Técnicas de caracterização microestrutural, por microscopia óptica e microscopia eletrônica de varredura, de aços bifásicos e multifásicos aplicados à indústria automobilística

This project developed microstructural characterization technics of commercial dualphase and multi-phasic (TRIP) steels that were provided by the automotive industry and are currently used as the raw material for the production of automobiles. Inserted in this context, there is the development of the advanced high strength steels in consonance with the ULSABAVC project, which aims the production of safe, economically viable and efficient in terms of fuel consumption vehicles for the 21st century. The micro-structural characterization of biphasic and multiphase steels was done by the identification and quantification of the coexistent phases. In this item, a special attention was given to the technics that were performed using optic microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. An important contribution to this work was the utilization of different alternative chemical reagents (Beraha, Heat-Tinting technics) in addition to the classical ones (Nital and LePera)already used conventionally by the UNESP's Group of Mechanical, Microstructural and Fractografic Characterization of Materials. The revealed microstructures were correlated with the materials' mechanical properties determined through traction tests, such as ultimate tensile strengths, yield strength and stretching important since the material has structural application in the automotive industry. As a result, it was observed the superiority concerning the studied mechanical properties for the biphasic and multiphasic steels when compared to the conventional carbon steels. Besides, it was perceived a large potential for the industrial scale utilization of the Heat Tinting technics in this field, seen its differentiation of the existent phases and easy reproducibility

Reciclagem de cavacos para a formação de carbonetos de titânio no metal de solda produzido por soldagem GTAW em aço-carbono

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEIS

A influência do tamanho de grão ferrítico da peça na integridade superficial de peças erodidas

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEIS

Green training supporting eco-innovation in three Brazilian companies: practices and levels of integration

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show results from the relationship between green/environmental training and the development of three projects of low-carbon eco-innovations in top Brazilian companies. Design/methodology/approach – This study includes three organizational projects for low-carbon eco-innovations in products (A, B and C) with the objective of reducing their impact on GHG emissions, the so-called low-carbon products. Data were collected from several sources of evidence, including in-depth interviews, document analyses and direct observations. Findings – The authors verified that the environmental training interface for mitigating climate change is relevant for the systematic development of low-carbon products in most of the cases studied. Originality/value – Low-carbon eco-innovations are a trend in the corporate world; however, there is not enough literature and practical evidence on this subject. Thus, this paper adds new evidence to the literature.

Gerenciamento de contingências climáticas: do monitoramento de riscos aos benefícios oriundos pela adoção de práticas de baixo carbono

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Procedimento para homologação de sistemas ecoeficientes para obtenção de créditos de carbono

This paper deals with the homologation process for obtaining carbon credits through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), that regulates the greenhouse gases reductions under the rules of the Kyoto Protocol. The CDM evaluates projects through a project cycle, which begins with the preparation of the Project Design Document (PDD) until the project certification to receive Certified Emission Reductions (CERs), popularly known as carbon credits. This study analyzed the implementation of the system Burner Recorder System for Low Flows of Biogas (QRBBV), developed by Marcelino Junior & Godoy (2009), in an eco-friendly wastewater treatment mini-plant (miniEETERA), built at the site of UNESP - Guaratinguetá SP. The QRBBV system is low cost and high reliability, developed to burn the methane generated at sites of low and variable production of biogas, which is not economically justified their energy recovery. Currently, almost all wastewater generated at the site of the campus is being treated by miniEETERA and, as a result, the biogas originated by this activity is being released into the atmosphere. Therefore, the project activity aims to capture and burn the biogas generated by miniEETERA, reducing the negative effects caused by the methane emissions into the atmosphere and, thus, claim to receive carbon credits. This work aimed to demonstrate the project applicability under CDM through the study and preparation of the PDD, as well as an analysis of the entire project cycle required for homologation. The result of the work obtained an estimate of only 20 CERs per year and proved to be economically unviable for approval through the CDM, since the spending with the approval process would not be compensated with the sale of CERs, mainly due the low carbon price in the world market. From an environmental standpoint, the project is perfectly... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Utilização de trocadores de calor de placas em espiral em processos da indústria siderúrgica

