Dimensionamento di una pinna da windsurf mediante tecniche di ottimizzazione

Nel presente lavoro viene trattato il problema del dimensionamento di una pinna da windsurf con l’ottica di massimizzarne le prestazioni idrodinamiche. Il sistema windsurf è stato analizzato e su questo studio è stato sviluppato un modello utile a ricavare condizioni dimensionanti per la pinna. Facendo uso del metodo Monte Carlo è stato elaborato un modello di ottimizzazione dei parametri geometrici e aerodinamici della pinna, e su tale configurazione di pinna è stato eseguito un calcolo dei principali carichi strutturali. I modelli sono stati testati per due date condizione operativa del windsurf e i risultati confrontati.

Studio e ottimizzazione di un riduttore aeronautico avanzato per motori diesel common rail

Così concepito il riduttore rispetta i requisiti richiesti in termini di peso, affidabilità, realizzabilità e costi contenuti. Per quanto riguarda la realizzabilità e i costi, si sono progettati due componenti che possono essere ottenuti da barre commerciali in un'unica lavorazione al tornio, se munito di creatore per le ruote dentate: questo ci consente di contenere i costi di produzione, costi che erano stati già abbattuti in partenza utilizzando i carter Simonini, evitando di dover progettare e costruire dei carter ad hoc.

Studio e ottimizzazione di un piccolo propulsore Diesel common rail, sovralimentato per un drone

Studio e ottimizzazione di un piccolo propulsore Diesel di piccola potenza common rail, sovralimentato per un drone.

Gene expression responses to acute and chronic heat stress in the common reef-building coral Pocillopora verrucosa

Global climate change is impacting coral reefs worldwide, with approximately 19% of reefs being permanently degraded, 15% showing symptoms of imminent collapse, and 20% at risk of becoming critically affected in the next few decades. This alarming level of reef degradation is mainly due to an increase in frequency and intensity of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Recent evidence has called into question whether corals have the capacity to acclimatize or adapt to climate changes and some groups of corals showed inherent physiological tolerance to environmental stressors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate mRNA expression patterns underlying differences in thermal tolerance in specimen of the common reef-building coral Pocillopora verrucosa collected at different locations in Bangka Island waters (North Sulawesi, Indonesia). Part of the experimental work was carried out at the CoralEye Reef Research Outpost (Bangka Island). This includes sampling of corals at selected sites and at different depths (3 and 12 m) as well as their experimental exposure to an increased water temperature under controlled conditions for 3 and 7 days. Levels of mRNAs encoding ATP synthase (ATPs) NADH dehydrogenase (NDH) and a 70kDa Heat Shock Protein (HSP70) were evaluated by quantitative real time PCR. Transcriptional profiles evaluated under field conditions suggested an adaptation to peculiar local environmental conditions in corals collected at different sites and at the low depth. Nevertheless, high–depth collected corals showed a less pronounced site-to-site separation suggesting more homogenous environmental conditions. Exposure to an elevated temperature under controlled conditions pointed out that corals adapted to the high depth are more sensitive to the effects of thermal stress, so that reacted to thermal challenge by significantly over-expressing the selected gene products. Being continuously exposed to fluctuating environmental conditions, low-depth adapted corals are more resilient to the stress stimulus, and indeed showed unaffected or down-regulated mRNA expression profiles. Overall these results highlight that transcriptional profiles of selected genes involved in cellular stress response are modulated by natural seasonal temperature changes in P. verrucosa. Moreover, specimens living in more variable habitats (low-depth) exhibit higher basal HSP70 mRNA levels, possibly enhancing physiological tolerance to environmental stressors.

Valutazione del comportamento differito di una trave inflessa realizzata in due fasi

La presente tesi analizza il comportamento differito in una prova di flessione su quattro punti su una trave prefabbricata con getto di soletta integrativa in opera. Sono riportati i risultati della prova di carico e di rottura sulla trave. Le prove sono state eseguite presso il Laboratorio di Prove Strutture (DISTART) dell'Università di Bologna. La trave è composta di due tipi di calcestreuzzo, realizzati in tempi diversi e con proprietà meccaniche diverse. L'obiettivo della campagna sperimentale è studiare l'effetto delle fasi di costruzione sull'evoluzione delle tensioni e delle deformazioni nel tempo e sulla resistenza ultima della trave. Il comportamento sperimentale è stato confrontato con i risultati numerici ottenuti con un modello a fibre in grado di cogliere anche i fenomeni legati al creep.

