This study dealt with the application of CoMFA (comparative molecular field analysis) method in ecotoxicology. CoMFA is based on the analysis of the steric and electrostatic fields of molecules mapped by a probe atom in a molecular... more
This study dealt with the application of CoMFA (comparative molecular field analysis) method in ecotoxicology. CoMFA is based on the analysis of the steric and electrostatic fields of molecules mapped by a probe atom in a molecular mechanics force field. CoMFA was used to model Microtox EC50 data for 19 chlorophenols. The comparison between the obtained results and those of
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Research Interests: Chemistry, Medicine, Environmental Biotechnology, Mutation, Amines, and 13 moreAnimals, Salmonella Typhimurium, Rats, Biotransformation, Carbazole, Structure activity Relationship, Mutagens, Molecular Structure, Nitro, Rat Liver, Mutagenicity tests, frameshift mutation, and Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
Owing to high ozone depletion potential of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the production of such substances has been regulated worldwide by the Montreal Protocol in 1987. There is an urgent need to find other suitable products to replace... more
Owing to high ozone depletion potential of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the production of such substances has been regulated worldwide by the Montreal Protocol in 1987. There is an urgent need to find other suitable products to replace them and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are considered to be the most probable candidates as CFC alternatives. The HCFCs and HFCs are more susceptible to decomposition during use than CFCs because they contain hydrogen. Toxicological data on these alternative fluorocarbons are being developed. A systematic investigation of these compounds has been undertaken to establish the fragmentation patterns. Electron impact mass spectra are reported for HCFCs and HFCs. Fragmentation mechanisms are presented and discussed on the basis of variable energy (11 to 30 eV) spectra. At low ionization energy, it is possible to describe an order of fragmentation for each compound. This may lead to the possibility of classifying them according to characteristic behaviors.
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Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) is used to relate ecotoxicological data with steric and electrostatic fields of chemicals forming an intentionally selected homogeneous set, the chlorophenols, for which reliable data are... more
Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) is used to relate ecotoxicological data with steric and electrostatic fields of chemicals forming an intentionally selected homogeneous set, the chlorophenols, for which reliable data are abundant in literature. Among these data, those concerning 16 different biological systems were selected, leading to predictive CoMFA QSAR in 14 of the cases. This is attested by cross-validation and bootstrapping, which also authorize the prediction of the chlorophenols toxicity values, when they are missing. The quality of obtained CoMFA models and the applicability of the method are discussed. The results are very promising, and they encourage further investigation into CoMFA in ecotoxicology.
Research Interests: Chemistry, Ecotoxicology, Toxicology, Mitochondria, Medicine, and 12 moreEnvironmental Sciences, Animals, Data Collection, Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship, Cross Validation, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Biological systems, Structure activity Relationship, Bootstrapping Finance, Homogeneous, Chlorophenols, and Medical and Health Sciences
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The aim of this paper is to propose a new voltage controller for Distribution System Operators (DSOs), based on a multi-objective optimization, which considers the presence of microgrids in the distribution network. This paper is focused... more
The aim of this paper is to propose a new voltage controller for Distribution System Operators (DSOs), based on a multi-objective optimization, which considers the presence of microgrids in the distribution network. This paper is focused on DSO's optimization problem, which has to minimize grid losses, and to take into account some ancillary services provided by the microgrids, such as demand response policies and reactive power injections, in order to obtain an efficient voltage regulation in all grid's nodes. The developed model has been applied to a case study with real data that includes two microgrids, a medium voltage load, and a primary substation with a transformer equipped with on-load tap changer.
This paper proposes a decision model for the planning of decentralized energy production in urban areas. The approach aims at finding the optimal mix and sizing of the generation units to be installed in a number of sites, given the... more
This paper proposes a decision model for the planning of decentralized energy production in urban areas. The approach aims at finding the optimal mix and sizing of the generation units to be installed in a number of sites, given the characteristics of each location in terms of radiation, wind potential, electrical and thermal loads, etc. Both dispatchable and renewable (non-dispatchable) energy sources are taken into account; in particular, in the present application the sources considered for installation include cogeneration microturbines, photovoltaic plants and wind turbines. As both renewable sources and loads are stochastic in nature, a proper approach is used to evaluate the effects of the related uncertainties. The proposed model is applied to a neighborhood in Savona, Italy. The goal of the technique is to represent a tool for a decision maker when planning investments in different urban areas, in the context of the transition from a traditional city to a "smart" one.
