a) Experimental Aeroacoustics

The research topic is addressed at the investigation of side channel blowers and low speed fans for cooling and heating systems, ventilation systems and environmental conditioning. The current trends towards faster machines is at odds with the opposite requirement for more and more noiseless ones. Therefore, the noise emissions reduction is becoming as important as the increasing of aerodynamic performances. A double goal of the aeroacoutic investigations can be recognized: the identification of active mechanisms responsible for noise generation and individuation of geometries capable of potentially reducing the generated noise. 

b) Fan and blower design and performances test

The research topic takes advantage of the skills deriving from the aeroacoustics studies together with the expertise in turbomachinery design, to develop 1D and 2D computational codes addressed at blower and fan design. Furthermore, RANS and URANS CFD calculation are applied supporting the design process and the performances testing phase.

c) Experimental Combustion Diagnostics

The research topic takes advantage of the experimental infrastructures available at the Savona leg of the Laboratory and is addressed at carrying out experimental operational and performance tests (including the pollutant emissions analysis) on gas turbine and industrial burners (for metallurgical and glass industry applications), combustion instability measurements (detection and characterisation), local, non-intrusive and detailed diagnostic of the combustive processes taking also advantage of LIF (Laser Induced Fluorescence, for the acquisition of in-flame concentration maps of chemical species like OH, NO, CF, H2, etc.) and Rayleigh Thermometry (for the acquisition of in-flame planar temperature distributions) techniques. 

d) Experimental Aerodynamics of Gas Turbine Burners

The research topic takes advantage of the experimental infrastructures available at both the legs of the Laboratory, Genoa and Savona, and is addressed at the experimental detailed characterisation of the internal aerodynamics of industrial and gas turbines burners by laser based measurement techniques as Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV), Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV).

The same techniques are also applied to the experimental fluid-dynamic characterisation of non-necessarily burners related phenomena and applications.

e) Numerical Investigation on machines components and combustive processes

The research topic is the theoretical-numerical counterpart of the experimental research topics and deals with the development and application of numerical models, by means of CFD tools, to the resolution of motion flow fields also interested by chemically reactive and combustive phenomena. The research topic is carried out by the application of RANS and URANS solvers.

Researchers 

• Edward Canepa
• Andrea Cattanei
• Alessandro Nilberto
• Carlo Cravero

Laboratories 

• Laboratorio di Combustione, Aeroacustica e Fluidodinamica Numerica - Genova 
• Laboratorio di Combustione, Aeroacustica e Fluidodinamica Numerica – Savona

Publications 

• Canepa, E., & Nilberto, A. (2019). Experimental Flame Front Characterisation in a Lean Premix Burner Operating with Syngas Simplified Model Fuel. Energies, 12(12), 2377.
• Canepa, E., Cattanei, A., & Mazzocut Zecchin, F. (2019). Leakage Noise and Related Flow Pattern in a Low-Speed Axial Fan with Rotating Shroud. International Journal of Turbomachinery, Propulsion and Power, 4(3), 17.
• Anghinolfi, D., Canepa, E., Cattanei, A., & Paolucci, M. (2016). Psychoacoustic optimization of the spacing of propellers, helicopter rotors, and axial fans. Journal of Propulsion and Power, 32(6), 1422-1432.
• Canepa, E., Cattanei, A., Lengani, D., Ubaldi, M., & Zunino, P. (2015). Experimental investigation of the vortex breakdown in a lean premixing prevaporizing burner. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 768.
• Canepa, E., Cattanei, A., Jafelice, F., Zecchin, F. M., & Parodi, D. (2018). Effect of rotor deformation and blade loading on the leakage noise in low-speed axial fans. Journal of Sound and Vibration, 433, 99-123.