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The project GTCLC-NEG foresaw a secondment with Baker Hughes Company production site in Florence. The foreseen activities were: - a model of the CLC combustor with biofuels will be integrated with the NOVA LT16 gas turbine in BHGE (during the secondment). - a technical analysis using BHGE proprietary models, to optimize turbine working conditions using hot air instead of exhaust combustion gases. This work ended up with guidelines to design and optimize a combustor for gas turbines based on CLC technology. Main results are proposed in the next paragraphs.

Within the context of leading edge film cooling in a high-pressure turbine vane, the present study is a step forward towards modelling showerhead performance for a baseline geometry (namely 4 staggered rows of cylindrical holes) at engine like conditions, starting from a previous investigation, at low speed flow (exit isentropic Mach number of Ma2is = 0.2), low inlet turbulence intensity of Tu1 = 1.6% and density ratio of DR ∼ 1. Those operating conditions, dictated by experimental constraints, were essential to validate results from delayed detached-eddy simulation (DDES) against off-the-wall measurements of velocity, vorticity and turbulent fluctuations, for the coolant-to-mainstream blowing ratio of BR = 3 (momentum flux ratio of I = 9). Here, the potential of DDES is exploited to predict the aero-thermal features of the flow in the leading edge region in the presence of larger density ratio (DR ∼ 1.5) and turbulent mainstream (Tu1 = 13%), while matching either BR or I. The experimental database contains surface measurements of film cooling adiabatic effectiveness (η), obtained by using the pressure sensitive paint (PSP) technique. DDES predictions of η were computed by means of the species transport model (i.e. mass transfer), for comparison against the conventional thermal method, based on creating a temperature differential between the mainstream and the coolant (i.e. heat transfer). The simulated film cooling performance was found to depend on the method used, thus suggesting that other parameters than DR, BR, I and Tu1 should be taken into account when the goal is matching engine-like conditions.

A numerical study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of the heat/mass transfer analogy to leading edge film cooling on a first-stage vane. A typical showerhead configuration was taken into account, thus including four staggered rows of evenly spaced cylindrical holes, angled at 45° towards the tip. The investigation was carried out at low speed (isentropic exit Mach number of Ma2is = 0.2), inlet turbulence intensity of Tu1 = 1.6% and 13%, and three different blowing ratios (BR = 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0). Steady-state simulations were conceived to mimic the pressure sensitive paint (PSP) technique aiming to measure the adiabatic film cooling effectiveness (η) in the leading edge region, under a density ratio of DR = 1 and 1.5. With the mainstream flow assumed to be air at ambient temperature, the desired DR was obtained by injecting coolant as air at different temperature from the mainstream (namely, heat transfer approach) or as isothermal foreign gas (namely, mass transfer approach). Despite the dominant effect of the DR on η, results indicated that the heat/mass transfer properties of the coolant are to be considered when comparing film cooling performance, at matched BR conditions. At low inlet turbulence intensity, the heat/mass transfer analogy was found to be applicable only to the lowest BR of 2.0. Its validity was extended to the medium BR of 3.0, in case of DR = 1.5, provided that the leading edge is approached by high turbulence intensity flow.

This study takes inspiration from a previous work focused on the simulations of the Willem-Alexander Centrale (WAC) power plant located in Buggenum (the Netherlands), based on integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology, under both design and off-design conditions. These latter included co-gasification of coal and biomass, in proportions of 30:70, in three different fuel mixtures. Any drop in the energy content of the coal/biomass blend, with respect to 100% coal, translated into a reduction in gas turbine (GT) firing temperature and load, according to the guidelines of WAC testing. Since the model was found to be accurate in comparison with operational data, here attention is drawn to the GT behavior. Hence part load strategies, such as fuel-only turbine inlet temperature (TIT) control and inlet guide vane (IGV) control, were investigated with the aim of maximizing the net electric efficiency (ηel) of the whole plant. This was done for different GT models from leading manufactures on a comparable size, in the range between 190–200 MW. The influence of fuel quality on overall ηel was discussed for three binary blends, over a wide range of lower heating value (LHV), while ensuring a concentration of H2 in the syngas below the limit of 30 vol%. IGV control was found to deliver the highest IGCC ηel combined with the lowest CO2 emission intensity, when compared not only to TIT control but also to turbine exhaust temperature control, which matches the spec for the selected GT engine. Thermoflex® was used to compute mass and energy balances in a steady environment thus neglecting dynamic aspects.

It is well known that the Łagisza power plant in Poland is the world’s first supercritical circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler, whose commercial operation started on June 2009. It has attracted a great deal of interest and operational data are publicly available, therefore it has been chosen as the object of the present study aimed at assessing load and fuel flexibility of supercritical CFB plants. First, the thermal cycle was modelled, by means of the commercial code Thermoflex®, at nominal and part load conditions for validation purposes. After having verified the validity of the applied modelling and simulation tool, the advantage of having supercritical steam combined with CFB boiler over subcritical steam and pulverized coal (PC) boiler, respectively, was quantified in terms of electric efficiency. As a next step, the designed fuel, i.e. locally mined hard coal, was replaced with biomass: 100% biomass firing was taken into account in the case of subcritical CFB boiler whereas the maximum share of biomass with coal was set at 50% with supercritical CFB boiler, consistently with the guidelines provided by the world leading manufacturers of CFB units. A broad range of biomass types was tested to conceive mixtures of fuel capable of preserving quite high performance, despite the energy consumption in pretreatment. However, the overall efficiency penalty, due to biomass co-firing, was found to potentially undermine the benefit of supercritical steam conditions compared to conventional subcritical power cycles. Indeed, the use of low-quality biomass in thermal power generation based on steam Rankine cycle may frustrate efforts to push the steam cycle boundaries.