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Aquifer management is a complex problem in which va rious aspects should be taken into account. Specifically, there are conflicting objectives that should be achieved. On one side, there is the nece ssity to satisfy the water demand, on... more
Aquifer management is a complex problem in which va rious aspects should be taken into account. Specifically, there are conflicting objectives that should be achieved. On one side, there is the nece ssity to satisfy the water demand, on the other the resource wat r should be protected by infiltration of pollu tants or substances that could reduce its availability in te rms of short term and long term management. The aim of this paper is to develop a management model that is ble to define the optimal pumping pattern for p (p=1,...,P) wells that withdraw water from an aquifer (characterized by pollutant contamination) and hydraulically interact, with the objectives of sati fy ng an expressed water demand and control pollut ion. In order to formalize and solve the management problem , it is necessary to consider the equations governi ng flow and mass transport of the biodegradable pollut ants characterizing the aquifer. Such equations may be solved by using a finite-difference numerica...
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The use of forest biomass for energy production requires a careful attention to the sustainable silvicultural practices that can guarantee the satisfaction of the environmental constraints, the control of the forest growth, the carbon... more
The use of forest biomass for energy production requires a careful attention to the sustainable silvicultural practices that can guarantee the satisfaction of the environmental constraints, the control of the forest growth, the carbon stock, and the CO2 emissions. This is a complex task because of the different environmental and economic issues (related to the characteristics of the territory, the energy demand, the forest biomass potential production, and the techniques for forest utilization) to be taken into account. Environmental Decision Support Systems (EDSS) are considered as valuable tools for the planning and management of renewable resources use for energy production. In this paper, an EDSS for the tactical planning of forest biomass use (i.e., for the planning over a medium-short term horizon, within a discrete-time setting and the assumption that the plant capacity and the sizing of all facilities are known) is proposed. In particular, attention is focused on a dynamic d...
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Energy consumption in buildings can be efficiently reduced through energy management systems that take into account several issues like comfort, technical requirements and economic aspects. This implies a detailed schedule of plants and... more
Energy consumption in buildings can be efficiently reduced through energy management systems that take into account several issues like comfort, technical requirements and economic aspects. This implies a detailed schedule of plants and devices (washing machines, electrical vehicles, etc.) according to forecasting of loads and renewables. The behavior of “active buildings” strongly affects the electrical grid and its consequent management in terms of power quality and costs. In this work, a system composed by buildings electrically interconnected is considered. Each one has a storage system, renewables, and needs to satisfy electrical and thermal demands. An architecture based on Model Predictive Control is proposed, in which, first, an upper decision maker solves an optimization problem to minimize its own costs and power losses, and provides references for power exchanges with buildings that respect power flow constraints. Then, consumers, on the basis of more detailed local infor...
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In this article, a new mathematical formulation for the electric vehicle routing problem (EVRP) is proposed. This formulation extends the Green Vehicle Routing Problem (GVRP) considering time-of-use energy (TOU) prices, and including a... more
In this article, a new mathematical formulation for the electric vehicle routing problem (EVRP) is proposed. This formulation extends the Green Vehicle Routing Problem (GVRP) considering time-of-use energy (TOU) prices, and including a detailed model for the EVs’ energy consumption. The main decisions for the considered EVRP are relevant to the choice among different types of charging modes at recharging stations, the speed of EVs, the loaded cargo and the battery charge. The model objective consists of minimizing the cost for the total travel distance and that for energy purchase, which depends on the selected recharging mode. A preprocessing algorithm used to reduce the problem dimension is presented. The experimental analysis performed on a large set of benchmark instances is reported.
