Ergonomia e design de vestimentas ocupacionais no Brasil: foco em equipamentos de proteção individual no setor de petróleo e gás

Pós-graduação em Design - FAAC

Analysis of the influence of baffles and shields on the cooling of a digital transmission equipment

In this work design criteria for cooling of electronic systems used in a digital transmission equipment are considered. An experimental study using a simulated electronic equipment in which vertically oriented circuit boards are aligned to form vertical channels is carried out. Resistors are used to simulate actual components. The temperature of several components in the printed circuit boards are measured and the influence of the baffles and shields on the cooling effect are discussed. It was observed that the use of the baffles reduce the temperature levels and, the use of shields, although protecting the components from magnetic effects, cause an increase in the temperature levels.

Parâmetros antropométricos para o design de produtos destinados à acessibilidade de obesos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Design universal e acessibilidade: análise ergonomica de equipamentos de ginástica em espaços públicos

In recent years the availability of equipment for exercise in public places increased demand on the principles of universal design, ergonomics and accessibility, since they are intended for use by many different users. This paper presents an analysis of ergonomic equipment and discusses the main problems observed, as well as projective presents parameters for the development of new products.

Integrating on-line process control and imperfect corrective maintenance: An economical design

Existing studies of on-line process control are concerned with economic aspects, and the parameters of the processes are optimized with respect to the average cost per item produced. However, an equally important dimension is the adoption of an efficient maintenance policy. In most cases, only the frequency of the corrective adjustment is evaluated because it is assumed that the equipment becomes "as good as new" after corrective maintenance. For this condition to be met, a sophisticated and detailed corrective adjustment system needs to be employed. The aim of this paper is to propose an integrated economic model incorporating the following two dimensions: on-line process control and a corrective maintenance program. Both performances are objects of an average cost per item minimization. Adjustments are based on the location of the measurement of a quality characteristic of interest in a three decision zone. Numerical examples are illustrated in the proposal. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design, synthesis and application of ultrastable rylene dyes for fluorescent labeling of biomolecules

Studies of organic fluorescent dyes are experiencing a renaissance related to the increasing demands posed by new microscopy techniques for high resolution and high sensitivity. While in the last decade single molecule equipment and methodology has significantly advanced and in some cases reached theoretical limits (e.g. detectors approaching unity quantum yields) unstable emission from chromophores and photobleaching become more and more the bottleneck of the advancement and spreading of single-molecule fluorescence studies. The main goal of this work was the synthesis of fluorophores that are water-soluble, highly fluorescent in an aqueous environment, have a reactive group for attachment to a biomolecule and posses exceptional photostability. An approach towards highly fluorescent, water-soluble and monofunctional perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxdiimide and terrylene-3,4:11,12-tetra carboxidiimide chromophores was presented. A new synthetic strategy for the desymmetrization of perylenetetracarboximides was elaborated; water-solubility was accomplished by introducing sulfonyl substituents in the phenoxy ring. Two strategies have been followed relying on either non-specific or site specific labeling. For this purpose a series of new water-soluble monofunctional perylene and terrylene dyes, bearing amine or carboxy group were prepared. The reactivity and photophysical properties of these new chromophores were studied in aqueous medium. The most suitable chromophores were further derivatized with amine or thiol reactive groups, suitable for chemical modification of proteins. The performance of the new fluorescent probes was assessed by single molecule enzyme tracking, in this case phospholipase acting on phospholipid supported layers. Phospholipase-1 (PLA-1) was labeled with N-hydroxysuccinimide ester functionalized perylene and terrylene derivatives. The purification of the conjugates was accomplished by novel convenient procedure for the removal of unreacted dye from labeled enzymes, which involves capturing excess dye with a solid support. This novel strategy for purification of bioconjugates allows convenient and fast separation of labeled proteins without the need for performing time consuming chromatographic or electrophoretic purification steps. The outstanding photostability of the dyes and, associated therewith, the extended survival times under strong illumination conditions allow a complete characterization of enzyme action on its natural substrates and even connecting enzyme mobility to catalytic activity. For site-specific attachment of the rylene dyes to proteins the chromophores were functionalized with thioesters or nitrilotriacetic acid groups. This allowed attachment of the emitters to the N-terminus of proteins by native chemical ligation or complexation with His-tagged polypeptides at the N- or C-termini, respectively. The synthesis of a water-soluble perylenebis (dicarboximide) functionalized with a thioester group was presented. This chromophore exhibits an exceptional photostability and a functional unit for site-specific labeling of proteins. The suitability of the fluorophore as a covalent label was demonstrated via native chemical ligation with protein containing N-terminal cystein residue. We exploited also oligohisitidine sequences as recognition elements for site-selective labeling. The synthesis of a new water-soluble perylene chromophore, containing a nitrilotriacetic acid functional group was demonstrated, using solution-phase and solid-phase approaches. This chromophore combines the exceptional photophysical properties of the rylene dyes and a recognition unit for site-specific labeling of proteins. An important feature of the label is the unchanged emission of the dye upon complexation with nickel ions.

