Criticità nelle esigenze e nelle offerte energetiche: il ruolo rilevante della progettazione e della gestione ottimizzata delle macchine a fluido e dei sistemi per la conversione di energia. Aspetti applicativi nella piccola fornitura di energia e nella propulsione navale

The present work deals with environmental sustainability and specific engineering solutions able to cope with such a global issue. Attention is focused on renewable energy and innovative fuels as effective strategies in contributing valuable techniques in order to face the need of mitigating environmental problems concerning climate change and global warming. The research study is targeted on optimized design and management of fluid machinery, and extensively on optimized energy conversion systems, conceptualized in accordance with current standards and regulations, governing the reference sector. The analysis investigates small energy supply from renewables (wind power) and innovative marine propulsion (alternative fuels and unconventional propulsion systems). Regulations and technical design are constantly focused for the study. The work proposes case solutions for energy design and management actions dealing with the theme of environmental sustainability: engineering analyses (design, technical-economical evaluation, performance results) for hybrid wind powered plants empowering SWRO (Sea Water Reverse Osmosis) desalination processes; engineering analyses (design, technical evaluation, performance results) for wind turbine rotors operating in sites characterized by a small wind resource; engineering analyses (design, technical evaluation, performance results) for marine ship propulsion empowered by LNG as an alternative sustainable fuel and by gas turbines as prime movers coupled to combined cycles as an innovative propulsion system (COGES configuration).