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Dr. Paolo Tamburrano
Department of Mechanics, Mathematics and Management, Politecnico di Bari, via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari BA, Italy

Basic Info

Basic Info is private.

Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Development of a novel servo valve actuated by piezoelectric actuators, capable of providing better performance and lower power consumption than current servo valves used in aircraft and industry
0 Analysis of the energy losses (internal leakage) in servo valves caused by geometrical imperfections arising from manufacturing processes, and of the damping factor caused by the squeeze film inside the flapper-flexure tube system
0 Development of empirical models for the calculation of the laminar flame speed with application to different fuels and chemical compositions
0 Development of innovative techniques for measuring the in-cylinder pressure (by means of strain gauges) and the injector opening (by means of optical sensors) in reciprocating internal combustion engines
0 Study of innovative externally fired configurations and gas-to-gas heat exchangers which can allow carbon-neutral biomass to be used in small-scale combined-cycle power plants (gas/steam) for energy generation

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Analysis of the energy losses (internal leakage) in servo valves caused by geometrical imperfections arising from manufacturing processes, and of the damping factor caused by the squeeze film inside the flapper-flexure tube system
Development of a novel servo valve actuated by piezoelectric actuators, capable of providing better performance and lower power consumption than current servo valves used in aircraft and industry

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Review
Published: 09 August 2021 in Energies
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This paper is a thorough review of innovative architectures of electro-hydraulic servovalves that exploit actuation systems based on piezo-electric materials. The use of commercially available piezo-electric actuators, namely, piezo stacks, amplified piezo stacks, rectangular benders, and ring benders, is very promising for the actuation of the main stages and of the pilot stages of servovalves given the fast response and low weight of piezoelectric materials. The use of these actuators can also allow novel designs to be developed, thus helping manufacturers to overcome the typical drawbacks of commercial servovalves, such as the high complexity and the high internal leakage of the pilot stages of two-stage servovalves as well as the large size and weight of direct-drive servovalves. First, the piezoelectric actuators that can be used for driving servovalves are presented in the paper, and their characteristics are thoroughly discussed. The main novel architectures present in the literature are then explained and compared with the commercial ones, and their performance parameters are discussed to draw conclusions on the prospect that some of these architectures can be used by manufacturers as future designs.

ACS Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Francesco Sciatti; Andrew Plummer; Elia Distaso; Pietro De Palma; Riccardo Amirante. A Review of Novel Architectures of Servovalves Driven by Piezoelectric Actuators. Energies 2021, 14, 4858 .

AMA Style

Paolo Tamburrano, Francesco Sciatti, Andrew Plummer, Elia Distaso, Pietro De Palma, Riccardo Amirante. A Review of Novel Architectures of Servovalves Driven by Piezoelectric Actuators. Energies. 2021; 14 (16):4858.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Francesco Sciatti; Andrew Plummer; Elia Distaso; Pietro De Palma; Riccardo Amirante. 2021. "A Review of Novel Architectures of Servovalves Driven by Piezoelectric Actuators." Energies 14, no. 16: 4858.

Journal article
Published: 07 July 2021 in Actuators
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This paper presents a feasibility study using commercially available amplified piezo-stacks for the direct actuation of four-way three-position (4/3) direct drive servovalves. The prospect of using amplified piezo-stacks in place of linear force motors is very attractive by virtue of their fast response speed and low weight. Piezo-stacks equipped with mechanical amplification systems can give levels of displacement suitable for this application. A very effective amplification system has recently been produced by some manufacturers and is based on a temperature-independent diamond structure. This paper details simulations of a 4/3 servovalve directly actuated by such a piezoelectric actuator with a diamond structure. To this end, well-established equations, implemented in Simulink by means of the libraries of Simscape Fluids, are used. The proposed architecture shows simplicity of construction; in addition, very good step response speed and frequency response are predicted by the simulations.

ACS Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Elia Distaso; Andrew Plummer; Francesco Sciatti; Pietro De Palma; Riccardo Amirante. Direct Drive Servovalves Actuated by Amplified Piezo-Stacks: Assessment through a Detailed Numerical Analysis. Actuators 2021, 10, 156 .

AMA Style

Paolo Tamburrano, Elia Distaso, Andrew Plummer, Francesco Sciatti, Pietro De Palma, Riccardo Amirante. Direct Drive Servovalves Actuated by Amplified Piezo-Stacks: Assessment through a Detailed Numerical Analysis. Actuators. 2021; 10 (7):156.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Elia Distaso; Andrew Plummer; Francesco Sciatti; Pietro De Palma; Riccardo Amirante. 2021. "Direct Drive Servovalves Actuated by Amplified Piezo-Stacks: Assessment through a Detailed Numerical Analysis." Actuators 10, no. 7: 156.