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The aim of this paper is to propose a MPC (Model Predictive Control)-based hierarchical architecture for microgrids characterized by photovoltaics and storage systems. The first part of the work is focused on the storage model's... more
The aim of this paper is to propose a MPC (Model Predictive Control)-based hierarchical architecture for microgrids characterized by photovoltaics and storage systems. The first part of the work is focused on the storage model's identification during the charge and discharge phases with the aim of defining appropriate constraints to be inserted in the decision model. In the higher level, an optimization problem is developed and solved under a MPC scheme. The lower level, implemented on a PLC, receives references from the higher level and applies simple heuristics rules for real time control, on the basis of weather forecasts and data measured in real time. The developed algorithms have been applied to a real case study: a portion of the Savona Campus (University of Genoa) polygeneration microgrid that includes a photovoltaic field, an electric storage system, a load, and a connection with the electric grid.
In this paper, a multi-objective Energy Management System (EMS) for polygeneration microgrids is presented. The proposed tool has been developed within the LIVING GRID project, funded by the Italian Ministry of Research (actions related... more
In this paper, a multi-objective Energy Management System (EMS) for polygeneration microgrids is presented. The proposed tool has been developed within the LIVING GRID project, funded by the Italian Ministry of Research (actions related to the Italian Technology Cluster on Energy), and it is characterized by a detailed representation of generation units and flexible loads, as well as electric/thermal networks and storage systems that can be present in microgrids and sustainable districts. An optimization model has been developed in which the objective function is related to the minimization of costs and emissions, and the maximization of the overall exergy efficiency of the system. The decision model is applied to a real case study represented by the Savona Campus of the University of Genoa in Italy.
The use of electrical buses (EBs) is increasing all over the world to reduce pollution in cities. However, EBs’ charging represents a high load and, to minimize costs, it is necessary to optimally manage the recharge according to the... more
The use of electrical buses (EBs) is increasing all over the world to reduce pollution in cities. However, EBs’ charging represents a high load and, to minimize costs, it is necessary to optimally manage the recharge according to the intrinsically periodic arrivals and departures of vehicles. Moreover, they can participate in demand response programs to help the distribution system operator to manage the electrical grid in emergencies. In this paper, we propose a new model and a periodic discrete event approach for the optimal charging of EBs. The considered optimization problem minimizes costs, the maximum power taken from the external grid, and the dissatisfaction related to demand response requests. The considered system is characterized by different vehicles that should be charged by the same charging station in a depot in which storage systems are present too. The developed model can be used either for the management of charging in a depot or to participate to demand response programs. The resulting optimization problem has been applied to a real case study in the Genoa Municipality in which a fleet of EBs is present.
The relevance and presence of Electric Vehicles (EVs) are increasing all over the world since they seem an effective way to fight pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, especially in urban areas. One of the main issues related to EVs is... more
The relevance and presence of Electric Vehicles (EVs) are increasing all over the world since they seem an effective way to fight pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, especially in urban areas. One of the main issues related to EVs is the necessity of modifying the existing infrastructure to allow the installation of new charging stations (CSs). In this scenario, one of the most important problems is the definition of smart policies for the sequencing and scheduling of the vehicle charging process. The presence of intermittent energy sources and variable execution times represent just a few of the specific features concerning vehicle charging systems. Even though optimization problems regarding energy systems are usually considered within a discrete time setting, in this paper a discrete event approach is proposed. The fundamental reason for this choice is the necessity of limiting the number of the decision variables, which grows beyond reasonable values when a short time discre...
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In the last few years, one of the most important challenges of power technologies has been the integration of traditional energy production systems and distributed energy resources. Large-scale photovoltaic systems and wind farms may... more
In the last few years, one of the most important challenges of power technologies has been the integration of traditional energy production systems and distributed energy resources. Large-scale photovoltaic systems and wind farms may decrease the quality of the electrical grid service, mainly due to voltage and frequency peaks and fluctuations. Besides, new functionalities, such as the operation in islanded mode of some portions of the medium-voltage grid, are more and more required. In this respect, a model predictive control for voltage and frequency regulation in interconnected local distribution systems is presented. In the proposed model, each local system represents a collection of intelligent buildings and microgrids with a large capacity in active and reactive power regulation. The related model formalization includes a linear approximation of the power flow equations, based on stochastic variables related to the electrical load and to the production from renewable sources. ...
