Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a multiphase fluid stream which flows in a pipe (2) comprising: a measuring unit (11), coaxial to the pipe, consisting of an isokinetic sampling device (1) suitably configured for allowing the equidistribution of the flow at the inlet in n channels (6) having an area A, of which m are sampling channels and a flow restriction (13) both equipped with differential pressure measuring means (12, 14), a phase separator (15), connected to the sampling device, measurers and regulation means downstream of said separator. A method in accordance with said apparatus which comprises: the isokinetic sampling of a portion q of the multiphase flow Q at the inlet, measuring the flowrates of the liquid qL and gas qG of the portion sampled and calculating the liquid and gas flow-rates (QL and Q0) from the sampling sections according to the equations QG=n/tn qG and QL=n/m qL. The method provides isokinetic sampling for portions of flow removed ranging from 5% to 20%.

Abstract: Process for the recovery of oils from a solid matrix comprising: subjecting said solid matrix to extraction by mixing with an oil-in-water nanoemulsion, obtaining a solid- liquid mixture; subjecting said solid- liquid mixture to separation, obtaining a liquid phase comprising said oils and a solid phase comprising said solid matrix; recovering said oils from said liquid phase. Said process is particularly advantageous for the recovery of oils from water wet oil sands (or water wet tar sands), oil wet sands (or oil wet tar sands), oil rocks, oil shales, more specifically from oil wet sands (or oil wet tar sands).

Abstract: A process is described for improving the quality as a fuel of hydrotreated hydrocarbon blends by reaction with hydrogen in the presence of a bifunctional catalytic system comprising one or more metals selected from Pt, Pd, Ir, Ru, Rh and Re, and a silico-aluminate of an acidic nature, selected from a micro-mesoporous silico-alumina and a zeolite belonging to the MTW family. The process of the invention produces an increase in the cetane index and a decrease in the density and T95.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a modified tungsten oxide having an atomic concentration of 0.5 to 7.0%, preferably from 2.0 to 5.0%, of nitrogen atoms in lattice position, with respect to the total number of atoms of the oxide, having a surface morphology, detectable by means of a scanning electron microscope, characterized by nanostructures in the form of vermiform or branched open swellings, preferably having a length ranging from 200 to 2,000 nm, and a width ranging from 50 to 300 nm, having an appearance similar to Rice Krispies. The present invention also relates to a process for the preparation of the above oxide by the anodization of metallic tungsten, and also a photoanode comprising the above oxide.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a hybrid motor, The hybrid motor, uses a permanent magnet instead of a field coil for a rotor, winds a coil round a stator in a multi-phase independent parallel manner, fixes a rectifying type encoder to the rotor and connects a sensor to a driving circuit. The apparatus comprises: an encoder attached to a rotor in cooperation with a pole sensor a speed input unit for generating a speed instruction signal a power switching circuit to generate motor driving signals; a drive module receiving the speed instruction signal and the sensor signal and outputting the speed instruction signal synchronized with the sensor signal as a driving motor signal; a power supply for applying a DC voltage to the power switching circuit; A logic power supply for converting the DC voltage into a logic voltage, and applying logic voltage to the drive module. The motor has n phases, n power switching circuits and n drive modules.

Abstract: Reactor for Fischer-Tropsch reaction which is carried out in a three-phase system essentially consisting of a reacting gaseous phase, a reacted liquid phase and a solid catalytic phase, wherein the solid catalytic phase consists of packed or structured bodies of catalytic material encaged within at least one honeycomb monolithic structure with a high thermal conductivity.

Abstract: A continuous process for the thermal treatment of a refinery sludge, comprising the following operations: a. drying of the refinery sludge, possibly mixed with pet-coke, at a temperature ranging from 110 to 120° C.; b. gasification of the dried sludge, at a temperature ranging from 750 to 950° C., for a time of 30 to 60 minutes, in the presence of a gas containing oxygen and water vapour, with the associated production of synthesis gas (CO+H2) and a solid residue; c. combustion of the synthesis gas at a temperature ranging from 850 to 1,200° C. and recycling of the combustion products for the drying and gasification phases; and d. inertization of the solid residue, at a temperature ranging from 1,300 to 1,500° C., by vitrification with plasma torches.

Abstract: A compact inertial gas-liquid separator including: a stratification mechanism including a first horizontal pipe and a second pipe having a larger diameter possibly slightly tilted with respect to the horizontal, for example of ?10°, connected to each other by a suitable connection gate; a cylindrical body with a vertical development, on which the stratification mechanism is tangentially inserted, wherein the inertial gas-liquid separation is performed, in whose upper part an arrangement of finishing elements can be optionally inserted for further separation of drops of liquid entrapped in the gaseous stream; two outlets for the liquid stream and for the gaseous stream.

Abstract: A process for the production of bio-oil from solid urban waste, comprising the following steps: a) subjecting said solid urban waste to liquefaction, obtaining a mixture including an oily phase consisting of bio-oil, a solid phase and an aqueous phase; b) subjecting the aqueous phase obtained in the liquefaction step a) to fermentation, obtaining a fermented biomass; c) feeding the fermented biomass obtained in the fermentation step b) to the liquefaction step a). The bio-oil (or bio-crude) thus obtained can be advantageously used in the production of biofuels which can be used as such or mixed with other motor vehicle fuels. Alternatively, this bio-oil (or bio-crude) can be used as such (biocombustible) or mixed with fossil combustibles (combustible oil, coal, etc.) for the generation of electric energy or heat.

