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L. Urbanucci
Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering (DESTEC), University of Pisa, Italy

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Journal article
Published: 18 June 2020 in Building and Environment
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The paper deals with the multi-objective optimization of the HVAC control in museums. Scientific literature, technical standards and museums stakeholders mainly focus on the single-objective of artefacts conservation. However, a major attention should be paid at visitors’ comfort and energy consumption, without compromizing artwork integrity. In this work, we propose and apply a methodology to find the best control of the air-handling unit to concurrently optimize the three objectives. The proposed methodology is based on the achievement function method and finds the Pareto-optimal value of the HVAC control variables over the operational period. The priority given to each objective can be customized by changing the reference point of the achievement function. The method is applied to a museum in Italy hosting paper artworks during summer. Both exhibition room and HVAC system are simulated through an in-house dynamic model. The results show that all three objectives are improved with respect to typical fixed setpoint values (i.e., T = 23 °C and RH = 50%). Depending on the reference point, different profiles of indoor hygrothermal parameters are found; in any case, improvements of each of the objective functions indexes (equivalent lifetime multiplier for artwork preservation, predicted percentage of dissatisfied, and energy consumption) are obtained with respect to fixed setpoint strategy. The multi-objective optimization of museums with paper artworks in summer periods encourages low indoor temperatures. This would lead to slightly increased energy consumptions, which can be limited, by reducing the ventilation rate to 3–3.5 1/h instead of the typical 4–5 1/h.

ACS Style

Eva Schito; Paolo Conti; Luca Urbanucci; Daniele Testi. Multi-objective optimization of HVAC control in museum environment for artwork preservation, visitors’ thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Building and Environment 2020, 180, 107018 .

AMA Style

Eva Schito, Paolo Conti, Luca Urbanucci, Daniele Testi. Multi-objective optimization of HVAC control in museum environment for artwork preservation, visitors’ thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Building and Environment. 2020; 180 ():107018.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eva Schito; Paolo Conti; Luca Urbanucci; Daniele Testi. 2020. "Multi-objective optimization of HVAC control in museum environment for artwork preservation, visitors’ thermal comfort and energy efficiency." Building and Environment 180, no. : 107018.

Journal article
Published: 20 March 2020 in Energy Conversion and Management
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Heat pumps represent a link between different energy vectors and their application in thermal and electrical grids can improve the overall operational flexibility of the system. In this work, the optimal integration of electrically driven heat pumps within a hybrid distributed energy system is investigated. A multi-objective stochastic optimization methodology is proposed to evaluate the integrated optimal sizing and operation of the energy systems under uncertainties in climate, space occupancy, energy loads, and fuel costs. A case study is considered, namely a University campus, and two different configurations, with and without heat pumps, are compared. Both configurations include a cogeneration system, photovoltaic and solar thermal panels, and a wind turbine. The results show how the integration of heat pumps can reduce the operational cost of the system, increase the renewables share, provide a more robust design of the system, and moderate the risk of the investment. Indeed, the configuration with heat pumps entails a 50% higher expected value of the energy savings, a 28% increase of the renewable energy production, and higher energy savings in the worst-case scenario (13% vs. 5%).

ACS Style

Daniele Testi; Luca Urbanucci; Chiara Giola; Eva Schito; Paolo Conti. Stochastic optimal integration of decentralized heat pumps in a smart thermal and electric micro-grid. Energy Conversion and Management 2020, 210, 112734 .

AMA Style

Daniele Testi, Luca Urbanucci, Chiara Giola, Eva Schito, Paolo Conti. Stochastic optimal integration of decentralized heat pumps in a smart thermal and electric micro-grid. Energy Conversion and Management. 2020; 210 ():112734.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniele Testi; Luca Urbanucci; Chiara Giola; Eva Schito; Paolo Conti. 2020. "Stochastic optimal integration of decentralized heat pumps in a smart thermal and electric micro-grid." Energy Conversion and Management 210, no. : 112734.

