Publications by authors named "Andrea Delfini"
The feasibility and design of the CultCube 12U CubeSat hosting a small Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) for the autonomous cultivation of a small plant in orbit is described. The satellite is aimed at running experiments in fruit plants growing for applications in crewed vehicles for long-term missions in space. CultCube is mainly composed of a pressurized vessel, constituting the outer shell of the ECLSS, and by various environmental controls (water, nutrients, air composition and pressure, light, etc.
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- 3D porous graphene aerogels are lightweight materials that combine exceptional electromagnetic wave absorption properties with high thermal conductivity and mechanical stability, making them ideal for applications in space and electronics.
- The aerogels are created using a poly vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix filled with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and can have their thermal and electrical properties adjusted by altering the processing temperature.
- The resulting aerogels demonstrate impressive EM absorption performance with bandwidths of 9.2 GHz and 6.4 GHz and can also be engineered to be water repellent, ensuring stable performance despite environmental humidity.
In this review, some results of the experimental activity carried out by the authors on advanced composite materials for space applications are reported. Composites are widely employed in the aerospace industry thanks to their lightweight and advanced thermo-mechanical and electrical properties. A critical issue to tackle using engineered materials for space activities is providing two or more specific functionalities by means of single items/components.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIs Montgomery tracheal Safe-T-Tube clinical failure induced by biofilm?
Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
August 2013
Objectives: Montgomery Safe-T-Tube deterioration and early biofilm colonization may explain the discomfort claimed by many patients and clinical failures. The aim of the study was to analyze the deterioration of Montgomery Safe-T-Tube morphological and mechanical properties in vivo in 16 patients by using microbiological methods, optical and electron microscopy, and engineering tests.
Study Design: Prospective controlled study at a single medical center.