Sensing Cloud Optimization to Solve ED of Units with Valve-Point Effects and Multi-fuels

In this paper a solution to an highly constrained and non-convex economical dispatch (ED) problem with a meta-heuristic technique named Sensing Cloud Optimization (SCO) is presented. The proposed meta-heuristic is based on a cloud of particles whose central point represents the objective function value and the remaining particles act as sensors "to fill" the search space and "guide" the central particle so it moves into the best direction. To demonstrate its performance, a case study with multi-fuel units and valve- point effects is presented.

Distributed Model Predictive Control for Housing with Hourly Auction of Available Energy

This paper presents a distributed model predictive control (DMPC) for indoor thermal comfort that simultaneously optimizes the consumption of a limited shared energy resource. The control objective of each subsystem is to minimize the heating/cooling energy cost while maintaining the indoor temperature and used power inside bounds. In a distributed coordinated environment, the control uses multiple dynamically decoupled agents (one for each subsystem/house) aiming to achieve satisfaction of coupling constraints. According to the hourly power demand profile, each house assigns a priority level that indicates how much is willing to bid in auction for consume the limited clean resource. This procedure allows the bidding value vary hourly and consequently, the agents order to access to the clean energy also varies. Despite of power constraints, all houses have also thermal comfort constraints that must be fulfilled. The system is simulated with several houses in a distributed environment.

A Voltage Limiter Circuit for Indoor Light Energy Harvesting Applications

A voltage limiter circuit for indoor light energy harvesting applications is presented. This circuit is a part of a bigger system, whose function is to harvest indoor light energy, process it and store it, so that it can be used at a later time. This processing consists on maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and stepping-up, of the voltage from the photovoltaic (PV) harvester cell. The circuit here described, ensures that even under strong illumination, the generated voltage will not exceed the limit allowed by the technology, avoiding the degradation, or destruction, of the integrated die. A prototype of the limiter circuit was designed in a 130 nm CMOS technology. The layout of the circuit has a total area of 23414 mu m(2). Simulation results, using Spectre, are presented.

The electric vehicle integration into the power system: an application to the portuguese case

Electric vehicles (EV) offer a great potential to address the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) in the power grid, and thus reduce the dependence on oil as well as the greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. The high share of wind energy in the Portuguese energy mix expected for 2020 can led to eventual curtailment, especially during the winter when high levels of hydro generation occur. In this paper a methodology based on a unit commitment and economic dispatch is implemented, and a hydro-thermal dispatch is performed in order to evaluate the impact of the EVs integration into the grid. Results show that the considered 10 % penetration of EVs in the Portuguese fleet would increase load in 3 % and would not integrate a significant amount of wind energy because curtailment is already reduced in the absence of EVs. According to the results, the EV is charged mostly with thermal generation and the associated emissions are much higher than if they were calculated based on the generation mix.

Contextualização de “learning objects” no ensino da área da saúde. O caso do ensino da higiene oral

Com o crescimento das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação os métodos de ensino também foram evoluindo, verificando-se assim mudanças bastante significativas na forma como se adquire o conhecimento. O aparecimento do ensino à distância aliado aos meios digitais, que estão cada vez mais disponíveis e acessíveis, tanto a alunos como a professores, são um excelente complemento à actividade lectiva. Exemplo disso é mesmo o caso do e-learning que veio revolucionar todo o processo de aquisição de conhecimento, deixando para segundo plano pormenores como o local ou a hora de aquisição do conhecimento. Entre muitos tipos de recursos disponíveis, os OA’s (Objecto de Aprendizagem) têm uma utilização cada vez mais frequente. No levantamento do estado da arte e no estudo dos recursos educativos utilizados actualmente na Medicina Dentária, foi assinalado a utilização recorrente dos OA’s, que basicamente são pequenos pedaços de informação que podem ser reutilizados ou referenciados tecnologicamente. Seguidamente, iniciou-se a realização de um OA que pudesse servir de apoio ao ensino da Medicina Dentária, focando-se concretamente na higiene oral para as crianças entre os 7 e 12 anos. Finalmente, procedeu-se à sua validação conclui-se que no futuro será possível a sua reutilização em diferentes contextos de ensino e aprendizagem na área.