Abstract: Nanoparticles with a patterned ligand coat can bind ions selectively. The ligand patterning can arise via self-assembly when two chemically dissimilar (e.g., in size and/or hydrophilicity) ligands are used together. One of the ligands can include one or more moieties capable of interacting with an ion, such as ether oxygens, hydroxyl groups, amine nitrogens, or other groups having a lone pair of electrons. Ion binding can be both selective and reversible.

Abstract: Process for the extraction of hydrocarbons contained in oil sands and oil shale comprising feeding said oil sands or oil shale to a suitable apparatus in which they are heated, directly and/or by means of a suitable vector fluid, making use of solar energy collected by means of optical concentration systems.

Abstract: A process for recovering metals from a stream rich in hydrocarbons and carbonaceous residues by means of a treatment section, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: sending said stream to a primary treatment, effected in one or more steps, wherein said stream is treated in the presence of a fluxant agent in a suitable apparatus, at a temperature ranging from 80 to 180° C., preferably from 100 to 160° C., and subjected to liquid/solid separation in order to obtain a clarified product essentially consisting of liquids and a cake (oilcake); possibly subjecting the separated cake to drying, in order to remove the hydrocarbon component having a boiling point lower than a temperature ranging from 300 to 350° C. from the cake; sending the cake, possibly dried, to a secondary thermal treatment comprising: a flameless pyrolysis of the cake effected between 400 and 800° C., preferably between 500 and 670° C.

Abstract: Copolymers of acrylamide or methacrylamide, suitably modified with appropriate percentages of units deriving from comonomers of a hydrophobic nature and comonomers containing a positively charged ionic group, which are capable of effectively reducing the water permeability of a porous medium.

Abstract: Method for in situ reclamation of an area contaminated by organic compounds, comprising: introducing at least one chelating agent into said area; allowing said chelating agent to diffuse through said area; introducing at least one stabilizing agent; introducing an aqueous solution comprising at least one peroxide.

Abstract: System for generating pressure waves for deep seismic surveys operating in an underwater environment below the surface, suitable for investigating subcrustal objectives for prospecting purposes in the search for hydrocarbons and/or minerals. The system comprises one or more autonomous underwater vehicles organized in swarms, independent and coordinated, each housing one or more autonomous acoustic sea sources with self-propelled striker pistons. This system is served by a system of supporting surface stations, for reprovisioning, recovery actions, checking the well-being of the single vehicles and swarms and maintenance. The system is capable of using both conventional and non-conventional self-charged acoustic sea seismic sources. The system is capable of replicating the effect of a conventional source operated from the surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for detecting and measuring phenomena relating to altimetric variations in the seafloor. The system (100) according to the present invention comprise an autonomous submarine vehicle (101) equipped with at least one interferometric sonar sensor (102) for sending an acoustic signal towards the seafloor and acquiring the image of the seafloor generated by the reflection of said acoustic signal sent, and is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of elements (103, 103?) reflecting the sound waves firmly fixed to the seafloor so as to outline a reference path for the passage of the autonomous submarine vehicle (101).

Abstract: The present invention describes a process for producing middle distillates from a C5+ liquid paraffinic fraction, termed a heavy fraction, with an initial boiling point in the range 15° C. to 40° C. produced by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, comprising the following steps in succession: passing said C5+ liquid paraffinic fraction, termed a heavy fraction, over at least one ion exchange resin at a temperature in the range 80° C. to 150° C., at a total pressure in the range 0.7 to 2.5 MPa, at an hourly space velocity in the range 0.2 to 2.5 h?1; eliminating at least a portion of the water formed in step a); hydrogenating the unsaturated olefinic type compounds of at least a portion of the effluent derived from step b) in the presence of hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst; and hydroisomerization/hydrocracking of at least a portion of the hydrotreated effluent derived from step c) in the presence of hydrogen and a hydroisomerization/hydrocracking catalyst.

Abstract: A process for the conversion of heavy feedstocks selected from heavy crude oils, distillation residues from crude oil or coming from catalytic treatment, visbreaker tars, thermal tars, bitumens from oil sands, liquids from coats of different origins and other high-boiling feedstocks of a hydrocarbon nature known as “black oils.

Abstract: A method for the extinction or oil well-killing or killing of an underwater well for the extraction of hydrocarbons under uncontrolled fluid discharge conditions, also called blowout, by assembling, in correspondence with the lower end portion of a string of pipes for the extinction or killing string, a constraint group for rigid connection between a plurality of remote-operated underwater vehicles and the killing string; detecting the position of a flow of fluids and positioning the killing string substantially in correspondence with said flow; lowering a plurality of remote-operated vehicles close to the lower end portion of the killing string; connecting the remote-operated vehicles to the constraint group; detecting in real time the relative position of the flow of fluids with respect to the vehicles and calculating the position of the outlet hole of the flow; on the basis of the calculated position of the outlet hole, coordinately piloting the vehicles so as to bring the lower end of the string in corres

Abstract: Process for the purification of an aqueous stream coming from the Fischer-Tropsch reaction which comprises: —feeding said aqueous stream containing the organic by-products of the reaction to a distillation column, obtaining two output streams: —an aqueous stream (i) exiting from the column head, enriched with alcohols having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 9 carbon atoms, and other optional volatile compounds; an aqueous stream (ii) exiting from the column bottom, enriched with organic acids having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, preferably from 2 to 6 carbon atoms; —subjecting said aqueous stream (ii) to an anaerobic biological treatment obtaining a purified aqueous stream (iii); wherein said anaerobic biological treatment is carried out with a hydraulic retention time lower than 15 hours, preferably ranging from 4 hours to 10 hours, more preferably ranging from 5 hours to 8 hours.