Total energy expenditure and body composition changes following peripheral blood stem cell transplantation and participation in an exercise programme

The purpose of this investigation was to assess changes in total energy expenditure (TEE), body weight (BW) and body composition following a peripheral blood stem cell transplant and following participation in a 3-month duration, moderate-intensity, mixed-type exercise programme. The doubly labelled and singly labelled water methods were used to measure TEE and total body water (TBW). Body weight and TBW were then used to calculate percentage body fat (%BF), and fat and fat-free mass (FFM). TEE and body composition measures were assessed pretransplant (PI), immediately post-transplant (PII) and 3 months post-PII (PIII). Following PII, 12 patients were divided equally into a control group (CG) or exercise intervention group (EG). While there was no change in TEE between pre- and post-transplant, BW (P

A practical method of estimating energy expenditure during tennis play

This study aimed to develop a practical method of estimating energy expenditure (EE) during tennis. Twenty-four elite female tennis players first completed a tennis-specific graded test in which five different intensity levels were applied randomly. Each intensity level was intended to simulate a game of singles tennis and comprised six 14 s periods of activity alternated with 20 s of active rest. Oxygen consumption (VO2) and heart rate (HR) were measured continuously and each player's rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was recorded at the end of each intensity level. Rate of energy expenditure (EEVO2) during the test was calculated using the sum of VO2 during play and the 'O-2 debt' during recovery, divided by the duration of the activity. There were significant individual linear relationships between EEVO2 and RPE, EEVO2 and HR, (rgreater than or equal to0.89 rgreater than or equal to0.93; p

Levantamento e integração energética do processo de refinação de açúcar

Este trabalho foi realizado no âmbito da disciplina de Dissertação/Estágio do ramo de Optimização Energética na Indústria Química, do Mestrado em Engenharia Química do Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto e foi desenvolvido na empresa Refinarias de Açúcar Reunidas, S.A (RAR Açúcar). Face à crise energética mundial e à globalização, o custo de produção aumentou consideravelmente nos processos industriais e os mercados ficaram mais competitivos. Estes aspectos levam a que cada vez mais os responsáveis industriais se concentrem em encontrar soluções que contrariem estes aspectos. Nesta perspectiva, a questão da conservação da energia na indústria torna-se uma medida fundamental a adoptar na política interna de uma indústria. Na década de 80 as técnicas de integração revelaram-se como uma ferramenta muito útil na área da integração térmica de processos. O conceito destas técnicas focaliza-se numa maior recuperação de energia, um menor consumo de utilidades e consequentemente uma diminuição de custos. Este trabalho tem como objectivo realizar um Levantamento e uma Integração Energética do Processo de Refinação de Açúcar. O conhecimento profundo do processo de refinação do açúcar, assim como o conhecimento de todas as fases do processo da empresa foram um ponto de partida fundamental para o desenrolar do trabalho. O levantamento energético, a nível térmico, a todos os equipamentos das linhas de produção forneceu os dados necessários para a Integração do Processo de Refinação de Açúcar através da Metodologia de Pinch. Como resultado da aplicação da Metodologia Pinch foram introduzidos oito permutadores de calor obtendo-se uma recuperação de calor igual a (confidencial) kJ/dia aliada a um investimento de (confidencial). A recuperação energética alcançada traduz-se numa poupança de (confidencial)de nafta/ano sendo o investimento proposto recuperado em 1,2 anos.

Application-specific modified particle swarm optimization for energy resource scheduling considering vehicle-to-grid

This paper presents a modified Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) methodology to solve the problem of energy resources management with high penetration of distributed generation and Electric Vehicles (EVs) with gridable capability (V2G). The objective of the day-ahead scheduling problem in this work is to minimize operation costs, namely energy costs, regarding he management of these resources in the smart grid context. The modifications applied to the PSO aimed to improve its adequacy to solve the mentioned problem. The proposed Application Specific Modified Particle Swarm Optimization (ASMPSO) includes an intelligent mechanism to adjust velocity limits during the search process, as well as self-parameterization of PSO parameters making it more user-independent. It presents better robustness and convergence characteristics compared with the tested PSO variants as well as better constraint handling. This enables its use for addressing real world large-scale problems in much shorter times than the deterministic methods, providing system operators with adequate decision support and achieving efficient resource scheduling, even when a significant number of alternative scenarios should be considered. The paper includes two realistic case studies with different penetration of gridable vehicles (1000 and 2000). The proposed methodology is about 2600 times faster than Mixed-Integer Non-Linear Programming (MINLP) reference technique, reducing the time required from 25 h to 36 s for the scenario with 2000 vehicles, with about one percent of difference in the objective function cost value.

