The Torino unit of EnSiEL includes professors, researchers, PhD students and research assistants who operate in the Dipartimento Energia “Galileo Ferraris” (DENERG) of Politecnico di Torino. The specific topics of DENERG refer to energy and sustainable development, with the objective of improving the existing technologies for energy applications, promote new initiatives and contribute to the rational and aware use of the energy resources. The sectors in which the EnSiEL unit of Torino operates deal with power and energy systems, energy converters, electric machines and drives, applied thermal engineering, and building physics.
The main research objectives are framed into an International and national context characterised by large-scale programmes: UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN COP, EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), EU Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, EU Energy Union, Mission Innovation, National Energy Strategy, National Technological Clusters (CTNEnergy), National Framework Research and Industry 4.0 (impact on the energy chain). At the University level, there is an active collaboration with the Energy Center initiative. The activities of the Torino unit propose a systemic vision of the energy challenge of the 21st century, highlighting the relationships between technologies, resources and environmental and socio-economic aspects, and have the ultimate goal of rendering a service to the society by also addressing the energy challenges that are peculiar to emerging countries, such as Africa.
The strategic lines of the research activity include:
– Low Carbon Energy Transition: Energy production and sustainability. Multi-scale study of mass and heat transport phenomena with applications in the energy field. Renewable energy sources for the production of energy vectors. Energy productivity of photovoltaic and wind systems, technical and economic analysis. Conversion, storage and decarbonisation of the energy vectors. Thermal energy storage, fuel cells, power-to-gas. Energy system optimisation. Analysis, optimisation and network integration of polygeneration systems with storage (energy efficiency, environmental impact, and profitability assessment). polygeneration systems for circular economy.
– Smart Energy Grids: Security and integration of the energy networks. Electricity transmission and super grids. Global energy interconnections, multisite co-simulations. Analysis of the vulnerability of the transmission systems, network security assessment against attacks and natural threats. Management and resilience of the electrical networks. Electricity distribution networks and microgrids. Smart grid modelling at different levels (physical, ICT, social, environmental, etc.). Analysis and optimisation of electrical distribution networks with distributed resources. Integration of renewable energy sources in electrical networks and microgrids (also in emerging countries). Power quality and reliability analyses. Power system economics. Analysis and modelling of competitive electricity markets and their interaction with the network infrastructures.
– Smart and Efficient Energy Utilizations: Strategies and impacts of the electrification of the end uses of energy. Energy efficiency and sustainability in the industry. Non-conventional electrical machines and drives for energy efficiency in industrial and civil uses. Energy saving optimization in the installations. Smart and efficient buildings. Models, tools and data analytics for the characterisation, analysis and management of electro-energy users. Analysis of electrical safety, risk assessment in hazardous areas, protection systems against electric contacts.