The present paper reports the results of an experimental investigation of the influence of coolant to mainstream density ratio (DR) on the thermal and aerodynamic behavior of a nozzle vane cascade with platform cooling through slot or discrete holes. Measurements were carried out on a 6 vane cascade at low (1.6%) and high (9%) inlet turbulence intensity level, with blowing ratios (BR) varied in the range of 1-2. Tests were performed injecting carbon dioxide (DR = 1.5) as coolant flow. Aerodynamic investigations were performed by means of a miniaturized 5-hole pressure probe traversed in a downstream plane to assess the impact of the aforementioned parameters on secondary flows structure and related losses. Concerning thermal measurements, the binary PSP technique was employed to measure the adiabatic film cooling effectiveness. Three platform cooling schemes have been investigated: the first one features a slot located upstream of the leading edge, the second one makes use of cylindrical holes distributed both upstream and inside of the passage and the last one is based on standard 10-10-10 shaped holes. These results will be compared with previous data [1] obtained testing the same cooling schemes with a high inlet turbulence intensity level and injecting air as coolant (DR = 1). These cooling schemes are representative of real engine platform film cooling configurations and will allow to critically assess the impact of density ratio and mainstream turbulence intensity level on cascade aerodynamic and thermal performance for variable injection conditions.[1] G. Barigozzi, A. Perdichizzi, L. Abba, L. Pestelli, 2020, “Platform Film Cooling Investigation on an Hp Nozzle Vane Cascade with Discrete Shaped Holes and Slot Film Cooling” ASME Paper GT2020-2849.

In this study, a parametric analysis of the thermal performance of a nozzle vane cascade with a showerhead cooling system made of four rows of cylindrical holes was carried out by using the pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) technique. Coolant-to-mainstream blowing ratio (BR), density ratio (DR), main flow isentropic exit Mach number (Ma2is), and turbulence intensity level (Tu1) were the considered parameters. The cascade was tested in an atmospheric wind tunnel at Ma2is values ranging from 0.2 to 0.6, with an inlet turbulence intensity level of 1.6% and 9%, at variable injection conditions of BR = 2.0, 3.0, 4.0. Moreover, the influence of the DR on the leading-edge film-cooling performance was investigated: the testing was carried out at DR = 1.0, using nitrogen as foreign gas, and DR = 1.5, with carbon dioxide serving as a coolant. In the near-hole region, higher BR and Ma2is resulted in higher effectiveness, while higher mainstream turbulence intensity reduced the thermal coverage in between the rows of holes, whatever the BR is. Further downstream along the vane pressure side, the effectiveness was negatively affected by rising the BR but positively influenced by lowering the mainstream turbulence intensity. Moreover, a decrease in the DR caused a reduction in the film-cooling performance, whose extent depends on the injection condition.

Taking inspiration from one of the most significant experiences of coal and biomass cogasification, such as that undertaken in the Willem-Alexander Centrale (WAC) power plant located in Bug...

To evaluate the agreement among readers with different expertise in detecting suspicious lesions at prostate multiparametric MRI using Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) version 2.1. We evaluated 200 consecutive biopsy-naive or previously negative biopsy men who underwent MRI for clinically suspected prostate cancer (PCa) between May and September 2017. Of them, 132 patients underwent prostate biopsy. Seven radiologists (four dedicated uro-radiologists and three non-dedicated abdominal radiologists) reviewed and scored all MRI examinations according to PI-RADS v2.1. Agreement on index lesion detection was evaluated with Conger’s k coefficient, agreement coefficient 1 (AC1), percentage of agreement (PA), and indexes of specific positive and negative agreement. Clinical and radiological features that may influence variability were evaluated. Agreement in index lesion detection among all readers was substantial (AC1 0.738; 95% CI 0.695–0.782); dedicated radiologists showed higher agreement compared with non-dedicated readers. Clinical and radiological parameters that positively influenced agreement were PSA density ≥ 0.15 ng/mL/cc, pre-MRI high risk for PCa, positivity threshold of PI-RADS score 4 + 5, PZ lesions, homogeneous signal intensity of the PZ, and subjectively easy interpretation of MRI. Positive specific agreement was significantly higher among dedicated readers, up to 93.4% (95% CI 90.7–95.4) in patients harboring csPCa. Agreement on absence of lesions was excellent for both dedicated and non-dedicated readers (respectively 85.1% [95% CI 78.4–92.3] and 82.0% [95% CI 77.2–90.1]). Agreement on index lesion detection among radiologists of various experiences is substantial to excellent using PI-RADS v2.1. Concordance on absence of lesions is excellent across readers’ experience. • Agreement on index lesion detection among radiologists of various experiences is substantial to excellent using PI-RADS v2.1. • Concordance between experienced readers is higher than between less-experienced readers. • Concordance on absence of lesions is excellent across readers’ experience.

The main goal of this study was to assess the energy efficiency of a small-scale, on-site hydrogen production and dispensing plant for transport applications. The selected location was the city of Narvik, in northern Norway, where the hydrogen demand is expected to be 100 kg/day. The investigated technologies for on-site hydrogen generation, starting from common liquid fossil fuels, such as heavy naphtha and diesel, were based on steam reforming and partial oxidation. Water electrolysis derived by renewable energy was also included in the comparison. The overall thermal efficiency of the hydrogen station was computed including compression and miscellaneous power consumption.

The present paper deals with the performance prediction of Concentrated Solar Power plants integrated with cooling energy production. The plant configuration is based on a typical steam Rankine cycle (rated 62.1 MWe). The thermal input is provided by two different solar fields: i) Parabolic Trough Collectors and ii) Central Receiver System with heliostats reflecting on the tower top. In the former case, both north-south and east-west oriented collectors are investigated and compared in the study. A Thermal Energy Storage system allows driving the power block 24-h per day also in periods with low solar irradiation. A steam flow rate extracted from the turbine low stages feeds a set of two-stage absorption chillers, and the produced chilled water is supplied to a district cooling network. A computer code integrating the commercial software Thermoflex and Trnsys has been developed to model and to simulate over 1-year period the solar field and the power block. The power plant is supposed to operate in island mode, having to meet power and cooling demand for a population of about 50,000 inhabitants in the Saudi desert region. Solar fields and storage system were sized according to a techno-economic optimization algorithm for the minimization of the investment costs. The simulation results show the beneficial effect of the combined power and cooling production in terms of peak load shaving. Compared to the troughs, solar tower exhibits a higher efficiency, thus requiring a lower aperture area and lower investment costs. The techno-economic analysis shows that the axis orientation has a strong impact on the trough collectors and that east-west oriented devices perform better for the investigated load-following application.