Journal article
Published: 18 September 2019 in Energy Conversion and Management
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Polygeneration energy systems in building applications are widely recognized as an effective way to reduce primary energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to high energy efficiencies and optimal integration of different energy technologies and sources. In the present work, the integration of a reversible absorption heat pump and an internal combustion engine in a novel trigeneration system is proposed. The reversible absorption heat pump, which employs a water-ammonia mixture, is driven by the exhaust gas of the engine, and can produce heating and cooling, alternately. The proposed trigeneration system is presented, and the energy services provided under the heating and cooling operating modes are evaluated. A levelized cost of energy analysis is conducted to evaluate the economic viability of the proposed system. Next, a second-law analysis compares its overall exergy efficiency to those of conventional systems. Finally, the novel trigeneration system is implemented in a case study, namely a large office building located in Pisa, Italy. The integrated optimal sizing and operation are evaluated by using a genetic algorithm-based procedure. The findings show that the system integrating reversible absorption heat pump and cogeneration unit provides valuable economic and energy performance. The exergy efficiency of the system can reach 43%, and cost savings of around 5% and 10% are achieved compared to traditional cogeneration and separate-production system, respectively.

ACS Style

Luca Urbanucci; Daniele Testi. Integration of reversible absorption heat pumps in cogeneration systems: Exergy and economic assessment. Energy Conversion and Management 2019, 200, 112062 .

AMA Style

Luca Urbanucci, Daniele Testi. Integration of reversible absorption heat pumps in cogeneration systems: Exergy and economic assessment. Energy Conversion and Management. 2019; 200 ():112062.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Urbanucci; Daniele Testi. 2019. "Integration of reversible absorption heat pumps in cogeneration systems: Exergy and economic assessment." Energy Conversion and Management 200, no. : 112062.

Journal article
Published: 05 August 2019 in Applied Sciences
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District heating and cooling networks based on trigeneration systems and renewable energy technologies are widely acknowledged as an energy efficient and environmentally benign solution. These energy systems generally include back-up units, namely fossil-fuel boilers and electric chillers, to enhance system flexibility and cover peak energy demand. On the other hand, 4th generation district heating networks are characterized by low-temperature water distribution to improve energy and exergy efficiencies. Moreover, reversible heat pumps are a versatile technology, capable of providing both heating and cooling, alternately. In this paper, the integration of reversible heat pumps as single back-up units in hybrid renewable trigeneration systems serving low-energy micro-district heating and cooling networks is investigated. A detailed modeling of the system is provided, considering part-load and ambient condition effects on the performance of the units. Size and annual operation of the proposed system are optimized in a case study, namely a large office building located in Pisa (Italy), by means of a genetic algorithm-based procedure. A comparison with the conventional trigeneration system is performed in terms of economic and environmental perspectives. Results show that the integration of reversible heat pumps is an economically viable solution capable of reducing by 7% the equivalent annual cost, increasing the installed power of renewables up to 23%, and lowering by 11% carbon dioxide emissions, compared to the energy system with conventional back-up units.

ACS Style

Luca Urbanucci; Daniele Testi; Joan Carles Bruno. Integration of Reversible Heat Pumps in Trigeneration Systems for Low-Temperature Renewable District Heating and Cooling Microgrids. Applied Sciences 2019, 9, 3194 .

AMA Style

Luca Urbanucci, Daniele Testi, Joan Carles Bruno. Integration of Reversible Heat Pumps in Trigeneration Systems for Low-Temperature Renewable District Heating and Cooling Microgrids. Applied Sciences. 2019; 9 (15):3194.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Urbanucci; Daniele Testi; Joan Carles Bruno. 2019. "Integration of Reversible Heat Pumps in Trigeneration Systems for Low-Temperature Renewable District Heating and Cooling Microgrids." Applied Sciences 9, no. 15: 3194.