Integração energética da unidade 2100 da Fábrica de Óleos Base da Refinaria de Matosinhos

Até 2020, a Europa terá de reduzir 20% das suas emissões de gases com efeito de estufa, 20% da produção de energia terá de ser proveniente de fontes renováveis e a eficiência energética deverá aumentar 20%. Estas são as metas apresentadas pela União Europeia, que ficaram conhecidas por 20/20/20 [1]. A Refinaria de Matosinhosé um complexo industrial que opera no sector da refinação e que apresenta preocupações ao nível da eficiência energética e dos aspectos ambientais subjacentes. No âmbito da racionalização energética das refinarias, a Galp Energia tem vindo a implementar um conjunto de medidas, adoptando as melhores tecnologias disponíveis com o objectivo de diminuir os consumos de energia, promover a eficiência energética e reduzir as emissões de dióxido de carbono. Para ir de encontro a estas medidas foi elaborado um estudo comparativo que permitiu à empresa definir as medidas consideradas prioritárias. Uma solução encontrada visa a execução de projectos que não requerem investimento e que têm acções imediatas, tais como o aumento da eficiência energética das fornalhas [1]. Este trabalho realizado na Galp Energia S.A. teve como objectivo principal a optimização energética da Unidade de Desalfatação do Propano da Fábrica de Óleos Base. Esta optimização baseou-se no aproveitamento energético da corrente de fundo da coluna de rectificação T2003C com uma potência calorífica de 2,79 Gcal/h. Após levantamento de todas as variáveis do processo relativas a esta unidade, especialmente a potência calorífica das correntes envolvidas chegou-se á conclusão que a fornalha H2101 poderá ser substituída por dois permutadores, reduzindo desta forma os consumos energéticos. Pois a corrente de fundo da coluna T2003 com uma potência calorífica 2,79 Gcal/h poderá permutar calor com a corrente da mistura asfalto com propano, fazendo com que esta atinja temperatura superior à obtida com a fornalha em funcionamento. A análise económica ao consumo e respectivo custo do fuelóleo na fornalha para o período de um ano foi realizada, sendo o seu custo de combustível de 611.396,00 €. O valor da aquisição dos permutadores é 86.355,97€, sendo rentável a alteração proposta neste projecto.

Economia energética por medição de cor em linha do açúcar à saída das centrífugas no processo de refinação da rama de açúcar

Mestrado em Engenharia Química

Application-Specific Modified Particle Swarm Optimization for energy resource scheduling considering vehicle-to-grid

This paper presents a modified Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) methodology to solve the problem of energy resources management with high penetration of distributed generation and Electric Vehicles (EVs) with gridable capability (V2G). The objective of the day-ahead scheduling problem in this work is to minimize operation costs, namely energy costs, regarding the management of these resources in the smart grid context. The modifications applied to the PSO aimed to improve its adequacy to solve the mentioned problem. The proposed Application Specific Modified Particle Swarm Optimization (ASMPSO) includes an intelligent mechanism to adjust velocity limits during the search process, as well as self-parameterization of PSO parameters making it more user-independent. It presents better robustness and convergence characteristics compared with the tested PSO variants as well as better constraint handling. This enables its use for addressing real world large-scale problems in much shorter times than the deterministic methods, providing system operators with adequate decision support and achieving efficient resource scheduling, even when a significant number of alternative scenarios should be considered. The paper includes two realistic case studies with different penetration of gridable vehicles (1000 and 2000). The proposed methodology is about 2600 times faster than Mixed-Integer Non-Linear Programming (MINLP) reference technique, reducing the time required from 25 h to 36 s for the scenario with 2000 vehicles, with about one percent of difference in the objective function cost value.

Environmental impact assessment of energy crops cultivation in the Mediterranean Europe

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa Para a obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Energia e Bioenergia

Fuel switching

The present Master dissertation is a project whose main objective is to identify value creation opportunities through fuel switching in the Portuguese industry, services, agriculture and fishing sectors. Fuel switching opportunities are characterized by type of fuel transition, type of technology transition, economy subsectors prone to have fuel switching and value created through fuel shift. Results suggest tomato concentrate, dairy, beer manufacturing and sugar refining subsectors is where prevalence of fuel oil steam boilers is high, for such cases conversion to natural gas steam boilers should result in operations having a ratio of NPV over CAPEX larger than ten and a payback period just under one year. Results further suggest food, beverages, textile, chemicals and wood subsectors currently operate between ten and twenty cogeneration Diesel engines that can be either modified to operate with natural gas or replaced by new natural gas cogeneration systems. Financial modeling indicates that both options have great value creation potential. The current analysis aims to be used by natural gas suppliers and energy project promoters to identify new potential deals as well as by heavy energy consumers to mitigate their energy related costs.

