Papers by Mauro Capocelli
Process Analysis of the Novel Flash-Me Desalination Process Driven by Low-Grade Thermal Energy
SSRN Electronic Journal
Energies
Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) is a viable solution to valorise the CO2 captured from indus... more Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) is a viable solution to valorise the CO2 captured from industrial plants’ flue gas, thus avoiding emitting it and synthesizing products with high added value. On the other hand, using CO2 as a reactant in chemical processes is a challenging task, and a rigorous analysis of the performance is needed to evaluate the real impact of CCU technologies in terms of efficiency and environmental footprint. In this paper, the energetic performance of a DME and methanol synthesis process fed by 25% of the CO2 captured from a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plant and by the green hydrogen produced through an electrolyser was evaluated. The remaining 75% of the CO2 was compressed and stored underground. The process was assessed by means of an exergetic analysis and compared to post-combustion Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), where 100% of the CO2 captured was stored underground. Through the exergy analysis, the quality degradation of energy was quanti...
Model Predictive Control for the Artificial Pancreas
Biomedical Engineering Challenges, 2018
Chemical Engineering Transactions, 2016
The acrylic paint can be contaminated by bacteria (and rarely fungi), due to the presence of micr... more The acrylic paint can be contaminated by bacteria (and rarely fungi), due to the presence of microbiological residuals on the container, that are responsible for the degradation of the paint chemical and physical characteristics. Hence, as stated by the EU regulation of May 2015, it is mandatory to provide an in-can preservation of the paint. When subject to different temperatures, the in-can product could evaporate and then condense under the cover of the can. Since biocides are not volatile substances, they are present in very small quantities in the cover phase setting the bacteria free to proliferate. This research group is working on the modelling of the microbiological evolution of in-can systems with the aim of predicting the contamination extent and of obtaining proper design procedures to guarantee the protection (of both the can and the cover phase). The thermofluid-dynamic model implemented on gPROMS software is validated through the comparison with literature experimenta...
Chemical Engineering Transactions, 2016
Hydrodynamic Cavitation is employed as process enhancer for the industrial production of biodiese... more Hydrodynamic Cavitation is employed as process enhancer for the industrial production of biodiesel with important improvements in energy efficiency, yields and required time. These improvements can play an important role in the new generation of biodiesel facilities, even more under the recent global scenario of low petroleum prices where the biodiesel industry is struggling to be competitive and economically sustainable. In this framework the cost and time reduction can be achieved overcoming the present limitations of low mass transfer coefficients and enabling the utilization of high fatty acid oils. This work explores via an integrated mathematical model (computational fluid dynamics and single bubble dynamics) several geometrical possibilities for cavitational reactors with simple construction and easy scalability as cylinders and Venturi channel arrangements. The paper presents the fundamental equations and the global simulation criteria integrating the multi-scale approaches ...
Direct Synthesis of Methanol and Dimethyl Ether From a CO 2 -Rich Feedstock: Thermodynamic Analysis and Selective Membrane Application
Methanol, 2018
This chapter focuses on the methanol and DME synthesis processes fed by a CO 2 -rich syngas feeds... more This chapter focuses on the methanol and DME synthesis processes fed by a CO 2 -rich syngas feedstock derived from a biological process as fermentation or gasification of biomasses. The conversion of a CO 2 -rich stream allows the valorization of carbon dioxide, converting it into added high-value products such as methanol and dimethyl ether. However, a thermodynamics analysis highlights the strong negative effect that an inlet CO 2 composition has on conversion reactions and the products yielded. The solution to supporting methanol/DME production processes with high contents of CO 2 is to integrate a membrane that is selective to water and able to remove the generated steam. This approach avoids accumulation of water inside the reaction environment, thus overcoming the thermodynamic thresholds and supporting the methanol and DME generation reactions.
