Innovation through virtual communities of practice: motivations and constraints in the knowledge-creation process

This paper appears in International Journal of Projectics. Vol 4(1), pp. 39-49

Lugar, Espaço e Geografia - Do Real ao Virtual na Sociedade do Conhecimento

As alterações sociais, culturais, tecnológicas ou puramente virtuais a que se assiste são indiscutíveis e, porventura, irreversíveis. O ritmo da evolução tecnológica não permite pausas. A crescente densidade das redes e a velocidade dos fluxos de informação fazem aumentar a complexidade da análise, contrastando com uma diminuição dos tempos de resposta. Observa-se uma dinâmica cada vez mais acentuada no processo de transição entre a informação e o conhecimento, acelerando os inputs que influenciam ou dominam as práticas sociais, políticas e simbólicas da vida. Este artigo analisa conceitos como “informação” e “conhecimento” e outros, mais geográficos, como “lugar” e “espaço”; e de que forma pode a sua dinâmica influenciar o território, que deixa de ser (apenas) real para passar a ser, também, virtual. A Sociedade do Conhecimento surge a partir da Sociedade da Informação, num contexto evolucional da cadeia de valor “dado-informação-conhecimento-sabedoria” e onde o elevado potencial tecnológico extravasa as noções tradicionais da Geografia. Para ajudar a compreender as mutações observadas no território, explicando as suas causas e consequências surge a Geografia da Sociedade do Conhecimento, um ramo da Geografia vocacionado para a análise do desenvolvimento sócio-económico da sociedade moderna.

Geografia Virtual – A Representação do(s) Lugar(es) Físico(s) no Espaço da Internet

A Geografia tem a ver com o lugar, com a localização, com a sociedade, com o ambiente, com o espaço e com a região. Uma vez que no ciberespaço algumas destas variáveis são difíceis de definir, o campo de pesquisa da geografia virtual terá que ser aprofundado,. Este novo domínio da análise geográfica apresenta-se como uma forma de percepcionar a representação do(s) espaço(s) físico(s) no espaço virtual da Internet. Este artigo pretende mostrar um exemplo de um ‘interface’ de cartografia digital, disponível on-line, que pelas suas características inovadoras representa ‘o estado da arte’ na análise dos espaços reais ou geográficos, no espaço virtual da Internet. A sua escolha prende-se com o facto desta ferramenta utilizar conceitos e fundamentos da Geografia, aos quais foram aplicadas as modernas tecnologias de programação para ambientes da www, como as linguagens VRML, XML, Java e Flash.

Cenografia virtual em televisão: relatório de estágio

Relatório de Estágio submetido à Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Teatro - especialização em Design de Cena.

Distributed Generation and Demand Response Dispatch for a Virtual Power Player Energy and Reserve Provision

Recent changes in the operation and planning of power systems have been motivated by the introduction of Distributed Generation (DG) and Demand Response (DR) in the competitive electricity markets' environment, with deep concerns at the efficiency level. In this context, grid operators, market operators, utilities and consumers must adopt strategies and methods to take full advantage of demand response and distributed generation. This requires that all the involved players consider all the market opportunities, as the case of energy and reserve components of electricity markets. The present paper proposes a methodology which considers the joint dispatch of demand response and distributed generation in the context of a distribution network operated by a virtual power player. The resources' participation can be performed in both energy and reserve contexts. This methodology contemplates the probability of actually using the reserve and the distribution network constraints. Its application is illustrated in this paper using a 32-bus distribution network with 66 DG units and 218 consumers classified into 6 types of consumers.

Modelação da fiabilidade dos geradores das fragatas da classe Vasco da Gama

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

Fiabilidade e gestão soft da manutenção das fragatas da classe Vasco da Gama

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para a obtenção de grau de Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

Virtual Communities of Practice: Design and Development of Support Platforms and Participation Fostering

Mestrado em Engenharia Informática - Área de Especialização em Sistemas Gráficos e Multimédia

Estratégia de dinamização da comunicação interna num operador de cabo em ambiente virtual

Relatório de Estágio apresentado para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Novos Media e Práticas Web.

