Nonlinear Observers for Sensorless Control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors

In this thesis, the industrial application of control a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor in a sensorless configuration has been faced, and in particular the task of estimating the unknown “parameters” necessary for the application of standard motor control algorithms. In literature several techniques have been proposed to cope with this task, among them the technique based on model-based nonlinear observer has been followed. The hypothesis of neglecting the mechanical dynamics from the motor model has been applied due to practical and physical considerations, therefore only the electromagnetic dynamics has been used for the observers design. First observer proposed is based on stator currents and Stator Flux dynamics described in a generic rotating reference frame. Stator flux dynamics are known apart their initial conditions which are estimated, with speed that is also unknown, through the use of the Adaptive Theory. The second observer proposed is based on stator currents and Rotor Flux dynamics described in a self-aligning reference frame. Rotor flux dynamics are described in the stationary reference frame exploiting polar coordinates instead of classical Cartesian coordinates, by means the estimation of amplitude and speed of the rotor flux. The stability proof is derived in a Singular Perturbation Framework, which allows for the use the current estimation errors as a measure of rotor flux estimation errors. The stability properties has been derived using a specific theory for systems with time scale separation, which guarantees a semi-global practical stability. For the two observer ideal simulations and real simulations have been performed to prove the effectiveness of the observers proposed, real simulations on which the effects of the Inverter nonlinearities have been introduced, showing the already known problems of the model-based observers for low speed applications.

Land use management in mountainous areas: combining ground-based and EO (Earth Observation) data to investigate the shallow landsliding susceptibility in the Duron valley (Trento, Italy).

Throughout the alpine domain, shallow landslides represent a serious geologic hazard, often causing severe damages to infrastructures, private properties, natural resources and in the most catastrophic events, threatening human lives. Landslides are a major factor of landscape evolution in mountainous and hilly regions and represent a critical issue for mountainous land management, since they cause loss of pastoral lands. In several alpine contexts, shallow landsliding distribution is strictly connected to the presence and condition of vegetation on the slopes. With the aid of high-resolution satellite images, it's possible to divide automatically the mountainous territory in land cover classes, which contribute with different magnitude to the stability of the slopes. The aim of this research is to combine EO (Earth Observation) land cover maps with ground-based measurements of the land cover properties. In order to achieve this goal, a new procedure has been developed to automatically detect grass mantle degradation patterns from satellite images. Moreover, innovative surveying techniques and instruments are tested to measure in situ the shear strength of grass mantle and the geomechanical and geotechnical properties of these alpine soils. Shallow landsliding distribution is assessed with the aid of physically based models, which use the EO-based map to distribute the resistance parameters across the landscape.

Implementazione di un modulatore sigma-delta digitale per la sintesi di segnali pwm ad alta fedelta.

La modulazione a durata d'impulso (PWM) è utilizzata soprattutto perchè permette di ottenere alta efficenza energetica. In ambito accademico è stato proposto un modulatore PWM che sfrutta la tecnica di noise shaping, Sigma Delta, per avere elevata fedeltà. Il lavoro di questa tesi è stato l'implementazione su FPGA del modulatore Sigma DeltaDigitale utilizzato: quarto ordine, con quantizzatore a 4 bit e SNR in banda di 60 dB. Il dimensionamento è stato fatto determinando l'effetto che la lunghezza delle parole dei segnali ha sul rumore prodotto dal sistema. Questo studio è stato svolto con analisi euristiche ed algoritmi di ricerca implementati in ambiente MATLAB. Lo studio fatto è di carattere generale ed estendibile a generiche architetture Sigma Delta.

Progettazione di poltrona ad inseguimento solare collocata su ponte navale

Progetto e dimensionamento di una poltrona ad inseguimento solare. Scelta del meccanismo da adottare per la movimentazione automatica dello schienale e della seduta.

