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R. Morello, C. De Capua, M. Lugarà
THE DESIGN OF A SENSOR NETWORK BASED ON IOT TECHNOLOGY FOR LANDSLIDE HAZARD ASSESSMENT

In the present paper, the authors deal with the landslide issue and the associated risk management. The design of a sensor network for monitoring landslide triggering events is proposed. The network consists of websensors using IoT technology to share measurement results and information. Data are acquired and processed to characterize the occurrence of triggering events causing landslides. The aim is to provide timely landslide hazard maps. The projected measurement system is a configurable network of wireless and smart sensors geographically distributed. The monitored area is divided in local zones, each zone is monitored by a smart sensor. Topographical and environmental information is used to cluster the area in order to configure the network and the monitoring process. According to the desired resolution, an algorithm fixes the size and number of local zones. The single sensor is able to measure the sliding and spatial movements of soil by means of accelerometers. Each sensing node transfers data to a Web page by a HSDPA modem for processing stage. Information can be remotely analyzed so to single out hazard and risky situations for the population in the monitored area. Then suitable interventions and actions can be planned from the civil protection.

N. I. Giannoccaro, L. Spedicato, A. Lay-Ekuakille
A SMART ROBOTIC ARM FOR AUTOMATIC SORTING OF OBJECTS WITH DIFFERENT TAGS

This paper presents a mechatronics application to automatically sort objects with a robotic arm. The robotic arm picks similar objects and moves them in order to read the information contained in tags. In this way, the arm is able to place the objects in different final positions depending on the captured information. The starting position of a box is perceived by processing an image acquired by means of a webcam. The reading is made by using a Reader placed in a pre-fixed location inside the work space of the robotic arm. The movement of the robotic arm is guaranteed by an accurate kinematic model.
The robotic arms are widely used in industry, but most of them are programmed to follow a previously learned trajectory. Very few robots are able to make real-time decisions and so they may not be considered smart systems. One example of smart robotic arm is provided by a device which can sort some objects taking advantage of the information contained in tags glued on the basis of the same objects. These systems can be used in several applications for protecting the environments aimed to automatize the processes of waste stocking and disposal simply differentiating the tag information.

F. Lamonaca, V. Nastro, F. Nastro, M. Vasile, A. Nastro
EVALUATION OF THE RELATION BETWEEN BUILDING MATERIALS AND INDOOR RADON POLLUTION

In this work the relation between building materials and Radon indoor pollution is evaluated. The work is part of a larger monitoring in progress in the Calabria Region (Southern Italy).
The area under investigation is San Giovanni in Fiore (CS) located in the Sila upland plain. An annual monitoring is carried out in many buildings of Sila area, with reference to their different building materials.
Nuclear tracks detector has been used (SSNTD, Solid State Nuclear Track Detector). Obtained results underline that the buildings realized with the local granite rock have greater indoor radon concentrations.
The local granitic rocks, representative of the geologic area, have been analyzed by gamma spectrometry constituted by Canberra system HPGe fixed detector cooled by liquid nitrogen high radio-emission values of standard radionuclides as 226Ra, 232Th and 40K.

Francesco Lamonaca, Gianluca Pizzuti, Natale Arcuri
ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF COSENZA: A CASE OF STUDY

The environmental conditions of the museum exhibition facilities and storage areas are the most crucial factors, concerning the preservation of collections and artifacts.
This paper describes the distributed measurement system used to monitor the environmental conditions of the National Gallery of Cosenza.
The pollution, the humidity, the temperature and the lighting can possibly deteriorate or even destroy the material cultural goods that are kept, protected and displayed in museum collections. Therefore, the aim of the present report is to evaluate whether the environmental parameters monitored are within some critical values. The study demonstrates few parameter values may comprise the preservation of painting materials.

A. L. Fioravante, F. B. Gonzaga, E. C. P. do Rego, C. R. Augusto, J. M. R. Caixeiro, V. S. Cunha
AN OVERVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS IN ENVIROMENTAL CERTIFIED REFERENCE MATERIAL FROM THE BRAZILIAN NMI

This paper aims to present the developments performed by the Chemical Metrology Division of the Brazilian NMI – Inmetro, considering the environmental demand. Inmetro addresses great part of its activities to the study of the traceability transference based on production and dissemination of certified reference material (CRM) of different areas in chemistry. So, the achievements made are the growth in developing CRM, in order to support the needs of the national industry and to disseminate traceability among the society.

