FIP Industriale (Italy)

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">In the context of the clean transport sector, there has been growing interest in the use of hydrogen in internal combustion engines due to its potential to nearly eliminate all engine-out criteria pollutants, while maintaining high thermal efficiency through the use of a lean combustion process. In direct injection configurations, mixing process is significantly influenced by hydrogen jet dynamics. First, a comprehensive experimental campaign was conducted in a constant volume vessel to assess the performance of a hydrogen injector using the Schlieren technique. The jet behavior was analyzed by varying injector recess, injection pressure, and back pressure. Subsequently, the case study was replicated in a 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) environment, addressing the complexities associated with modeling under-expanded jets. The model was first validated against experimental data, both in terms of jet morphology and through three geometric indices. Then, a simplified simulation approach was developed to significantly reduce computational effort while maintaining the reliability of the results. Among the analyzed parameters, injector recess was found to have the greatest influence on the jet shape and its evolution inside the chamber.</div></div>

The transition towards 6G presents unique challenges and opportunities in mobile networks design and standardization. Addressing these challenges requires a robust methodology for analyzing and selecting innovations that can be effectively translated into 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) contributions. This paper presents a systematic approach to bridging research and standardization, ensuring that cutting-edge advancements extend beyond academia and translate into concrete standardization efforts. The proposed methodology has been applied within the Italian RESTART framework to two ongoing research areas: Morphable Programmable Networks (MPNs) and Network Digital Twins (NDTs), both key enablers of next-generation networks. MPNs enhance dynamic adaptability and resource management, while NDTs enable real-time simulation, predictive analytics, and intelligent decision-making. Their integration into 3GPP Release 20 will be instrumental in shaping a flexible and future-proof mobile ecosystem. These innovations exemplify how research-driven solutions can align with 6G standardization objectives. By applying the proposed methodology, we aim to establish a systematic pathway for transitioning research into impactful 3GPP contributions, ultimately driving the evolution of next-generation networks.

Abstract Pipelines represent the most reliable and safe means of transport of hydrocarbons and are designed to grant the material distribution under several stress conditions. However, structural ageing, human interaction and natural occurrences can damage the fluid transport network causing leakage. Detection and localization of anomalies in pipeline structures is a fundamental operation, in order to avoid economic and commodity losses, safety problems and equipment failure. Hence, periodic monitoring is needed to save resources, which may imply great expenditures both in terms of economy and maintenance effort. Asset integrity monitoring of pipelines by means of conventional methods is expensive, invasive and not always applicable, due to the harsh environmental conditions, especially in underground lines, and the extensive length of the pipelines. This work proposes a low-cost pipeline inspection system, based on a multi-sensory device that can be inserted directly into the conduct alone or bonded to cleaning or inspection pigs. The aforementioned device can measure pipelines internal parameters such as pressure, and 3 axial accelerations during its rout inside the pipeline, allowing less invasive monitoring with respect to other methods. The user manages the system and collects useful data at a high level by means of a dedicated software application. The devices recharge and communication is completely wireless in order to obtain an intrinsic protection of the electronics from the environment. The device developed allow for measuring pressure ranging from 1 to 200 bar, temperature ranging from -20 to 80°C 3 axial acceleration ranging from 1g to 16g, 3 axial rotation ranging from 1 to 2000 dps, a sampling frequency settable from 1 to 200 Hz and a battery ranging from 48 to 72h. The device has been realized built in a special epoxy resin oil-proof, gas-proof, and water-proof and capable to withstand the chemical harsh environment typical of a pipeline. It is also equipped with an optional floating shell capable to make the same floatable and thus free flowing inside the oil stream. Such device has been successfully tested in various pipeline reporting fundamental date related to pipeline deposits, cleaning, geometry etc. with mission's length varied from 400-600 m to 25-30 km, with mission time ranging from few minutes several hours.