To evaluate the agreement among readers with different expertise in detecting suspicious lesions at prostate multiparametric MRI using Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) version 2.1.We evaluated 200 consecutive biopsy-naïve or previously negative biopsy men who underwent MRI for clinically suspected prostate cancer (PCa) between May and September 2017. Of them, 132 patients underwent prostate biopsy. Seven radiologists (four dedicated uro-radiologists and three non-dedicated abdominal radiologists) reviewed and scored all MRI examinations according to PI-RADS v2.1. Agreement on index lesion detection was evaluated with Conger's k coefficient, agreement coefficient 1 (AC1), percentage of agreement (PA), and indexes of specific positive and negative agreement. Clinical and radiological features that may influence variability were evaluated.Agreement in index lesion detection among all readers was substantial (AC1 0.738; 95% CI 0.695-0.782); dedicated radiologists showed higher agreement compared with non-dedicated readers. Clinical and radiological parameters that positively influenced agreement were PSA density ≥ 0.15 ng/mL/cc, pre-MRI high risk for PCa, positivity threshold of PI-RADS score 4 + 5, PZ lesions, homogeneous signal intensity of the PZ, and subjectively easy interpretation of MRI. Positive specific agreement was significantly higher among dedicated readers, up to 93.4% (95% CI 90.7-95.4) in patients harboring csPCa. Agreement on absence of lesions was excellent for both dedicated and non-dedicated readers (respectively 85.1% [95% CI 78.4-92.3] and 82.0% [95% CI 77.2-90.1]).Agreement on index lesion detection among radiologists of various experiences is substantial to excellent using PI-RADS v2.1. Concordance on absence of lesions is excellent across readers' experience.• Agreement on index lesion detection among radiologists of various experiences is substantial to excellent using PI-RADS v2.1. • Concordance between experienced readers is higher than between less-experienced readers. • Concordance on absence of lesions is excellent across readers' experience.

In this study a parametric analysis of the thermal performance of a nozzle vane cascade with a showerhead cooling system made of four rows of cylindrical holes was carried out by using the Pressure Sensitive Paint (PSP) technique. Coolant-to-mainstream blowing ratio (BR), density ratio (DR), main flow isentropic exit Mach number (Ma2is) and turbulence intensity level (Tu1) were the considered parameters. The cascade was tested in an atmospheric wind tunnel at Ma2is values ranging from 0.2 to 0.6, with an inlet turbulence intensity level of 1.6% and 9%, at variable injection conditions of BR = 2.0, 3.0, 4.0. Moreover, the influence of DR on the leading edge film cooling performance was investigated: testing was carried out at DR = 1.0, using nitrogen as foreign gas, and DR = 1.5, with carbon dioxide serving as coolant. In the near-hole region, higher BR and Ma2is resulted in higher effectiveness, while higher mainstream turbulence intensity reduced the thermal coverage in between the rows of holes, whatever the BR. Further downstream along the vane pressure side, the effectiveness was negatively affected by rising BR, but positively influenced by lowering the mainstream turbulence intensity. Moreover, a decrease in DR caused a reduction in the film cooling performance, whose extent depends on the injection condition.

The present paper reports the results of an experimental and computational investigation of flat plate film cooling jets discharged from three fan-shaped holes. Measurements have been carried out at near unity density ratio in a low-speed wind tunnel, at low inlet turbulence intensity, with blowing ratios (BR) of 1 and 2. Aerodynamic results have shown that the jet stays attached to the flat plate. Thermal measurements have revealed that film cooling effectiveness decreases downstream of the holes, and BR equal to 1 provides the best trade-off between cooling air consumption and thermal protection. Consequently, BR = 1 was selected for assessing the performance of different turbulence models, implemented in STAR-CCM+, according with the steady Reynolds-averaged Navier&ndash, Stokes (RANS) approach. Predictions from realizable k-&epsilon, (RKE), shear stress transport k-&omega, (SST KW) and Reynolds stress model (RSM) were compared against measurements of laterally averaged and centerline adiabatic effectiveness, as well as off-the-wall velocity maps and profiles of stress components. RSM provided the most accurate predictions.

An experimental study was conducted to investigate both the aerodynamic and the thermal behavior of film cooling jets exiting from three cylindrical holes on a flat plate. Measurements have been carried out in a low-speed wind tunnel, at low inlet turbulence intensity level, with blowing ratio (BR) varied in the range between 0.5 and 1.5. A high-resolution Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system was used to conduct detailed flow field measurements in the streamwise plane, while the Hot Wire Anemometry (HWA) technique provided measurements of velocity components in the vertical-lateral planes at two locations downstream of the holes. Concerning the thermal measurements, the binary pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) technique has been employed to map the adiabatic film cooling effectiveness (η) on the surface of interest, at density ratio of DR = 1 and 1.5, by using N2 and CO2 as coolant stream, respectively. 2-D flow field measurements in the streamwise plane have shown that the cooling jet stays attached to the flat plate surface at BR 1. Thermal measurements at DR = 1 confirmed this behavior: at BR = 0.5, the highest levels of film cooling effectiveness are achieved immediately downstream of the hole whereas BR values of 1 and 1.5 have a detrimental impact on the thermal coverage. With a focus on the case at BR = 1, another set of experiments was conducted with CO2 as coolant to investigate the influence of DR on cooling efficiency, either at matched BR or momentum flux ratio (I). The latter was found to be the more appropriate parameter to scale cooling effectiveness results when comparing low and high DR cases.

A wide set of experimental data has been used to validate numerical simulations of leading edge film cooling in a high-pressure turbine vane, according with steady-state RANS and delayed detached-eddy simulation (DDES) modelling. A typical showerhead configuration was adopted, namely 4 staggered rows of cylindrical holes. Boundary conditions were fully based on the wind tunnel tests: low speed flow (exit isentropic Mach number of Ma2is = 0.2), low inlet turbulence intensity of Tu1 = 1.6% and low density ratio of DR ∼ 1 were dictated by constraints relating to Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) setup. One only blowing ratio of BR = 3.0 was taken into account since it is representative of effective thermal protection, while offering a challenging scenario of jet separation and reattachment on a curved surface. Predicted off-the-wall aerodynamic features of the flow in the leading edge region were compared against PIV data and flow visualizations. Moreover, contours of adiabatic effectiveness, measured with the pressure sensitive paint (PSP) technique by injecting nitrogen as coolant (DR ∼ 1), were computed by means of the species transport model (i.e. mass transfer (MT)), in addition to the conventional thermal method (i.e. heat transfer (HT)). The MT approach yielded more accurate predictions of adiabatic effectiveness (η) than the alternative HT method. Therefore it can be considered particularly suited to the validation of the PSP experimental results. DDES was indispensable to capture the highly unsteady, anisotropic mixing of the cooling jets with the mainstream, despite overestimation of the jet vertical penetration, and hence slight underprediction of η outside the showerhead region.