Progetto e realizzazione di un dispositivo di controllo e gestione remoto per un sistema di tracking satellitare (ALMATracker)

La seguente tesi presenta lo sviluppo di un sistema di controllo e gestione remota per il tracking di un satellite. Il progetto, denominato ALMATracker, è sviluppato dal corso di Ingegneria Aerospaziale della scuola di Ingegneria e Architettura Aerospaziale dell’Università di Bologna con sede a Forlì. Consiste nella creazione di una motorizzazione per antenne su due assi, movimentata da un hardware commerciale programmabile. Il posizionamento può essere eseguito sia manualmente, su richiesta di un utente da PC remoto, sia automaticamente secondo un’orbita preimpostata. I setpoint di velocità o posizione sono elaborati dal sistema fino ad ottenere un segnale che procede alla movimentazione in velocità dell’antenna. Il comando automatico, invece, orienta l’antenna in modo tale da mantenerla fissa su una traiettoria orbitale di uno specifico spacecraft. La movimentazione automatica segue funzioni polinomiali fornite dall’utente, ricavate da software di propagazione e predizione esterno al sistema ALMATracker. In questo caso il sistema deve procedere alla rotazione mantenendo la velocità richiesta dalla funzione polinomiale. Il controllo effettuato in catena chiusa è attuato tramite una serie di trasduttori di posizione presenti nel sistema.

Optimization of bioenergy solutions at different farm scales

RAF is a bio-energetic descriptive model integrates with MAD model to support Integrated Farm Management. RAF model aimed to enhancing economical, social and environmental sustainability of farm production in terms of energy via convert energy crops and animal manure to biogas and digestate (bio-fertilizers) by anaerobic digestion technologies, growing and breeding practices. The user defines farm structure in terms of present crops, livestock and market prices and RAF model investigates the possibilities of establish on-farm biogas system (different anaerobic digestion technologies proposed for different scales of farms in terms of energy requirements) according to budget and sustainability constraints to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. The objective function of RAF (Z) is optimizing the total net income of farm (maximizing income and minimizing costs) for whole period which is considered by the analysis. The main results of this study refers to the possibility of enhancing the exploitation of the available Italian potentials of biogas production from on-farm production of energy crops and livestock manure feedstock by using the developed mathematical model RAF integrates with MAD to presents reliable reconcile between farm size, farm structure and on-farm biogas systems technologies applied to support selection, applying and operating of appropriate biogas technology at any farm under Italian conditions.

Progettazione e verifica di riduttore per uso areonautico

Ottimizzazione di un riduttore ad altissime prestazioni per uso aeronautico

Power Transient Analysis of Experimental Devices for Jules Horowitz Material Testing Reactor (JHR)

The objective of this thesis is the power transient analysis concerning experimental devices placed within the reflector of Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR). Since JHR material testing facility is designed to achieve 100 MW core thermal power, a large reflector hosts fissile material samples that are irradiated up to total relevant power of 3 MW. MADISON devices are expected to attain 130 kW, conversely ADELINE nominal power is of some 60 kW. In addition, MOLFI test samples are envisaged to reach 360 kW for what concerns LEU configuration and up to 650 kW according to HEU frame. Safety issues concern shutdown transients and need particular verifications about thermal power decreasing of these fissile samples with respect to core kinetics, as far as single device reactivity determination is concerned. Calculation model is conceived and applied in order to properly account for different nuclear heating processes and relative time-dependent features of device transients. An innovative methodology is carried out since flux shape modification during control rod insertions is investigated regarding the impact on device power through core-reflector coupling coefficients. In fact, previous methods considering only nominal core-reflector parameters are then improved. Moreover, delayed emissions effect is evaluated about spatial impact on devices of a diffuse in-core delayed neutron source. Delayed gammas transport related to fission products concentration is taken into account through evolution calculations of different fuel compositions in equilibrium cycle. Provided accurate device reactivity control, power transients are then computed for every sample according to envisaged shutdown procedures. Results obtained in this study are aimed at design feedback and reactor management optimization by JHR project team. Moreover, Safety Report is intended to utilize present analysis for improved device characterization.

Taste receptors in the gut: a chemosensitive mechanism from fish to human

The ingestion of a meal evokes a series of digestive processes, which consist of the essential functions of the digestive system: food transport, secretory activity, absorption of nutrients and the expulsion of undigested residues do not absorbed. The gastrointestinal chemosensitivity is characterized by cellular elements of the endocrine gastrointestinal mucosa and nerve fibers, in particular of vagal nature. A wide range of mediators endocrine and/or paracrine can be released from various endocrine cells in response to nutrients in the diet. These hormones, in addition to their direct activity, act through specific receptors activating some of the most important functions in the control of energy intake and energy homeostasis in the body. For integration of this complex system of control of gastrointestinal chemosensitivity, recent evidence demonstrates the presence of taste receptors (TR) belonging to the family of G proteins coupled receptor expressed in the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract of different mammals and human. This thesis is divided into several research projects that have been conceived in order to clarify the relationship between TR and nutrients. To define this relationship I have used various scientific approaches, which have gone on to evaluate changes in signal molecules of TR, in particular of the α-transducin in the fasting state and after refeeding with standard diet in the gastrointestinal tract of the pig, the mapping of the same molecule signal in the gastrointestinal tract of fish (Dicentrarchus labrax), the signaling pathway of bitter TR in the STC-1 endocrine cell line and finally the involvement of bitter TR in particular of T2R38 in patients with an excessive caloric intake. The results showed how there is a close correlation between nutrients, TR and hormonal release and how they are useful both in taste perception but also likely to be involved in chronic diseases such as obesity.