The hysteretic behavior of friction isolators is affected by the variability of the friction coefficient caused by heating phenomena at the sliding interface. The aim of this paper is to investigate such heating phenomena through a series of full-scale experimental tests on a double curved surface slider. The prototype isolator is equipped with eight thermocouples placed in different points of the isolator, which are embedded in the sliding plate. The probes of the thermocouples are in contact with the stainless steel sheet covering the sliding plate, in such a manner that their measurements are representative of the temperature rise occurring at the sliding interface. By investigating different axial loads and sliding velocities, we discuss the measured temperature rise and its implications on the hysteretic behavior of the prototype isolator. Friction variation is observed in the cyclic response of the isolator, which reduces the energy dissipated per cycle and, consequently, may lead to some underestimations of the displacements occurring during real seismic events if a constant friction coefficient is assumed. The proposed data can be helpful to calibrate sophisticated thermo-mechanical finite element models, which is the object of ongoing research.

ABSTRACTThe Isozaki or Allianz Tower in Milan, designed by Arata Isozaki and Andrea Maffei, is one of the three office towers of the CityLife, redevelopment project in the area of the historic exhibition area of Milan. It's a mixed reinforced concrete and steel structure of 202 m height (207 m considering the city ground level) and 247 m including the television antenna. It has 50 storeys above ground, and is the tallest Italian building according to the criteria of highest occupied floor and height to tip. Due to the height and the slender shape (24 m × 60 m in plan) of the tower, the wind and seismic protection system comprises 8 special fluid viscous dampers (FVDs) connected to the base of the building by means of 4 long struts (two for each strut). Each FVDs is characterized by 1304 kN maximum force and ±150 mm maximum displacement capacity. They manage to mitigate the wind effects by suppressing the anticipated wind‐induced accelerations and improving the comfort inside the building. Although Milan is a low seismicity area, the dampers were also designed to sustain also earthquake effects. Therefore, due to the completely different dynamic behaviour of wind and earthquake, the dampers were designed to change behaviour passively, i.e. activated only by the different velocity of the relative displacement between the two ends of the damper. Thus, the velocity exponent α of the typical force vs. velocity constitutive law of the fluid viscous dampers is 1 (linear behaviour) under wind input while is lower than 0.1 (strongly non‐linear behaviour) under earthquake input. Two of the 8 FVDs were subjected to a complete test protocol required by European Standard “Anti‐seismic devices” EN15129:2009 in FIP Industriale Laboratories. This paper describes the FVDs and reports the most important test results, confirming the required behaviour of the devices both under service wind and ULS wind or earthquake.

This paper presents the results of the experimental EMC characterization of a new medium/low voltage (MV/LV) secondary substation, which was developed in the framework of the research project NEW CAB ELARC. It has two MV/LV transformers, with total rated power of 1000 kVA. To perform the experimental characterization, firstly an analysis was performed of the Italian and European standards recommendations. Different approaches were highlighted and the most appropriate procedures were identified for the measurement of the magnetic fields emissions, at power systems frequency (50 Hz) in steady-state conditions. A dedicated test lab was set up for the secondary substation characterization. The measurement results showed that, thanks to the chosen layout, the emissions of the substation under test are lower than those of typical substations of the same power.

Under specific pathophysiological circumstances, cough becomes a chronic condition. Unfortunately, apart from drugs that treat the underlying diseases that cause the cough symptom, medicines directly oriented to reduce or abolish the cough reflex are limited to narcotic or narcotic-like drugs. The poor availability of antitussive medications is due to many causes but mainly to the poor understanding of the molecular mechanisms that cause and maintain chronic cough. Most of the mechanistic information on cough has been generated from animal models in which there is little or no airway pathology. It is essential then to develop animal models of chronic cough that reflect the disease in man. Here we described diverse animal models of enhanced coughing in guinea pigs, cats, dogs, pigs, and rabbits with airway inflammation produced by ovalbumin sensitization and challenge, exposure to cigarette smoke, sulfur dioxide, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and ozone.