Journal article
Published: 06 March 2019 in Energies
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Cogeneration systems are widely acknowledged as a viable solution to reduce energy consumption and costs, and CO2 emissions. Nonetheless, their performance is highly dependent on their capacity and operational strategy, and optimization methods are required to fully exploit their potential. Among the available technical possibilities to maximize their performance, the integration of thermal energy storage is recognized as one of the most effective solutions. The introduction of a storage device further complicates the identification of the optimal equipment capacity and operation. This work presents a cutting-edge methodology for the optimal design and operation of cogeneration systems with thermal energy storage. A two-level algorithm is proposed to reap the benefits of the mixed integer linear programming formulation for the optimal operation problem, while overcoming its main drawbacks by means of a genetic algorithm at the design level. Part-load effects on nominal efficiency, variation of the unitary cost of the components in relation to their size, and the effect of the storage volume on its thermal losses are considered. Moreover, a novel formulation of the optimization problem is proposed to better characterize the heat losses and operation of the thermal energy storage. A rolling-horizon technique is implemented to reduce the computational time required for the optimization, without affecting the quality of the results. Furthermore, the proposed methodology is adopted to design a cogeneration system for a secondary school in San Francisco, California, which is optimized in terms of the equivalent annual cost. The results show that the optimally sized cogeneration unit directly meets around 70% of both the electric and thermal demands, while the thermal energy storage additionally covers 16% of the heat demands.

ACS Style

Luca Urbanucci; Francesco D’Ettorre; Daniele Testi. A Comprehensive Methodology for the Integrated Optimal Sizing and Operation of Cogeneration Systems with Thermal Energy Storage. Energies 2019, 12, 875 .

AMA Style

Luca Urbanucci, Francesco D’Ettorre, Daniele Testi. A Comprehensive Methodology for the Integrated Optimal Sizing and Operation of Cogeneration Systems with Thermal Energy Storage. Energies. 2019; 12 (5):875.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Urbanucci; Francesco D’Ettorre; Daniele Testi. 2019. "A Comprehensive Methodology for the Integrated Optimal Sizing and Operation of Cogeneration Systems with Thermal Energy Storage." Energies 12, no. 5: 875.

Journal article
Published: 23 February 2019 in Energies
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Micro-district heating networks based on cogeneration plants and renewable energy technologies are considered efficient, viable and environmentally-friendly solutions to realizing smart multi-energy microgrids. Nonetheless, the energy production from renewable sources is intermittent and stochastic, and cogeneration units are characterized by fixed power-to-heat ratios, which are incompatible with fluctuating thermal and electric demands. These drawbacks can be partially overcome by smart operational controls that are capable of maximizing the energy system performance. Moreover, electrically driven heat pumps may add flexibility to the system, by shifting thermal loads into electric loads. In this paper, a novel configuration for smart multi-energy microgrids, which combines centralized and distributed energy units is proposed. A centralized cogeneration system, consisting of an internal combustion engine is connected to a micro-district heating network. Distributed electric heat pumps assist the thermal production at the building level, giving operational flexibility to the system and supporting the integration of renewable energy technologies, i.e., wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, and solar thermal collectors. The proposed configuration was tested in a hypothetical case study, namely, a University Campus located in Trieste, Italy. The system operation is based on a cost-optimal control strategy and the effect of the size of the cogeneration unit and heat pumps was investigated. A comparison with a conventional configuration, without distributed heat pumps, was also performed. The results show that the proposed configuration outperformed the conventional one, leading to a total-cost saving of around 8%, a carbon emission reduction of 11%, and a primary energy saving of 8%.

ACS Style

Daniele Testi; Paolo Conti; Eva Schito; Luca Urbanucci; Francesco D’Ettorre. Synthesis and Optimal Operation of Smart Microgrids Serving a Cluster of Buildings on a Campus with Centralized and Distributed Hybrid Renewable Energy Units. Energies 2019, 12, 745 .

AMA Style

Daniele Testi, Paolo Conti, Eva Schito, Luca Urbanucci, Francesco D’Ettorre. Synthesis and Optimal Operation of Smart Microgrids Serving a Cluster of Buildings on a Campus with Centralized and Distributed Hybrid Renewable Energy Units. Energies. 2019; 12 (4):745.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniele Testi; Paolo Conti; Eva Schito; Luca Urbanucci; Francesco D’Ettorre. 2019. "Synthesis and Optimal Operation of Smart Microgrids Serving a Cluster of Buildings on a Campus with Centralized and Distributed Hybrid Renewable Energy Units." Energies 12, no. 4: 745.