Process analysis and plant simulation in a sustainable economy
The chapter is focused on the main strategies for the modeling of sustainable processes. An overv... more The chapter is focused on the main strategies for the modeling of sustainable processes. An overview of the fundamental elements that characterize the development of the basic design of a process is presented, assessing case studies for the following topics: (i) thermodynamics modeling for process analysis, with the definition of the rules of thumb for the selection of a proper thermodynamics model for specific cases; (ii) process analysis and simulation, with the dynamic modeling of an absorption column; (iii) exergetic analysis and its effect on the techno-economic analysis of separation processes. The scope of the chapter is to give an overview of the main criteria to be followed for modeling, having in mind the need to objectively quantify the actual impacts of the process on resource consumption.
Water, 2021
Water is fundamental for the quality of both ecosystems and society, and plays a key role for ene... more Water is fundamental for the quality of both ecosystems and society, and plays a key role for energy and food production, a prerequisite for the sustainable development [...]
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Environmental, Chemical, Ecological, Geological and Geophysical Engineering, 2017
This paper presents the experimental results and the related modeling of a thermal energy storage... more This paper presents the experimental results and the related modeling of a thermal energy storage (TES) facility, ideated and realized by ENEA and realizing the thermocline with an innovative geometry. Firstly, the thermal energy exchange model of an equivalent shell & tube heat exchanger is described and tested to reproduce the performance of the spiral exchanger installed in the TES. Through the regression of the experimental data, a first-order thermocline model was also validated to provide an analytical function of the thermocline, useful for the performance evaluation and the comparison with other systems and implementation in simulations of integrated systems (e.g. power plants). The experimental data obtained from the plant start-up and the short-cut modeling of the system can be useful for the process analysis, for the scale-up of the thermal storage system and to investigate the feasibility of its implementation in actual case-studies.
Membrane bioreactors for digestive system to study drugs absorption and bioavailability
Current Trends and Future Developments on (Bio-) Membranes, 2020
Abstract This chapter describes a new gastro intestinal (GI) model, based on membrane bioreactors... more Abstract This chapter describes a new gastro intestinal (GI) model, based on membrane bioreactors, able to evaluate the bioavailability of drugs, also in presence of food. The model includes the physiology of five compartments: stomach, duodenum, jejunum, colon, and blood. All the compartments are interconnected with valves that control the flux in input and output from the compartments (discontinuous running mode). The molecule passage in the blood occurs though a transmembrane flux. The simulation of GI absorption starts with the input of the bolus in the stomach. The emptying of the stomach is controlled by enzymatic reactions in the duodenum, therefore controlling this stage without any external function or parameters, but only using the physiological process. The parameters used work for the optimal condition of the reactions (pH in optimal range, presence of bile salts, etc.). Paracetamol and ketoprofen are the drugs implemented for model validation. The data obtained from the model are comparable with in vivo results from literature. The reference parameters are maximum concentration, time to enter and exit from therapeutic range, and time to reach the maximum concentration. The tests “with food” include a nutrient concentration to simulate a meal with 150 g of bread and 20 g of butter. The maximum concentration in blood for the test 1 is 0.153 mmol L− 1 for the paracetamol, while for ketoprofen it is 0.0243 mmol L− 1. The times to reach the maximum concentration for both the ketoprofen and paracetamol are about 55 min. In the presence of the meal, drugs show different pharmacokinetics. The maximum concentration for ketoprofen is 0.0135 mmol L− 1. The time to reach the maximum concentration is 3 h and 35 min.
Water, 2020
Geothermal brines can be a resource of energy, freshwater and minerals. Even when rejected after ... more Geothermal brines can be a resource of energy, freshwater and minerals. Even when rejected after their exploitation to produce energy in a power plant, the brines can be a source of freshwater and minerals, and can have a residual enthalpy that can be recovered to produce additional power. The different reuse scenarios of these wasted brines depend on the composition and temperature at which they must be reinjected into the wells. On this basis, geothermal energy production is a perfect case study to investigate the water–energy nexus and to optimize the integrated energy- and water-production processes. In this paper, two case studies of brine reuse for both energy and water production are presented with the related process analysis, basic design and technical–economic analysis. A methodology to evaluate the exergy efficiency of the processes is presented by analyzing minimum work of separation, the maximum achievable work and the additional primary energy required for integrated p...