Stricter environmental policies are shown necessary to ensure an effective pollutant emission control. It is expected for the present year of 2015, that Brazil will assume, at the 21th United Nation's Climate Change Conference (COP21), implementation of commitment to a low carbon economy. This positioning affects the industrial environment, so that is deemed necessary to search for new technologies, less aggressive to the environment, so the adequacies to the new emission policies do not cause a negative effect on production. Almost all of the processes performed in the steel industry demand burning fuel and, therefore, flue gases are sent to the atmosphere. In this present work is discussed the utilization of heat exchangers so, by recovering part of the available heat from the flue gases of certain industrial process, the combustion air is preheated. The combustion air preheat results in less energy requirement, i.e., less need of fuel consumption and, in addition, minor amount of pollutants to be emitted. Due to better fitting to the process, it is studied the utilization of spiral plate heat exchangers. The heat exchanger dimensioning is made by an iterative method implemented in the software Microsoft Excel. Subsequently are analyzed the gains in terms of process's thermal efficiency improvement and the percentage of fuel saving. The latter implies in reduction of the same percentage of greenhouse gases emission

Procedimento para homologação de sistemas ecoeficientes para obtenção de créditos de carbono

This paper deals with the homologation process for obtaining carbon credits through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), that regulates the greenhouse gases reductions under the rules of the Kyoto Protocol. The CDM evaluates projects through a project cycle, which begins with the preparation of the Project Design Document (PDD) until the project certification to receive Certified Emission Reductions (CERs), popularly known as carbon credits. This study analyzed the implementation of the system Burner Recorder System for Low Flows of Biogas (QRBBV), developed by Marcelino Junior & Godoy (2009), in an eco-friendly wastewater treatment mini-plant (miniEETERA), built at the site of UNESP - Guaratinguetá SP. The QRBBV system is low cost and high reliability, developed to burn the methane generated at sites of low and variable production of biogas, which is not economically justified their energy recovery. Currently, almost all wastewater generated at the site of the campus is being treated by miniEETERA and, as a result, the biogas originated by this activity is being released into the atmosphere. Therefore, the project activity aims to capture and burn the biogas generated by miniEETERA, reducing the negative effects caused by the methane emissions into the atmosphere and, thus, claim to receive carbon credits. This work aimed to demonstrate the project applicability under CDM through the study and preparation of the PDD, as well as an analysis of the entire project cycle required for homologation. The result of the work obtained an estimate of only 20 CERs per year and proved to be economically unviable for approval through the CDM, since the spending with the approval process would not be compensated with the sale of CERs, mainly due the low carbon price in the world market. From an environmental standpoint, the project is perfectly... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Utilização de trocadores de calor de placas em espiral em processos da indústria siderúrgica

Stricter environmental policies are shown necessary to ensure an effective pollutant emission control. It is expected for the present year of 2015, that Brazil will assume, at the 21th United Nation's Climate Change Conference (COP21), implementation of commitment to a low carbon economy. This positioning affects the industrial environment, so that is deemed necessary to search for new technologies, less aggressive to the environment, so the adequacies to the new emission policies do not cause a negative effect on production. Almost all of the processes performed in the steel industry demand burning fuel and, therefore, flue gases are sent to the atmosphere. In this present work is discussed the utilization of heat exchangers so, by recovering part of the available heat from the flue gases of certain industrial process, the combustion air is preheated. The combustion air preheat results in less energy requirement, i.e., less need of fuel consumption and, in addition, minor amount of pollutants to be emitted. Due to better fitting to the process, it is studied the utilization of spiral plate heat exchangers. The heat exchanger dimensioning is made by an iterative method implemented in the software Microsoft Excel. Subsequently are analyzed the gains in terms of process's thermal efficiency improvement and the percentage of fuel saving. The latter implies in reduction of the same percentage of greenhouse gases emission

