Maria Alessandra Ancona

Education

• PhD in Mechanical and Engineering Advanced Sciences (DIMSAI), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna (04/05/2018). Project title: Optimization strategies for complex energy networks within distributed generation. Mentor: Prof. Francesco Melino.

• Professional Qualification for Industrial Engineers, July 2014.

• Master in Energy Engineering - Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna (19/12/2013), 110/110 cum Laude. Master Thesis: Design and analysis of a district heating network with the software Ca.R.Di.F.. Mentor: Prof. Michele Bianchi.

• Bachelor in Energy Engineering - Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna (05/10/2011), 110/110. Bachelor Thesis: Analysis and simulation of ultra-super critic steam generators. Mentor: Prof. Antonio Peretto.

• High school diploma at Classical Gymnasium Luigi Galvani, Bologna (2008), 100/100.

Working experience

• 01/11/2018- 31/10/2020 Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN) – School of Engineering and Architecture –Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna. Project title: Analysis of multi-input and/or multi-output energy systems with low environmental impact and experimental evaluation of the performance of renewable source micro-generators prototypes, integrated with energy storage systems.

• 01/11/2017-31/10/2018: Postdoctoral Research Fellow at CIRI-FRAME – Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna. Project title: Development of calculation models for the optimal management of complex energy distribution networks. Efficity (Efficient Energy Systems For Smart Urban Districts) Project founded by Emilia Romagna Region – POR-FESR 2014-2020.

• 01/02/2014-31/10/2014 DIN – Department of Industrial Engineering; Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna. Holder of Research Grant “Storage systems analysis for non-programmable renewable energy power plants”.

Awards and Honours

• Honorable Mention within the PhD Thesis Prize promoted by ATI (Italian Thermotechnics Association), September 2018.

• Honorary Member of AIMSEA (Italian Association of Fluid Mechanics end Systems for Energy and Environment) for the year 2019.

• Honorary Member of the Italian Thermotechnics Association (ATI) for the year 2019.

• Winner of the announcement of selection for the “Integration of renewable energy solutions in the Mediterranean electricity markets” Two-Week Advanced Training Course. 1st Edition. Milano, November 17-28, 2014.

• Winner of the competition for merit awards, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna. Academic Year 2012-2013.

National and international activities

• Referee for scientific publications in conferences proceedings and international Journals, such as the ASME Turbo Expo Conference, Journals of Applied Energy, Renewable Energy, Energy Conversion and Management, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.

• Session Co-chair for the ASME Turbo Expo Conference.

• Member of international scientific committees: “Industrial & Cogeneration Committee” and “Oil & Gas Applications Committee” of ASME International Gas Turbine Institute.

• Responsible for the experimental activities of the “Power generation and storage micro-grids” Laboratory of University of Bologna at Ravenna Tecnopolo.

• Contributor of the on-line Journal InfoBuild Energia – the portal for Sustainable Architecture, Energy Saving and Renewable Sources within building sector.

• Collaboration with Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) in topics related to Smart Energy Grids (2015 – 2018)

• Collaboration with LEAP Laboratory for the project “Efficient Energy Systems For Smart Urban Districts”

• Collaboration with Italian National Council of Research (CNR) in topics related to Power-To-Gas (2015-2018).

• Collaboration with Graf S.p.a. Company for the feasibility study of a Liquefied Natural Gas production process by means of a turbo-expander (2015-2017).

Teaching activities

• Academic Year 2017/2018: teacher of the Course of Environmental Impact of Energy Systems at Management Engineering, School of Engineering and Architecture - University of Bologna.

• Academic Year 2015/2016: Tutor of the Specialization Program in off-shore plant design, organized by the School of Engineering and Architecture - University of Bologna, in partnership with ENI Company.

• July 2018: Teacher at the Summer School “Journey - Climate KIC 2018” promoted by Alma Mater Foundation (FAM).

• Academic Year 2016/2017 and Academic Year 2017/2018: Tutor of the Energy Systems Course by Prof. Michele Bianchi at Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering and Architecture - University of Bologna.

• Academic Year 2018/2019: Tutor within the Course of Environmental Impact of Energy Systems by Prof. Andrea De Pascale at Energy Engineering, School of Engineering and Architecture - University of Bologna.