Conference paper
Published: 22 October 2020 in E3S Web of Conferences
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In this paper, we investigate the idea of using, in place of recent linear force motors, amplified piezo-stack actuators for the actuation of direct drive servovalves, in order to exploit the fast response of piezoelements accompanied by the increased displacement ensured by mechanical amplification systems. Some possible architectures are proposed in this paper for the direct actuation of four-way three-position (4/3) servovalves using one or two commercially available amplified piezo-stack actuators having a diamond amplification mechanism. The simplest architecture, which employs only one actuator, is assessed using wellestablished equations implemented in Simulink, allowing the hydraulic, mechanical and electrical parts of the valve to be accurately simulated. Three spools of different size are considered in the simulations in order to obtain performance predictions for different valve flow ratings. From the analysis of the inherent characteristics of the amplified piezo-stack and from the results of the simulations, advantages and disadvantages of this possible architecture are drawn and discussed in detail. Among the advantages, there are the simplicity of construction and the high potential in terms of step response speed and frequency response; the large dimensions, low chip shear force capability and high costs are the main disadvantages.

ACS Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Pietro De Palma; Andrew R. Plummer; Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante. Feasibility study of using amplified piezo-stack actuators for the actuation of direct drive servovalves. E3S Web of Conferences 2020, 197, 07004 .

AMA Style

Paolo Tamburrano, Pietro De Palma, Andrew R. Plummer, Elia Distaso, Riccardo Amirante. Feasibility study of using amplified piezo-stack actuators for the actuation of direct drive servovalves. E3S Web of Conferences. 2020; 197 ():07004.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Pietro De Palma; Andrew R. Plummer; Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante. 2020. "Feasibility study of using amplified piezo-stack actuators for the actuation of direct drive servovalves." E3S Web of Conferences 197, no. : 07004.

Conference paper
Published: 22 October 2020 in E3S Web of Conferences
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This paper proposes a modelling approach for simulating mechanical ventilators for intensive care units (ICUs). The shortage of ventilators during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has focused attention on their design and performance. The proposed modelling approach consists in using the Mathworks®Simulink software tool and the SimScape Fluids (gas) library, so as to use well-established subroutines to simulate all the pneumatic components of typical ventilators for ICUs, such as the pressure reducing valves, pressure relief valves, check valves, tanks, ON\OFF and proportional directional valves, etc. The patient is simulated by setting the values of lung compliance and pressure losses occurring in the trachea. The proposed modelling approach is used in this paper to simulate a pneumatic scheme employed in some commercial ventilators. The model allows a very accurate prediction of fundamental parameters, such as the inspiratory flow rate, the inspiratory pressure, the end-expiratory pressure. Since the software interface is user-friendly, it can easily be used by manufacturers to correctly choose the geometrical and operating parameters of the components during the design stage or to assess different scenarios.

ACS Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Pietro De Palma; Andrew R. Plummer; Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante. Simulink Modelling For Simulating Intensive Care Mechanical Ventilators. E3S Web of Conferences 2020, 197, 07007 .

AMA Style

Paolo Tamburrano, Pietro De Palma, Andrew R. Plummer, Elia Distaso, Riccardo Amirante. Simulink Modelling For Simulating Intensive Care Mechanical Ventilators. E3S Web of Conferences. 2020; 197 ():07007.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Pietro De Palma; Andrew R. Plummer; Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante. 2020. "Simulink Modelling For Simulating Intensive Care Mechanical Ventilators." E3S Web of Conferences 197, no. : 07007.