Active crop sensor to detect variability of nitrogen supply and biomass on sugarcane fields

Nitrogen management has been intensively studied on several crops and recently associated with variable rate on-the-go application based on crop sensors. Such studies are scarce for sugarcane and as a biofuel crop the energy input matters, seeking high positive energy balance production and low carbon emission on the whole production system. This article presents the procedure and shows the first results obtained using a nitrogen and biomass sensor (N-Sensor (TM) ALS, Yara International ASA) to indicate the nitrogen application demands of commercial sugarcane fields. Eight commercial fields from one sugar mill in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, varying from 15 to 25 ha in size, were monitored. Conditions varied from sandy to heavy soils and the previous harvesting occurred in May and October 2009, including first, second, and third ratoon stages. Each field was scanned with the sensor three times during the season (at 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 m stem height), followed by tissue sampling for biomass and nitrogen uptake at ten spots inside the area, guided by the different values shown by the sensor. The results showed a high correlation between sensor values and sugarcane biomass and nitrogen uptake, thereby supporting the potential use of this technology to develop algorithms to manage variable rate application of nitrogen for sugarcane.

Signal transduction-related responses to phytohormones and environmental challenges in sugarcane

Abstract Background Sugarcane is an increasingly economically and environmentally important C4 grass, used for the production of sugar and bioethanol, a low-carbon emission fuel. Sugarcane originated from crosses of Saccharum species and is noted for its unique capacity to accumulate high amounts of sucrose in its stems. Environmental stresses limit enormously sugarcane productivity worldwide. To investigate transcriptome changes in response to environmental inputs that alter yield we used cDNA microarrays to profile expression of 1,545 genes in plants submitted to drought, phosphate starvation, herbivory and N2-fixing endophytic bacteria. We also investigated the response to phytohormones (abscisic acid and methyl jasmonate). The arrayed elements correspond mostly to genes involved in signal transduction, hormone biosynthesis, transcription factors, novel genes and genes corresponding to unknown proteins. Results Adopting an outliers searching method 179 genes with strikingly different expression levels were identified as differentially expressed in at least one of the treatments analysed. Self Organizing Maps were used to cluster the expression profiles of 695 genes that showed a highly correlated expression pattern among replicates. The expression data for 22 genes was evaluated for 36 experimental data points by quantitative RT-PCR indicating a validation rate of 80.5% using three biological experimental replicates. The SUCAST Database was created that provides public access to the data described in this work, linked to tissue expression profiling and the SUCAST gene category and sequence analysis. The SUCAST database also includes a categorization of the sugarcane kinome based on a phylogenetic grouping that included 182 undefined kinases. Conclusion An extensive study on the sugarcane transcriptome was performed. Sugarcane genes responsive to phytohormones and to challenges sugarcane commonly deals with in the field were identified. Additionally, the protein kinases were annotated based on a phylogenetic approach. The experimental design and statistical analysis applied proved robust to unravel genes associated with a diverse array of conditions attributing novel functions to previously unknown or undefined genes. The data consolidated in the SUCAST database resource can guide further studies and be useful for the development of improved sugarcane varieties.

The Effectiveness of the Clean Development Mechanism – A law and economics analysis

Climate change has been acknowledged as a threat to humanity. Most scholars agree that to avert dangerous climate change and to transform economies into low-carbon societies, deep global emission reductions are required by the year 2050. Under the framework of the Kyoto Protocol, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is the only market-based instrument that encourages industrialised countries to pursue emission reductions in developing countries. The CDM aims to pay the incremental finance necessary to operationalize emission reduction projects which are otherwise not financially viable. According to the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol, the CDM should finance projects that are additional to those which would have happened anyway, contribute to sustainable development in the countries hosting the projects, and be cost-effective. To enable the identification of such projects, an institutional framework has been established by the Kyoto Protocol which lays out responsibilities for public and private actors. This thesis examines whether the CDM has achieved these objectives in practice and can thus be considered an effective tool to reduce emissions. To complete this investigation, the book applies economic theory and analyses the CDM from two perspectives. The first perspective is the supply-dimension which answers the question of how, in practice, the CDM system identified additional, cost-effective, sustainable projects and, generated emission reductions. The main contribution of this book is the second perspective, the compliance-dimension, which answers the question of whether industrialised countries effectively used the CDM for compliance with their Kyoto targets. The application of the CDM in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is used as a case-study. Where the analysis identifies inefficiencies within the supply or the compliance dimension, potential improvements of the legal framework are proposed and discussed.