Journal article
Published: 23 January 2019 in Applied Energy
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Polygeneration energy systems are proven to be a reliable, competitive and efficient solution for energy production. The recovery of otherwise wasted energy is the primary reason for the high efficiency of polygeneration systems. In this paper, the integration of a high-temperature heat pump within a trigeneration system is investigated. The heat pump uses the low-temperature heat from the condenser of the absorption chiller as heat source to produce hot water. A numerical model of the heat pump cycle is developed to evaluate the technical viability of current heat pump technology for this application and assess the performance of different working fluids. An exergy analysis is performed to show the advantages of the novel trigeneration system with respect to traditional systems for energy production. Moreover, a levelized cost of electricity method is applied to the proposed energy system to show its generic economic feasibility. Finally, actual energy demand data from an Italian pharmaceutical factory are considered to evaluate the economic savings obtainable with the integrated system, implemented in a case study. A two-level algorithm is proposed for the economic optimization of the investment. The synthesis/design problem is addressed by a genetic algorithm and the optimal operation problem is solved by a linear programming method. Results show that the integration of a high-temperature heat pump within a trigeneration system provides flexibility to cover variable energy demands and achieve valuable economic and energy performances, with global cost savings of around 40% with respect to separate production and around 10% with respect to traditional cogeneration and trigeneration systems.

ACS Style

Luca Urbanucci; Joan Carles Bruno; Daniele Testi. Thermodynamic and economic analysis of the integration of high-temperature heat pumps in trigeneration systems. Applied Energy 2019, 238, 516 -533.

AMA Style

Luca Urbanucci, Joan Carles Bruno, Daniele Testi. Thermodynamic and economic analysis of the integration of high-temperature heat pumps in trigeneration systems. Applied Energy. 2019; 238 ():516-533.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Urbanucci; Joan Carles Bruno; Daniele Testi. 2019. "Thermodynamic and economic analysis of the integration of high-temperature heat pumps in trigeneration systems." Applied Energy 238, no. : 516-533.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2018 in Energy Conversion and Management
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The combined production of electricity, heat and cold by a polygeneration system connected to a district heating and cooling network can provide high energy utilization efficiency. The inherent complexity of simultaneous production of different services and the high variability in the energy demand make combined cooling and heating systems performance highly dependent on the operational strategy. In this paper, an operational optimization method based on the moving average of real-time measurements of energy demands and ambient conditions is proposed. Real energy demand data from a district heating and cooling network close to Barcelona, Spain, are used to test the method. A complex polygeneration system is considered, consisting of an internal combustion engine, a double-effect absorption chiller, an electric chiller, a boiler and a cooling tower. A detailed modelling of the system is provided, considering partial load behavior of the components and ambient conditions effects. Results of the real-time optimal management are discussed and compared to traditional operational strategies and to the ideal optimal management achievable with perfectly accurate forecast of energy demands. Moreover, the optimal width of the window adopted for the moving average of real-time data is identified.

ACS Style

L. Urbanucci; D. Testi; J.C. Bruno. An operational optimization method for a complex polygeneration plant based on real-time measurements. Energy Conversion and Management 2018, 170, 50 -61.

AMA Style

L. Urbanucci, D. Testi, J.C. Bruno. An operational optimization method for a complex polygeneration plant based on real-time measurements. Energy Conversion and Management. 2018; 170 ():50-61.

Chicago/Turabian Style

L. Urbanucci; D. Testi; J.C. Bruno. 2018. "An operational optimization method for a complex polygeneration plant based on real-time measurements." Energy Conversion and Management 170, no. : 50-61.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2018 in Energy Procedia
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The simultaneous production of different energy vectors from hybrid polygeneration plants is a promising way to increase energy efficiency and facilitate the development of distributed energy systems. The inherent complexity of polygeneration energy systems makes their economic, environmental and energy performance highly dependent on system synthesis, equipment selection and capacity, and operational strategy. Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) is the state of the art approach to tackle the optimization problem of polygeneration systems. The guarantee of finding global optimality in linear problems and the effectiveness of available commercial solvers make MILP very attractive and widely used in optimization problems of polygeneration systems. Nevertheless, several drawbacks affect the MILP formulation, such as: the impossibility of taking into account nonlinear effects; the necessity of considering all the time periods at once; the risk of high-dimensionality of the problem. To tackle these limitations, several techniques have been developed, such as: piecewise linearization methods; rolling horizon approaches; dimensionality reduction by means of energy demands clustering algorithms. In this paper, limits and potentials of MILP methods for the optimization problem of polygeneration energy systems are reviewed and discussed.