This paper collects the final results of a combined experimental and numerical investigation on pressure side (PS) film cooling in a high-pressure turbine vane, including two staggered rows of cylindrical holes and a trailing edge cutback, fed by one plenum. Having learned that the scale resolving simulation technique is essential to get reasonable predictions of adiabatic film cooling effectiveness, the stress-blended eddy simulation (SBES) model has been selected as the best among the available hybrid RANS–LES options. Mainstream conditions were limited to low speed and low turbulence intensity due to the need of high temporal and spatial resolution. The choice of one only coolant-to-mainstream mass flow ratio equal to MFR = 1.5% was dictated by the hole discharge: on the one side, mainstream injection into the cooling holes and, on the other side, jet liftoff were avoided to get an effective thermal coverage downstream of the holes. SBES potential was evaluated on the basis of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the flow along the interface between coolant and mainstream because of their ultimate effect on vane surface temperature. The focus was set on shape and dynamics of coherent structures: SBES provided evidence of shear layer Kelvin–Helmholtz instability and hairpin vortices, downstream of cooling holes, with a Strouhal number (St) of 1.3 and 0.3–0.4, respectively. Simulated vortex shedding in the cutback region was characterized by St of 0.32 to be compared against the measured St value of 0.40.

In this paper a simulation tool (Thermoflex®) has been setup to model an entire Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) on the basis of the report entitled “Cost and Performance of PC and IGCC Plants for a Range of Carbon dioxide Capture” by DOE/NETL [1]. The investigated layout has no water-gas-shift (WGS) reactor and does not allow for any CO2 capture. Two gasification islands are included, each of which consists of Air Separation Unit (ASU), GEE radiant-only gasifier, quench and syngas scrubber as well as syngas cleanup. Two advanced GE’s F-class gas turbines (2 × 232 MW), coupled with two heat recovery steam generators and one steam turbine (276 MW) constitute the power block. In the IGCC simulation, the base model of the GE 7F.05 gas turbine has been adapted to burn syngas. Mass and energy balances were carefully computed on design condition to validate the proposed modelling procedure against the IGCC performance data contained in the above mentioned report: the net power output of 622 MW was underestimated by about 5% whereas the net electric efficiency was slightly overpredicted. The off-design behavior of the syngas turbine was then simulated as dependent on ambient temperature and partial load, in preparation for modelling flexible operation of the whole power plant. The variation in IGCC net efficiency and power output was assessed in a load following operational strategy, thus reducing the load factor and varying the number and slope of ramps in a typical day. The IGCC net efficiency goes down from 42.5% to 32.8% when the load is reduced from 100% to 40% of the design rate.

Within the framework of scale resolving simulation techniques, this paper considers the application of the stress-blended eddy simulation (SBES) model to pressure side (PS) film cooling in a high-pressure turbine nozzle guide vane. The cooling geometry exhibits two rows of film cooling holes and a trailing edge cutback, fed by the same plenum chamber. The blowing conditions investigated were in the range of coolant-to-mainstream mass flow ratio (MFR) from 1% to 2%. The flow regime resembles that in a real engine (exit isentropic Mach number of Ma2is = 0.6), but also low speed conditions (Ma2is = 0.2) were considered for comparison purposes. The predicted results were validated with measurements of surface adiabatic effectiveness and instantaneous off-wall visualizations of the flow field downstream of cooling holes and cutback slot. The focus is on SBES ability of developing shear layer structures, because of their strong influence on velocity field, entrainment mechanisms and, thus, vane surface temperature. Special attention has been paid to the development and dynamics of coherent unsteadiness, since measured values of shedding frequency were also available for validation. SBES provided significant improvement in capturing the unsteady physics of cooling jet-mainstream interaction. The effects of changes in flow regime and blowing conditions on vortex structures were well predicted along the cutback surface. As regards the cooling holes, the high speed condition made it difficult to match the experimental Kelvin–Helmholtz breakdown in the shear layer, in the case of high velocity jets.

An effective combination of district cooling with electric power production in an integrated solar combined cycle is presented and evaluated. A remote area in hot climate is assumed as location to highlight the importance of peak shaving strategy in an isolated or weakly interconnected power system. Two solutions for handling peak power demand are taken into account in the present investigation. On the one hand, the integration of a Concentrated Solar Power system (CSP) with a combined cycle power plant is considered to match peak power demand on the grid. On the other hand, the adoption of a district cooling system where cooling energy is produced by absorption chillers is proposed, instead of mechanical refrigeration, to reduce and flatten the load profile. The case study refers to a combined cycle (CC) based on a 46 MW Siemens SGT-800 gas turbine. The CC plant is integrated with a parabolic trough collectors (PTC) solar field and double-effect steam driven absorption chillers feeding a district cooling network. The solar combined cooling and power (SCCP) system is designed to operate in “island mode” to match both electrical and cooling demand on an hourly basis, on a typical winter and summer day. A modeling procedure is applied to accurately simulate the plant operation, including off-design behavior of all plant components. During the day the solar source has the highest priority, whilst the gas turbine (GT) is operated at part-load to follow the load profile. Electric efficiency and fuel savings for the SCCP plant are computed and compared against the ones resulting from a conventional pure fossil system based on analogous combined cycle and compression refrigeration units. Results show that a SCCP system can significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption in both summer and winter peak hours, while providing higher overall efficiency through the whole day, both in summer and winter.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to test the association between diffusion-weighted MRI and prostate cancer Gleason score at both biopsy and final pathologic analysis after radical prostatectomy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Patients with prostate cancer (n = 72) underwent diffusion-weighted MRI (b values, 0, 800, and 1600 s/mm(2)) with an endorectal coil. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and ADC ratio were obtained in normal and pathologic tissue and were correlated with transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy (n = 72) and histopathologic (n = 39) Gleason scores using the ANOVA test. ADC accuracy was estimated using ROC curves. RESULTS. Lesions suspicious for prostate cancer were detected in 65 patients. The mean ADC was 1.47 and 0.87 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s for normal and pathologic tissue, respectively (p < 0.001). When we divided the population into four groups (normal tissue and biopsy Gleason scores of 6, 7, and 8-10), then the mean ADC value was 1.47, 0.96, 0.80, and 0.78 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s, respectively (p < 0.001). The ADC ratio decreased along with an increase in biopsy Gleason score (66.9%, 56.7%, and 51.5% for Gleason scores of 6, 7 and 8-10, respectively) (ANOVA, p = 0.003) and pathologic Gleason score (ANOVA, p < 0.001). ROC curves had an AUC of 0.94 and 0.86 for ADC and ADC ratio, respectively (p = 0.012 and 0.042, respectively). CONCLUSION. Decreasing ADC values may represent a strong risk factor of harboring a poorly differentiated prostate cancer, independently of biopsy characteristics.