Advanced polymeric materials for applications in technical equipment for snow sports

The thesis is divided in three chapters, each one covering one topic. Initially, the thermo-mechanical and impact properties of materials used for back protectors have been analysed. Dynamical mechanical analysis (DMTA) has shown that materials used for soft-shell protectors present frequency-sensitive properties. Furthermore, through impact tests, the shock absorbing characteristics of the materials have been investigated proving the differences between soft and hard-shell protectors; moreover it has been demonstrated that the materials used for soft-shell protectors maintain their protective properties after multi-impacts. The second chapter covers the effect of the visco-elastic properties of the thermoplastic polymers on the flexural and rebound behaviours of ski boots. DMTA analysis on the materials and flexural and rebound testing on the boots have been performed. A comparison of the results highlighted a correlation between the visco-elastic properties and the flexural and rebound behaviour of ski boots. The same experimental methods have been used to investigate the influence of the design on the flexural and rebound behaviours. Finally in the third chapter the thermoplastic materials employed for the construction of ski boots soles have been characterized in terms of chemical composition, hardness, crystallinity, surface roughness and coefficient of friction (COF). The results showed a relation between material hardness and grip, in particular softer materials provide more grip with respect to harder materials. On the contrary, the surface roughness has a negative effect on friction because of the decrease in contact area. The measure of grip on inclined wet surfaces showed again a relation between hardness and grip. The performance ranking of the different materials has been the same for the COF and for the slip angle tests, indicating that COF can be used as a parameter for the choice of the optimal material to be used for the soles of ski boots.

Design of an indirectly fired gas turbine integrated with an organic rankine cycle unit for combined heat and power production

In the last years, the European countries have paid increasing attention to renewable sources and greenhouse emissions. The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have established ambitious targets for the next years. In this scenario, biomass plays a prominent role since its life cycle produces a zero net carbon dioxide emission. Additionally, biomass can ensure plant operation continuity thanks to its availability and storage ability. Several conventional systems running on biomass are available at the moment. Most of them are performant either in the large-scale or in the small power range. The absence of an efficient system on the small-middle scale inspired this thesis project. The object is an innovative plant based on a wet indirectly fired gas turbine (WIFGT) integrated with an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) unit for combined heat and power production. The WIFGT is a performant system in the small-middle power range; the ORC cycle is capable of giving value to low-temperature heat sources. Their integration is investigated in this thesis with the aim of carrying out a preliminary design of the components. The targeted plant output is around 200 kW in order not to need a wide cultivation area and to avoid biomass shipping. Existing in-house simulation tools are used: They are adapted to this purpose. Firstly the WIFGT + ORC model is built; Zero-dimensional models of heat exchangers, compressor, turbines, furnace, dryer and pump are used. Different fluids are selected but toluene and benzene turn out to be the most suitable. In the indirectly fired gas turbine a pressure ratio around 4 leads to the highest efficiency. From the thermodynamic analysis the system shows an electric efficiency of 38%, outdoing other conventional plants in the same power range. The combined plant is designed to recover thermal energy: Water is used as coolant in the condenser. It is heated from 60°C up to 90°C, ensuring the possibility of space heating. Mono-dimensional models are used to design the heat exchange equipment. Different types of heat exchangers are chosen depending on the working temperature. A finned-plate heat exchanger is selected for the WIFGT heat transfer equipment due to the high temperature, oxidizing and corrosive environment. A once-through boiler with finned tubes is chosen to vaporize the organic fluid in the ORC. A plate heat exchanger is chosen for the condenser and recuperator. A quasi-monodimensional model for single-stage axial turbine is implemented to design both the WIFGT and the ORC turbine. The system simulation after the components design shows an electric efficiency around 34% with a decrease by 10% compared to the zero-dimensional analysis. The work exhibits the system potentiality compared to the existing plants from both technical and economic point of view.

