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Federica Vurchio, Giorgia Fiori, Andrea Scorza, Salvatore Andrea Sciuto
A comparison among three different image analysis methods for the displacement measurement in a novel MEMS device

The functional characterization of MEMS devices is of great importance today, since it has the purpose both of verifying the behavior of these devices and of improving their future design. In this regard, the main topic of this study is the functional characterization of a microgripper prototype, a MEMS suitable in biomedical applications: to this aim, the measurement of the angular displacement of its comb-drive (capacitive electrostatic actuator that allows its movement) is provided by means of two novel automatic procedures, based on an image analysis software, the SURF-based (Speeded Up Robust Features) and the FFT-based (Fast Fourier Transform) method respectively. A preliminary comparison has been made, also with a previous semiautomatic method, to evaluate which of them is the best suitable for the functional characterization of the microgripper, highlighting their main advantages and limitations. The results obtained from the SURF-based method are promising; the curve obtained from the data showed a quadratic trend in agreement with both the analytical model and with the results obtained through the semiautomatic method. Moreover, the measurement obtained by the SURF-based method are affected by less than 0.2 ° uncertainty, that is less than one half of the measurement uncertainty due to the FFT-based algorithm.

Fabio Fuiano, Giorgia Fiori, Federica Vurchio, Andrea Scorza, Salvatore A. Sciuto
Transit Time Measurement of a Pressure Wave through an elastic tube based on LVDT sensors

Transit time is the propagation time of a pressure wave travelling between two sites in a medium. Such parameter is mainly implied in the biomedical field as a surrogate for the estimation of important markers of the cardiovascular system (e.g. blood pressure and arterial stiffness). The non-invasive transit time measurement is commonly used in clinical practice because it allows the continuous recording and monitoring of blood pressure. The development of an in vitro system able to reproduce the main cardiovascular characteristics is of primary importance for further investigations of the relationship between transit time and the arterial stiffness in order to predict the cardiovascular risk factors. The present work focuses on the development of a LVDT-based experimental set-up able to simulate transit time variations due to transmural pressure changes on an elastic tube. As validated in in vivo measurements, transit time and maximum radial tube displacement increment decrease with decreasing transmural pressure.

Marco Balato, Annalisa Liccardo, Carlo Petrarca
DMPPT experimental demonstration unit based on Buck converter

Distributed Maximum Power Point Tracking (DMPPT) technique represents the most promising solution to enhance the lackluster energetic performance of the mismatched PhotoVoltaic (PV) systems. Despite that, there are several factors which restrict its performance some of which are still to be explored. To fully understand the advantages offered by the DMPPT solution, the implementation of a DMPPT emulator is necessary. Based on the above needs, this paper describes the realization and use of a DMPPT experimental demonstration unit based on the Buck DC/DC converter. The above device is capable to emulate the output current vs. voltage (I-V) characteristics of many commercial PV modules with a dedicated Buck DC/DC converter not only in controlled atmospheric conditions but also with different currents rating of the switching devices. The system implementation is based on a commercial power supply controlled by a low-cost Arduino board. Data acquisition is performed through a low-cost current and voltage sensor by using a multichannel board by National Instruments. Experimental results confirm the validity and potential of the proposed DMPPT emulator.

G. Fulco, F. Ruffa, M. Lugarà, P. Filianoti, C. De Capua
Automatic Station for Monitoring a Microgrid

In the last few years there have been several changes in the electric energy sector, because of the need to have ever more energy and at the same time to reduce polluting emissions. These needs have led to the diffusion of renewable sources for the production of energy, which are often distributed throughout the territory. The concept of electric network has changed, leading to the introduction of the smart grid, in which energy consumption and quality are important information that allow a better management of the energy flows. To support efficiently smart grids in the management of bidirectional flow among the various nodes, they are needed smart meters and energy management systems. This paper aims to describe the design of an automatic measuring station, capable of simultaneously monitoring data from different smart meters distributed within a microgrid. Data acquired can be analysed and used, with the necessary methodologies, to implement a smart management of the energy flows.

Fabrizio Ciancetta, Giovanni Bucci, Edoardo Fiorucci, Simone Mari, Andrea Fioravanti, Alberto Prudenzi
Measurement of Powerline Performance in Residential Context

In recent years, Power Line Communication (PLC) has had a wide use in various contexts. PLC systems are non-invasive, low cost and combine electrical installation with network connectivity. By reducing installation time and costs, the PLC is a valid alternative to wireless technology. The electrical system is designed to meet the requirements in terms of installed power, connected loads, line length and cable section. Therefore, in a real context, the PLC performance can be influenced by the impedance of the communication channel, but also by the injection of harmonics into the electrical system, which reduce the signal-to-noise ratio. The purpose of this paper is to measure the performance of a PLC system in terms of the main parameters, such as bit rate, transmission time, retransmission packet, and others. The performance tests were carried out in a system that reproduces a domestic plant by means of concentrated impedances, to guarantee the repeatability of the tests and to allow easy modification of the power supply system. The loads are integrated in this system, to reproduce the real problems.

