Ricerc@Sapienza

Stationary and dynamic heat and mass transfer analyses of building components are an essential part of energy efficient design of new and retrofitted buildings. Generally, a single constant thermal conductivity value is assumed for each material layer in construction components. However, the variability of thermal conductivity may depend on many factors; temperature and moisture content are among the most relevant ones.

Microwave thermal ablation treatments induce coagulation necrosis of diseased tissue through the absorption of an electromagnetic field at microwave frequencies. In particular, the electromagnetic field absorbed by the tissue induces a temperature increase that, in turn, produces an almost instantaneous cell death. The electromagnetic field is radiated by a minimally invasive antenna located in the centre of the diseased area.

Nanofluid is divided in two major section, mono nanofluid (MN) and hybrid nanofluid (HN). MN is created when a solid nanoparticle disperses in a fluid, whereas HN has more than one solid nanomaterial. In this research, iron (III) oxide (Fe3O4) is MN, and Fe3O4 plus multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) is HN, whereas both are mixed and dispersed into the water basefluid. Thermal conductivity (TC) of Fe3O4/water and MWCNT/Fe3O4/water was measured after preparation and numerical model performed on the resulted data.

This work explores the potentialities of combining a multi-layer eco-friendly panel with a phase change material coating. Although the work is based on a numerical approach performed by COMSOL Multiphysics® computer program, it can be considered as rigorous, robust, and optimized since the most important parameters added to the model were experimentally evaluated. The scientific soundness was guaranteed by a comparative analysis performed in two different times.

Considering the major role played by sandwich structures in many fields where high stiness-to-weight ratio is required, the selection of a suitable core material is of paramount importance. In order to face the environmental problems related to waste disposal, the selection of an eco-friendly core material is now included in the design criteria of sandwich structures. Agglomerated cork is recognized as a good solution that combines satisfactory mechanical performances and eco-sustainability.

Temperature control is one of the most significant factors to improve the performance
and extend the cycle life of a battery. It is, therefore, important to design and implement
an effective battery thermal management system (TMS). Phase change materials (PCMs)
can be used as a cooling means for batteries. In the present paper, a preliminary analysis
of the thermal behavior of PCMs used to cool down a heated metal surface was carried
out. Tests have shown that pure PCMs are able to limit the temperature increase, but