A Method for Assessing the Sustainability of Design in Developing World Projects

Projects for the developing world usually find themselves at the bottom of an engineer’s priority list. There is often very little engineering effort placed on creating new products for the poorest people in the world. This trend is beginning to change now as people begin to recognize the potential for these projects. Engineers are beginning to try and solve some of the direst issues in the developing world and many are having positive impacts. However, the conditions needed to support these projects can only be maintained in the short term. There is now a need for greater sustainability. Sustainability has a wide variety of definitions in both business and engineering. These concepts are analyzed and synthesized to develop a broad meaning of sustainability in the developing world. This primarily stems from the “triple bottom line” concept of economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Using this model and several international standards, this thesis develops a metric for guiding and evaluating the sustainability of engineering projects. The metric contains qualitative questions that investigate the sustainability of a project. It is used to assess several existing projects in order to determine flaws. Specifically, three projects seeking to deliver eyeglasses are analyzed for weaknesses to help define a new design approach for achieving better results. Using the metric as a guiding tool, teams designed two pieces of optometry equipment: one to cut lenses for eyeglasses and the other to diagnose refractive error, or prescription. These designs are created and prototyped in the developed and developing worlds in order to determine general feasibility. Although there is a recognized need for eventual design iterations, the whole project is evaluated using the developed metric and compared to the existing projects. Overall, the success demonstrates the improvements made to the long-term sustainability of the project resulting from the use of the sustainability metric.

CRITERIA FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DESIGN WITH 3D PRINTING IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD

The demand for consumer goods in the developing world continues to rise as populations and economies grow. As designers, manufacturers, and consumers look for ways to address this growing demand, many are considering the possibilities of 3D printing. Due to 3D printing’s flexibility and relative mobility, it is speculated that 3D printing could help to meet the growing demands of the developing world. While the merits and challenges of distributed manufacturing with 3D printing have been presented, little work has been done to determine the types of products that would be appropriate for such manufacturing. Inspired by the author’s two years of Peace Corps service in the Tanzania and the need for specialty equipment for various projects during that time, an in-depth literature search is undertaken to better understand and summarize the process and capabilities of 3D printing. Human-centered design considerations are developed to focus on the product desirability, the technical feasibility, and the financial viability of using 3D printing within Tanzania. Beginning with concerns of what Tanzanian consumers desire, many concerns later arise in regards to the feasibility of creating products that would be sufficient in strength and quality for the demands of developing world consumers. It is only after these concerns are addressed that the viability of products can be evaluated from an economic perspective. The larger impacts of a product beyond its use are vital in determining how it will affect the social, economic, and environmental well-being of a developing nation such as Tanzania. Thus technology specific criteria are necessary for assessing and quantifying the broader impacts that a 3D-printed product can have within its ecosystem, and appropriate criteria are developed for this purpose. Both sets of criteria are then demonstrated and tested while evaluating the desirability, feasibility, viability, and sustainability of printing a piece of equipment required for the author’s Peace Corps service: a set of Vernier calipers. Required for science educators throughout the country, specialty equipment such as calipers initially appear to be an ideal candidate for 3D printing, though ultimately the printing of calipers is not recommended due to current restrictions in the technology. By examining more specific challenges and opportunities of the products 3D printing can produce, it can be better determined what place 3D printing will have in manufacturing for the developing world. Furthermore, the considerations outlined in this paper could be adapted for other manufacturing technologies and regions of the world, as human centered design and sustainability will be critical in determining how to supply the developing world with the consumer goods it demands.

