Robust and optimal adjustment of Power System Stabilizers through Linear Matrix Inequalities

This work presents the application of Linear Matrix Inequalities to the robust and optimal adjustment of Power System Stabilizers with pre-defined structure. Results of some tests show that gain and zeros adjustments are sufficient to guarantee robust stability and performance with respect to various operating points. Making use of the flexible structure of LMI's, we propose an algorithm that minimizes the norm of the controllers gain matrix while it guarantees the damping factor specified for the closed loop system, always using a controller with flexible structure. The technique used here is the pole placement, whose objective is to place the poles of the closed loop system in a specific region of the complex plane. Results of tests with a nine-machine system are presented and discussed, in order to validate the algorithm proposed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of an Autonomous Robot for Gas Storage Spheres Inspection

Inspection for corrosion of gas storage spheres at the welding seam lines must be done periodically. Until now this inspection is being done manually and has a high cost associated to it and a high risk of inspection personel injuries. The Brazilian Petroleum Company, Petrobras, is seeking cost reduction and personel safety by the use of autonomous robot technology. This paper presents the development of a robot capable of autonomously follow a welding line and transporting corrosion measurement sensors. The robot uses a pair of sensors each composed of a laser source and a video camera that allows the estimation of the center of the welding line. The mechanical robot uses four magnetic wheels to adhere to the sphere's surface and was constructed in a way that always three wheels are in contact with the sphere's metallic surface which guarantees enough magnetic atraction to hold the robot in the sphere's surface all the time. Additionally, an independently actuated table for attaching the corrosion inspection sensors was included for small position corrections. Tests were conducted at the laboratory and in a real sphere showing the validity of the proposed approach and implementation.

OPTIMIZATION AND CONTROL OF A CONTINUOUS POLYMERIZATION REACTOR

This work studies the optimization and control of a styrene polymerization reactor. The proposed strategy deals with the case where, because of market conditions and equipment deterioration, the optimal operating point of the continuous reactor is modified significantly along the operation time and the control system has to search for this optimum point, besides keeping the reactor system stable at any possible point. The approach considered here consists of three layers: the Real Time Optimization (RTO), the Model Predictive Control (MPC) and a Target Calculation (TC) that coordinates the communication between the two other layers and guarantees the stability of the whole structure. The proposed algorithm is simulated with the phenomenological model of a styrene polymerization reactor, which has been widely used as a benchmark for process control. The complete optimization structure for the styrene process including disturbances rejection is developed. The simulation results show the robustness of the proposed strategy and the capability to deal with disturbances while the economic objective is optimized.

Resíduos sólidos urbanos: impactos socioambientais e perspectiva de manejo sustentável com inclusão social

Com a Rio+20 retoma-se a discussão de estratégias para conciliar desenvolvimento com proteção dos ecossistemas. Um tema apenas tangenciado nessas discussões é o gerenciamento dos resíduos sólidos urbanos. Diante da institucionalização da Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos, busca-se contribuir para esse debate, bem como apontar caminhos para o enfrentamento dessa questão, privilegiando a inclusão social. Para isso, foram utilizados documentos e informações sobre a gestão de resíduos sólidos, e a literatura científica especializada. Observa-se que o inadequado gerenciamento dos resíduos sólidos gera impactos imediatos no ambiente e na saúde, assim como contribui para mudanças climáticas. Considerando as limitações das opções de destinação final para os resíduos, é imprescindível minimizar as quantidades produzidas por meio da redução, reutilização e reciclagem. Nesse contexto, destaca-se o papel dos catadores, que vêm realizando um trabalho de grande importância ambiental. Dadas as fragilidades desse segmento populacional, é preciso delinear políticas públicas que tornem a atividade de catação mais digna e com menos riscos e que, ao mesmo tempo, garantam renda, para assim caminhar rumo a um desenvolvimento mais saudável, justo e sustentável.

Pacta sunt servanda versus the social role of contracts: the case of Brazilian agriculture contracts

This study explores the instability created by contradictory court decisions related with contract breaches. Forward marketing contracts represent an important source of resources to finance Brazilian agriculture, however a large number of contract breaches were observed during a period of marked increase in soy prices. The study analyzed 161 judicial appeal decisions and a survey was carried with 70 farmers. The results show the difference of judges' interpretation and the existence of second order effects. The effects of court decisions were more requirements of guarantees and the reduction in the number of contracts. Those soybean farmers who did not breach their contracts have also been negatively affected by the strategic reactions of trading and processing companies. The concept of "social function of the contract" introduced in Brazilian civil code led to a higher degree of instability in contracts, raising transaction costs and motivating private economic sanctions.

Falta de garantias e falhas de coordenação: evidências do sistema agroindustrial da carne bovina

O papel das instituições formais e informais na economia das organizações é tradicionalmente analisado em termos dos mecanismos eficientes de governança que minimizam os custos de transação. Baseada numa perspectiva inversa, a presente pesquisa foca nas falhas de coordenação e no problema da falta de garantias nas transações econômicas. Especificamente, examina-se o conjunto de garantias que suportam a transação entre pecuaristas e a indústria frigorífica em Mato Grosso do Sul com foco nas ineficiências do processo de comercialização de gado para abate. Para a compreensão das falhas de coordenação, propõe-se um constructo teórico baseado em Barzel (1997), que relaciona direitos de propriedade, garantias e instituições. Esse modelo é testado empiricamente por meio do desenvolvimento de duas regressões logísticas múltiplas: i) modelo logit ordenado baseado na percepção de risco dos pecuaristas e ii) modelo probit bivariado recursivo baseado na percepção de risco dos pecuaristas e no papel das ações coletivas. Os resultados apontam para a importância das instituições formais e das ações coletivas como mecanismos geradores de garantias para a transação e, consequentemente, para a minimização dos custos de transação.

Optimization and control of a continuous polymerization reactor

This work studies the optimization and control of a styrene polymerization reactor. The proposed strategy deals with the case where, because of market conditions and equipment deterioration, the optimal operating point of the continuous reactor is modified significantly along the operation time and the control system has to search for this optimum point, besides keeping the reactor system stable at any possible point. The approach considered here consists of three layers: the Real Time Optimization (RTO), the Model Predictive Control (MPC) and a Target Calculation (TC) that coordinates the communication between the two other layers and guarantees the stability of the whole structure. The proposed algorithm is simulated with the phenomenological model of a styrene polymerization reactor, which has been widely used as a benchmark for process control. The complete optimization structure for the styrene process including disturbances rejection is developed. The simulation results show the robustness of the proposed strategy and the capability to deal with disturbances while the economic objective is optimized.