ENGLISH (05.05.2021)

General information

Born in Cagliari the July 23, 1954. Degree with honors in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cagliari in 1978. "Post Graduate Diploma" (Research Master) with honours in Fluid Dynamics and Turbomachinery at the “von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics” (Brussels) in 1983, CNR fellowship (1982-83), CNR prize and Belgian Government prize (1983).

Academic profile

Research collaborator at the Universities of Cagliari and L’Aquila, (1978-1982), Assistant professor of Fluid Machines and Power Plants at the University of L’Aquila (1983-1987), Associate professor of Fluid Machines at the University of Cagliari (1987-1990), Professor of Applied Mechanics and Fluid Machines at the University of L’Aquila (1990-1993).

Since 1993 full professor of Systems for Energy and the Environment at the University of Cagliari, Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering (DIMCM), where he teaches Energy systems and Industrial energy technologies. He was Professor of Management of machines and energy systems, Interaction between the machines and the environment, Applied thermodynamics, Dynamics and control of machines, Fluid machines, Optimization of energy systems, Modeling and simulation of energy systems, Industrial use of energy, Energy conversion, Advanced energy systems.

Academic positions

Head of the degree course in Mechanical Engineering of the University of L’Aquila (1990-1993). At the University of Cagliari he was Head of the University Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (1996-2000), Head of the Degree Course in Mechanical Engineering (1994-2003), in charge of the "Campus-One" experimental educational project of CRUI (The Conference of Italian University Rectors) for the Degree Course in Mechanical Engineering (2001-2003), Coordinator of the University Evaluation Board (2007-2010), Director of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (2006-2011), member of the advisory Committee of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (1994-2003) and the Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering (2015-2018), Chairman of the steering committee of the Degree Course in mechanical engineering (since 2013).

Member of numerous competition committees, mainly as chairman, for selection of full, associate and assistant professor, research grant and research doctorate. Coordinator of the scientific activity of numerous research fellows and supervisor of numerous PhD theses.

Scientific and professional profile

Member of numerous technical and scientific and academic institutions including in particular:

Register REPRISE - Register of Expert Peer Reviewers for Italian Scientific Evaluation (since 2018)

Scientific Council of the ITQSA Consortium (Consortium of Research for "Technological Innovation, Quality and Food Safety”) at the Abruzzo Region (since 2012)

Group of experts for the Inspection Teams of CCSE (Cassa Conguaglio per il Settore Elettrico) (2006-2010) and of GSE (Gestore dei Servizi Energetici) (since 2010)

Technical Committee for Environmental Control of the EPH (ex E.ON) power station at Fiumesanto (SS, Italy) (2003-2016)

National Committee of the Italian professors of Fluid Machinery and of Systems for Energy and Environment (2003-2005)

Board of Directors of the research Company Sotacarbo S.p.A. (1996-2002)

Committees of the Italian Ministry of the Environment for the environmental impact evaluation of steam and IGCC power plants (1995-96, 1998-99)

Reviewer of IEA Coal Research for the pubblications of Clean Coal Centre (from 1999)

Consultant for industries and bodies in the field of systems and technologies for energy and the environment, such as: CASIC (Consorzio Area sviluppo industriale Cagliari, now CACIP), CCSE (Cassa Conguaglio Settore Elettrico), CIACE (Comitato Interministeriale Affari Comunitari Europei), CNISI (Consorzio Nucleo Industrializzazione Sulcis Iglesiente, now SICIP), ENDESA Italia, ENEL, E.ON Italia, EP Produzione, GSE (Gestore Servizi Energetici), IPI (Istituto Promozione Industriale), Sardegna Ricerche, SARLUX (SARAS Group), SOTACARBO (Società Tecnologie Avanzate low Carbon).

Reviewer for numerous international scientific journals and conferences, chairman of technical sessions and a member of the organizing committees of international conferences. Expert in energy conversion technologies and industrial use of energy he is the author of more than 180 publications on issues concerning the development, design, modeling and performance prediction, optimization, energy, economic and environmental analysis of conventional and innovative energy conversion systems and processes (IGCC, gas-steam combined cycle and USC steam power plants, pre-, post- and oxy-combustion CCS technologies, gas turbines, organic Rankine cycles, waste-to-energy power plants, turbomachinery, fuel cells, distributed generation, hydrogen technologies, renewable energy sources, concentrating solar power plants, energy storage).