Gaetano Battistella, Giuseppe Di Marco
SOME OPEN ISSUES IN ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING OF IPPC PLANTS: AIR EMISSIONS MEASUREMENTS

This paper describes some 'open issues' coming from the application of the authorization decrees licensing IPPC Plants in Italy at national level that have to respect monitoring and control procedures – as prescribed – in terms of air emissions measurements.
The release of IPPC operational licensees, in fact, has given place to hundreds of new technical situations in these Plants where pollution is now under control, where monitoring and reporting must now be developed.
These questions, on the other side, can be considered as giving also new opportunities for research and development for new methodologies and studies in order to reach results able to solve them.
Kinds of these new techniques – as technologies and managerial procedures - can help to solve these problems in order to support better application of IPPC permits and besides also some preliminary comments and suggestions needed to match this new deal.

M. R. Guascito, P. Ielpo, D. Cesari, A. Genga, C. Malitesta, R. A. Picca, D. Chirizzi, D. Contini
APPLICATION OF XPS SURFACE ANALYSIS FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF SIZE-SEGREGATED PARTICULATE MATTER FROM A URBAN BACKGROUND SITE IN LECCE

Application of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to chemical surface analysis of Particulate Matter (PM) is not yet a routine method in aerosol characterisation. Nonetheless, in the last years the interest towards the potentialities of this technique for PM analysis has rapidly grown. Surface chemical composition plays an important role in determining the optical properties of aerosol and its reactivity. In this communication we present an XPS surface study of different size fractions of PM, suitably collected using a 10-stage MOUDI-II impactor. Results were compared with chemical analysis of water soluble ions and water soluble carbon in the bulk of the collected particles. Elemental % (conc. > 0.1-1%) surface chemical composition was determined for each size fraction with particular attention to S (SO42-), Na+, N (NH4+, NO3-, organic nitrogen) and Cl-. Detailed analysis of C1s XPS spectra allowed to distinguish oxygen-containing groups such as carbonylic, carboxylic and carbonate groups. Surface and bulk analyses relevant to size fractions characteristic of coarse and accumulation modes will be reported, considering also a particular case of sea spray accompanied to an intrusion of Saharan Dust.

Elisa Pescini, Maria Grazia De Giorgi, Luca Francioso, Antonio Ficarella
MICROSCALE DIELECTRIC BARRIER DISCHARGE PLASMA ACTUATORS: EXPERIMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION

Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma devices have been designed and manufactured with micro scale dimensions through photolithographic process on fiber glass substrate. AC operation under sinusoidal voltage up to 14 kVpp and carrier frequency up to 2.5 kHz has been investigated experimentally by means of smoke flow visualizations and Particle Image Velocimetry. Velocity profiles, maximum induced velocity and induced body force have been calculated.
A comparison between the microactuator and a conventional macroactuator has been performed. It has been demonstrated that the microactuator produces velocities on the order of the macro scale actuator with a significant reduction in inception voltage, size and mass. This leads to a simpler and a less intrusive dispositive.

C. Viehweger, L. Kasper, T. Keutel, O. Kanoun
SPECTRAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SOLAR CELLS FOR INDOOR WIRELESS SENSOR NODES

A standardized characterization method for solar cells is only available for outdoor use. For the supply of wireless sensor nodes with energy harvesting also indoor applications are of interest. Without comparable values it is difficult to select the proper cell for defined environmental conditions. Therefore it is necessary to compare them individually to be able to make a selection. The work presented here shows a characterization of solar cells according to their spectral behavior. For this investigation a test structure with a monochromator, different light sources, source measure units and instruments for measuring intensity and spectra have been combined. The measurements help to select the best solar cell for indoor energy harvesting applications.

M. G. De Giorgi, D. Bello, A. Ficarella
AN ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK APPROACH TO INVESTIGATE CAVITATING FLOW REGIME AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES

The aim of the present study is to implement an useful approach to predict and on-line monitoring the cavitating flow and to investigate the influence of the different parameters on the phenomenon by the application of Artificial Neural Network (ANN). A three-layer Elman neural network was designed, using as inputs the power spectral density distributions of dynamic differential pressure fluctuations, recorded downstream and upstream the restricted area of the orifice. The results show that the designed neural networks predict the cavitation patterns successfully comparing with the cavitation pattern by visual observation. The Artificial Neural Network underlines also the impact that each input has in the training process, so it is possible to identify the frequency ranges that more influence cavitation regimes and the impact of fluid temperature.

Page 538 of 977 Results 5371 - 5380 of 9762