Home PageSCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY
Research activity has been focused on those subjects of Applied Mechanics which are more linked with the construction of machines, and particularly on static and dynamic structural analysis, dynamics of rotating machinery and of controlled systems, magnetic bearings.
Participated in the Finalized Energy and Transportation Programmes of Italian National Research Council (C.N.R.), as a member of the Scientific Committee of several projects. The main object of these projects was the study and construction of kinetic energy storage systems, both for vehicular and stationary applications.
Directed the design and the construction of some test facilities which are now part of the laboratories of the Politecnico di Torino. In particular, one of these facilities is a spin test machine, which has been operating since 1977. Is one of the founders of the Interdisciplinary Mechatronics Laboratory of Politecnico di Torino, in which he works in the development of magnetic levitation systems and walking robots.
Developed several computer codes related to structural analysis. In particular developed a rotor dynamics code, named DYNROT, based on the finite element method.
Presented papers at many symposia and meetings in Italy and many foreign countries (Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Japan, China, Great Britain, Norway, Switzerland, Netherlands, Hungary, USA, USSR, Yugoslavia). Invited to hold seminars at the Mechanical University of Shaanxi (China), the Latvian Academy of Sciences (USSR), the Arizona State University and University of Huston (USA), University of Campinas and other Universities in Brasil, University of Belgrano (Argentina), the Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, USA), the Chicago State University (Chicago, USA), the Jet Propulsion Lab. (Pasadena, USA), the San Francisco Art Institute (San Francisco, USA) and several Canadian Universities (British Columbia, Calgary and Ottawa).
The author of more than 220 papers, published in Italian, American and English Journals or presented to symposia.
Consults as a professional engineer in the Mechanical and Aerospace fields and, in particular, worked on the development of spacecraft hardware for the Italian Space program. Performed the dynamic analysis and collaborated to the design of high speed rotating machinery as turbomolecular pumps, with different types of magnetic bearings, and a high speed gravitational quadrupole which is currently used to calibrate the gravitational waves detector operating at CERN Labs. in Geneva.
Participated to the Aurora Collaboration for the study of a probe propelled by a solar sail, studying in particular the structural aspects of the spacecraft and the sail deployment and to the phase A study of the Galileo Galilei small satellite for the verification of the equivalence principle in space, studying the stability aspects linked with the supercritical rotation and the active stabilization.
Participated to the design of the WALKIE 6 demonstrator for a walking microrover for planetary exploration.
Participates to the design of a prototype of an inertia wheel based on a magnetic suspension system.
Since 1996 is corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Torino
Since 2001 is corresponding member and since 2006 is full member of the International Academy of Astronautics