Estudo de avaliação e quantificação de parâmetros associados à rigidez em patologias do tecido hepático com recurso à aplicação Virtual Touch

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Biomédica

O serviço de referência - do tradicional ao virtual: o caso da Biblioteca do tribunal de Contas

Relatório de Estágio apresentada para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciências da Informação e da Documentação

Virtual Power Player Using Demand Response to Deal with Unexpected Low Wind Power Generation

Demand response is assumed as an essential resource to fully achieve the smart grids operating benefits, namely in the context of competitive markets and of the increasing use of renewable-based energy sources. Some advantages of Demand Response (DR) programs and of smart grids can only be achieved through the implementation of Real Time Pricing (RTP). The integration of the expected increasing amounts of distributed energy resources, as well as new players, requires new approaches for the changing operation of power systems. The methodology proposed in this paper aims the minimization of the operation costs in a distribution network operated by a virtual power player that manages the available energy resources focusing on hour ahead re-scheduling. When facing lower wind power generation than expected from day ahead forecast, demand response is used in order to minimize the impacts of such wind availability change. In this way, consumers actively participate in regulation up and spinning reserve ancillary services through demand response programs. Real time pricing is also applied. The proposed model is especially useful when actual and day ahead wind forecast differ significantly. Its application is illustrated in this paper implementing the characteristics of a real resources conditions scenario in a 33 bus distribution network with 32 consumers and 66 distributed generators.

Short-term Wind Forecasting to Support Virtual Power Player Operation

This paper proposes a wind speed forecasting model that contributes to the development and implementation of adequate methodologies for Energy Resource Man-agement in a distribution power network, with intensive use of wind based power generation. The proposed fore-casting methodology aims to support the operation in the scope of the intraday resources scheduling model, name-ly with a time horizon of 10 minutes. A case study using a real database from the meteoro-logical station installed in the GECAD renewable energy lab was used. A new wind speed forecasting model has been implemented and it estimated accuracy was evalu-ated and compared with a previous developed forecast-ing model. Using as input attributes the information of the wind speed concerning the previous 3 hours enables to obtain results with high accuracy for the wind short-term forecasting.

Maximizing the Social Welfare of Virtual Power Players Operation in Case of Excessive Wind Power

The integration of growing amounts of distributed generation in power systems, namely at distribution networks level, has been fostered by energy policies in several countries around the world, including in Europe. This intensive integration of distributed, non-dispatchable, and natural sources based generation (including wind power) has caused several changes in the operation and planning of power systems and of electricity markets. Sometimes the available non-dispatchable generation is higher than the demand. This generation must be used; otherwise it is wasted if not stored or used to supply additional demand. New policies and market rules, as well as new players, are needed in order to competitively integrate all the resources. The methodology proposed in this paper aims at the maximization of the social welfare in a distribution network operated by a virtual power player that aggregates and manages the available energy resources. When facing a situation of excessive non-dispatchable generation, including wind power, real time pricing is applied in order to induce the increase of consumption so that wind curtailment is minimized. This method is especially useful when actual and day-ahead resources forecast differ significantly. The distribution network characteristics and concerns are addressed by including the network constraints in the optimization model. The proposed methodology has been implemented in GAMS optimization tool and its application is illustrated in this paper using a real 937-bus distribution network with 20.310 consumers and 548 distributed generators, some of them non-dispatchable and with must take contracts. The implemented scenario corresponds to a real day in Portuguese power system.

Intelligent Remuneration and Tariffs for Virtual Power Players

Power systems have been through deep changes in recent years, namely due to the operation of competitive electricity markets in the scope the increasingly intensive use of renewable energy sources and distributed generation. This requires new business models able to cope with the new opportunities that have emerged. Virtual Power Players (VPPs) are a new type of player that allows aggregating a diversity of players (Distributed Generation (DG), Storage Agents (SA), Electrical Vehicles (V2G) and consumers) to facilitate their participation in the electricity markets and to provide a set of new services promoting generation and consumption efficiency, while improving players’ benefits. A major task of VPPs is the remuneration of generation and services (maintenance, market operation costs and energy reserves), as well as charging energy consumption. This paper proposes a model to implement fair and strategic remuneration and tariff methodologies, able to allow efficient VPP operation and VPP goals accomplishment in the scope of electricity markets.