Valorização de lamas de tratamento de águas residuais urbanas para utilização agrícola

Trabalho de Dissertação de Natureza Científica para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil na Área de Especialização em Hidráulica

Recuperação de calor dos efluentes da tinturaria

Foram utilizados como elemento principal de estudo, os efluentes líquidos dos processos industriais da ENDUTEX, Tinturaria e Acabamento de Malhas, S. A. localizada no município de Caldas de Vizela, distrito de Braga. O estudo foi realizado na empresa devido ao interesse da mesma em poder reaproveitar o calor libertado nos efluentes para aquecimento de parte da água captada no rio de Vizela. O objectivo do trabalho consiste no dimensionamento de um permutador de calor que permita satisfazer o interesse da empresa, assim como, um estudo económico relativo aos custos envolventes. Com o intuito de concretizar os objectivos propostos foram realizadas visitas semanais à empresa para se proceder ao levantamento de dados e para a realização de amostragens do efluente para posterior caracterização. Depois de efectuado o dimensionamento do permutador de placas para diferentes caudais e temperaturas dos fluidos, frio (água do rio) e quente (efluentes), concluiu-se que as condições mais rentáveis correspondiam a um caudal de fluido frio de 17 m3/h em que a temperatura de entrada e de saída no permutador seria de 14 ºC e 48 ºC, respectivamente. O caudal de fluido quente seria de 20 m3/h, sendo a temperatura de entrada e de saída no permutador de 62 ºC e 33,1 ºC, respectivamente. Como resultado do dimensionamento obteve-se um permutador de placas com 167 placas em que o coeficiente global de transferência de calor (U) é de 726,9 W/m2ºC, a área projectada de 55,7 m2 e a queda de pressão de 0,904 KPa. Foi consultada a empresa ARSOPI-THERMAL para verificação das características dos permutadores existentes no mercado. No entanto, para as mesmas condições foi sugerido um permutador com 31 placas em que o coeficiente global de transferência de calor (U) é de 6267 W/m2ºC, a área projectada de 7,39 m2 e a queda de pressão de 76 KPa. A diferença verificada nos resultados apresentados pode ter origem na utilização de diferentes expressões no cálculo do coeficiente pelicular de transferência de calor (h) e pelo facto da ARSOPI desprezar o factor de sujamento no seu dimensionamento Na análise económica do projecto é de referir que para o arranque do projecto foi feito o levantamento das necessidades de investimento, situando-se este num valor total de 9640€, sendo o investimento financiado apenas por capitais próprios. O prazo de recuperação do investimento (Pay Back Period) é de cerca de 2 meses.

Le souper

«Le souper» constitue le XIIème chapitre du roman de Voltaire, Zadig – Le monde comme il va (1747). On y trouve plusieurs aspects qui font le charme des contes de l’époque, tels que la fantaisie, l’imagination, le voyage, la couleur locale, l’humour, la satire… Le héros, Zadig, se mouvemente dans un cadre exotique (l’Arabie), il vit des situations bizarres, comiques et parodiques. Mais Voltaire ne veut pas tout simplement amuser le lecteur, il a une thèse à défendre, par conséquent il invite le lecteur à lire dans les entre-lignes. Voltaire essaie de montrer satiriquement que l’homme croit dominer les événements, mais en effet, il n’est qu’un jouet des forces qui le dépassent. Zadig est toujours dans la quête du bonheur qui semble impossible: quand il croit que finalement il est heureux, la destinée lui tend un piège. Dans «Le souper», Voltaire continue à exposer ses philosophies et c’est pourquoi il choisit le banquet qui est très propre à la confrontation d’idées. Il y rassemble plusieurs hommes de différentes nationalités et cultures et qui ont une grande diversité de points de vue, en ce qui concerne les superstitions et les préjugés. La discussion devient animée et anecdotique et elle sert à illustrer la thèse de Voltaire, selon laquelle l’homme est médiocre et ignorant, le fanatisme est dangereux et mène à la violence, et le hasard joue un rôle primordial dans notre vie. Dans «Le souper», chaque convive tente d’imposer ses convictions, en méprisant celles des autres, ce qui donne une image accablante de la condition humaine. Cependant, Zadig, en faisant usage de sa raison et de son esprit critique, réussit à réconcilier tout le monde, et quand il semble que «tout va bien dans le meilleur des mondes», il lui arrive une catastrophe: on veut brûler Zadig à petit feu, car il venait de détruire une ancienne tradition- «le bûcher du veuvage», ce qui illustre et justifie le scepticisme de Voltaire par rapport à la Providence.