Journal article
Published: 11 August 2020 in Energy Conversion and Management
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Recent needs of reducing pollutant emissions of internal combustion engines have pushed the development of non-conventional ignition systems. One of the most promising techniques appears to be the so-called Turbulent Jet Ignition (TJI) system, in which a jet of high-energy reactive gases is generated by means of a pilot combustion in a pre-chamber and used to initiate the main combustion event in the cylinder. Considering the complex nature of some phenomena typical of TJI systems, 3D CFD studies are essential to provide a detailed analysis for an efficient design. In this study, numerical simulations of an active pre-chamber TJI system applied to a lean operating methane engine were performed to provide a thorough analysis of the combustion process that characterizes such a technology. The numerical model was validated against experimental measurements carried out on an optically accessible single cylinder spark-ignition engine equipped with the pre-chamber prototype. The numerical simulations provided an insight view of both physical and chemical phenomena occurring inside the pre-chamber otherwise difficult to achieve by experiments alone. The evolution of some species of interest was analyzed in order to study the main charge ignition process, as well as the overall combustion progress. The results show that the main charge ignition is made possible by the large amount of energy and active radicals released from the pre-chamber and this ensures an overall stable and faster combustion in lean conditions. The performance improvements of the TJI system with respect to a traditional spark-ignition engine were evaluated in terms of efficiency and pollutant emission levels.

ACS Style

Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante; Egidio Cassone; Pietro De Palma; Paolo Sementa; Paolo Tamburrano; Bianca Maria Vaglieco. Analysis of the combustion process in a lean-burning turbulent jet ignition engine fueled with methane. Energy Conversion and Management 2020, 223, 113257 .

AMA Style

Elia Distaso, Riccardo Amirante, Egidio Cassone, Pietro De Palma, Paolo Sementa, Paolo Tamburrano, Bianca Maria Vaglieco. Analysis of the combustion process in a lean-burning turbulent jet ignition engine fueled with methane. Energy Conversion and Management. 2020; 223 ():113257.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante; Egidio Cassone; Pietro De Palma; Paolo Sementa; Paolo Tamburrano; Bianca Maria Vaglieco. 2020. "Analysis of the combustion process in a lean-burning turbulent jet ignition engine fueled with methane." Energy Conversion and Management 223, no. : 113257.

Journal article
Published: 03 August 2020 in Energies
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An experimental study has been conducted to provide a characterization of the transformations that particle size distributions and the number density of soot particles can encounter along the exhaust line of a modern EURO VI compliant heavy-duty engine, fueled with compressed natural gas. Being aware of the particles history in the exhausts can be of utmost importance to understand soot formation and oxidation dynamics, so that, new strategies for further reducing these emissions can be formulated and present and future regulations met. To this purpose, particle samples were collected from several points along the exhaust pipe, namely upstream and downstream of each device the exhaust gases interact with. The engine was turbocharged and equipped with a two-stage after-treatment system. The measurements were carried out in steady conditions while the engine operated in stoichiometric conditions. Particle emissions were measured using a fast-response particle size spectrometer (DMS500) so that size information was analyzed in the range between 5 and 1000 nm. Particle mass information was derived from size distribution data using a correlation available in the literature. The reported results provide more insight on the particle emission process related to natural gas engines and, in particular, point out the effects that the turbine and the after-treatment devices produce on soot particles. Furthermore, the reported observations suggest that soot particles might not derive only from the fuel, namely, external sources, such as lubricant oil, might have a relevant role in soot formation.

ACS Style

Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante; Giuseppe Calò; Pietro De Palma; Paolo Tamburrano. Evolution of Soot Particle Number, Mass and Size Distribution along the Exhaust Line of a Heavy-Duty Engine Fueled with Compressed Natural Gas. Energies 2020, 13, 3993 .

AMA Style

Elia Distaso, Riccardo Amirante, Giuseppe Calò, Pietro De Palma, Paolo Tamburrano. Evolution of Soot Particle Number, Mass and Size Distribution along the Exhaust Line of a Heavy-Duty Engine Fueled with Compressed Natural Gas. Energies. 2020; 13 (15):3993.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante; Giuseppe Calò; Pietro De Palma; Paolo Tamburrano. 2020. "Evolution of Soot Particle Number, Mass and Size Distribution along the Exhaust Line of a Heavy-Duty Engine Fueled with Compressed Natural Gas." Energies 13, no. 15: 3993.

Journal article
Published: 04 May 2020 in Energies
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In part I of this study, we experimentally and numerically investigated the pilot stage of a novel two-stage servovalve architecture. The novelty of the proposed configuration is the torque motor being removed and replaced with two small two-way two-position (2/2) valves actuated by piezoelectric ring benders, which can effectively control the opening degree of a main spool valve. With this novel architecture, the typical drawbacks of two-stage servovalves can be overcome, such as the high complexity of the torque motor and the high internal leakage in the pilot stage when the main valve is at rest in the neutral position (null). The low complexity and the negligible internal leakage of the piezo-valves are accompanied by the high response speed typical of piezoelectric actuators. The valve assessment is completed in the present study, since the entire valve architecture (main stage + pilot stage) is investigated. In particular, a simplified numerical model is developed to provide a design tool that allows, for a given main stage spool, the values of the geometrical parameters of the pilot stage to be chosen along with the characteristics of the ring bender. This design procedure is applied to a 7 mm diameter main spool; afterward, a detailed numerical model of the entire valve, solved by SimScape Fluids software, is employed to demonstrate that the response of the main stage valve is very rapid while ensuring negligible internal leakage through the piezo-valves when the main stage is closed (resulting in lower power consumption). For this reason, the proposed valve can be regarded as a “clean” component for energy conversion, having lower energy consumption than commercially available servovalves.

