirements for product certification on applications in the space environment.

Prof. Paolo Cicconi

The PhD project involves research studies and activities to design, develop and validate a test bench that can reproduce specific microgravity conditions on the ground. The testing workbench will be inserted in a vacuum chamber to study the performances of a water electrolysis thruster. In particular, the bench will be used to study the effects of microgravity and vacuum on the behavior of the water propellant (sloshing and liquid-vapour phase transition in the tank, convective and radiative heat transfer in ducts, etc.), on the production of hydrogen and oxygen from electrolysis of water, and the related heat transfer mechanisms into the combustion chamber.

The aim of the doctoral fellowship is the preliminary and detailed design of miniaturized high-speed gas turbine systems powered by hydrogen mixtures, to be used as a range extender of battery-based systems for air and land application. In particular, the PhD candidate will have to analyze the microturbine from a systemic point of view, as well as he will provide a preliminary design of the main components and will carry out detailed fluid dynamics analysis to understand some fundamental issues on both turbomachinery fluid dynamics and the chemical kinetics for micro-combustion chambers powered by hydrogen.

The aim of the project is to develop a gas turbine system with innovative and proper design solutions to ensure the structural resistance of its parts. Therefore the research project will focus on the definition of constructive solutions by integrating geometric and component selection issues with the selection of materials, also considering the limits of the current technologies in mechanical design and construction.

Prof. Alessandro Giorgetti