The performance of a showerhead arrangement of film cooling in the leading edge region of a first-stage nozzle guide vane was experimentally and numerically evaluated. A six-vane linear cascade was tested at an isentropic exit Mach number of Ma2s = 0.42, with a high inlet turbulence intensity level of 9%. The showerhead cooling scheme consists of four staggered rows of cylindrical holes evenly distributed around the stagnation line, angled at 45 deg toward the tip. The blowing ratios tested are BR = 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0. Adiabatic film cooling effectiveness distributions on the vane surface around the leading edge region were measured by means of thermochromic liquid crystals (TLC) technique. Since the experimental contours of adiabatic effectiveness showed that there is no periodicity across the span, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations were conducted by simulating the whole vane. Within the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) framework, the very widely used realizable k–ε (Rke) and the shear stress transport k–ω (SST) turbulence models were chosen for simulating the effect of the BR on the surface distribution of adiabatic effectiveness. The turbulence model which provided the most accurate steady prediction, i.e., Rke, was selected for running detached eddy simulation (DES) at the intermediate value of BR = 3. Fluctuations of the local temperature were computed by DES, due to the vortex structures within the shear layers between the main flow and the coolant jets. Moreover, mixing was enhanced both in the wall-normal and spanwise directions, compared to RANS modeling. DES roughly halved the prediction error of laterally averaged film cooling effectiveness on the suction side of the leading edge. However, neither DES nor RANS provided the expected decay of effectiveness progressing downstream along the pressure side, with 15% overestimation of ηav at s/C = 0.2.

This paper reports on heat transfer measurements performed on the film cooled platform of a linear nozzle vane cascade, subject to non-uniform inlet flow conditions. An obstruction, installed upstream of the cascade at different tangential positions, was responsible for inlet flow distortion. The platform cooling system included both purge flow from a slot located upstream of the leading edge and coolant ejection from a row of cylindrical holes located upstream of the slot. Testing was performed at inlet Mach number of Ma1 = 0.12 with both slot and combustor holes blowing at nominal conditions. Measured values of adiabatic film cooling effectiveness on the platform were used to obtain a detailed map of the convective heat transfer coefficient. The final goal was to compute the net heat flux reduction (NHFR), due to film cooling, when varying the relative position between obstruction and airfoil. Aligning the inflow non uniformity with the vane leading edge leads to a detrimental increase in the heat flux into the platform, within the vane passage. Conversely, positive NHFR values are observed over most of the platform surface if the inlet flow distortion is moved toward the suction side of the adjacent vane.

The present work deepens the analysis of the flow field inside a triangular equilateral channel with turbulence promoters, perpendicular to the radial direction, on both leading and trailing sides, under rotation and both isothermal and nonisothermal conditions (i.e. with centrifugal buoyancy forces). Simulations have been performed at constant Re = 10,000, Ro = 0–0.2–0.6, and Bo = 0–0.08–0.7, the latter corresponding to 80℃ temperature difference between fluid and walls. These conditions match those of the particle image velocimetry measurements, used for comparison against predictions. After proper validation, the numerical modeling helped with the assessment of the flow field evolution along the radial extension of the cooling channel. It has been possible to determine the path of the coolant throughout the channel and localize where the heat transfer would have been enhanced/decreased by secondary flow structures, with respect to the stationary case. Furthermore, a rather Bo-independency of the flow field in this kind of geometry has been confirmed. The analysis presented in this paper finds support from the thermal data available from the open literature, which is rich of thermal analysis indeed, but lacks a detailed description of internal flow fields.

The flow field in a linear cascade of highly loaded turbine nozzle guide vanes (NGVs) has been numerically investigated at low and high-subsonic regime, i.e., exit isentropic Mach number of M2is = 0.2 and 0.6, respectively. Extensive experimental data are available for an accurate assessment of the numerical procedure. Aerodynamic measurements include not only vane loading and pressure drop in the wake but also local flow features such as boundary layer behavior along both pressure and suction sides of the vane, as well as secondary flow structures downstream of the trailing edge (TE). Simulations were performed by using two computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes, a commercial one and an open-source based in-house code. Besides computations with the well-established shear-stress transport (SST) k–ω turbulence model assuming fully turbulent flow, transition models were taken into account in the present study. The original version of the γ–Reθ model of Menter was employed. Suluksna–Juntasaro correlations for transition length (Flenght) and transition onset (Fonset) were also tested. The main goal was to establish essential ingredients for reasonable computational predictions of the cascade aerodynamic behavior, under both incompressible and compressible regime. This study showed that transition modeling should be coupled with accurate profiles of inlet velocity and turbulence intensity to get a chance to properly quantify aerodynamic losses via CFD method. However, additional weaknesses of the transition modeling have been put forward when increasing the outlet Mach number.