Genetic structure and connectivity between populations of two common Mediterranean sessile invertebrates

Population genetic and phylogeography of two common mediterranean species were studied in 10 localities located on the coasts of Toscana, Puglia and Calabria. The aim of the study was to verify the extent of genetic breaks, in areas recognized as boundaries between Mediterranean biogeographic sectors. From about 100 sequences obtained from the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of Halocynthia papillosa and Hexaplex trunculus genetic diversity, genetic structure at small and large distances and demographic history of both specieswere analyzed. No evidences of genetic breaks were found for the two species in Toscana and Puglia. The genetic structure of H. trunculus evidences the extent of a barrier to gene flow localized in Calabria, which could be represented by the Siculo-Tunisian Strait and the Strait of Messina. The observed patterns showed similar level of gene flow at small distances in both species, although the two species have different larval ecology. These results suggest that other factors, such as currents, local dynamics and seasonal temperatures, influence the connectivity along the Italian peninsula. The geographic distribution of the haplotypes shows that H. papillosacould represent a single genetic pool in expansion, whereas H. trunculus has two distinct genetic pools in expansion. The demographic pattern of the two species suggests that Pleistocene sea level oscillations, in particular of the LGM, may have played a key role in shaping genetic structure of the two species. This knowledge provides basic information, useful for the definition of management plans, or for the design of a network of marine protected areas along the Italian peninsula.

Morphological-molecular taxonomy and population genetic structure of common and Egyptian soles of the Adriatic Sea

A total of 352 specimens were analyzed to achieve the different aims of this thesis. 255 central-northern Adriatic specimens of S. solea and S. aegyptiaca were molecularly analysed using microsatellite locus Sos(AC)40 and 205 also morphologically due to evaluate the abundance and the distribution of the cryptic species S. aegyptiaca and to confirm morphologic analyses. Morphological and molecular analyses comparated show a correspondence of 96%. A combined morphologic approach could be proposed to apply multiple criteria on the analyzed external morphological keys. The Adriatic Egyptian soles may lives in shallow waters (up 30 m) and in brackish lagoon. 127 samples of Adriatic common sole added to 326 samples of previous studies showed, using mitochondrial marker (CytB), that the Adriatic Sea as contact zone between Tyrrhenian and Aegean Sea, the divergence within the Adriatic Sea is low but significant between central-north and south, with a longitudinal strong gene flow in central-northern side. It’s also showed as in the Adriatic Sea two near-panmictic populations of common sole exist.

Il cambiamento organizzativo in contesti di crisi aziendale: due casi studio

il superamento della crisi aziendale attraverso il cambiamento organizzativo

Outdoor bronze conservation: assessment of protective treatments by accelerated aging and of treatment removal procedures by laser cleaning

Outdoor bronzes exposed to the environment form naturally a layer called patina, which may be able to protect the metallic substrate. However, since the last century, with the appearance of acid rains, a strong change in the nature and properties of the copper based patinas occurred [1]. Studies and general observations have established that bronze corrosion patinas created by acid rain are not only disfiguring in terms of loss of detail and homogeneity, but are also unstable [2]. The unstable patina is partially leached away by rainwater. This leaching is represented by green streaking on bronze monuments [3]. Because of the instability of the patina, conservation techniques are usually required. On a bronze object exposed to the outdoor environment, there are different actions of the rainfall and other atmospheric agents as a function of the monument shape. In fact, we recognize sheltered and unsheltered areas as regards exposure to rainwater [4]. As a consequence of these different actions, two main patina types are formed on monuments exposed to the outdoor environment. These patinas have different electrochemical, morphological and compositional characteristics [1]. In the case of sheltered areas, the patina contains mainly copper products, stratified above a layer strongly enriched in insoluble Sn oxides, located at the interface with the uncorroded metal. Moreover, different colors of the patina result from the exposure geometry. The surface color may be pale green for unsheltered areas, and green and mat black for sheltered areas [4]. Thus, in real outdoor bronze monuments, the corrosion behavior is strongly influenced by the exposure geometry. This must be taken into account when designing conservation procedures, since the patina is in most cases the support on which corrosion inhibitors are applied. Presently, for protecting outdoor bronzes against atmospheric corrosion, inhibitors and protective treatments are used. BTA and its derivatives, which are the most common inhibitors used for copper and its alloy, were found to be toxic for the environment and human health [5, 6]. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that BTA is efficient when applied on bare copper but not as efficient when applied on bare bronze [7]. Thus it was necessary to find alternative compounds. Silane-based inhibitors (already successfully tested on copper and other metallic substrates [8]), were taken into consideration as a non-toxic, environmentally friendly alternative to BTA derivatives for bronze protection. The purpose of this thesis was based on the assessment of the efficiency of a selected compound, to protect the bronze against corrosion, which is the 3-mercapto-propyl-trimethoxy-silane (PropS-SH). It was selected thanks to the collaboration with the Corrosion Studies Centre “Aldo Daccò” at the Università di Ferrara. Since previous studies [9, 10, 11] demonstrated that the addition of nanoparticles to silane-based inhibitors leads to an increase of the protective efficiency, we also wanted to evaluate the influence of the addition of CeO2, La2O3, TiO2 nanoparticles on the protective efficiency of 3-mercapto-propyl-trimethoxy-silane, applied on pre-patinated bronze surfaces. This study is the first section of the thesis. Since restorers have to work on patinated bronzes and not on bare metal (except for contemporary art), it is important to be able to recreate the patina, under laboratory conditions, either in sheltered or unsheltered conditions to test the coating and to obtain reliable results. Therefore, at the University of Bologna, different devices have been designed to simulate the real outdoor conditions and to create a patina which is representative of real application conditions of inhibitor or protective treatments. In particular, accelerated ageing devices by wet & dry (simulating the action of stagnant rain in sheltered areas [12]) and by dropping (simulating the leaching action of the rain in unsheltered areas [1]) tests were used. In the present work, we used the dropping test as a method to produce pre-patinated bronze surfaces for the application of a candidate inhibitor as well as for evaluating its protective efficiency on aged bronze (unsheltered areas). In this thesis, gilded bronzes were also studied. When they are exposed to the outside environment, a corrosion phenomenon appears which is due to the electrochemical couple gold/copper where copper is the anode. In the presence of an electrolyte, this phenomenon results in the formation of corrosion products than will cause a blistering of the gold (or a break-up and loss of the film in some cases). Moreover, because of the diffusion of the copper salts to the surface, aggregates and a greenish film will be formed on the surface of the sample [13]. By coating gilded samples with PropS-SH and PropS-SH containing nano-particles and carrying out accelerated ageing by the dropping test, a discussion is possible on the effectiveness of this coating, either with nano-particles or not, against the corrosion process. This part is the section 2 of this thesis. Finally, a discussion about laser treatment aiming at the assessment of reversibility/re-applicability of the PropS-SH coating can be found in section 3 of this thesis. Because the protective layer loses its efficiency with time, it is necessary to find a way of removing the silane layer, before applying a new one on the “bare” patina. One request is to minimize the damages that a laser treatment would create on the patina. Therefore, different laser fluences (energy/surface) were applied on the sample surface during the treatment process in order to find the best range of fluence. In particular, we made a characterization of surfaces before and after removal of PropS-SH (applied on a naturally patinated surface, and subsequently aged by natural exposure) with laser methods. The laser removal treatment was done by the CNR Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara” of Sesto Fiorentino in Florence. In all the three sections of the thesis, a range of non-destructive spectroscopic methods (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), μ-Raman spectroscopy, X-Ray diffractometry (XRD)) were used for characterizing the corroded surfaces. AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy) was used to analyze the ageing solutions from the dropping test in sections 1 and 2.