ACS Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Andrew R. Plummer; Pietro De Palma; Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante. A Novel Servovalve Pilot Stage Actuated by a Piezo-Electric Ring Bender (Part II): Design Model and Full Simulation. Energies 2020, 13, 2267 .

AMA Style

Paolo Tamburrano, Andrew R. Plummer, Pietro De Palma, Elia Distaso, Riccardo Amirante. A Novel Servovalve Pilot Stage Actuated by a Piezo-Electric Ring Bender (Part II): Design Model and Full Simulation. Energies. 2020; 13 (9):2267.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Andrew R. Plummer; Pietro De Palma; Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante. 2020. "A Novel Servovalve Pilot Stage Actuated by a Piezo-Electric Ring Bender (Part II): Design Model and Full Simulation." Energies 13, no. 9: 2267.

Journal article
Published: 04 February 2020 in Energies
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Electrohydraulic servovalves are widely used for precise motion control in aerospace and other industries due to their high accuracy and speed of response. However, commercial two-stage servovalves have several undesirable characteristics, such as the power consumption caused by the quiescent flow (internal leakage) in the pilot stage, and the complexity and high number of parts of the torque motor assembly, which affect the cost and the speed of manufacture. The solution to these problems can help to reduce costs, weight and power consumption, and enhance the reliability and reproducibility as well as the performance of these valves. For these reasons, this paper proposes a novel configuration for the pilot stage: it is composed of two normally closed two-way two-position (2/2) valves actuated by two piezo-electric ring benders; the opening and closing of the two piezo-valves can generate a differential pressure to be used to control the displacement of the main spool. In this way, there is negligible quiescent flow when the main stage is at rest; in addition, the torque motor and all its components are removed. To assess the performance of this novel pilot stage concept, a prototype of the piezo-valve has been constructed and tested. The experimental results indicate that the response speed of the new piezo-valve is very high. Furthermore, a numerical model is employed to show that, by adjusting specific parameters, the performance of the piezo-valve can be further improved, so that the valve can be fully opened or closed in less than 5 ms.

ACS Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Andrew R. Plummer; Pietro De Palma; Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante. A Novel Servovalve Pilot Stage Actuated by a Piezo-electric Ring Bender: A Numerical and Experimental Analysis. Energies 2020, 13, 671 .

AMA Style

Paolo Tamburrano, Andrew R. Plummer, Pietro De Palma, Elia Distaso, Riccardo Amirante. A Novel Servovalve Pilot Stage Actuated by a Piezo-electric Ring Bender: A Numerical and Experimental Analysis. Energies. 2020; 13 (3):671.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Andrew R. Plummer; Pietro De Palma; Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante. 2020. "A Novel Servovalve Pilot Stage Actuated by a Piezo-electric Ring Bender: A Numerical and Experimental Analysis." Energies 13, no. 3: 671.

Journal article
Published: 20 November 2018 in Renewable Energy Focus
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The authors propose a novel small-scale power plant capable of generating electricity and thermal energy from both solid and gaseous biomass, to be employed in rural electrification projects. The proposed system is based on mature and cheap technology, derived from the automotive sector, ensuring very low capital costs and minimum maintenance. The presence of an externally fired gas turbine permits to achieve great fuel flexibility and avoid possible problems of fuel supply in remote and isolated rural communities. The proposed solution makes rural communities capable of achieving energy autonomy targets, following a circular economy paradigm. Three possible configurations have been studied with a thermodynamic analysis in order to estimate system efficiency. Thanks to the reduced fixed and variable costs, the system allows to achieve performances comparable with those of other state-of-the-art technologies usually adopted for rural electrification. A prototype of the proposed system is developed at Politecnico di Bari (LabZERO).