The present study concentrates on the numerical investigation of pressure side film cooling in a linear nozzle vane cascade typical of a high-pressure turbine in gas turbine engines. The cooling scheme features a pressure side cutback and two rows of cooling holes located upstream of the cutback. The main goal is to evaluate the applicability of a simple numerical method, i.e. the steady incompressible Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes, in such a complex industrial application. The simulations are performed according to an adiabatic and conjugate approach. Two values of the coolant-to-mainstream mass flow ratio ( MFR = 1% and 2.8%) are simulated at exit Mach number of M2 is = 0.2. The computed flow/temperature fields in the cooled regions of the vane pressure side are presented and compared to available measurements of: holes and cutback exit velocity and discharge behavior; boundary layer along traverses at strategic axial locations, adiabatic film cooling effectiveness. In addition, distributions of overall film cooling effectiveness and heat transfer coefficients are reported for the conjugate cases. Both adiabatic and conjugate techniques provide reasonable predictions of three-dimensional aerodynamic and thermal features of the investigated cooled vane. The conjugate heat transfer is much more complicated than one-dimensional conduction within the vane material.

The thermal performance of a gas turbine airfoil with a cooled pressure side and a trailing edge cutback is investigated and discussed in relationship with the unsteady behavior of coolant injection. The focus is on the pressure side coolant injection through discrete holes. The cascade was tested at an exit Mach number of 0.2 and 0.6 for different coolant to mainstream mass flow ratios. Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) and high speed flow visualizations were used to investigate the unsteady mixing process taking place between coolant and main flow downstream of the holes. This behavior was correlated with the film cooling effectiveness distributions over the vane surface. In the first row, hairpin clockwise rotating vortices and counterclockwise shear layer vortices were observed, depending on the coolant to mainstream velocity ratio. The second row turned out to be characterized by a lower velocity ratio and lower turbulent activity, consistently with the higher thermal protection observed also at high injection rates. The increase in mainstream Mach number kept the jets closer to the wall, resulting in lower turbulent characteristics and lower mixing, consistently with higher thermal protection.

Simulations were carried out to predict the performance of a Solar Rankine Cycle (SRC) and an Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC) when combined with two different solar field configurations based on parabolic trough and power tower systems. For the selected cases, yearly plant performance was computed under real operating conditions on a one hour basis. A computing procedure was developed by integrating two commercial softwares with in-house computer code. Thermodynamic performance was featured for every plant configuration both at nominal and part load conditions. A single reheat regenerative Rankine cycle was chosen for the SRC plant whereas a commercial gas turbine, i.e. Siemens SGT-800, with a dual pressure heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) was assumed for the ISCC plant. As far as the heat transfer fluid (HTF) is concerned, molten salt was chosen to transfer heat to the water loop in the SRC. Synthetic oil was considered in the ISCC plant. Plants were assumed to be located in a Southern Spain site. The comparative analysis was mainly focused on the influence of CSP technology on global solar energy conversion efficiency of both SRC and ISCC plants. Special attention was devoted to assess trough collectors (PTCs) against the solar tower (ST) system in terms of intercepted radiation and thermal power sent to the power block. The ISCC coupled with a ST was found to assure the highest annual solar-to-electric efficiency of 21.8%. This is the result of both higher collection efficiency of ST compared to PTCs and higher conversion efficiency of solar energy introduced into the combined cycle, as compared to SRC.

This article investigates the influence of GT Model and Spool Arrangement on solar hybrid combined cycle (CC) performance. To investigate the way the GT interacts with the solar system, two commercial codes were used. A “user-defined” GT model was first developed on the basis of design conditions performance, then carefully calibrated against manufacturer data to accurately predict its off-design behavior depending on load and ambient temperature conditions. To assess the influence of GT model and spool arrangement on the solarized CC performance, the following GTs were selected: the single-shaft Siemens SGT800 and two two-shaft engines: the heavy-duty GT Siemens SGT750 and the aeroderivative GE LM6000. It was observed that the single-spool SGT-800 assures the lowest power penalty. The SGT-750 appeared to provide the highest fuel saving in the middle of the day, both in winter and summer, and the highest solar fraction as well.

A simulation procedure has been developed to predict the performance of a concentrating solar power plant with direct steam generation (DSG) technology. A detailed modelling of the DSG solar field was conceived for both parabolic troughs (PTC) and linear Fresnel collectors within an integrated Octave-TRNSYS® environment. Predictions from this model were compared with published operational data of the first pre-commercial 5 MW DSG solar power plant, designed within the INDITEP project. Attention was paid to the plant performance under two different operation modes, i.e. “fixed” or “sliding” steam turbine inlet pressure.

The performance of a showerhead arrangement of film cooling in the leading edge region of a first stage nozzle guide vane was experimentally and numerically evaluated. A six-vane linear cascade was tested at an isentropic exit Mach number of Ma2s = 0.42, with a high inlet turbulence intensity level of 9%. The showerhead cooling scheme consists of four staggered rows of cylindrical holes evenly distributed around the stagnation line, angled at 45° towards the tip. The blowing ratios tested are BR = 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0. Adiabatic film cooling effectiveness distributions on the vane surface around the leading edge region were measured by means of Thermochromic Liquid Crystals technique. Since the experimental contours of adiabatic effectiveness showed that there is no periodicity across the span, the CFD calculations were conducted by simulating the whole vane. Within the RANS framework, the very widely used Realizable k-ε (Rke) and the Shear Stress Transport k-ω (SST) turbulence models were chosen for simulating the effect of the BR on the surface distribution of adiabatic effectiveness. The turbulence model which provided the most accurate steady prediction, i.e. Rke, was selected for running Detached Eddy Simulation at the intermediate value of BR = 3. Fluctuations of the local temperature were computed by DES, due to the vortex structures within the shear layers between the main flow and the coolant jets. Moreover, mixing was enhanced both in the wall-normal and spanwise direction, compared to RANS modeling. DES roughly halved the prediction error of laterally averaged film cooling effectiveness on the suction side of the leading edge. However, neither DES nor RANS provided the expected decay of effectiveness progressing downstream along the pressure side, with 15% overestimation of ηav at s/C =0.2.

