Ricerc@Sapienza

This paper illustrates a GIS (Geographic Information System) based approach for assessing thermal and electric energy consumptions and usable solar energy potential of residential buildings in order to increase their independence from fossil fuels. After integrating and simplifying previous researches, a methodology for estimating thermal energy needs, both for heating and hot water supply, and electric energy demand for assessing PV and solar thermal productivity is presented.

In order to improve power system operation, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESSs) have been installed in high voltage/medium voltage stations by Distribution System Operators (DSOs) around the world. Support for restoration of MV distribution networks after a blackout or HV interruption is among the possible new functionalities of BESSs. With the aim to improve quality of service, the present paper investigates whether a BESS, installed in the HV/MV substation, can improve the restoration process indicators of a distribution grid.

The research here presented originates from some of the ongoing challenges of our society: the demographic changes and the high share of population living in urban areas. The aim of the research is the definition of an index of sustainability and quality of life for elderly at suburban scale, not only able to outline aspects related to the local territorial context but also to represent the neighbourhood level. This would provide significant added value to existing indicators that represent the quality of life for much larger areas as cities, regions and nations.

Several international initiatives, including the European Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, promote the identification and mapping of ecosystems as basic tools for the conservation of biodiversity and related services. On coarse scales, the spatial representation of ecosystems is usually based on broad land cover categories that largely overlook important ecological and biogeographic features of the biotic communities they are meant to exemplify.

Obstacle detection is a fundamental task for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) as a part of a Sense and Avoid system. In this study, we present a method of multi-sensor obstacle detection that demonstrated good results on different kind of obstacles. This method can be implemented on low-cost platforms involving a DSP or small FPGA. In this paper, we also present a study on the typical targets that can be tough to detect because of their characteristics of reflectivity, form factor, heterogeneity and show how data fusion can often overcome the limitations of each technology.

We develop a hybrid cost model for the determination of unit standard costs in the Italian local public bus transport sector. Detailed economic and transport data have been collected from companies producing more than 500 million of bus-kilometers in Italy observed in 2011. We draw upon the Bottom-Up approach for the estimation of the cost of the driving personnel and the economic cost of the rolling stock which usually cover more than 50% of the total economic cost.

This work calculates and discusses the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of four scenarios composed of two types of road pavements and two types of lighting systems to be built in an Italian twin-tube road tunnel. A 20-year time horizon is adopted to assess the burdens of construction and maintenance of both flexible and rigid pavements and high-pressure sodium (HPS) and lightemitting diode (LED) lamps, traffic, and switching on of lamps.

Most road accidents occur in urban areas and notably at urban intersections, where cyclists and motorcyclists are the most vulnerable. In the last few years, cycling mobility has been growing; therefore, bike infrastructures should be designed to encourage this type of mobility and reduce motorized and/or private transport. The paper presents a study to implement a new cycle path in the existing cycle and road network in Rome, Italy.

Both the construction and use of roads have a range of environmental impacts; therefore, it is important to assess the sources of their burdens to adopt correct mitigation policies. Life cycle analysis (LCA) is a useful method to obtain demonstrable, accurate and non-misleading information for decision-making experts. The study presents a "cradle to gate with options" LCA of a provincial road during 60 year-service life. Input data derive from the bill of quantity of the project and their impacts have been evaluated according to the European standard EN 15804.

The turbulent dispersion of a passive tracer emitted by a line source simulating vehicular traffic in an idealized urban canyon in neutral conditions is studied in the water channel by means of simultaneous measurements of velocity and concentration fields. The experiments are conducted for two geometrical arrangements of two-dimensional obstacles reproducing the skimming flow (AR=1) and the wake-interference regime (AR=2), where AR is the canyon aspect ratio.