Research activity

Scientific director of the laboratory “Concentrated solar technologies and Hydrogen from RES” of the "Renewable Energies Platform" of Sardegna Ricerche (since 2008).

He has developed departmental laboratories with the implementation of various "pilot scale" experimental facilities, including a facility for the study of WGSR processes (Water-Gas Shift Reaction) and three facilities for the study of sensible and latent heat thermal energy storage systems.

Scientific director of numerous research projects concerning, in particular, innovative technologies for fossil fuels power plants, renewable energy sources and energy storage.

The most recent research activity is highlighted by the following projects, conventions and contracts, of which he was, or is, scientific responsible:

Research project “Development of a hybrid energy storage system for ancillary services devoted to power systems”, Regione Autonoma della Sardegna (RAS), Fondo di Sviluppo e Coesione 2014-2020 (2019-in progress)

Research project “Solare termodinamico per lo sviluppo di una rete per la gestione intelligente dell’energia elettrica e termica”, RAS, FESR 2014-2020 (2018-in corso)

Research project “Theoretical and experimental study of innovative processes of energy storage by methanol production from recycled CO2 and H2 from renewable sources integrated with thermal energy storage systems”, Fondazione di Sardegna (2017-in progress)

Research project "Modeling, testing and technical-economic assessment of post-, pre- and oxy-combustion CCS technologies for the reduction of CO2 emissions from thermal power plants", Regione Autonoma della Sardegna (RAS), L.7/2007 (2015-2018)

Research project " Modeling, control and testing of innovative systems for thermal energy storage", RAS, L.7/2007 (2013-2016)

Research project “Laboratory for the production of thermal energy at high temperature from linear solar concentrators”, Ministry of University and research (MiUR), L.297/1999 (2007-2011)

Research project “CARBOMICROGEN: Research and development of technologies for the use of coal with almost-zero emissions in the distributed microgeneration”, MiUR-FIRB (2007-2011)

Research project “Development of technologies for the production and treatment of coal syngas aimed at obtaining and using energy carriers with high environmental value and hydrogen in particular”, MiUR, L.297/1999 (2003-2009)

Research contracts and joint agreements DIMCM-Sotacarbo-ENEA in the framework of Electric System Research (RSE): “Modeling of innovative technologies for CO2 capture in pre-combustion” (2014-2015), “Analysis of the integration of USC power plants, equipped with CCS technologies, and CSP systems” (2013-2014), “Analysis of the integration of CO2 post-combustion capture plants with renewable sources” (2012-2013), “Modeling and evaluation of thermal conversion processes of coal based on USC and IGCC technologies with gas clean-up and CO2 removal processes” (2011-2012), “Analysis and modeling of CO-to-CO2 Shift-conversion processes integrated with IGCC plants with CO2 removal (2010-2011), (2010-2011), “Analysis and modeling thermal conversion processes of coal with treatment and conversion of the gaseous effluents produced” (2010)-2011), “Analysis, modeling and testing of production and treatment of syngas from coal gasification” (2009-2010), “Technologies for the use of pulverized coal at different granulometries with CO2 capture/sequestration” (2008-2009).

Research contracts and joint agreements DIMCM-Sardegna Ricerche: “Technical-scientific support for the supervision of works up to the testing of the experimental CSP plant in the Ottana industrial consortium” (2015-2017), “Technical and scientific support to the design of the experimental CSP plants in the Villacidro and Tortolì industrial consortia (solar field, thermal engine and TES)” (2013-2014), “Technical and scientific support to the design of the experimental CSP plant in the Ottana industrial consortium (solar field, thermal engine and TES) (2011-2014).

Special mention at the 2017 Italiadecide Award "Administration, Citizens, Businesses - Technological innovation for sustainable development", within "Innovative applied research or demonstration", for the research project (in collaboration): "Experimental 1 MW CSP-CPV power plant at the Ottana Industrial Consortium”

Research contracts CSM (Centro Sviluppo Materiali): “Analysis of the space-time evolution of the dispersion of CO2 released by pipelines starting from supercritical conditions” (2011-2012), “Development of numerical-analytical models and design of experimental equipment to predict the space-time evolution of natural gas and/or CO2 leaked from accidentally damaged pipelines” (2010-2011).