A system design for space-based space surveillance

This paper presents the capabilities of a Space-Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) demonstration mission for Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) based on a micro- satellite platform. The results have been produced in the frame of ESA’s "As sessment Study for Space Based Space Surveillance Demonstration Mission (Phase A) " performed by the Airbus DS consortium. Space Surveillance and Tracking is part of Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and covers the detection, tracking and cataloguing of spa ce debris and satellites. Derived SST services comprise a catalogue of these man-made objects, collision warning, detection and characterisation of in-orbit fragmentations, sub-catalogue debris characterisation, etc. The assessment of SBSS in an SST system architecture has shown that both an operational SBSS and also already a well - designed space-based demonstrator can provide substantial performance in terms of surveillance and tracking of beyond - LEO objects. Especially the early deployment of a demonstrator, possible by using standard equipment, could boost initial operating capability and create a self-maintained object catalogue. Unlike classical technology demonstration missions, the primary goal is the demonstration and optimisation of the functional elements in a complex end-to-end chain (mission planning, observation strategies, data acquisition, processing and fusion, etc.) until the final products can be offered to the users. The presented SBSS system concept takes the ESA SST System Requirements (derived within the ESA SSA Preparatory Program) into account and aims at fulfilling some of the SST core requirements in a stand-alone manner. The evaluation of the concept has shown that an according solution can be implemented with low technological effort and risk. The paper presents details of the system concept, candidate micro - satellite platforms, the observation strategy and the results of performance simulations for GEO coverage and cataloguing accuracy

Space-based space surveillance and tracking demonstrator: mission and system design

This paper presents the capabilities of a Space-Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) demonstration mission for Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) based on a micro-satellite platform. The results have been produced in the frame of ESA’s "Assessment Study for Space Based Space Surveillance Demonstration Mission" performed by the Airbus Defence and Space consortium. The assessment of SBSS in an SST system architecture has shown that both an operational SBSS and also already a well- designed space-based demonstrator can provide substantial performance in terms of surveillance and tracking of beyond-LEO objects. Especially the early deployment of a demonstrator, possible by using standard equipment, could boost initial operating capability and create a self-maintained object catalogue. Furthermore, unique statistical information about small-size LEO debris (mm size) can be collected in-situ. Unlike classical technology demonstration missions, the primary goal is the demonstration and optimisation of the functional elements in a complex end-to-end chain (mission planning, observation strategies, data acquisition, processing, etc.) until the final products can be offered to the users and with low technological effort and risk. The SBSS system concept takes the ESA SST System Requirements into account and aims at fulfilling SST core requirements in a stand-alone manner. Additionally, requirements for detection and characterisation of small-sizedLEO debris are considered. The paper presents details of the system concept, candidate micro-satellite platforms, the instrument design and the operational modes. Note that the detailed results of performance simulations for space debris coverage and cataloguing accuracy are presented in a separate paper “Capability of a Space-based Space Surveillance System to Detect and Track Objects in GEO, MEO and LEO Orbits” by J. Silha (AIUB) et al., IAC-14, A6, 1.1x25640.

Design and Optimization of Four-dimensional Cone-beam Computed Tomography in Image-guided Radiation Therapy

The influence of respiratory motion on patient anatomy poses a challenge to accurate radiation therapy, especially in lung cancer treatment. Modern radiation therapy planning uses models of tumor respiratory motion to account for target motion in targeting. The tumor motion model can be verified on a per-treatment session basis with four-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography (4D-CBCT), which acquires an image set of the dynamic target throughout the respiratory cycle during the therapy session. 4D-CBCT is undersampled if the scan time is too short. However, short scan time is desirable in clinical practice to reduce patient setup time. This dissertation presents the design and optimization of 4D-CBCT to reduce the impact of undersampling artifacts with short scan times. This work measures the impact of undersampling artifacts on the accuracy of target motion measurement under different sampling conditions and for various object sizes and motions. The results provide a minimum scan time such that the target tracking error is less than a specified tolerance. This work also presents new image reconstruction algorithms for reducing undersampling artifacts in undersampled datasets by taking advantage of the assumption that the relevant motion of interest is contained within a volume-of-interest (VOI). It is shown that the VOI-based reconstruction provides more accurate image intensity than standard reconstruction. The VOI-based reconstruction produced 43% fewer least-squares error inside the VOI and 84% fewer error throughout the image in a study designed to simulate target motion. The VOI-based reconstruction approach can reduce acquisition time and improve image quality in 4D-CBCT.