Toxicological Assessment of Coated versus Uncoated Rubber Granulates Obtained from Used Tires for Use in Sport Facilities

Reuse of tire crumb in sport facilities is currently a very cost-effective waste management measure. Considering that incorporation of the waste materials in artificial turf would be facilitated if the rubber materials were already colored green, coatings were specifically developed for this purpose. This paper presents an experimental toxicological and environmental assessment aimed at comparing the obtained emissions to the environment in terms of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, and ecotoxicity for coated and noncoated rubber granulates. This study is a comprehensive evaluation of the major potential critical factors related with the release of all of these classes of pollutants because previous studies were not systematically performed. It was concluded that between the two types of coatings tested, one is particularly effective in reducing emissions to the environment, simultaneously meeting the requirements of adherence and color stability.

Estudo económico-financeiro sobre a implementação de sistemas de uso eficiente da água numa habitação

Trabalho de Projecto de Natureza Científica para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil

Towards e-learning sustainability: designing and reusing student-centered learning scenarios

Learnin management systems have gained an increasing role in the context of Higher Education Institutions as essential tools to support learning...

E-sharing: development and use of learning objects repository

— In the new learning environments, built width digital technologies, the need to promote quality of education resources, commonly known as Learning Objects, which can support formal and informal distance learning, emerge as one of the biggest challenge that educational institutions will have to face. Due to the fact that is expensive, the reuse and sharing became very important issue. This article presents a Learning Object Repository which aims to store, to disseminate and maintain accessible Learning Objects.

Contribution of traffic and tobacco smoke in the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on outdoor and indoor PM2.5

Traffic emissions and tobacco smoke are considered two main sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in indoor and outdoor air. In this study, the impact of these sources on the level of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and on the distribution of 15 PAHs regarded as priority pollutants by the US-EPA on PM2.5 were evaluated and compared. Outdoor and indoor PM2.5 samples were collected during winter 2008 in Oporto city in Portugal, for sampling periods of 12 and 24 hours, respectively. The outdoor PM2.5 were sampled at one site directly influenced by traffic emissions and the indoor PM2.5 samples were collected at one home directly influenced by tobacco smoke and another one without smoke. A methodology based on microwave-assisted extraction and liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was applied for the efficient PAHs determination in indoor and outdoor PM2.5. PAHs in indoor PM2.5 concentrations were significantly influenced by the presence of traffic and tobacco smoking emissions. The mean of ΣPAHs in the outdoor traffic PM2.5 was not significantly different from the value attained in the indoor without smoking site. The tobacco smoke increased significantly PAHs concentrations on average about 1000 times more, when compared with the outdoor profile samples suggesting that tobacco smoking may be the most important source of indoor PAHs pollution.

Copper, nickel and zinc removal by peanut hulls: batch and column studies in mono, tri-component systems and with real effluent

The main goal of this research study was the removal of Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solutions using peanut hulls. This work was mainly focused on the following aspects: chemical characterization of the biosorbent, kinetic studies, study of the pH influence in mono-component systems, equilibrium isotherms and column studies, both in mono and tri-component systems, and with a real industrial effluent from the electroplating industry. The chemical characterization of peanut hulls showed a high cellulose (44.8%) and lignin (36.1%) content, which favours biosorption of metal cations. The kinetic studies performed indicate that most of the sorption occurs in the first 30 min for all systems. In general, a pseudo-second order kinetics was followed, both in mono and tri-component systems. The equilibrium isotherms were better described by Freundlich model in all systems. Peanut hulls showed higher affinity for copper than for nickel and zinc when they are both present. The pH value between 5 and 6 was the most favourable for all systems. The sorbent capacity in column was 0.028 and 0.025 mmol g-1 for copper, respectively in mono and tri-component systems. A decrease of capacity for copper (50%) was observed when dealing with the real effluent. The Yoon-Nelson, Thomas and Yan’s models were fitted to the experimental data, being the latter the best fit.

Le lexique fourni et interiorisé: un moyen efficace pour construire un genre ?

Cet article présente les premiers résultats d’une recherche s’intéressant à l’articulation entre imitation et invention dans l’écriture chez les jeunes scripteurs. L’étude s’attache à observer les modes de récupération de ressources textuelles fournies par les conditions de production. L’expérimentation a été conçue pour observer l’appropriation d’un genre. Des dispositifs didactiques ont été proposés à plusieurs classes de fin d’école primaire française, à partir de textes littéraires issus de la robinsonnade mis à disposition soit simultanément à l’acte d’écriture soit lors d’une seconde écriture. L’étude montre comment les élèves ont recours à deux procédés contrastés : le réinvestissement du lexique et la reformulation. Les données recueillies mettent en évidence la reprise attendue de mots caractéristiques du genre, et révèlent l’ingéniosité des scripteurs pour restructurer des matériaux langagiers. Certaines stratégies témoignent des difficultés rencontrées par les élèves qui ont eu à interpréter le lexique littéraire puis à le transférer dans leur propre récit. Des modes de reformulation différents coexistent dont on peut offrir une première catégorisation en fonction d’une appropriation plus ou moins réussie du genre considéré.