Paolo Castello, Carlo Muscas, Paolo Attilio Pegoraro, Sara Sulis
Low-Cost Energy Meter with Power Quality Functionalities

Nowadays, due to the changes in the energy scenario, the awareness of the power quality of the consumers and producers at the distribution level is increasing. In this scenario, different energy meters with enhanced functionalities have been introduced in the market. Recently, the availability of development platforms based on a single-board computer (SBC) has opened the door to the implementation of new types of low-cost meters. The SBCs can be used in different applications, thanks to the expansion boards connected to the general-purpose input-output (GPIO) interfaces. In this way, the SBC platform can be adapted to various applications, as energy meter or data logger. Specifically targeted measurement algorithms have to be implemented to exploit properly the available hardware resources and achieve suitable performance. In this paper, an improvement of functionalities of the commercial open-source energy meter SmartPi, based on the well-known platform Raspberry Pi, is proposed. The original software of the smart meter is replaced to extend its functionalities of power quality monitoring provided by the integrated circuit Analog Device ADE7878.

Alessio Carullo, Alessandro Ciocia, Paolo Di Leo, Francesco Giordano, Gabriele Malgaroli, Luca Peraga, Filippo Spertino, Alberto Vallan
Comparison of Correction Methods of Wind Speed for Performance Evaluation of Wind Turbines

The performance of horizontal axis wind turbines strongly depends on the speed of the wind that enters in the rotor of the turbine. Unfortunately, this quantity is rarely available since the wind speed is measured on the back of the turbine, where a lower value is present. For this reason, two correction methods are usually employed that require two input quantities: the wind speed on the back of the turbine nacelle and the wind speed detected by a meteorological station close to the investigated turbine. Since an anemometric station is not always available, a third method is here proposed that does not require this input quantity. The proposed method relies on the wind speed on the back of the turbine and the manufacturer power curve. The effectiveness of such a method is shown by comparison to the results obtained with the standard methods implemented on a wind power plant in Southern Italy.

E. Moreva, E. Bernardi, V. Pugliese, P. Traina, A. Sosso, S. Ditalia Tchernij, J. Forneris, F. Picollo, G. Petrini, Z. Pastuovic, I. P. Degiovanni, P. Olivero, M. Genovese
High sensitivity Nitrogen-Vacancy-assisted magnetic/electric field sensing at INRIM

Nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond allow measurement of enviromental properties such as magnetic and electric fields at nanoscale. The working principle is based on the measurement of the resonance frequency shift of Nitrogen-vacancy centers, detected by monitoring the photoluminescence of one single center or an ensemble of them. Here we present a high sensitivity magnetometry technique, based on lock-in detection, with particular features required for biological applications.

Mauro Valeri, Emanuele Polino, Martina Riva, Raffaele Silvestri, Davide Poderini, Ilaria Gianani, Giacomo Corrielli, Andrea Crespi, Roberto Osellame, Nicolò Spagnolo, Fabio Sciarrino
Quantum two-phase estimation inside a photonic integrated device

Quantum Metrology aims at exploiting quantum resources to enhance the performances in measuring physical quantities. Photonic implementation easily allows the experimental investigation of these tasks. This work presents a photonic device able to demonstrate quantum simultaneous estimation of optical phases, surpassing results achieving by classical strategies. The chip realizes a reconfigurable threemode interferometer, fabricated by using the advanced femtosecond laser writing technique. The high degree of tunability is given by the presence of optical phase shifters, which makes the device useful both for investigating multiparameter quantum metrology, and for studying how machine learning techniques can improve the learning process.

Diego Planeta, Onofrio Corona, Aldo Todaro, Luciano Cinquanta
THE COLOR OF DRIED FRUIT THROUGH THE COLOR ANALYSIS SENSOR

The consumption of dried fruit in the world, primarily almonds from hazelnuts followed by walnuts and pistachios, has increased exponentially in recent decades and has increased especially in the past year. The consumer directs his choice of consumption on dried fruit, not only from his taste preferences but also from the color of the packaged product. To determine the color with a fast method is fundamental for a commercial success of the product.

Page 148 of 977 Results 1471 - 1480 of 9762