Applied thermodynamics

Research in applied thermodynamics has the primary objective of advancing knowledge and understanding the relationships between energy exchanges and the various variables involved in a given thermodynamic cycle or process. It may be driven by the researcher's interest and intuition, but it is never conducted without a specific practical purpose, and its results often have important applications, with short- to medium-term implications.
Studies conducted at DIME have focused primarily on: simplification of thermodynamic models, in-depth analysis of entropy generation in specific contexts, and EGM (Entropy Generation Minimization) design.
Furthermore, it is well known that the use of materials often requires knowledge or prediction of their behavior when subjected to thermal gradients or when the temperature varies. Given the thermal stresses, this behavior is determined by the thermophysical properties. At DIME/Tec, research on the measurement of thermophysical properties has developed over the years, equipping itself with equipment suitable for transient measurement methods. By applying inverse measurement methods, innovative techniques were favored, also aimed at simultaneously estimating the quality associated with the measurement.
Specific test sections were dedicated to measuring mass transport and absorption properties in fibrous and porous media, and the heat transfer coefficient on single and multiple electrical wires in natural convection.
Finally, exergy analysis of system components, performed in combination with conventional energy analysis, allows us to highlight and quantify, from a thermodynamic perspective, the different forms of energy exchange.

Laboratories

  • Thermophysical Properties (PTLab)
  • Applied Thermofluid Dynamics (TFALab)
  • Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration

Publications

  • Borelli, D., Devia, F., Lo Cascio, E., Schenone, C. Energy recovery from natural gas pressure reduction stations: Integration with low temperature heat sources (2018) Energy Conversion and Management, 159, pp. 274-283. DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2017.12.084
  • Lo Cascio, E., Borelli, D., Devia, F., Schenone, C. Future distributed generation: An operational multi-objective optimization model for integrated small scale urban electrical, thermal and gas grids (2017) Energy Conversion and Management, 143, pp. 348-359. DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2017.04.006
  • Scarpa, F., Tagliafico, G., Tagliafico, L.A. Control optimization in experiments for the heat transfer assessment of saturated packed bed regenerators (2012) International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 55 (23-24), pp. 6944-6950.
  • Luca A. Tagliafico, Federico Scarpa, Federico Valsuani. Direct expansion solar assisted heat pumps – A clean steady state approach for overall performance analysis. Applied Thermal Engineering 66 (1–2) (2014) 216-226.
  • Federico Scarpa, Luca A. Tagliafico, Vincenzo Bianco. Inverse cycles modeling without refrigerant property specification. International Journal of Refrigeration 36 (6) 2013 1716-1729.
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