Roberto Finesso

Roberto Finesso is an Associate Professor at the Department of Energy (DENERG) at Politecnico di Torino, Italy. He is a member of the College of Mechanical, Aerospace and Automotive Engineering and contributes to the CARS@PoliTO Interdepartmental Center for Automotive Research and Sustainable Mobility. His research focuses on combustion modeling and control in diesel engines, fluid power systems, and optimization of hybrid electric vehicle layouts and control strategies.

• Scientific Disciplinary Sector: IIND-06/A - Fluid Machinery
• ERC Sectors: PE8_5 - Fluid Mechanics, Hydraulic-, Turbo-, and Piston-Engines
• SDG Goals: 4 (Quality Education), 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)

His work spans combustion diagnostics, NOx and PM emission control, hybrid powertrain optimization, and machine learning for engine calibration. He employs 3D-CFD (Fluent) and 0D (Amesim) techniques for hydraulic component modeling and develops real-time control algorithms for diesel engines. His research also includes model-based calibration, pressure-based combustion control, and predictive tools for emission analysis.

Recent research trends focus on integrating physics-based, semi-empirical, and neural network models for combustion control. He has pioneered techniques for offline and real-time EGR optimization, MFB50 control, and IMEP management in diesel engines. His studies address both light-duty and heavy-duty applications, emphasizing CO2 minimization and cost efficiency in hybrid vehicles.

Scientific Awards:

• SAE Excellence in Oral Presentation Award (2013)

Teaching Contributions:

• Course Instructor for Fundamentals of Fluid Machinery and Fundamentals of Thermal and Hydraulic Machines and Fluid Power (Mechanical Engineering, 2019–2025)
• Course Collaborator for Automotive Fluid Power Systems (Automotive Engineering, 2019–2025)

Research Groups:

• FPRL Research Group (DENERG)