Waste heat recovery from ship diesel generators for water-energy dual purpose plants
DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, 2017
Bio-oil production and upgrading
Membrane Technologies for Biorefining, 2016
Abstract In the next few years the world demand for liquid fossil fuels for transportation will r... more Abstract In the next few years the world demand for liquid fossil fuels for transportation will require finding a reliable and feasible alternative. Bio-oil represents an interesting choice because of the properties of upgraded products, which are good candidates for a drop-in fuel. With this perspective, optimization of bio-oil production necessitates process intensification, which may adopt membrane technology as a key technology to improve process efficiency and liquid fuel yield. In this survey, we present a critical review of state-of-art technologies, with a special focus on fast pyrolysis. After a wide survey of feedstocks, processes, and traditional reactors, we offer a perspective on the application of membrane technology for improving liquid fuel production for use in transportation.
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2012
h i g h l i g h t s " Higher ultrasonic frequencies increase the removal efficiency of E2, EE2 an... more h i g h l i g h t s " Higher ultrasonic frequencies increase the removal efficiency of E2, EE2 and PNP. " The efficiency is mainly related to hydroxyl radical production. " The optimal frequency depends also on the bubble collapse intensity and duration. " We model a total amount of hydroxyl radicals which agrees with experiments.
Chemical effect of hydrodynamic cavitation: Simulation and experimental comparison
AIChE Journal, 2014
ABSTRACT This paper deals with the chemical effect of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) in a Venturi r... more ABSTRACT This paper deals with the chemical effect of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) in a Venturi reactor from both the theoretical and the experimental point of view. A mathematical model is presented in order to simulate the global production of hydroxyl radicals; it is based on a set of ordinary differential equations that account for the hydrodynamics, mass diffusion, heat exchange and chemical reactions inside the bubbles. Experimentally, the degradation of p-nitrophenol (initial concentration 0.15 g dm-3) has been conducted in a lab scale Venturi reactor at inlet pressure ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 MPa and has been used to estimate the hydroxyl radical production. The optimum configuration, suggested by numerical simulations, has been experimentally confirmed. Thanks to the empirical validation, this novel modeling approach can be considered as a theoretical tool to identify the best configuration of HC operating parameters. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2014
Thermocline Thermal Storage for Concentrated Solar Power Applications: Characterization of Novel Nitrate Salt Mixtures
Journal of Solar Energy Engineering
Parabolic trough concentrated solar power (CSP) plants are particularly promising renewable sourc... more Parabolic trough concentrated solar power (CSP) plants are particularly promising renewable sources of energy, whose easy integration with thermal energy storage (TES) systems allows to mitigate the intermittency of electricity generation. Currently, molten nitrates, with two tanks arrangement, are mainly used for sensible heat accumulation. To reduce costs and make the CSP storage systems more manageable, single tank configurations have been proposed, where the cold and hot fluids are stored in the same container and separated because of their density difference. The aim of the present work is to study the storage performances presented by two novel ternary and quaternary mixtures, proposed within the European project IN POWER. An experimental campaign was preliminarily performed to investigate the fluids thermo-physical properties, and the obtained values were utilized as input data to model the discharge phase in a thermocline tank. The simulation results were compared with the o...
Energies, 2022
The increasing demand for energy and commodities has led to escalating greenhouse gas emissions, ... more The increasing demand for energy and commodities has led to escalating greenhouse gas emissions, the chief of which is represented by carbon dioxide (CO2). Blue hydrogen (H2), a low-carbon hydrogen produced from natural gas with carbon capture technologies applied, has been suggested as a possible alternative to fossil fuels in processes with hard-to-abate emission sources, including refining, chemical, petrochemical and transport sectors. Due to the recent international directives aimed to combat climate change, even existing hydrogen plants should be retrofitted with carbon capture units. To optimize the process economics of such retrofit, it has been proposed to remove CO2 from the pressure swing adsorption (PSA) tail gas to exploit the relatively high CO2 concentration. This study aimed to design and numerically investigate a vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) process capable of capturing CO2 from the PSA tail gas of an industrial steam methane reforming (SMR)-based hydroge...
