Is the electric vehicle a solution for the wind power integration in the portuguese power system?

The integration of Plug-in electric vehicles in the transportation sector has a great potential to reduce oil dependency, the GHG emissions and to contribute for the integration of renewable sources into the electricity generation mix. Portugal has a high share of wind energy, and curtailment may occur, especially during the off-peak hours with high levels of hydro generation. In this context, the electric vehicles, seen as a distributed storage system, can help to reduce the potential wind curtailments and, therefore, increase the integration of wind power into the power system. In order to assess the energy and environmental benefits of this integration, a methodology based on a unit commitment and economic dispatch is adapted and implemented. From this methodology, the thermal generation costs, the CO2 emissions and the potential wind generation curtailment are computed. Simulation results show that a 10% penetration of electric vehicles in the Portuguese fleet would increase electrical load by 3% and reduce wind curtailment by only 26%. This results from the fact that the additional generation required to supply the electric vehicles is mostly thermal. The computed CO2 emissions of the EV are 92 g CO2/kWh which become closer to those of some new ICE engines.

An overview on how failure analysis contributes to flight safety in the Portuguese Air Force

Failure analysis has been, throughout the years, a fundamental tool used in the aerospace sector, supporting assessments performed by sustainment and design engineers mainly related to failure modes and material suitability. The predicted service life of aircrafts often exceeds 40 years, and the design assured life rarely accounts for all in service loads and in service environmental menaces that aging aircrafts must deal with throughout their service lives. From the most conservative safe-life conceptual design approaches to the most recent on-condition based design approaches, assessing the condition and predicting the failure modes of components and materials are essential for the development of adequate preventive and corrective maintenance actions as well as for the accomplishment and optimization of scheduled maintenance programs of aircrafts. Moreover, as the operational conditions of aircrafts may vary significantly from operator to operator (especially in military aircraft), it is necessary to access if the defined maintenance programs are adequate to guarantee the continuous reliability and safe usage of the aircrafts, preventing catastrophic failures which bear significant maintenance and repair costs, and that may lead to the loss of human lives. Thus being, failure analysis and material investigations performed as part of aircraft accidents and incidents investigations arise as powerful tools of the utmost importance for safety assurance and cost reduction within the aeronautical and aerospace sectors. The Portuguese Air Force (PRTAF) has operated different aircrafts throughout its long existence, and in some cases, has operated a particular type of aircraft for more than 30 years, gathering a great amount of expertise in: assessing failure modes of the aircrafts materials; conducting aircrafts accidents and incidents investigations (sometimes with the participation of the aircraft manufacturers and/or other operators); and in the development of design and repair solutions for in-service related problems. This paper addresses several studies to support the thesis that failure analysis plays a key role in flight safety improvement within the PRTAF. It presents a short summary of developed