ACS Style

Riccardo Amirante; Sergio Bruno; Elia Distaso; Massimo La Scala; Paolo Tamburrano. A biomass small-scale externally fired combined cycle plant for heat and power generation in rural communities. Renewable Energy Focus 2018, 28, 36 -46.

AMA Style

Riccardo Amirante, Sergio Bruno, Elia Distaso, Massimo La Scala, Paolo Tamburrano. A biomass small-scale externally fired combined cycle plant for heat and power generation in rural communities. Renewable Energy Focus. 2018; 28 ():36-46.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Riccardo Amirante; Sergio Bruno; Elia Distaso; Massimo La Scala; Paolo Tamburrano. 2018. "A biomass small-scale externally fired combined cycle plant for heat and power generation in rural communities." Renewable Energy Focus 28, no. : 36-46.

Review
Published: 30 October 2018 in International Journal of Fluid Power
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This paper provides a review of the state of the art of electro-hydraulic servovalves, which are widely used valves in industrial applications and aerospace, being key components for closed-loop electro-hydraulic motion control systems. The paper discusses their operating principles and the analytical models used to study these valves. Commercially available units are also analysed in detail, reporting the performance levels achieved by current servovalves in addition to discussing their advantages and drawbacks. A detailed analysis of research that investigates these valves via computational fluid-dynamic analysis is also provided. Research studies on novel control systems and novel configurations based on the use of smart materials, which aim to improve performance or reduce cost, are also analysed in detail.

ACS Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Andrew R. Plummer; Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante. A review of electro-hydraulic servovalve research and development. International Journal of Fluid Power 2018, 1 -23.

AMA Style

Paolo Tamburrano, Andrew R. Plummer, Elia Distaso, Riccardo Amirante. A review of electro-hydraulic servovalve research and development. International Journal of Fluid Power. 2018; ():1-23.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Andrew R. Plummer; Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante. 2018. "A review of electro-hydraulic servovalve research and development." International Journal of Fluid Power , no. : 1-23.

Review
Published: 05 October 2018 in Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control
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This paper reviews the state of the art of directly driven proportional directional hydraulic spool valves, which are widely used hydraulic components in the industrial and transportation sectors. First, the construction and performance of commercially available units are discussed, together with simple models of the main characteristics. The review of published research focuses on two key areas: investigations that analyze and optimize valves from a fluid dynamic point of view, and then studies on spool position control systems. Mathematical modeling is a very active area of research, including computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for spool geometry optimization, and dynamic spool actuation and motion modeling to inform controller design. Drawbacks and advantages of new designs and concepts are described in the paper.

ACS Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Andrew R. Plummer; Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante. A Review of Direct Drive Proportional Electrohydraulic Spool Valves: Industrial State-of-the-Art and Research Advancements. Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control 2018, 141, 1 .

AMA Style

Paolo Tamburrano, Andrew R. Plummer, Elia Distaso, Riccardo Amirante. A Review of Direct Drive Proportional Electrohydraulic Spool Valves: Industrial State-of-the-Art and Research Advancements. Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control. 2018; 141 (2):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Andrew R. Plummer; Elia Distaso; Riccardo Amirante. 2018. "A Review of Direct Drive Proportional Electrohydraulic Spool Valves: Industrial State-of-the-Art and Research Advancements." Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control 141, no. 2: 1.

Conference paper
Published: 12 September 2018 in BATH/ASME 2018 Symposium on Fluid Power and Motion Control
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This paper proposes a novel architecture for the pilot stage of electro-hydraulic two-stage servovalves that does not need a quiescent flow and a torque motor as well as a flexure tube to operate. The architecture consists of two small piezoelectric valves, coupled with two fixed orifices, which allow variation of the differential pressure at the main stage spool extremities in order to move it with high response speed and accuracy. Each piezoelectric valve is actuated by a piezoelectric ring bender, which exhibits much greater displacement than a stack actuator of the same mass, and greater force than a rectangular bender. The concept is intended to reduce the influence of piezoelectric hysteresis. In order to assess the validity of the proposed configuration and its controller in terms of spool positioning accuracy and dynamic response, detailed simulations are performed by using the software Simscape Fluids. At 50% amplitude the −90° bandwidth is about 150Hz.