Integration of MFA and LCA methodologies: the anthropogenic aluminium cycle in Italy

MFA and LCA methodologies were applied to analyse the anthropogenic aluminium cycle in Italy with focus on historical evolution of stocks and flows of the metal, embodied GHG emissions, and potentials from recycling to provide key features to Italy for prioritizing industrial policy toward low-carbon technologies and materials. Historical trend series were collected from 1947 to 2009 and balanced with data from production, manufacturing and waste management of aluminium-containing products, using a ‘top-down’ approach to quantify the contemporary in-use stock of the metal, and helping to identify ‘applications where aluminium is not yet being recycled to its full potential and to identify present and future recycling flows’. The MFA results were used as a basis for the LCA aimed at evaluating the carbon footprint evolution, from primary and electrical energy, the smelting process and the transportation, embodied in the Italian aluminium. A discussion about how the main factors, according to the Kaya Identity equation, they did influence the Italian GHG emissions pattern over time, and which are the levers to mitigate it, it has been also reported. The contemporary anthropogenic reservoirs of aluminium was estimated at about 320 kg per capita, mainly embedded within the transportation and building and construction sectors. Cumulative in-use stock represents approximately 11 years of supply at current usage rates (about 20 Mt versus 1.7 Mt/year), and it would imply a potential of about 160 Mt of CO2eq emissions savings. A discussion of criticality related to aluminium waste recovery from the transportation and the containers and packaging sectors was also included in the study, providing an example for how MFA and LCA may support decision-making at sectorial or regional level. The research constitutes the first attempt of an integrated approach between MFA and LCA applied to the aluminium cycle in Italy.

The Integration of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources in the European Union Electricity Market – The case for “Smart Grids”

The power sector is to play a central role in a low carbon economy. In all the decarbonisation scenarios of the European Union renewable energy sources (RES) will be a crucial part of the solution. Current grids constitute however major bottlenecks for the future expansion of RES. Recognising the need for a modernisation of its grids, the European Union has called for the creation of a "smart supergrid" interconnecting European grids at the continental level and making them "intelligent" through the addition of information and communication technology (ICT). To implement its agenda the EU has taken a leading role in coordinating research efforts and creating a common legislative framework for the necessary modernisation of Europe’s grids. This paper intends to give both an overview and a critical appraisal of the measures taken so far by the European Union to "transform" the grids into the backbone of a decarbonised electricity system. It suggests that if competition is to play a significant role in the deployment of smart grids, the current regulatory paradigm will have to be fundamentally reassessed

Development of a method for fast and automatic radiocarbon measurement of aerosol samples by online coupling of an elemental analyzer with a MICADAS AMS

A fast and automatic method for radiocarbon analysis of aerosol samples is presented. This type of analysis requires high number of sample measurements of low carbon masses, but accepts precisions lower than for carbon dating analysis. The method is based on online Trapping CO2 and coupling an elemental analyzer with a MICADAS AMS by means of a gas interface. It gives similar results to a previously validated reference method for the same set of samples. This method is fast and automatic and typically provides uncertainties of 1.5–5% for representative aerosol samples. It proves to be robust and reliable and allows for overnight and unattended measurements. A constant and cross contamination correction is included, which indicates a constant contamination of 1.4 ± 0.2 μg C with 70 ± 7 pMC and a cross contamination of (0.2 ± 0.1)% from the previous sample. A Real-time online coupling version of the method was also investigated. It shows promising results for standard materials with slightly higher uncertainties than the Trapping online approach.