Design, Synthesis and Development of Transporter Targeting Agents for Image-guided Therapy and Drug Delivery

The purpose of this study was to design, synthesize and develop novel transporter targeting agents for image-guided therapy and drug delivery. Two novel agents, N4-guanine (N4amG) and glycopeptide (GP) were synthesized for tumor cell proliferation assessment and cancer theranostic platform, respectively. N4amG and GP were synthesized and radiolabeled with 99mTc and 68Ga. The chemical and radiochemical purities as well as radiochemical stabilities of radiolabeled N4amG and GP were tested. In vitro stability assessment showed both 99mTc-N4amG and 99mTc-GP were stable up to 6 hours, whereas 68Ga-GP was stable up to 2 hours. Cell culture studies confirmed radiolabeled N4amG and GP could penetrate the cell membrane through nucleoside transporters and amino acid transporters, respectively. Up to 40% of intracellular 99mTc-N4amG and 99mTc-GP was found within cell nucleus following 2 hours of incubation. Flow cytometry analysis revealed 99mTc-N4amG was a cell cycle S phase-specific agent. There was a significant difference of the uptake of 99mTc-GP between pre- and post- paclitaxel-treated cells, which suggests that 99mTc-GP may be useful in chemotherapy treatment monitoring. Moreover, radiolabeled N4amG and GP were tested in vivo using tumor-bearing animal models. 99mTc-N4amG showed an increase in tumor-to-muscle count density ratios up to 5 at 4 hour imaging. Both 99mTc-labeled agents showed decreased tumor uptake after paclitaxel treatment. Immunohistochemistry analysis demonstrated that the uptake of 99mTc-N4amG was correlated with Ki-67 expression. Both 99mTc-N4amG and 99mTc-GP could differentiate between tumor and inflammation in animal studies. Furthermore, 68Ga-GP was compared to 18F-FDG in rabbit PET imaging studies. 68Ga-GP had lower tumor standardized uptake values (SUV), but similar uptake dynamics, and different biodistribution compared with 18F-FDG. Finally, to demonstrate that GP can be a potential drug carrier for cancer theranostics, several drugs, including doxorubicin, were selected to be conjugated to GP. Imaging studies demonstrated that tumor uptake of GP-drug conjugates was increased as a function of time. GP-doxorubicin (GP-DOX) showed a slow-release pattern in in vitro cytotoxicity assay and exhibited anti-cancer efficacy with reduced toxicity in in vivo tumor growth delay study. In conclusion, both N4amG and GP are transporter-based targeting agents. Radiolabeled N4amG can be used for tumor cell proliferation assessment. GP is a potential agent for image-guided therapy and drug delivery.

An integrated framework for office information systems design and management

Information Technologies are complex and this is true even in the smallest piece of equipment. But this kind of complexity is nothing comparejwith the one that arises when this technology interact with society. Office Automation has been traditionally considered as a technical field but there is no way to find solutions from a technical point of view when the problems are primarily social in their origin. Technology management has to change its focus from a pure technical perspective to a sociotechnical point of view. To facilitate this change, we propose a model that allows a better understanding between the managerial and the technical world, offering a coherent, complete and integrated perspective of both. The base for this model is an unfolding of the complexity found in information Technologies and a matching of these complexities with several levels considered within the Office, Office Automation and Human Factors dimensions. Each one of these domains is studied trough a set of distinctions that create a new and powerful understanding of its reality. Using this model we build up a map of Office Automation to be use^not only by managers but also by technicians because the primaty advantage of such a framework is that it allows a comprehensive evaluation of technology without requhing extensive technical knowledge. Thus, the model can be seen as principle for design and diagnosis of Office Automation and as a common reference for managers and specialist avoiding the severe limitations arising from the language used by the last