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In recent decades, many EU and national regulations have been issued in order to increase the energy efficiency in different sectors and, consequently, to reduce environmental pollution. In the building sector, energy efficiency... more
In recent decades, many EU and national regulations have been issued in order to increase the energy efficiency in different sectors and, consequently, to reduce environmental pollution. In the building sector, energy efficiency interventions are usually based on the use of innovative insulated materials and on the installation of cogeneration and tri-generation units, as well as solar technologies. New and retrofitted buildings are more and more commonly being called “smart buildings”, since they are characterized by the installation of electric and thermal power generation units, energy storage systems, and flexible loads; the presence of such technologies determines the necessity of installing Building Energy Management Systems (BEMSs), which are used to optimally manage their operation. The present paper proposes a BEMS for a smart building, equipped with plants based on renewables (photovoltaics, solar thermal panels, and geothermal heat pump), where the heating and cooling dem...
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Abstract Energy Management Systems (EMSs) are recognized as essential tools for the optimal management of smart grids. However, few of them consider, in their whole complexity, the integration of electrical vehicles (EVs) in smart grids,... more
Abstract Energy Management Systems (EMSs) are recognized as essential tools for the optimal management of smart grids. However, few of them consider, in their whole complexity, the integration of electrical vehicles (EVs) in smart grids, taking into account the requirements and the time specifications characterizing the service requests. In this paper, attention is focused on the formalization of a model for the optimal scheduling of charging of EVs in a smart grid, also considering the vehicle to grid process (i.e., the possibility for the EV to inject power during the charging process). In the formalization of an optimization problem for a smart grid, a deferrable demand is considered, which is represented by the charging demand of the set of EVs. The cost to be optimized for the considered problem includes the economic cost of energy production/acquisition (from the main grid) and the cost relevant to the delay in the satisfaction of the customers’ demand (is represented as a tardiness cost). Also, the income coming from the service provided to vehicles is taken into account. The developed model is tested and applied in connection with a real case study characterized by a photovoltaic plant, two batteries, power production plants that use natural gas as primary energy, and a charging station.
This paper presents an energy management platform based on a receding-horizon scheme for the optimal control of active and reactive power flows in microgrids, including small-size photovoltaic, combined heat and power, wind generation,... more
This paper presents an energy management platform based on a receding-horizon scheme for the optimal control of active and reactive power flows in microgrids, including small-size photovoltaic, combined heat and power, wind generation, mini-hydro, and energy storage. The objective function to be minimized can be set both on the daily operational costs (economic indicator) and on the global CO2 emissions of the system (environmental indicator), whereas decision variables are the production schedules of the generators and the power flows across the grid. The tool includes the technical constraints characterizing low voltage/medium voltage (LV/MV) microgrids and gives the user the possibility to select different models for the electrical network (nonlinear power flow equations, linear approximation, and single bus-bar) and different optimization ranges. The energy management system has been validated through an experimental campaign on the smart polygeneration microgrid of the University of Genoa, which provides electricity and thermal energy to the Savona Campus, an “open-air” demo-site of an environmentally sustainable urban district with a population of about 2200 people. The results of the tests on the field highlight the robustness of the developed platform and the capability of the receding-horizon algorithm at the core of it of successfully treating data uncertainties.