ACS Style

Luca Urbanucci. Limits and potentials of Mixed Integer Linear Programming methods for optimization of polygeneration energy systems. Energy Procedia 2018, 148, 1199 -1205.

AMA Style

Luca Urbanucci. Limits and potentials of Mixed Integer Linear Programming methods for optimization of polygeneration energy systems. Energy Procedia. 2018; 148 ():1199-1205.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Urbanucci. 2018. "Limits and potentials of Mixed Integer Linear Programming methods for optimization of polygeneration energy systems." Energy Procedia 148, no. : 1199-1205.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2018 in Energy Conversion and Management
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In this study a probabilistic approach for optimal sizing of cogeneration systems under long-term uncertainty in energy demand is proposed. A dynamic simulation framework for detailed modeling of the energy system is defined, consisting in both traditional and optimal operational strategies evaluation. A two-stage stochastic optimization algorithm is developed, adopting Monte Carlo method for the definition of a multi-objective optimization problem. An Italian hospital facility has been used as a case study and a gas internal combustion engine is considered for the cogeneration unit. The results reveal that the influence of uncertainties on both optimal size and annual total cost is significant. Optimal size obtained with the traditional deterministic approach are found to be sub-optimal (up to 30% larger) and the predicted annual cost saving is always lower when accounting for uncertainties. Pareto frontiers of different CHP configurations are presented and show the effectiveness of the proposed method as a useful tool for risk management and focused decision-making, as tradeoffs between system efficiency and system robustness.

ACS Style

Luca Urbanucci; Daniele Testi. Optimal integrated sizing and operation of a CHP system with Monte Carlo risk analysis for long-term uncertainty in energy demands. Energy Conversion and Management 2018, 157, 307 -316.

AMA Style

Luca Urbanucci, Daniele Testi. Optimal integrated sizing and operation of a CHP system with Monte Carlo risk analysis for long-term uncertainty in energy demands. Energy Conversion and Management. 2018; 157 ():307-316.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Urbanucci; Daniele Testi. 2018. "Optimal integrated sizing and operation of a CHP system with Monte Carlo risk analysis for long-term uncertainty in energy demands." Energy Conversion and Management 157, no. : 307-316.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2016 in International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer
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The application of a strong electric field within a dielectric medium can produce a jet-like motion of ionized liquid from a high-voltage electrode to a grounded heated plate. Ionic jet impingement on the upper surface of a horizontal plate where boiling is occurring significantly modifies the boiling curve. The effect of ion injection on saturated boiling heat transfer, specifically on boiling inception, nucleate boiling, and CHF, in a small-size sample with a single point-electrode configuration, has been experimentally investigated; the working fluid is FC-72. Significant heat transfer enhancement has been observed for the entire nucleate boiling curve. Besides, CHF has been delayed to higher heat fluxes (up to a 40% increase) by means of the impinging ionic jet. This active technique requires a negligible power input (in the order of a few milliwatts) for the ionic current. A focus on the influence of the electrical parameters on the phenomenon has been performed and preliminary results are presented. Further tests and modeling effort are needed to optimize this very promising technique

ACS Style

Walter Grassi; Daniele Testi; Luca Urbanucci; Davide Della Vista. Enhanced nucleate boiling and CHF on a small horizontal plate under ionic jet impingement. International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 2016, 79, 67 -73.

AMA Style

Walter Grassi, Daniele Testi, Luca Urbanucci, Davide Della Vista. Enhanced nucleate boiling and CHF on a small horizontal plate under ionic jet impingement. International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer. 2016; 79 ():67-73.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Walter Grassi; Daniele Testi; Luca Urbanucci; Davide Della Vista. 2016. "Enhanced nucleate boiling and CHF on a small horizontal plate under ionic jet impingement." International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 79, no. : 67-73.