The aim of this paper is the design of a Solar-Electric Boat for tourists’ transport along the coast, in the rivers, in the lakes. Our idea is to define the project guidelines for the realization of a zero impact boat. This paper illustrates the practical new technologies (naval architecture small craft design, mechanical and electrical design), rational design and engineering approach, safety and reliability methods used in solar boats. In our project, the boat is powered by lith- ium-ion batteries that can be charged at any time by the photovoltaic generator placed on a flat top structure. The pro- ject is designed for brief trip around coast, where the public transport becomes very polluting during summer. Starting from the consideration that this boat is used during sunny weather, it is possible to know the boat’s energy demand and proceed with the design of a suitable electric boat and of the energy storage/management system. It is also proposed an innovative management of charge/discharge of the batteries. With this management, we have optimized the use and prolonged the time of life of the batteries during the navigation and the control of the real autonomy of it

In this study, an educational tool has been prepared for obtaining short-term and more economic training on digital speckle shearography (DSS). Shearography non-destructive testing (NDT) has gained wide acceptance over the last decade, providing a number of important and exciting inspection solutions in aerospace, electronics and medical device manufacturing. For exploring these motivations, it is important to develop didactic tools to understand the potential of digital shearography through training and didactic courses in the field of NDT. In this paper we describe a simple tool for making one familiar with the potential of DSS in the area of education and training. The system is realized with a simple and economic optical setup and a virtual instrument based on the LabVIEW™ and DAQ.

Infrared (IR) thermography could be an important diagnostic tool for assessing the performance of photovoltaic panels. Malfunctions, material and insulation defects can be detected easily and fast without complicated proceedings. The testing of Photovoltaic (PV) systems by infrared thermography is used by more than a decade and is becoming increasingly an important standard; this method in fact is relatively fast, simple and inexpensive. In this paper IR thermography applied to Photovoltaic (PV) systems is shortly reviewed. Infrared analysis allows a reliable evaluation of the state of health of the plant and at the same time the detection of the actions needed of the maintenance. In particular, we introduced the potentiality of IR thermography for the identification of possible differences between the strings and the rapid location of local hot spots, breakdowns or other problems

In recent times, the transportation industry has generated a number of developments involving new technology in signaling. Important developments have involved the production of light by means of light emitting diode (LED). Since the heat from the junction must be dissipated into the ambient somehow, changing the ambient temperature affects the junction temperature and hence the emitted light. When the LEDs have been used in the railway or traffic signals, the optical proprieties of these have to maintain more rigorous specifications. The junction temperature of the power LEDs affects the device's luminous flux of the device. To develop signals, using LED as light source, able to respect intensity specifications it is not simple. In fact, then shift in intensity, over the specified temperature range, can be greater than the magnitude of specification. In this paper, we describe problems of the temperature dependent changes of LED intensity. Besides we will introduce an innovative technical to allow the use of the LEDs in applications with rigorous specifications.