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Abstract Distributed generation, renewables (RES), electric vehicles (EVs), storage systems and microgrids are increasing widespread all over the world owing to the necessity of applying policies for sustainable development. In... more
Abstract Distributed generation, renewables (RES), electric vehicles (EVs), storage systems and microgrids are increasing widespread all over the world owing to the necessity of applying policies for sustainable development. In particular, the progressive shift from traditional vehicles to EVs is considered as one of the key measures to achieve the objective of a significant reduction in the emission of pollutants, especially in urban areas. One of the major problem to be solved to make EVs a viable solution for the sustainable mobility is the development of effective facilities for vehicles. In this context, besides to technological aspects, one of the most important issues is the definition of fair and efficient policies for the sequencing and scheduling of the vehicle charging. In fact, scheduling problems are widely recognized as representing one of the most challenging class of optimization problems. Besides, the additional presence of specific features concerning vehicle charging systems (like controllable execution times, presence of intermittent energy sources, etc.) make even more difficult the vehicle charging problem. In this framework, despite the fact that optimization problems regarding energy systems are generally considered within a discrete-time setting, in this paper a discrete event approach is proposed. The reasons for this choice are essentially two. The first one is the necessity of containing the number of the decision variables, which grows beyond reasonable values when a small-time discretization step is chosen. The second is the impossibility of an accurate tracking of process and events using a discrete-time approach. The considered optimization problem regards the charging of a series of vehicles by a charging station that is integrated in a microgrid. Such a microgrid includes also renewable and traditional energy sources, storage systems and a local load. The objective function to be minimized results from the weighted sum of the (net) cost for purchasing energy from the external grid, the cost related to the use of fossil fuels, and the overall tardiness of the services provided to the customers. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is tested on a real case study.
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Abstract Battery systems are becoming more and more widespread for stationary applications both at power grid level and user level. In this second context, small battery-based storage systems are frequently proposed for the installation... more
Abstract Battery systems are becoming more and more widespread for stationary applications both at power grid level and user level. In this second context, small battery-based storage systems are frequently proposed for the installation in combination with local renewable sources, to increase the self-consumption of the locally generated renewable energy and, in some cases, even to enable the user to disconnect from the main network. Increasing use of storage devices for stationary applications implies a more detailed characterization of the “behavior at the terminals” of these systems. In the same time, the development of new Energy Management Systems is required in order to take advantage of both local information and data from the service provider, such as radiation forecasts from weather forecast services. In this paper, a new EMS is proposed, characterized by a two-level architecture: the higher level, based on a receding horizon control scheme, optimally schedules the operation of the storage by using information on radiation from a forecast service provider; the lower level implements a heuristic procedure (if–then) on a low-cost local controller, in order to perform corrective actions. The proposed architecture has been tested on a real case study.
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ABSTRACT An approach is proposed to deal with distributed energy resources, renewables and storage devices connected to microgrids. Specifically, a multilevel architecture is introduced and evaluated for the following main purposes: to... more
ABSTRACT An approach is proposed to deal with distributed energy resources, renewables and storage devices connected to microgrids. Specifically, a multilevel architecture is introduced and evaluated for the following main purposes: to reduce the computational complexity, to deal with different decentralized microgrids, different decision makers, and multiple objectives. A two-level decision architecture based on a Model Predictive Control (MPC) scheme is presented, in which the upper decision level has the function of fixing the values of a certain set of parameters (reference values), by assuming a certain structure of the control strategies to be applied at the lower decision level. On the basis of such parameters, each decision maker at the lower level solves its own optimization problem by tracking the reference values provided by the upper level. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated. The application of the proposed control architecture to a specific case study (Savona, Italy) is presented and discussed.
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Smart grids play a significant role for the sustainable use of energy in smart cities. It is necessary to develop new technologies and tools for energy management in which different components should be integrated: renewable resources,... more
Smart grids play a significant role for the sustainable use of energy in smart cities. It is necessary to develop new technologies and tools for energy management in which different components should be integrated: renewable resources, distributed generation, storage systems, active loads, and plug-in electric vehicles. In this paper, attention is focused on the integration of electric vehicles (EVs) in smart grids and, specifically, on an optimization-based architecture to minimize costs and including charging stations and electric vehicles. Two technologies have been considered in this work: the Smart Charging and the Vehicle to Grid (V2G). The aim of this paper is to investigate on the integration of electric vehicles in the smart grids and to prove that they can help in sustaining the grid processes when parked and so playing in costs minimization. The developed decision model is applied to the Savona Campus Smart Poly-generation Micro-grid (SPM) that is used in this case as an emulator of grids at the district level. Then, obtained results for EVs charging have been tested in the research facilities of Enel Distribuzione.