The present paper compares the performance of different Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants. The first plant configuration is a regenerative Steam Rankine Cycle (SRC) rated 50 MW, with 8-hour full-load Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system. The alternative solution is an Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC), where the steam generated by the solar section is joined to the one produced in the Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) and is expanded in the steam turbine, producing 20 MW of extra power. As far as the solar field is concerned, for each plant configuration two different technologies are considered: Parabolic Trough Collectors (PTC) and Central Receiver System (CRS), using respectively thermal oil and molten salt mixture as heat transfer fluid (HTF). Commercial software and in-house computer codes are combined together to predict the CSP plant performance both on design and off-design conditions. Plants are supposed to be located in the Riyadh region (KSA). Results of yearly simulations on hourly basis are presented and discussed. Main outputs such as gross electricity production and cycle efficiency are reported. The goal of the paper is to evaluate the power production and the efficiency for the considered CSP technologies in real operating conditions.

Objectives The aim of this study is to develop a nomogram of clinical utility based on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) from diffusion-weighted imaging to predict extracapsular extension (ECE), and to validate externally its clinical utility. Materials and methods A total of 101 men (70 for the creation and 31 for external validation of the nomogram) underwent 1.5T multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging followed by radical prostatectomy at 2 different institutions. ADC values were assessed for normal and pathological tissue. Clinical and pathological variables were investigated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses on 70 patients and logistic regression coefficients were used to develop our nomogram. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal ADC cut off for ECE. The nomogram was then externally validated on 31 patients at another institution. Results At univariate analysis, the following variables were associated with ECE: pathological ADC and Gleason at biopsy (P

The use of the fluidized bed combustor (FBC) has increased. It began in the 20th century as coal combustion and gasification, which then developed into catalytic reactions. Only recently, the application field has been extended to the incineration of biomass and pre-treated waste, for either power generation or waste disposal. The success of fluidized bed combustion is due to high combustion efficiency, great flexibility when it comes to the heating value of the fuel and reduction in pollutants emitted with the flue gas. The purpose of this paper is to extend the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, which has recently proved to be an effective means of analysis and optimization of energy-conversion processes, even to fluidized bed combustion of refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The increase in computer power over recent years has made this goal attainable. This overview is divided into three main parts. In the first one, after a brief introduction to the fluidized bed hydrodynamics, the phenomena taking place during fluidized bed combustion of solid fuels are explained, with particular interest in drying, devolatilization and char oxidation. Differences in combustion between conventional and alternative fuels are highlighted so as to fully characterize the RDF behaviour in the bed. In the second part, a review of the state of the art of combustion modelling is presented: not only one-dimensional but also multi-dimensional models, applied to the fluidized bed and conventional combustors, are analysed in order to emphasize what has already been done and what remains to be done. From the investigation it emerges that multi-dimensional models of fluidized bed furnaces are still lacking in literature: up to now, several bed hydrodynamics models have been achieved but none of them takes chemical reactions into account. In the last section, a numerical model of a bubbling FBC fed by RDF is presented. The combustor is divided into two regions: the bed and the freeboard. The calculation of mass and energy fluxes entering from the bed into the freeboard provides the boundary conditions for the subsequent CFD analysis. The freeboard model, implemented by means of the commercial code FLUENT 6.1, is mainly concerned with employing the two-mixture-fraction-pdf approach to track both the gases coming from the bed and the solid fuel particles that do not burn in the bed but above it. The excess air is injected through four series of nozzles; furthermore, the heat transfer between the flue gases and the internals is taken into account. The freeboard operation was simulated consistent with two conditions representing the combustor minimum and maximum load. The comparison between the predicted and the experimental data are in agreement: the reliability of the model results proves that CFD modelling is a powerful method to give insight into the behaviour of a full-scale FBC fed by a non-conventional fuel. The minimum load condition is found to reduce combustion efficiency and heat transfer from the flue gas to the boiler tubes.

In this paper showerhead film cooling performance measured on a first stage nozzle guide vane within a linear cascade are presented and compared against steady and unsteady CFD simulations. A showerhead cooling scheme was tested at blowing ratios of BR = 2 to 4 under engine-like conditions (i.e. nominal exit Mach number of Ma2is = 0.42 and high mainstream turbulence level). Adiabatic film cooling effectiveness in the leading edge region was measured by means of wide banded Thermochromic Liquid Crystals. A borescope was used to overcome the constraints to the optical access imposed by the turbulence generator. Moreover, exit surveys detailing total pressure downstream of the cooled vane were acquired using a five-hole miniaturized aerodynamic pressure probe. In view of qualitative/quantitative validation purposes, numerical modelling based on steady RANS and Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) approach was performed for the lowest investigated BR of 2.0, which provided the best film coverage. Nevertheless the dilution of the coolant jets from the showerhead was predicted by DES, agreement with the measured cooling effectiveness in the leading edge region was still far from being achieved. Instead, the steady approach was enough to capture aerodynamic features such as vane load, wake loss and plenum to mainstream pressure ratio.Copyright © 2015 by ASME

The main purpose of this numerical investigation is to overcome the limitations of the steady modeling in predicting the cooling efficiency over the cutback surface in a high pressure turbine nozzle guide vane. Since discrepancy between Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) predictions and measured thermal coverage at the trailing edge was attributable to unsteadiness, Unsteady RANS (URANS) modeling was implemented to evaluate improvements in simulating the mixing between the mainstream and the coolant exiting the cutback slot. With the aim of reducing the computation effort, only a portion of the airfoil along the span was simulated at an exit Mach number of Ma2is = 0.2. Three values of the coolant-to-mainstream mass flow ratio were considered: MFR = 0.66%, 1.05%, and 1.44%. Nevertheless the inherent vortex shedding from the cutback lip was somehow captured by the URANS method, the computed mixing was not enough to reproduce the measured drop in adiabatic effectiveness η along the streamwise direction, over the cutback surface. So modeling was taken a step further by using the Scale Adaptive Simulation (SAS) method at MFR = 1.05%. Results from the SAS approach were found to have potential to mimic the experimental measurements. Vortices shedding from the cutback lip were well predicted in shape and magnitude, but with a lower frequency, as compared to PIV data and flow visualizations. Moreover, the simulated reduction in film cooling effectiveness toward the trailing edge was similar to that observed experimentally.Copyright © 2014 by ASME

The present study is focused on a waste-to-energy plant located in Northern Italy, that produces electric power and thermal energy from the non-recyclable fraction of municipal and industrial solid waste (8,00,000 tons/year). In cold months heat is provided to a district heating system. Another peculiarity of this plant is that the condenser system is organized with an air condenser and a water cooled condenser, coupled with a wet cooling tower. This work shows how the net power output can be maximized by properly regulating the combined wet and dry units of the combined cooling system. A detailed model of the steam cycle was performed by means of a commercial code (Thermoflex®). Off design performance were carefully predicted to simulate accurately the real thermal cycle behaviour. Once the power cycle performance has been predicted over an extensive range of operating conditions, an optimal search method was implemented to find the set of variables allowing the wet and dry cooling system to be regulated so that the maximum net power is achieved. In general, the best strategy resulted in loading as much as possible the wet cooling system to reduce the operational cost of the dry air condenser. Conversely, the whole exhaust steam flow rate has to be sent only to the air condenser when the district heating water request is very large, i.e. in coldest months.