ACS Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Riccardo Amirante; Elia Distaso; Andrew Plummer. A Novel Piezoelectric Double-Flapper Servovalve Pilot Stage: Operating Principle and Performance Prediction. BATH/ASME 2018 Symposium on Fluid Power and Motion Control 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Paolo Tamburrano, Riccardo Amirante, Elia Distaso, Andrew Plummer. A Novel Piezoelectric Double-Flapper Servovalve Pilot Stage: Operating Principle and Performance Prediction. BATH/ASME 2018 Symposium on Fluid Power and Motion Control. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Riccardo Amirante; Elia Distaso; Andrew Plummer. 2018. "A Novel Piezoelectric Double-Flapper Servovalve Pilot Stage: Operating Principle and Performance Prediction." BATH/ASME 2018 Symposium on Fluid Power and Motion Control , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2018 in Energy Procedia
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This paper develops a detailed simulation model, realized by the software Simscape, which can be a powerful tool to analyze the performance of a double nozzle flapper valve actuated by a piezoelectric ring bender. The particularity of this valve is that the use of the torque motor and flexure tube is avoided, thus reducing the complexity, manufacturing time and cost of the valve assembly. The model accounts for all the real phenomena present in the valve, such as fluid compressibility and fluid viscosity. The viability of the valve concept is validated by step tests simulated at different valve openings. It is shown that the response time obtained for a supply pressure of 210 bar and necessary to reach 90% of the maximum opening degree (corresponding to a maximum spool position of 1mm and maximum flow rate of 60 l/min) is only 6 ms, which is comparable with typical commercially available double nozzle flapper valves, but with the advantage of having removed critical components such as the torque motor and the flexure tube.

ACS Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Riccardo Amirante; Elia Distaso; Andrew R. Plummer. Full simulation of a piezoelectric double nozzle flapper pilot valve coupled with a main stage spool valve. Energy Procedia 2018, 148, 487 -494.

AMA Style

Paolo Tamburrano, Riccardo Amirante, Elia Distaso, Andrew R. Plummer. Full simulation of a piezoelectric double nozzle flapper pilot valve coupled with a main stage spool valve. Energy Procedia. 2018; 148 ():487-494.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Tamburrano; Riccardo Amirante; Elia Distaso; Andrew R. Plummer. 2018. "Full simulation of a piezoelectric double nozzle flapper pilot valve coupled with a main stage spool valve." Energy Procedia 148, no. : 487-494.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2018 in Energy Conversion and Management
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This paper proposes the implementation of cost-effective commercially available automotive components in small-scale power plants for the energy generation from carbon-neutral biomass. Specifically, a turbocharger and a power turbine of turbo-compound systems are proposed to be coupled with an external combustor and a high temperature heat exchanger in order to obtain a cheap externally fired gas turbine capable of producing about 30 kW of electrical power from the combustion of pruning residues. The externally fired gas turbine cycle can be combined either with a final heat exchanger to generate useful thermal power or with a bottoming cycle to generate useful thermal power and an additional electrical power of about 15 kW. Two plant configurations are proposed for the bottoming cycle: the first is a water Rankine cycle employing the “green steam turbine” as the steam expander, whereas the second is an organic Rankine cycle using an axial turbine and toluene as the working fluid. The results of the simulations, obtained through a detailed thermodynamic model, show that the use of a combined cycle is fundamental to maximize the primary energy savings of the power plant. In the case of negligible pressure losses, the use of a bottoming water Rankine cycle leads to a maximum second law efficiency of about 0.25 and maximum primary energy savings of about 0.23. Instead, a bottoming organic Rankine cycle employing a single stage turbine can increase the second law efficiency and the primary energy savings up to about 0.27 and 0.26, respectively. It is also demonstrated that the use of a two-stage turbine for the organic Rankine cycle can further enhance the plant performance. The effects of the pressure drops in the system are investigated in detail to point out that the minimization of the pressure losses is fundamental to improve the performance parameters of all the proposed configurations.

ACS Style

Riccardo Amirante; Pietro De Palma; Elia Distaso; Paolo Tamburrano. Thermodynamic analysis of small-scale externally fired gas turbines and combined cycles using turbo-compound components for energy generation from solid biomass. Energy Conversion and Management 2018, 166, 648 -662.

AMA Style

Riccardo Amirante, Pietro De Palma, Elia Distaso, Paolo Tamburrano. Thermodynamic analysis of small-scale externally fired gas turbines and combined cycles using turbo-compound components for energy generation from solid biomass. Energy Conversion and Management. 2018; 166 ():648-662.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Riccardo Amirante; Pietro De Palma; Elia Distaso; Paolo Tamburrano. 2018. "Thermodynamic analysis of small-scale externally fired gas turbines and combined cycles using turbo-compound components for energy generation from solid biomass." Energy Conversion and Management 166, no. : 648-662.