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In this paper, the optimization of a microgrid operating in a “urban district-like” environment is considered, combining both the optimal scheduling of the microgrid sources and demand response strategies, implemented in the district... more
In this paper, the optimization of a microgrid operating in a “urban district-like” environment is considered, combining both the optimal scheduling of the microgrid sources and demand response strategies, implemented in the district buildings. In particular, the overall system is optimized in order to schedule generation plants, storage systems, electrical vehicles, deferrable and variable loads with the minimum daily operating costs, taking also into account network constraints. Binary and auxiliary variables have been used to reduce the nonlinearity of the model. Moreover, a technique based on Model Predictive Control (MPC) is proposed to minimize uncertainties coming from renewable resources and to reduce the complexity of the overall decision problem solution. The proposed approach has been developed exploiting, as a reference and practical test-case, the Savona Campus of the Genoa University, where the research infrastructure Smart Polygeneration Microgrid (SPM) is in operation; day-ahead optimization results have been compared with those of the proposed MPC approach.
ABSTRACT The increased penetration of renewable energy sources and the concept of a dynamic and highly distributed Smart Grid which can intelligently integrate production units, storage systems and connected users opened new challenges in... more
ABSTRACT The increased penetration of renewable energy sources and the concept of a dynamic and highly distributed Smart Grid which can intelligently integrate production units, storage systems and connected users opened new challenges in the application of optimization techniques. In this work, a dynamic optimization problem is formulated on a power grid characterized by wind and photovoltaic production units, conventional power plants, biomass co-generation and storage systems. A Model Predictive Control (MPC) scheme is adopted in the dynamic decision model for real time purposes. The decision problem takes into account the network load flows constraints and a state equation related to the state of charge (SOC) of the batteries. Different issues (economic, technical, environmental, security) have been taken into account for the formalization of the objective function. Numerical results are finally reported and discussed.
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In the framework of the 2020 European strategy, that aims the EU to become a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy, several innovative and cost-effective research and development projects are centered on the smart microgrid and... more
In the framework of the 2020 European strategy, that aims the EU to become a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy, several innovative and cost-effective research and development projects are centered on the smart microgrid and sustainable energy concepts. Moreover, the need to develop energy management systems, that permit to operate energy infrastructures in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner, becomes a fundamental prerogative. To this aim, in the present paper a mathematical model is proposed for the optimal daily operation of a sustainable energy infrastructure consisting in a smart electrical and thermal microgrid feeding a smart university campus, such as that located in the city of Savona in Italy; in the paper the main equations of the multi-objective optimization model are reported, as well as some significant results.
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ABSTRACT The SITAR project (Seafloor Imaging and Toxicity: Assessment of Risks caused by buried waste), sponsored by the European Union under the 5 th Framework Programme, aims to investigate and to develop innovative solutions to the... more
ABSTRACT The SITAR project (Seafloor Imaging and Toxicity: Assessment of Risks caused by buried waste), sponsored by the European Union under the 5 th Framework Programme, aims to investigate and to develop innovative solutions to the technological and scientific problems that up to now have prevented the assessment of the environmental risk connected with toxic dumpsites on the seafloor, where a significant part of the toxic waste is buried within the bottom sediments. After a short description of the main line of investigations of the project, the decision support system (DSS) which is able to integrate the different data and the different aspects of the project is described with specific attention to the aspects of integration and accessibility of acoustical imaging data and biotoxicological information to end-users and decision makers.
Abstract Saltwater intrusion and upconing phenomena affect coastal aquifers worldwide. These phenomena can be partially mitigated by an adequate management of the aquifer. In this work, the optimal pumping schedule for one coastal well... more
Abstract Saltwater intrusion and upconing phenomena affect coastal aquifers worldwide. These phenomena can be partially mitigated by an adequate management of the aquifer. In this work, the optimal pumping schedule for one coastal well has been defined by a decision model that minimizes desalination and pumping costs, while taking into account the aquifer salinity levels near the well. The dynamics of the aquifer is described in terms of two state equations related to salinity concentration in the pumped water and cumulative pumped water up to a specific instant. A case study is presented with application to a well in Hawaii islands.