The main purpose of this numerical investigation is to overcome the limitations of the steady modeling in predicting the cooling efficiency over the cutback surface in a high pressure turbine nozzle guide vane. Since discrepancy between Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) predictions and measured thermal coverage at the trailing edge was attributable to unsteadiness, Unsteady RANS (URANS) modeling was implemented to evaluate improvements in simulating the mixing between the mainstream and the coolant exiting the cutback slot. With the aim of reducing the computation effort, only a portion of the airfoil along the span was simulated at an exit Mach number of Ma2is = 0.2. Three values of the coolant-to-mainstream mass flow ratio were considered: MFR = 0.66%, 1.05%, and 1.44%. Nevertheless the inherent vortex shedding from the cutback lip was somehow captured by the URANS method, the computed mixing was not enough to reproduce the measured drop in adiabatic effectiveness η along the streamwise direction, over the cutback surface. So modeling was taken a step further by using the scale adaptive simulation (SAS) method at MFR = 1.05%. Results from the SAS approach were found to have potential to mimic the experimental measurements. Vortices shedding from the cutback lip were well predicted in shape and magnitude, but with a lower frequency, as compared to particle image velocimetry (PIV) data and flow visualizations. Moreover, the simulated reduction in film cooling effectiveness toward the trailing edge was similar to that observed experimentally.

Churg–Strauss syndrome can be associated with Loeffler-like eosinophilic endocarditis. We report a case of a young woman in which the diagnosis of Churg–Strauss syndrome was made subsequently to the magnetic resonance demonstration of eosinophilic endocarditis associated to left ventricle apical thrombosis. In our report, this rare condition evolved in an unusual complication: the embolic migration of the left ventricle apical thrombus in the abdominal aorta as showed by multi-detector-computed-tomography angiography.

The present study concentrates on the numerical investigation of a cooled trailing edge in a linear nozzle vane cascade typical of a high-pressure turbine. The trailing edge cooling features a pressure side cutback with film cooling slots, stiffened by evenly spaced ribs in an inline configuration. Cooling air is also ejected through two rows of cooling holes placed on the pressure side, upstream of the cutback. The main goal is to evaluate the reliability of RANS predictions in such a complex cooling system. Different coolant-to-mainstream mass flow ratio values up to MFR = 2.8% were simulated at exit Mach number of M2is = 0.2. The computed performance of the trailing edge cooling scheme was compared to available measurements of: holes and cutback exit velocity and discharge behavior; boundary layer along traverses located on the pressure side, downstream of each row of cooling holes and approaching the trailing edge; adiabatic film cooling effectiveness. Special emphasis was dedicated to coolant-mainstream interaction and film cooling effectiveness over the pressure surface of the vane. Despite the steady approach, the simulations provided a reliable overview of coolant and mainstream aerodynamic features. The limitations in predicting the measured drop in cooling effectiveness toward the trailing edge were highlighted as well.

To evaluate the feasibility, performance, and cost of a breast cancer screening program aimed at 40-49-year-old women and tailored to their risk profile with supplemental ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.The institutional review board approved this study, and informed written consent was obtained. A total of 3017 40-49-year-old women were invited to participate. The screening program was tailored to lifetime risk (Gail test) and mammographic density (according to Breast Imaging Reporting and Data Systems [BI-RADS] criteria) with supplemental US or MR imaging and bilateral two-view microdose mammography. The indicators suggested by European guidelines, US incremental cancer detection rate (CDR), and estimated costs were evaluated.A total of 1666 women (67.5% participation rate) were recruited. The average lifetime risk of breast cancer was 11.6%, and nine women had a high risk of breast cancer; 917 women (55.0%) had a high density score (BI-RADS density category 3 or 4). The average glandular dose for screening examinations was 1.49 mGy. Screening US was performed in 835 study participants (50.1%), mostly due to high breast density (800 of 1666 women [48.0%]). Screening MR imaging was performed in nine women (0.5%) at high risk for breast cancer. Breast cancer was diagnosed in 14 women (8.4 cases per 1000 women). Twelve diagnoses were made with microdose mammography, and two were made with supplemental US in dense breasts (2.4 cases per 1000 women). All patients were submitted for surgery, and 10 underwent breast-conserving surgery. The sentinel lymph node was evaluated in 11 patients, resulting in negative findings in six. Pathologic analysis resulted in the diagnosis of four ductal carcinomas in situ and 10 invasive carcinomas (five at stage I).A tailored breast cancer screening program in 40-49-year-old women yielded a greater-than-expected number of cancers, most of which were low-stage disease.

The present paper investigates two different solarized combined cycle layout configurations. In the first scheme, a solarized gas turbine is coupled to a solar tower. Pressurized air at the compressor exit is sent to the solar tower receiver before entering the gas turbine (GT) combustor. Here, temperature is increased up to the nominal turbine inlet value through natural gas combustion. In the second combined cycle (CC) layout, solar energy is collected by line focusing parabolic trough collectors and used to produce superheated steam in addition to the one generated in the heat recovery boiler. The goal of the paper is to compare the thermodynamic performance of these concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies when working under realistic operating conditions. Commercial software and in-house computer codes were combined together to predict CSP plant performance both on design and off-design conditions. Plant simulations have shown the beneficial effect of introducing solar energy at high temperature in the Joule–Brayton cycle and the drawback in terms of GT performance penalization due to solarization. Results of yearly simulations on a 1 h basis for the two considered plant configurations are presented and discussed. The main thermodynamic parameters such as temperatures, pressure levels, and air and steam flow rates are reported for two representative days.