Supervision and teaching activities

I supervised the PhD theses:

  • Hydrothermal processes applied to sewage sludge, PhD in Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, XXX cycle, University of Trento, PhD student: Fabio Merzari (2015-2018)
  • Hydrothermal carbonization of waste biomass, PhD in Environmental Engineering, XXVIII cycle, University of Trento, PhD student: Daniele Basso (2013-2016)
  • Supercritical technologies for the valorization of wine-industry by-products, PhD in Environmental Engineering, XXVII cycle, University of Trento, PhD student: Kurabachew Simon Duba (2012-2015)
  • Supercritical water gasification of biomass, PhD in Environmental Engineering, XXV cycle, University of Trento, PhD student: Daniele Castello (2010-2013)

At present, I am supervising the PhD thesis:

  • Coupling hydrothermal processes to solar energy for residual biomasses upgrading to energy vectors, PhD in Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, XXXIV cycle, University of Trento, PhD student: Giulia Ischia (started 2019)
  • Hydrothermal carbonization of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste, PhD in Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, XXXII cycle, University of Trento, PhD student: Michela Lucian (started 2017)
  • Exploitation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from vegetable waste material – inulin-type fructans from chicory roots as sources for the chemical industry, PhD in Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, XXXII cycle, University of Trento, PhD student: Dominik Wust (started 2017)

Invited, I was appointed as External Examiner of the PhD theses:

  • Thermochemical conversion of wet lignocellulosic biomass for energy and products. PhD student: Edoardo Milliotti. Doctoral Programme: Energy Engineering and Innovative Industrial Technologies. PhD in Industrial Engineering. University of Florence, Florence, Italy, 2018
  • Energy recovery from urban organic solid wastes: optimization of the anaerobic digestion process of spent coffee and food residuals. PhD student: Fabio Codignole Luz. PhD in Industrial Engineering. University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy, 2018
  • Etude de la production de bio-huile par liquéfaction hydrothermale de résidus agroalimentaires et leurs molécules modèles. PhD student: Maxime Déniel. University of Toulouse, Grenoble, France, 2016
  • Supercritical water gasification of wood related products: a thermodynamic and experimental study. PhD student: Jeanne Louw. Doctoral Programme: PhD in Chemical Engineering. Faculty of Engineering. Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2016
  • Valorisation of Agricultural Residues. PhD student: Cristina Elia Moliner Estopiñán. Doctoral Programme: PhD in Transport Propulsion Systems. Universitat Politécnica de València, València, Spain, 2016
  • Supercritical fluid technology for extraction, concentration and formulation of omega-3 rich oils. A novel strategy for valorization of fish by-products. PhD student: Nuria Rubio Rodríguez. Área de Ingeniería Química. Department of Biotechnology and Food Science. University of Burgos, Spain, 2011

As a Professor, I supervised the final projects of several students, in the areas of both food engineering and energy conversion (Environmental Engineering and Energy Engineering courses).

Student’s final projects titles:

Environmental Engineering:

  • Hydrothermal carbonization of cow manure: phosphorus recovery and activated carbon production (by Giulia Severini, master of science, 2018)
  • A new life for municipal solid waste in Lebanon: sustainable solutions to design, develop and improve solid waste treatment facilities (by Marina Lucidi, master of science, 2018)
  • Activated carbon from organic fraction of municipal solid waste through hydrothermal carbonization and CO2 activation: production and use (by Silvia Del Bianco, master of science, 2018)
  • Alternative scenarios for olive mill waste valorization (by Giordano Passerini, master of science, 2018)
  • Hydrothermal carbonization: influence of scale-factors (by Alberto Venuto, master of science, 2018)
  • Hydrothermal carbonization for the valorization of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (by Giovanni Piro, master of science, 2017)
  • Hydrothermal processes for the reduction of ashes in straw (by Tommaso Floretta, master of science, 2017)
  • Energetic valorization through combustion and gasification of forest residual biomass in the Autonomous Province of Trento (by Alberto Paganella, master of science)
  • A gasification kinetics model (by Michele Valbusa, master of science)
  • Gasification of grape marc: Energetic potentialities (by Luca Florio, master of science)
  • Design of a steam reformer for methane (by Alessandro Bombieri, master of science)
  • Recovery of grape marc: energetic exploitation and by-products valorization (by Gabriele Crosariol, master of science)
  • Phase equilibrium models applied to thermo-chemical conversion process (by Daniele Basso, master of science)

Energy engineering:

  • Biofuels production from organic fraction of municipal solid waste through hydrothermal carbonization and pyrolysis (by Giulia Ischia, master of science, 2018)

Industrial engineering:

  • Design and modelling of a hydrothermal carbonization plant (by Michela Lucian, master of science, 2015)