Tecnologie per l'accumulo dell'energia

La situazione energetica mondiale, strettamente dipendente dai combustibili fossili, richiede un notevole cambio di rotta, per puntare su fonti energetiche più sostenibili dal punto di vista ambientale, ma che contemporaneamente permettano di evitare le negoziazioni in mercati competitivi come quello del petrolio. Un'efficiente soluzione per colmare i limiti legati all'utilizzo delle fonti rinnovabili è l'uso di sistemi di accumulo dell'energia; grazie a questi sistemi è possibile trasformare l'energia elettrica in altre forme di energia (meccanica, chimica, etc.) per poter essere accumulata e conservata fino al momento dell'utilizzo. Nel corso della trattazione verranno presentate le principali tecnologie per l'accumulo e/o lo stoccaggio di energia, attraverso una descrizione degli impianti, dei principali vantaggi e degli aspetti negativi legati a ciascuno di essi. In seguito saranno fissati i parametri fondamentali per l'analisi delle tecnologie al fine di stabilire, in base alle funzioni da assolvere, quali siano più adatte allo scopo.

Efficient ultrasonic signal processing techniques for aided medical diagnostics

Ultrasound imaging is widely used in medical diagnostics as it is the fastest, least invasive, and least expensive imaging modality. However, ultrasound images are intrinsically difficult to be interpreted. In this scenario, Computer Aided Detection (CAD) systems can be used to support physicians during diagnosis providing them a second opinion. This thesis discusses efficient ultrasound processing techniques for computer aided medical diagnostics, focusing on two major topics: (i) Ultrasound Tissue Characterization (UTC), aimed at characterizing and differentiating between healthy and diseased tissue; (ii) Ultrasound Image Segmentation (UIS), aimed at detecting the boundaries of anatomical structures to automatically measure organ dimensions and compute clinically relevant functional indices. Research on UTC produced a CAD tool for Prostate Cancer detection to improve the biopsy protocol. In particular, this thesis contributes with: (i) the development of a robust classification system; (ii) the exploitation of parallel computing on GPU for real-time performance; (iii) the introduction of both an innovative Semi-Supervised Learning algorithm and a novel supervised/semi-supervised learning scheme for CAD system training that improve system performance reducing data collection effort and avoiding collected data wasting. The tool provides physicians a risk map highlighting suspect tissue areas, allowing them to perform a lesion-directed biopsy. Clinical validation demonstrated the system validity as a diagnostic support tool and its effectiveness at reducing the number of biopsy cores requested for an accurate diagnosis. For UIS the research developed a heart disease diagnostic tool based on Real-Time 3D Echocardiography. Thesis contributions to this application are: (i) the development of an automated GPU based level-set segmentation framework for 3D images; (ii) the application of this framework to the myocardium segmentation. Experimental results showed the high efficiency and flexibility of the proposed framework. Its effectiveness as a tool for quantitative analysis of 3D cardiac morphology and function was demonstrated through clinical validation.

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Gas Forced Convection through Microtubes and Micro Heat Exchangers

The last decade has witnessed very fast development in microfabrication technologies. The increasing industrial applications of microfluidic systems call for more intensive and systematic knowledge on this newly emerging field. Especially for gaseous flow and heat transfer at microscale, the applicability of conventional theories developed at macro scale is not yet completely validated; this is mainly due to scarce experimental data available in literature for gas flows. The objective of this thesis is to investigate these unclear elements by analyzing forced convection for gaseous flows through microtubes and micro heat exchangers. Experimental tests have been performed with microtubes having various inner diameters, namely 750 m, 510 m and 170 m, over a wide range of Reynolds number covering the laminar region, the transitional zone and also the onset region of the turbulent regime. The results show that conventional theory is able to predict the flow friction factor when flow compressibility does not appear and the effect of fluid temperature-dependent properties is insignificant. A double-layered microchannel heat exchanger has been designed in order to study experimentally the efficiency of a gas-to-gas micro heat exchanger. This microdevice contains 133 parallel microchannels machined into polished PEEK plates for both the hot side and the cold side. The microchannels are 200 µm high, 200 µm wide and 39.8 mm long. The design of the micro device has been made in order to be able to test different materials as partition foil with flexible thickness. Experimental tests have been carried out for five different partition foils, with various mass flow rates and flow configurations. The experimental results indicate that the thermal performance of the countercurrent and cross flow micro heat exchanger can be strongly influenced by axial conduction in the partition foil separating the hot gas flow and cold gas flow.