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In this paper, a bilevel optimal control scheme is proposed for a smart grid characterized by renewable and traditional power production, bidirectional power flows, dynamic storage systems, and stochastic modeling issues (due to... more
In this paper, a bilevel optimal control scheme is proposed for a smart grid characterized by renewable and traditional power production, bidirectional power flows, dynamic storage systems, and stochastic modeling issues (due to uncertainties in renewables forecasting). In this scheme, the UDM (Upper Decision Maker) views the LDMs (Lower Decision Makers or microgrids) as single nodes. In the statement of the UDM problem, the local control strategies are structurally and parametrically constrained. In this way, it is possible to reduce the runtime necessary to achieve the solution, with respect to an approach in which the LDMs control strategies are not constrained. The architecture has been applied to a specific case study (Savona, Italy), where different test-bed facilities are present.
ABSTRACT The operational management of traffic flows, controlled by different decision makers (that do not exchange information) through a network, gives rise to a common modeling framework that may find application within different... more
ABSTRACT The operational management of traffic flows, controlled by different decision makers (that do not exchange information) through a network, gives rise to a common modeling framework that may find application within different research areas: road traffic control, hazardous materials transportation, telecommunication networks, energy systems. In this paper, a general decision architecture is considered and an application is provided to the case of the management of fleets of vehicles that transport hazardous materials (hazmat). The considered architecture takes into account the presence of different decision makers. The problem is also characterized by the presence of several (possibly conflicting) objectives. In the case of hazmat transportation, such objectives may be the reduction of economic costs and the containment of the risk (for vehicles and infrastructures). The considered model includes an upper-level decision maker that can take decisions affecting the utility functions of the lower-level decision makers (LDMs), for example, changing the tolls for the LDMs, but leaving to such LDMs some decision capability. A specific case study is considered, relevant to the management of vehicles carrying hazmat through a critical infrastructure.
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... I. INTRODUCTION RENEWABLE energy sources (RES) have attracted con-siderable interest because their use is one of the funda-mental measure to fight against climate change and to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. ... Fig. 1. Hybrid... more
... I. INTRODUCTION RENEWABLE energy sources (RES) have attracted con-siderable interest because their use is one of the funda-mental measure to fight against climate change and to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. ... Fig. 1. Hybrid renewable energy system. ...
Research Interests: Computer Science, Renewable Energy, Mathematical Programming, Environmental Sustainability, Fuel Cell, and 15 moreDecision support system, Optimization Problem, renewable Energy sources, Energy demand, Fossil Fuels, Real Time Control, Power Control, Hydrogen Production, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Energy Storage, Production System, Decision Models, Electricity Generation, Hybrid System, and IEEE Systems
ABSTRACT An overall architecture, or Energy Management System (EMS), based on a dynamic optimization model to minimize operating costs and CO2 emissions is formalized and applied to the University of Genova Savona Campus test-bed... more
ABSTRACT An overall architecture, or Energy Management System (EMS), based on a dynamic optimization model to minimize operating costs and CO2 emissions is formalized and applied to the University of Genova Savona Campus test-bed facilities consisting of a Smart Polygeneration Microgrid (SPM) and a Sustainable Energy Building (SEB) connected to such microgrid. The electric grid is a three phase low voltage distribution system, connecting many different technologies: three cogeneration micro gas turbines fed by natural gas, a photovoltaic field, three cogeneration Concentrating Solar Powered (CSP) systems (equipped with Stirling engines), an absorption chiller equipped with a storage tank, two types of electrical storage based on batteries technology (long term Na–Ni and short term Li-Ion ion), two electric vehicles charging stations, other electrical devices (inverters and smart metering systems), etc. The EMS can be used both for microgrids approximated as single bus bar (or one node) and for microgrids in which all buses are taken into account. The optimal operation of the microgrid is based on a central controller that receives forecasts and data from a SCADA system and that can schedule all dispatchable plants in the day ahead or in real time through an approach based on Model Predictive Control (MPC). The architecture is tested and applied to the case study of the Savona Campus.