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In this paper, a bottom-up energy system optimisation model is proposed in order to support planning policies for promoting the use of renewable energy sources. A linear programming optimisation methodology based on the energy flow optimisation model (EFOM) is adopted, detailing the primary energy sources exploitation (including biomass, solid waste, process by-products), power and heat generation, emissions and end-use sectors. The modelling framework is enhanced in order to adapt the model to the characteristics and requirements of the region under investigation. In particular, a detailed description of the industrial cogeneration system, that turns out to be the more efficient and increasingly spread, is incorporated in the regional model. The optimisation process, aiming to reduce environmental impact and economical efforts, provides feasible generation settlements that take into account the installation of combined cycle power plants, wind power, solid-waste and biomass exploitation together with industrial combined heat and power (CHP) systems. The proposed methodology is applied to case of the Apulia region in the Southern Italy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

TOUGH2 is an integral finite differences numerical simulator for non-isothermal multiphase flow in fractured porous media, which can manage complex spatial discretizations. Numerical simulation accuracy is affected, among other things, by grid resolution. Increasing the grid resolution requires computational and operating costs depending on the number of nodes and variables processed. The complexity of the management of the model increases when unstructured grids and local refinement are used. In order to improve the management and optimize the activities to update the model, an open source pre-processor has been developed using the open source codes GRASS GIS, SQLite and AMESH. Operations such as domain discretization, rock type assignment and mesh file generation have been automatized. Graphical interfaces allow for a user-friendly utilization. Operating errors and time required by pre-processing activities to generate and update locally refined unstructured grids have been reduced. Productivity in numerical modeling has been substantially increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Within the MAC-GEO research project, funded by Regione Toscana and addressed to the exploitation of high enthalpy geothermal systems, the authors worked on the utilization and customization of the open source numerical simulator TOUGH2, as implemented in the code dedicated to model calibration iTOUGH2. TOUGH2 is one of the most used numerical simulation software for non-isothermal flow of multicomponent, multiphase fluids in one, two and three-dimensional porous and fractured media. Lacking an official Graphical User Interface tool for post-processing operations, several commercial and academic software have been developed to manage and display TOUGH2 input and output data files. Almost all of these tools seem to have limits to visualizing parameter values of the numerical model, work only with a predefined binary version of TOUGH2, and only a few of them can manage locally refined unstructured grids (i.e. Voronoi grids). To overcome these limitations, the authors have developed and tested a dedicated software application (called TOUGH2Viewer) for reading and managing TOUGH2 output files, written in Java and able to provide an interactive 3D view of the numerical model. Several functionalities have been implemented for block query and searching, contour mapping and 3D surface mapping of TOUGH2 primary variables (i.e. pressure, temperature, etc.). TOUGH2Viewer is also able to display 2D and 3D views of mass and heat flow between blocks, for each time step in which the simulation proceeds. The application described in this paper is under development to improve its functionalities; nevertheless the current software release is a valid support tool for post-processing that significantly improves the possibility to inspect the simulated data coming from TOUGH2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]