POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Acronym: 
POLIMI
Country: 
Italy

The Politecnico di Milano (English: Polytechnic University of Milan) is the largest technical university in Italy, with about 40,000 students. It offers undergraduate, graduate and higher education courses in engineering, architecture and design. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest university in Milan.
In particular, the Department of Energy, born on January 1st, 2008, is a structure created under the impulse of professors and researchers previously belonging to four departments traditionally related to the energy sector:

  • Department of Energy Engineering;
  • Department of Electrical Engineering;
  • Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”;
  • Department of Nuclear Engineering.

The decision to coordinate the activities of 16 research groups into a single structure allows to provide, through an interdisciplinary approach, convenient solutions to the complex problems of the energy sector, now experiencing large importance and strong strategic relevance. Mission of Department of Energy to push forward technical and scientific competences in the energy sector is achieved by means of high-level education, fundamental and applied research, technology transfer to industry.
The project coordinator, prof. Maurizio Delfanti, has a wide experience on Smart Grid topics and cover relevant roles in the national/international technical committee. Moreover, the Electric power systems group gathers different competencies to be a strong partner in the national and international R&D framework. The group have a strong commitment for industrial cooperation and technology transfer, with leading national/international companies (public, private) and with local industries in the district of Regione Lombardia.
Actually, research on energy processes and technologies requires a deep knowledge of the fundamentals in all the branch of the Industrial Engineering. Members of the Energy Departments have the specific know-how and well established experience to carry out advanced research activities at the highest international level. These activities embrace all the range of energy sciences and technologies, but they are especially focused on three strategic sectors:

  • Electric power generation, transmission and distribution;
  • Energy technologies in transports;
  • Thermal engineering and efficient final energy use.

To fulfil its R&D objectives the Energy Department makes use of the operating tools proper of the scientific and technological research in the engineering field, in connection with several laboratories of modelling and numerical simulation and experimental laboratories belonging to the five Department divisions:

  • Chemical Technologies and Processes and Nanotechnology Division;
  • Electrical Division;
  • Nuclear Engineering Division – CeSNEF;
  • Fluid Dynamic Machines, Propulsion & Energy Systems Division;
  • Thermal Engineering & Environmental Technology Division.

This partition follows the scientific background and the activity fields of the different research groups included in each section without hindering collaboration and cross-fertilization in the frame of interdisciplinary projects that represent the distinctive mark of the Department and the basic rea-son of its foundation. The network of collaborations and relationships with the best international universities and laboratories and well-established connections with the industries are guarantee of quality about the research activities carried out at the Department and an ideal background for technical and scientific innovation and development of new ideas in the energy sector. The goal of the institution is to provide constant initiative in the development of R&D projects, supporting the advanced activities of the main industries and promoting collaboration with other partners operating in the energy field.

Role in InteGRIDy:
As academic institution, Politecnico di Milano – Dept. of Energy will take part to initial phase of the project by supporting the other partners in the domain analysis, specifications and architecture definition, also sharing its knowledge on power systems’ technical standards and regulations. Nevertheless, the main role of Politecnico di Milano within the project will regard the deployment of the distribution grid optimization framework, by assisting the other partners during the integration of the available tools in the experimental architecture taking care suitably of the electrical grid needs and constraints, and in the following coordination of the large scale pilot use cases realisation.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s H2020 research and innovation programme under the grant agreement No 731268