Research activities

• Smart grids management analysis: this research activity is aimed at the definition of optimal management strategies for distribution networks in a smart configuration (i.e. bidirectional energy fluxes at the final users), considering simultaneously electrical, thermal and cooling energies as well as the fuel needs. The possibility of production by means of different systems is taken into account, such as fossil fuel generators, renewable (programmable or not) energy conversion systems, storage systems (for both electric and thermal energies), compression and absorption chillers. This activity includes the development of calculation codes (VBA, Matlab or AMPL codes), based on different algorithms (such as genetic algorithms or Mixed Integer Linear/Non Linear Programming Problems), for the optimization of the afore-mentioned smart grid operation (that is the minimization of the energy costs for the users). Both real time management and networks design are considered for the calculation codes development.

• District heating and cooling: this research activity has been carried out in collaboration with the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). The analysis, design and optimization of district heating networks has been carried out by means of dedicated in-house developed software. Furthermore, the possibility of thermal smart grids has been deeply analyzed in order to reply the electric smart grid concept in the heat sector.

• Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production: this research activity is aimed at the definition of optimized LNG production processes for small-scale applications in the transport sector (The LNG produced is used as fuel for both road transport and shipping). This approach allows to directly produce LNG at the final users, thus avoiding the economic and environmental costs related to the LNG transportation by ship.

• Power to gas (P2G): this research activity is aimed at the definition of a system that allows to obtain synthetic natural gas (syngas) starting from the electric power produced from non-programmable renewable energy sources (i.e. photovoltaic and wind technologies). The process consists in hydrogen production through high temperature water electrolysis and the successive hydrogen conversion into synthetic fuel with a high methane percentage by a methanation section (Sabatier reactor). This activity is conducted in collaboration with the National Research Council (CNR).

• Electric energy storage systems and management strategies: this research activity, carried out in both theoretical and experimental ways, is aimed at the study of technologies and strategies for the storage of the electric energy from renewable non-programmable sources. This activity includes calculation codes able to define the optimal management strategy for a given system (renewables generators, storage system, users), which allow to minimize the electric energy exchange with the national grid and the related costs.

• Thermal energy storage implementation within marine sector: this research activity, carried out in collaboration with the Department of Shipping and Marine Technology – Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), is aimed at the study of thermal storage systems to be located on board of ships. This concept is new for the marine sector, aiming at the increase of the energy efficiency, at the thermal energy recovery and at the decrease of fossil fuels consumption and pollutant emissions.

• Power augmentation technologies for existing turbogas: this research activity relates to the definition and the analysis of retrofit strategies for power augmentation technologies for existing turbogas. The integration between turbogas and cooling systems for the compressor inlet air (compression or absorption chillers with or without storage systems, fogging, overspray technologies) has been considered as well as with the combustion chamber humid air or steam injection. The power increase and the energy and economic performance have been evaluated with reference to several real climate conditions.

National and international conference participation

• ASME Turbo Expo 2015 – Turbine Technical Conference and Exposition – June 15–19, 2015, Montreal, Canada (author and speaker).

• ASME-ATI-UIT 2015 - International Conference on Thermal Energy Systems: Production, Storage, Utilization and the Environment, May 17-20, 2015, Naples (author and speaker).

• ASME Turbo Expo 2016 – Turbine Technical Conference and Exposition – June 13–17, 2016, Seoul, South Korea (author and speaker).

• ASME Turbo Expo 2017 – Turbine Technical Conference and Exposition – June 26-30, 2017, Charlotte, NC, USA (author and speaker).

• ASME Turbo Expo 2018 – Turbine Technical Conference and Exposition – June 11-15, 2018, Lillestrøm (Oslo), Norway (author and speaker).

• 13^th International Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment System (SDEWES 2018) – September 30-October 4, 2018, Palermo, Italy (author and speaker).

• 6^th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE 2014) – May 30 - June 2, 2014, Taipei, Taiwan (author).

• 7^th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE 2015) – March 28–31, 2015, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (author).

• 8^th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE 2016) – October 8–11, 2016, Beijing, China (author).

• 10^th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE 2018) – August 22–25, 2018, Hong Kong, China (author).

• 68^th Conference of the Italian Thermotechnics Association (ATI), September 11-14, 2013, Bologna (author).

• 69^th Conference of the Italian Thermotechnics Association (ATI), September 10-12, 2014, Milan (author and speaker).

• 70^th Conference of the Italian Thermotechnics Association (ATI), September 9-11, 2015, Rome (author and speaker).

• 71^st Conference of the Italian Thermotechnics Association (ATI), September 14-16, 2016, Turin (author and speaker).