Theoretical and experimental procedure for scaling-up RDF gasifiers: The Gibbs Gradient Method
Fuel, 2016
Abstract The thermodynamic Model “Gibbs Free Energy Gradient Method” (GMM), published on the Vol.... more Abstract The thermodynamic Model “Gibbs Free Energy Gradient Method” (GMM), published on the Vol. 90 (2011) of this Journal and validated with literature data, is now applied to the simulation of an experimental campaign realized at the ENEA Research Centre of Trisaia (Italy). The GMM well reproduces the experimental results of steam gasification of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) obtained on two laboratory and pilot scale rotary kilns. Consequently, the experimental syngas composition is put in relation to the main process parameters through a new approach incorporating the GMM for identifying a reliable correlation between the extent of reactions and the gasifier temperature. This correlation appears independent from the scale of the rotary kiln and the residence time in the investigated range of variables. On this basis, the GMM is adapted to become a tool for designing industrial gasifiers starting from experimental data since the required final composition of the syngas and the required performances may be obtained by designing a gasification zone operating at the temperature calculated by the proposed method. It is believed that this procedure is extendable to other geometries and different type of apparatus by studying and including the effect of other parameters.
Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2015
Thermal conversion is fundamental in an integrated waste management system due to the capability ... more Thermal conversion is fundamental in an integrated waste management system due to the capability of reducing mass and volume of waste and recovering energy content from unrecyclable materials. Indeed, power generation from industrial solid wastes (ISW) is a topic of great interest for its appeal in the field of renewable energy production as well as for an increasing public concern related to its emissions. This paper is based on the process engineering and optimization analysis, commissioned to the University Campus-Biomedico of Rome by the MIDA Tecnologie Ambientali S.r.l. enterprise, ended up in the construction of an ISW thermo-conversion plant in Crotone (Southern Italy), where it is nowadays operating. The scientific approach to the process analysis is founded on a novel cascade numerical simulation of each plant section and it has been used initially in the process design step and after to simulate the performances of the industrial plant. In this paper, the plant process scheme is described together with the values of main operating parameters monitored during the experimental test runs. The thermodynamic and kinetic basics of the mathematical model for the simulation of the energy recovery and flue gas treatment sections are presented. Moreover, the simulation results, together with the implemented parameters, are given and compared to the experimental data for 10 specific plant test runs. It was found that the model is capable to predict the process performances in the energy production as well as in the gas treatment sections with high accuracy by knowing a set of measurable input variables. In the paper fundamental plant variables have been considered such as steam temperature, steam flow rate, power generated as well as temperature, flow rate and composition of the resulting flue gas; therefore, the mathematical model can be simply implemented as a reliable and efficient tool for management optimization of this kind of plants.
Water, 2020
Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) has been extensively studied for the Advanced Oxidation of organic c... more Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) has been extensively studied for the Advanced Oxidation of organic compounds in wastewaters since it physically produces an oxidative environment at ambient conditions. This process is simple and economical since it can be realized through a properly designed restriction in a pipeline, even in retrofit solutions. Several experimental works individuated similar values of the optimal operating conditions, especially with regard to the inlet pressure. Up to now, the available modeling works rely on a single-bubble dynamics (SBD) approach and do not consider the actual process configuration and pollutant transport in proximity to the oxidizing environment. This work describes different experimental results (from this research group and others) and applies a novel mathematical model based on a transport-phenomena approach, able to directly simulate the effect of HC on the pollutant degradation. The novel proposed model is able to reproduce well a large number...
Uploads
Papers by Mauro Capocelli