Ricerc@Sapienza

The MOnitor for Neutron Dose in hadrOntherapy (MONDO) project addresses the technical challenges posed by a neutron tracker detector aiming for a high detection efficiency and a good backtracking precision. The project aims to develop a tracking device capable of fully reconstructing the four momen- tum of fast and ultrafast secondary neutrons produced, e.g., in particle therapy (PT) treatments or in other physical processes.

We report on the use of an optical sensing platform based on Bloch surface waves sustained by one-dimensional photonic crystals as a novel optical tool to probe in real time the fluid flow at a boundarywall of a microfluidic channel under dynamic conditions. Understanding how fluid flow interacts withwall surfaces is crucial for a broad range of biological processes and engineering applications, such as sur-face wave biosensing. The proposed platform provides nanometric resolution with respect to the distancefrom the boundary wall sensor’s surface.

Here we investigated the SH generation at the wavelength of 400 nm (pump laser at 800 nm, 120 fs pulses) of a "metasurface" composed by an alternation of GaAs nano-grooves and Au nanowires capping portions of flat GaAs. The nano-grooves depth and the Au nanowires thickness gradually vary across the sample. The samples are obtained by ion bombardment at glancing angle on a 150 nm Au mask evaporated on a GaAs plane wafer. The irradiation process erodes anisotropically the surface, creating Au nanowires and, at high ion dose, grooves in the underlying GaAs substrate (pattern transfer).

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized on diatomite (DE) surface by a low
temperature sol gel technique, starting from zinc acetate dihydrate (Zn(CH3COO)2?·?2H2O)
solution in water/ethyl alcohol, in presence of triethanolamine (TEA) with functions of Zn2+
chelating agent, catalyst and mediator of nanoparticle growth on DE surface. Microstructural
features were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction.
ZnO crystalline nanoparticles, well distributed both on the surface and into the porous

This paper deals with the potential role of new hybrid energy systems application along with the heating share concept. It analyses the possibility to develop new plant refurbishment strategy so as to promote the deployment of small scale smart energy systems. Up to now, many new technologies have been implemented can be used for achieving the NZEB objectives. The paper clears up how is possible to share the heat for a small group of dwellings arranged in a single lot.

This research investigates the role of new hybrid energy system applications for developing a new plant refurbishment strategy to deploy small scale smart energy systems. This work deals with a dynamic simulation of trans-critical carbon dioxide heat pump application for boosting low temperature distribution networks to share heat for dwellings. Heat pumps provide high temperature heat to use the traditional emission systems.

An optimized system management of a commercial and industrial power system must take care of the actual operational and energetic duty of the power system distribution. A procedure based on the Arrhenius model of the Thermal Aging of Insulating Materials allows introducing the relative time coefficient (RTC) and promoting a heuristic method, as a rule of thumb, to estimate the life loss and the residual useful life for insulated power cables.

Contrary to many expectations, the development of smart (mini-)grids is slow, notwithstanding drastic improvements in innovative technologies, and the reasons for this are not strictly technical. The problem lies in regulatory barriers. Moreover, the current business models accommodate utilities more so than customers. Net metering is a key enabling factor for smart (mini-)grids. This article addresses the economic benefits of net metering for residential customers.

Buildings with mixed residential and commercial units show relevant power peak that are further increased by shifting from gas-driven systems to electric source. The proposed solution is to organize a microgrid for such type of buildings, aggregating different users with a common electric distribution system with a single connection to the grid, a local common generation and a common heating/cooling system (electric-driven). This approach upgrades a group of independent small users with rigid loads and chaotic behavior, to a large user with a flexible and controlled profile.

Shielding and absorbing screens made of tunable graphene/ dielectric laminate (GL) doped by an electrostatic field bias are designed applying simple modelling procedures in the low-gigahertz frequency range. The adaptive response of both types of screens is achieved through the control of the effective sheet resistance of the GL, consisting of a proper number of doped graphene layers separated by thin films of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).