Proceedings article
Published: 04 September 2017 in SAE Technical Paper Series
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ACS Style

Riccardo Amirante; Elia Distaso; Silvana Di Iorio; Davide Pettinicchio; Paolo Sementa; Paolo Tamburrano; Bianca Maria Vaglieco. Experimental Investigations on the Sources of Particulate Emission within a Natural Gas Spark-Ignition Engine. SAE Technical Paper Series 2017, 1, 1 .

AMA Style

Riccardo Amirante, Elia Distaso, Silvana Di Iorio, Davide Pettinicchio, Paolo Sementa, Paolo Tamburrano, Bianca Maria Vaglieco. Experimental Investigations on the Sources of Particulate Emission within a Natural Gas Spark-Ignition Engine. SAE Technical Paper Series. 2017; 1 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Riccardo Amirante; Elia Distaso; Silvana Di Iorio; Davide Pettinicchio; Paolo Sementa; Paolo Tamburrano; Bianca Maria Vaglieco. 2017. "Experimental Investigations on the Sources of Particulate Emission within a Natural Gas Spark-Ignition Engine." SAE Technical Paper Series 1, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2017 in Energy Conversion and Management
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ACS Style

Riccardo Amirante; Elia Distaso; Paolo Tamburrano. Novel, cost-effective configurations of combined power plants for small-scale cogeneration from biomass: Design of the immersed particle heat exchanger. Energy Conversion and Management 2017, 148, 876 -894.

AMA Style

Riccardo Amirante, Elia Distaso, Paolo Tamburrano. Novel, cost-effective configurations of combined power plants for small-scale cogeneration from biomass: Design of the immersed particle heat exchanger. Energy Conversion and Management. 2017; 148 ():876-894.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Riccardo Amirante; Elia Distaso; Paolo Tamburrano. 2017. "Novel, cost-effective configurations of combined power plants for small-scale cogeneration from biomass: Design of the immersed particle heat exchanger." Energy Conversion and Management 148, no. : 876-894.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2017 in Ultrasonics Sonochemistry
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The aim of the virgin olive oil extraction process is mainly to obtain the best quality oil from fruits, by only applying mechanical actions while guaranteeing the highest overall efficiency. Currently, the mechanical methods used to extract virgin oils from olives are basically of two types: the discontinuous system (obsolete) and the continuous one. Anyway the system defined as "continuous" is composed of several steps which are not all completely continuous, due to the presence of the malaxer, a device that works in batch. The aim of the paper was to design, realize and test the first full scale sono-exchanger for the virgin olive oil industry, to be placed immediately after the crusher and before the malaxer. The innovative device is mainly composed of a triple concentric pipe heat exchanger combined with three ultrasound probes. This mechanical solution allows both the cell walls (which release the oil droplets) along with the minor compounds to be destroyed more effectively and the heat exchange between the olive paste and the process water to be accelerated. This strategy represents the first step towards the transformation of the malaxing step from a batch operation into a real continuous process, thus improving the working capacity of the industrial plants. Considering the heterogeneity of the olive paste, which is composed of different tissues, the design of the sono-exchanger required a thorough fluid dynamic analysis. The thermal effects of the sono-exchanger were monitored by measuring the temperature of the product at the inlet and the outlet of the device; in addition, the measurement of the pigments concentration in the product allowed monitoring the mechanical effects of the sono-exchanger. The effects of the innovative process were also evaluated in terms of extra virgin olive oil yields and quality, evaluating the main legal parameters, the polyphenol and tocopherol content. Moreover, the activity of the polyphenol oxidase enzyme in the olive paste was measured.

ACS Style

Maria Lisa Clodoveo; Vito Moramarco; Antonello Paduano; Raffaele Sacchi; Tiziana Di Palmo; Pasquale Crupi; Filomena Corbo; Vito Pesce; Elia Distaso; Paolo Tamburrano; Riccardo Amirante. Engineering design and prototype development of a full scale ultrasound system for virgin olive oil by means of numerical and experimental analysis. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 2017, 37, 169 -181.