Aromatic amines sources, environmental impact and remediation

Aromatic amines are widely used industrial chemicals as their major sources in the environment include several chemical industry sectors such as oil refining, synthetic polymers, dyes, adhesives, rubbers, perfume, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and explosives. They result also from diesel exhaust, combustion of wood chips and rubber and tobacco smoke. Some types of aromatic amines are generated during cooking, special grilled meat and fish, as well. The intensive use and production of these compounds explains its occurrence in the environment such as in air, water and soil, thereby creating a potential for human exposure. Since aromatic amines are potential carcinogenic and toxic agents, they constitute an important class of environmental pollutants of enormous concern, which efficient removal is a crucial task for researchers, so several methods have been investigated and applied. In this chapter the types and general properties of aromatic amine compounds are reviewed. As aromatic amines are continuously entering the environment from various sources and have been designated as high priority pollutants, their presence in the environment must be monitored at concentration levels lower than 30 mg L1, compatible with the limits allowed by the regulations. Consequently, most relevant analytical methods to detect the aromatic amines composition in environmental matrices, and for monitoring their degradation, are essential and will be presented. Those include Spectroscopy, namely UV/visible and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR); Chromatography, in particular Thin Layer (TLC), High Performance Liquid (HPLC) and Gas chromatography (GC); Capillary electrophoresis (CE); Mass spectrometry (MS) and combination of different methods including GC-MS, HPLC-MS and CE-MS. Choosing the best methods depend on their availability, costs, detection limit and sample concentration, which sometimes need to be concentrate or pretreated. However, combined methods may give more complete results based on the complementary information. The environmental impact, toxicity and carcinogenicity of many aromatic amines have been reported and are emphasized in this chapter too. Lately, the conventional aromatic amines degradation and the alternative biodegradation processes are highlighted. Parameters affecting biodegradation, role of different electron acceptors in aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation and kinetics are discussed. Conventional processes including extraction, adsorption onto activated carbon, chemical oxidation, advanced oxidation, electrochemical techniques and irradiation suffer from drawbacks including high costs, formation of hazardous by-products and low efficiency. Biological processes, taking advantage of the naturally processes occurring in environment, have been developed and tested, proved as an economic, energy efficient and environmentally feasible alternative. Aerobic biodegradation is one of the most promising techniques for aromatic amines remediation, but has the drawback of aromatic amines autooxidation once they are exposed to oxygen, instead of their degradation. Higher costs, especially due to power consumption for aeration, can also limit its application. Anaerobic degradation technology is the novel path for treatment of a wide variety of aromatic amines, including industrial wastewater, and will be discussed. However, some are difficult to degrade under anaerobic conditions and, thus, other electron acceptors such as nitrate, iron, sulphate, manganese and carbonate have, alternatively, been tested.

The role of biomass and biorefineries in a sustainable future

Some o f the biggest issues facing humanity in the 21st century include energy security, global warming and resource scarcity. These issues will affect every nation and Ireland is no exception. There is much research underway to uncover technologies that will allow the world to overcome such problems, but none offer the flexibility o f biomass. Unlike other sustainable technologies, which offer a solution to one or at most two o f the above problems, biomass as demonstrated by the author, can play a part in mitigating all o f the above problems. It has been known for some time that biomass can be used in various ways as a form o f renewable energy, but with the development o f biorefineries biomass can be used to produce material as well as fuel products. In this report the author has looked at the viability and benefits o f biomass, bioenergy and biorefining in Ireland. The author has demonstrated that such technologies when implemented correctly are sustainable from an economic, environmental and societal point o f view. The author has shown in this thesis that abundant supplies o f biomass make bio re fineries a viable business opportunity in Ireland and has shown how a number o f biorefinery scenarios have the potential to be extremely profitable. The author has evaluated the profitability o f material product-based bio re fineries as well as fuel productbased configurations. The author demonstrated that value-added co-products help to make bio refineries profitable even when excise-relief is not granted on bio fuels. In this thesis the author has revealed some o f the problems that bioenergy and biorefineries have had to overcome to date and examines challenges that remain for bioenergy and biorefining, and looks at the future opportunities for bio fuels. This report concludes that biomass and biorefining has exciting business potential while offering unique opportunities to mitigate the problems o f the future.

Why Catalonia will see its energy metabolism increase in the near future: an application of MuSIASEM

This paper applies the so-called Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) to the economy of the Spanish region of Catalonia. By applying Georgescu-Roegen's fund-flow model, it arrives at the conclusion that within a context of the end of cheap oil, the current development model based on the growth of low productivity sectors such as services and construction must change. The change is needed not only because of the increasing scarcity of affordable energy carriers, or because of the increasing environmental impact that the present development represents, but also because of an ageing population that demands labour productivity gains. This will imply industry requiring more energy consumption per worker in order to increase its productivity, and therefore its competitiveness. Thus, we conclude that energy intensity, and exosomatic energy metabolism of Catalonia will increase dramatically in the near future unless major conservation efforts are implemented in both the household and transport sectors.