Food engineering:

  • Supercritical CO2 extraction of grape seed oil comparing different grape cultivars and harvesting year (by Mattia Piva, bachelor)
  • Modeling with Aspen PlusTM the fractionation with supercritical CO2 of fatty acid ethyl esters from fish oil (by Michela Lucian, bachelor)
  • Mathematical modeling of the refrigeration process for the food industry (by Davide Morri, bachelor)
  • Valorization of wine-industry by products: grape seed oil extraction through different techniques (by Roberto Berti, bachelor)
  • Seed oil: nutritional value, technologies for production and market relevance (by Constandache Simona Rodica, bachelor)
  • Modeling a series of seed oil supercritical fluid extractors operating in the counter-current mode (by Piero Corradini, bachelor)
  • Fractionation of a mixture of fatty acids ethyl esters from fish oil by means of a fractionation column operating with supercritical CO2 (by Massimo Manfrini, master of science)
  • Modeling the solubility of fatty acids ethyl esters in supercritical CO2 (by Andrea Loss, bachelor)
  • Recovery of omega-3 from fish oil processing waste: a feasibility study (by Claudio Fruet, master of science)
  • Supercritical CO2 extraction of polyphenolic compounds from grape marc (by Elona Hansabelli, bachelor)
  • Extraction from Rhodiola Rosea roots and extracts characterization (by Margherita Pedroni, bachelor)
  • The wine-making process: critical aspects and process improvements for a Trentino company (by Cristina Volpin, bachelor)
  • The distilling process: possibilities for energetic recoveries and reduction of the water consumption (by Cluadio Fruet, bachelor)
  • The jam production process: techno-economical evaluation of the use of thermal-conditioning fluids (by Chiara Pola, bachelor)
  • Supercritical CO2 extraction of grape seed oil: modeling and experimental results (by Massimo Manfrini, bachelor)

Teaching activities

  • Lecturer of:
    • Academic year 2018/2019
      • Bioenergy (Energy Engineering)
      • Thermochemical Energy Processes (Environmental Engineering)
      • Food Engineering and oenological plants (Oenology)
      • Valorisation of the oenological industry by-products and waste management (Oenology)
    • Academic year 2017/2018
      • Bioenergy (Energy Engineering)
      • Thermochemical Energy Processes (Environmental Engineering)
    • Academic year 2016/2017
      • Bioenergy (Energy Engineering)
      • Thermochemical Energy Processes (Environmental Engineering)
      • Food Engineering (Oenology)
    • Academic year 2015/2016
      • Bioenergy (Energy Engineering)
      • Thermochemical Energy Processes (Environmental Engineering)
      • Food Engineering (Oenology)
    • Academic year 2014/2015
      • Bioenergy (Energy Engineering)
      • Food Engineering (Oenology)
    • Academic year 2013/2014
      • Bioenergy (Energy Engineering)
      • Food Engineering (Oenology)
    • Academic year 2012/2013
      • Dynamics, control and automation – part 2 (Food Engineering)
      • Food Engineering (Oenology)
    • Academic year 2011/2012
      • Dynamics, control and automation – part 2 (Food Engineering)
      • Chemical and food engineering fundamentals 1 (Food Engineering)
      • Chemical and food engineering fundamentals 2 (Food Engineering)
    • Academic year 2010/2011
      • Dynamics, control and automation – part 2 (Food Engineering)
      • Food chemistry and technology – part 1 (Oenology)
    • Academic year 2009/2010
      • Chemical and biochemical engineering fundamentals 2 (Food Engineering)
      • Biochemical process dynamics and control (Food Engineering)
      • Food chemistry and technology – part 1 (Oenology)
      • Thermo-chemical Conversion (Environmental Engineering)
    • Academic year 2008/2009
      • Chemical and biochemical engineering fundamentals 1 (Food Engineering)
      • Chemical and biochemical engineering fundamentals 2 (Food Engineering)
      • Biochemical process dynamics and control (Food Engineering)
      • Chemical and biochemical engineering fundamentals (Oenology)
      • Termo-chemical Conversion (Environmental Engineering)
    • Academic years 2007/2008, 2006/2007, 2005/2006
      • Chemical and biochemical engineering fundamentals 2 (Food Engineering)
      • Biochemical process dynamics and control (Food Engineering)
      • Chemical and biochemical engineering fundamentals (Oenology)
    • Academic year 2004/2005
      • Chemical and biochemical engineering fundamentals 2 (Food Engineering)
      • Biochemical process dynamics and control (Food Engineering)
    • Academic year 2003/2004
      • Chemical and biochemical engineering fundamentals 2 (Food Engineering)