AMA Style

Maria Lisa Clodoveo, Vito Moramarco, Antonello Paduano, Raffaele Sacchi, Tiziana Di Palmo, Pasquale Crupi, Filomena Corbo, Vito Pesce, Elia Distaso, Paolo Tamburrano, Riccardo Amirante. Engineering design and prototype development of a full scale ultrasound system for virgin olive oil by means of numerical and experimental analysis. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry. 2017; 37 ():169-181.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria Lisa Clodoveo; Vito Moramarco; Antonello Paduano; Raffaele Sacchi; Tiziana Di Palmo; Pasquale Crupi; Filomena Corbo; Vito Pesce; Elia Distaso; Paolo Tamburrano; Riccardo Amirante. 2017. "Engineering design and prototype development of a full scale ultrasound system for virgin olive oil by means of numerical and experimental analysis." Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 37, no. : 169-181.

Article
Published: 24 May 2017 in International Journal of Automotive Technology
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Since the needle displacement exerts a fundamental influence on the operation of Common Rail injection systems, accurate measurements of the control piston position can be crucial for a more thorough analysis of the behaviour of injectors, in particular when multiple injections are employed. Eddy current sensors have traditionally been used in lab activities to measure the control piston position inside injectors; apart from the high cost, the scientific literature clearly shows their inadequacy, which is mainly due to the presence of electromagnetic disturbance: the current pulse, which controls the opening of the injector, generates electromagnetic fields which strongly affect the acquisition of data. Many attempts have recently been made either to solve the interference occurring during such measurements or to propose alternative displacement transducers whose operation is not influenced by electromagnetic interference. In this paper, a new device for measuring the injector opening is proposed: it is an optical transducer characterized both by simple and very cheap construction and by a reliable physical principle for measuring the control piston lift. The reliability of the proposed sensor is assessed by a thorough experimental campaign and by comparing the experimental results with the numerical predictions achieved by a Common Rail injector model. Since the assembly of the optical sensor does not affect the injector operation, it can efficiently be used both for experimental tests and for on-board diagnosis and monitoring of the injector operation.

ACS Style

Riccardo Amirante; Carlo Coratella; Elia Distaso; Gianluca Rossini; Paolo Tamburrano. Optical device for measuring the injectors opening in common rail systems. International Journal of Automotive Technology 2017, 18, 729 -742.

AMA Style

Riccardo Amirante, Carlo Coratella, Elia Distaso, Gianluca Rossini, Paolo Tamburrano. Optical device for measuring the injectors opening in common rail systems. International Journal of Automotive Technology. 2017; 18 (4):729-742.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Riccardo Amirante; Carlo Coratella; Elia Distaso; Gianluca Rossini; Paolo Tamburrano. 2017. "Optical device for measuring the injectors opening in common rail systems." International Journal of Automotive Technology 18, no. 4: 729-742.

Research article
Published: 03 May 2017 in International Journal of Engine Research
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ACS Style

Riccardo Amirante; Elia Distaso; Michele Napolitano; Paolo Tamburrano; Silvana Di Iorio; Paolo Sementa; Bianca Maria Vaglieco; Rolf D Reitz. Effects of lubricant oil on particulate emissions from port-fuel and direct-injection spark-ignition engines. International Journal of Engine Research 2017, 18, 606 -620.

AMA Style

Riccardo Amirante, Elia Distaso, Michele Napolitano, Paolo Tamburrano, Silvana Di Iorio, Paolo Sementa, Bianca Maria Vaglieco, Rolf D Reitz. Effects of lubricant oil on particulate emissions from port-fuel and direct-injection spark-ignition engines. International Journal of Engine Research. 2017; 18 (5):606-620.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Riccardo Amirante; Elia Distaso; Michele Napolitano; Paolo Tamburrano; Silvana Di Iorio; Paolo Sementa; Bianca Maria Vaglieco; Rolf D Reitz. 2017. "Effects of lubricant oil on particulate emissions from port-fuel and direct-injection spark-ignition engines." International Journal of Engine Research 18, no. 5: 606-620.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2017 in Energy Conversion and Management
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ACS Style

Riccardo Amirante; Egidio Cassone; Elia Distaso; Paolo Tamburrano. Overview on recent developments in energy storage: Mechanical, electrochemical and hydrogen technologies. Energy Conversion and Management 2017, 132, 372 -387.

AMA Style

Riccardo Amirante, Egidio Cassone, Elia Distaso, Paolo Tamburrano. Overview on recent developments in energy storage: Mechanical, electrochemical and hydrogen technologies. Energy Conversion and Management. 2017; 132 ():372-387.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Riccardo Amirante; Egidio Cassone; Elia Distaso; Paolo Tamburrano. 2017. "Overview on recent developments in energy storage: Mechanical, electrochemical and hydrogen technologies." Energy Conversion and Management 132, no. : 372-387.