The added value from a general equilibrium analyses of increased efficiency in household energy use

The aim of the paper is to identify the added value from using general equilibrium techniques to consider the economy-wide impacts of increased efficiency in household energy use. We take as an illustrative case study the effect of a 5% improvement in household energy efficiency on the UK economy. This impact is measured through simulations that use models that have increasing degrees of endogeneity but are calibrated on a common data set. That is to say, we calculate rebound effects for models that progress from the most basic partial equilibrium approach to a fully specified general equilibrium treatment. The size of the rebound effect on total energy use depends upon: the elasticity of substitution of energy in household consumption; the energy intensity of the different elements of household consumption demand; and the impact of changes in income, economic activity and relative prices. A general equilibrium model is required to capture these final three impacts.

Pregnancy-related changes in activity energy expenditure and resting metabolic rate in Switzerland.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To measure resting metabolic rate (RMR), activity energy expenditure (AEE), total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity pattern, that is, duration and intensity (in metabolic equivalents, METs) of activities performed in late pregnancy compared with postpartum in healthy, well-nourished women living in Switzerland. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Weight, height, RMR, AEE, TEE and physical activity patterns were measured longitudinally in 27 healthy women aged 23-40 years at 38.2+/-1.5 weeks of gestation and 40.0+/-7.2 weeks postpartum. RESULTS: The RMR during late pregnancy was 7480 kJ per day, that is, 1320+/-760 kJ per day (21.4%) higher than the postpartum RMR (P<0.001). Absolute changes in RMR were positively correlated with the corresponding changes in body weight (r=0.61, P<0.001). RMR per kg body weight was similar in late pregnancy vs postpartum (P=0.28). AEE per kg during pregnancy and postpartum was 40+/-13 and 50+/-20 kJ/kg, respectively (P=0.001). There were significant differences in daily time spent at METs<1.5 (1067 vs 998 min, P=0.045), at 2.5< or =METs <3.0 (58 vs 82 min, P=0.002) and METs> or =6 (1 vs 6 min, P=0.014) during pregnancy and postpartum, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Energy expenditure in healthy women living in Switzerland increases in pregnancy compared with the postpartum state. Additional energy expenditure is primarily attributed to an increase in RMR, which is partly compensated by a decrease in AEE. The decrease in physical activity-related energy costs is achieved by selecting less demanding activities and should be taken into account when defining extra energy requirements for late pregnancy in Switzerland.

Human mercury exposure associated with small-scale gold mining in Burkina Faso.

PURPOSE: In Burkina Faso, gold ore is one of the main sources of income for an important part of the active population. Artisan gold miners use mercury in the extraction, a toxic metal whose human health risks are well known. The aim of the present study was to assess mercury exposure as well as to understand the exposure determinants of gold miners in Burkinabe small-scale mines.METHODS: The examined gold miners' population on the different selected gold mining sites was composed by persons who were directly and indirectly related to gold mining activities. But measurement of urinary mercury was performed on workers most susceptible to be exposed to mercury. Thus, occupational exposure to mercury was evaluated among ninety-three workers belonging to eight different gold mining sites spread in six regions of Burkina Faso. Among others, work-related exposure determinants were taken into account for each person during urine sampling as for example amalgamating or heating mercury. All participants were medically examined by a local medical team in order to identify possible symptoms related to the toxic effect of mercury.RESULTS: Mercury levels were high, showing that 69% of the measurements exceeded the ACGIH (American Conference of Industrial Hygienists) biological exposure indice (BEI) of 35 µg per g of creatinine (µg/g-Cr) (prior to shift) while 16% even exceeded 350 µg/g-Cr. Basically, unspecific but also specific symptoms related to mercury toxicity could be underlined among the persons who were directly related to gold mining activities. Only one-third among the studied subpopulation reported about less than three symptoms possibly associated to mercury exposure and nearly half of them suffered from at least five of these symptoms. Ore washers were more involved in the direct handling of mercury while gold dealers in the final gold recovery activities. These differences may explain the overexposure observed in gold dealers and indicate that the refining process is the major source of exposure.CONCLUSIONS: This study attests that mercury exposure still is an issue of concern. North-South collaborations should encourage knowledge exchange between developing and developed countries, for a cleaner artisanal gold mining process and thus for reducing human health and environmental hazards due to mercury use.