Studio e ottimizzazione dell'installazione di un motore Diesel common rail per voli suborbitali

Studio per volo suborbitale con dieselfan

Studio e ottimizzazione per una versione potenziata di un motore diesel v6 common rail.

Studio e ottimizzazione per una versione potenziata di un motore diesel v6 common rail con incremento della potenza erogabile.

Studio della presenza di capodogli (Physeter macrocephalus, Linnaeus 1758) in due aree del Mar Balear mediante metodi acustici passivi

I capodogli (Physeter macrocephalus) sono mammiferi marini con distribuzione cosmopolita; sono presenti anche nel Mar Mediterraneo, soprattutto nella zona occidentale del bacino. Per individuare la presenza di questi animali possono essere utilizzate differenti modalità. Questo studio è stato condotto tramite l’uso di metodi acustici passivi, in quanto i capodogli (P. macrocephalus) sono animali che emettono suoni. L’uso di metodi acustici ha alcuni vantaggi, infatti permette di individuare la presenza di un animale anche se si trova al di sotto della superficie dell’acqua, purché stia emettendo suoni. Le registrazioni possono essere effettuate indipendentemente dalle condizioni meteorologiche e per lunghi periodi di tempo, permettendo la continuità nella raccolta dei dati. Il lavoro di tesi è stato svolto nell’ambito di un Progetto di Ricerca de L’Oceanogràfic di Valencia. Le registrazioni sono state effettuate tramite lo strumento EAR (Ecological Acoustic Recorder) in due aree del Mar Balear, il Mar di Bamba e il Parco Nazionale di Cabrera, in differenti periodi, profondità e con diverse frequenze di campionamento (50 kHz e 5 kHz). I dati ottenuti sono stati analizzati tramite i programmi X-BAT (Extensible Bioacoustic Tool) e Adobe Audition 3.0 al fine di rilevare i pulsi emessi dai capodogli. Per entrambe le aree di studio i dati sono stati elaborati in modo da ottenere modelli giornalieri e stagionali delle ore positive e del numero di pulsi emessi. La presenza di P. macrocephalus è stata confermata in entrambe le aree di studio, e dal confronto delle analisi spettrali dei pulsi si può affermare che, nonostante le differenze, i pulsi registrati in entrambe le aree sono effettivamente emessi da capodogli. Il lavoro di Tesi permette di suggerire che per futuri studi sia applicata la frequenza di registrazione di 20 kHz utilizzando lo strumento SAMARUC, alla cui progettazione ha partecipato L’Oceanogràfic di Valencia.