Tecnologias de informação e comunicação (sistemas de informação): desenvolvimento sustentável e administração pública: na senda de uma fórmula integradora e virtuosa a ser considerada na auditoria

Mestrado em Auditoria

Tecnologias de apoio e multideficiência: recursos mediadores da aprendizagem e da inclusão

Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ensino Especial – ramo de Problemas de Cognição e Multideficiência

A vision of cyber-physical internet

When the Internet was born, the purpose was to interconnect computers to share digital data at large-scale. On the other hand, when embedded systems were born, the objective was to control system components under real-time constraints through sensing devices, typically at small to medium scales. With the great evolution of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the tendency is to enable ubiquitous and pervasive computing to control everything (physical processes and physical objects) anytime and at a large-scale. This new vision gave recently rise to the paradigm of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). In this position paper, we provide a realistic vision to the concept of the Cyber-Physical Internet (CPI), discuss its design requirements and present the limitations of the current networking abstractions to fulfill these requirements. We also debate whether it is more productive to adopt a system integration approach or a radical design approach for building large-scale CPS. Finally, we present a sample of realtime challenges that must be considered in the design of the Cyber-Physical Internet.

Flexible and dynamic replication control for interdependent distributed real-time embedded systems

Replication is a proven concept for increasing the availability of distributed systems. However, actively replicating every software component in distributed embedded systems may not be a feasible approach. Not only the available resources are often limited, but also the imposed overhead could significantly degrade the system’s performance. This paper proposes heuristics to dynamically determine which components to replicate based on their significance to the system as a whole, its consequent number of passive replicas, and where to place those replicas in the network. The activation of passive replicas is coordinated through a fast convergence protocol that reduces the complexity of the needed interactions among nodes until a new collective global service solution is determined.

Human-Human Collaboration in Virtual Teams

Extended and networked enterprises distribute the design of products, planning of the production process, and manufacturing regionally if not globally. Employees are therefore confronted with collaborative work over remote sites. A cost effective collaboration depends highly on the organization maintaining a common understanding for this kind of work and a suitable support with information and communication technology. The usual face to face work is going to be replaced at least partly if not totally by computer mediated collaboration. Creating and maintaining virtual teams is a challenge to work conditions as well as technology. New developments on cost-effective connections are providing not only vision and auditory perception but also haptic perception. Research results for improving remote collaboration are presented. Individual, social and cultural aspects are considered as new requirements on the employees of networked and extended enterprises.

Renewable power forecast to scheduling of thermal units

In this work is discussed the importance of the renewable production forecast in an island environment. A probabilistic forecast based on kernel density estimators is proposed. The aggregation of these forecasts, allows the determination of thermal generation amount needed to schedule and operating a power grid of an island with high penetration of renewable generation. A case study based on electric system of S. Miguel Island is presented. The results show that the forecast techniques are an imperative tool help the grid management.

Learning in higher education: strategies to overcome challenges faced by adult students – lessons drawn from two case studies in Portugal

This paper appears in International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education edited by Lawrence A. Tomei (Ed.) Copyright 2007, IGI Global, www.igi-global.com. Posted by permission of the publisher. URL:http://www.idea-group.com/journals/details.asp?id=4287.

Proposal for shared services performance management model applied to portugueses public administration

Comunicação apresentada no 8º Congresso Nacional de Administração Pública - Desafios e Soluções, em Carcavelos de 21 a 22 de Novembro de 2011.

Risk assessment in open innovation networks

Innovation is considered crucial for enterprises survival and current economic environment demands the best ways of achieving it. However, the development of complex products and services require the utilization of diverse know-how and technology, which enterprises may not hold. An effective strategy for achieving them is to rely in open innovation. Still, open innovation projects may fail for many causes, e.g. due to the dynamics of collaboration between partners. To effectively benefit from open innovation, it is recommended the utilization of adequate risk models. For achieving such models, a preliminary conceptualization of open innovation and risk is necessary, which includes modeling experiments with existing risk models, such as the FMEA.

Innovation from Academia-Industry symbiosis

Anchored on a systemic perspective of innovation and particularly on the triple helix model, which highlights the state, university and companies as central players, this paper aims to discuss the factors that enable or constrain the processes of innovation, using the system thinking approach to understand the academia-industry symbiosis. The paper's empirical section is based on a case study on Portugal's major highway management concessionaire. In order to ensure a "healthy" co-innovation environment, the archetype studied emphasizes the need to implement coordination mechanisms such as communication routines and metrics to monitor collaborative behavior in addition to the need to develop global goals that align the efforts of the partners.