Life cycle assessment of biodiesel production from micro-algae: a case study in Denmark

Le sperimentazioni riguardanti la produzione di biodiesel da alghe sono state condotte solo in laboratorio o in impianti pilota e il processo produttivo non è ancora stato sviluppato su scala industriale. L’obiettivo di questo lavoro di tesi è stato quello di valutare la potenziale sostenibilità ambientale ed energetica della produzione industriale di biodiesel da microalghe nella realtà danese ipotizzando la coltivazione in fotobioreattori. La tesi ha analizzato le diverse tecnologie attualmente in sperimentazione cercando di metterne in evidenza punti di forza e punti di debolezza. La metodologia applicata in questa tesi per valutare la sostenibilità ambientale ed energetica dei processi analizzati è LCA strumento che permette di effettuare la valutazione sull’intero ciclo di vita di un prodotto o di un processo. L’unità funzionale scelta è 1 MJ di biodiesel. I confini del sistema analizzato comprendono: coltivazione, raccolta, essicazione, estrazione dell’olio, transesterificazione, digestione anaerobica della biomassa residuale e uso del glicerolo ottenuto come sottoprodotto della transesterificazione. Diverse categorie d’impatto sono state analizzate. In questo caso studio, sono stati ipotizzati 24 diversi scenari differenziati in base alle modalità di coltivazione, di raccolta della biomassa, di estrazione dell’olio algale. 1. la produzione di biodiesel da microalghe coltivate in fotobioreattori non appare ancora conveniente né dal punto di vista energetico né da quello ambientale. 2. l’uso di CO2 di scarto e di acque reflue per la coltivazione, fra l’altro non ancora tecnicamente realizzabili, migliorerebbero le prestazioni energetiche ed ambientali del biodiesel da microalghe 3. la valorizzazione di prodotti secondari svolge un ruolo importante nel processo e nel suo sviluppo su larga scala Si conclude ricordando che il progetto di tesi è stato svolto in collaborazione con la Danish Technical University of Denmark (DTU) svolgendo presso tale università un periodo di tirocinio per tesi di sei mesi

Model predictive control in thermal management of multiprocessor systems-on-chip

MultiProcessor Systems-on-Chip (MPSoC) are the core of nowadays and next generation computing platforms. Their relevance in the global market continuously increase, occupying an important role both in everydaylife products (e.g. smartphones, tablets, laptops, cars) and in strategical market sectors as aviation, defense, robotics, medicine. Despite of the incredible performance improvements in the recent years processors manufacturers have had to deal with issues, commonly called “Walls”, that have hindered the processors development. After the famous “Power Wall”, that limited the maximum frequency of a single core and marked the birth of the modern multiprocessors system-on-chip, the “Thermal Wall” and the “Utilization Wall” are the actual key limiter for performance improvements. The former concerns the damaging effects of the high temperature on the chip caused by the large power densities dissipation, whereas the second refers to the impossibility of fully exploiting the computing power of the processor due to the limitations on power and temperature budgets. In this thesis we faced these challenges by developing efficient and reliable solutions able to maximize performance while limiting the maximum temperature below a fixed critical threshold and saving energy. This has been possible by exploiting the Model Predictive Controller (MPC) paradigm that solves an optimization problem subject to constraints in order to find the optimal control decisions for the future interval. A fully-distributedMPC-based thermal controller with a far lower complexity respect to a centralized one has been developed. The control feasibility and interesting properties for the simplification of the control design has been proved by studying a partial differential equation thermal model. Finally, the controller has been efficiently included in more complex control schemes able to minimize energy consumption and deal with mixed-criticalities tasks

Development of a method for plasma - induced combustion of intermediate to low-level radioactive waste

This work demonstrates that the plasma - induced combustion of intermediate to low-level radioactive waste is a suitable method for volume reduction and stabilization. Weaknesses of existing facilities can be overcome with novel developments. Plasma treatment of LILW has a high economical advantage by volume reduction for storage in final repositories.