Devolução de doses unitárias: análise de uma prática diária

A Distribuição Individual Diária em Dose Unitária deve assegurar o maior rigor no Processo de Distribuição de Medicamentos, o que nem sempre se verificou no Hospital Pedro Hispano, dado que as Doses Unitárias devolvidas pelos Serviços de Internamento, nem sempre seguiam os Parâmetros de Qualidade. Assim, desenvolveu-se um estudo quasi-experimental, longitudinal, prospetivo e analítico, entre 1 de Março a 30 de Junho de 2012, no qual se analisaram as Doses Unitárias, devolvidas pelos Serviços de Internamento da Unidade Local de Saúde de Matosinhos a funcionam com Distribuição Individual Diária em Dose Unitária, tendo-se recolhido as não conformes relativamente aos Parâmetros de Qualidade instituídos. Na 1.ª fase do estudo (Recolha de amostras), foram contabilizadas 337 amostras, correspondentes a uma perda de 471 €. Na 2.ª fase do estudo (Implementação de acções correctivas às amostras previamente recolhidas), foram rejeitadas definitivamente 129 amostras, correspondentes a uma perda de 198 €. Na 4.ª fase do estudo (Segunda recolha de amostras), foram contabilizadas 228 amostras, correspondentes a uma perda de 199 €. A 3.ª fase do estudo incluiu a divulgação dos resultados às enfermeiras chefes dos serviços envolvidos no estudo e a 5.ª fase a comparação dos resultados obtidos na 1.ª, 2.ª e 4.ª fase do estudo. As amostras foram recolhidas em 16 serviços de internamento, sendo os valores monetários mais relevantes associados ao Espessante para alimentos líquidos e ao Imipeno + Cilastatina. A prática observada e sujeita a estudo aumenta os riscos associados ao consumo do medicamento e os custos relativos ao Processo, sendo de eliminar. A sua monitorização deve constituir uma rotina, uma vez que houve mudança de comportamentos. A redução/eliminação desta prática não conforme conduz à integração de novas tarefas com valor acrescentado, com aumento da fiabilidade do Processo.

Re-use assessment of thermoset composite wastes as aggregate and filler replacement for concrete-polymer composite materials: a case study regarding GFRP pultrusion wastes

Glass fibre-reinforced plastics (GFRP), nowadays commonly used in the construction, transportation and automobile sectors, have been considered inherently difficult to recycle due to both the cross-linked nature of thermoset resins, which cannot be remoulded, and the complex composition of the composite itself, which includes glass fibres, polymer matrix and different types of inorganic fillers. Hence, to date, most of the thermoset based GFRP waste is being incinerated or landfilled leading to negative environmental impacts and additional costs to producers and suppliers. With an increasing awareness of environmental matters and the subsequent desire to save resources, recycling would convert an expensive waste disposal into a profitable reusable material. In this study, the effect of the incorporation of mechanically recycled GFRP pultrusion wastes on flexural and compressive behaviour of polyester polymer mortars (PM) was assessed. For this purpose, different contents of GFRP recyclates (0%, 4%, 8% and 12%, w/w), with distinct size grades (coarse fibrous mixture and fine powdered mixture), were incorporated into polyester PM as sand aggregates and filler replacements. The effect of the incorporation of a silane coupling agent was also assessed. Experimental results revealed that GFRP waste filled polymer mortars show improved mechanical behaviour over unmodified polyester based mortars, thus indicating the feasibility of GFRP waste reuse as raw material in concrete-polymer composites.

Pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) and great tit (Parus major) in Portugal

In the present work, we studied a common outbreaking Lepidoptera species in Portuguese pine stands – Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Den. & Schiff.) - and one of its potential predators – Parus major (L.). The population dynamics of the immature stages of the Lepidoptera was studied in several types of Pinus pinaster (Aiton) plantations in three different areas: Setúbal Peninsula, Abrantes and National Pine Forest of Leiria. Location and plantation structure was the most important factors determining population density of T. pityocampa. Setubal and Abrantes was highly susceptible to attacks by the Lepidoptera, whereas Leiria had lower densities. Young and homogeneous pine stands was more susceptible to attacks than older and more heterogeneous pines stands. However, a desynchronized population of T. pityocampa, in which the larvae develops during summer instead of during winter, reached high densities also in Leiria. The impact of several mortality factors and climatic conditions on the immature stages of the insect (eggs and larvae), in normal and desynchronized populations are discussed, as well as possible evolutionary implications of the sudden appearance of the new version of T. pityocampa. The break of the pupa diapause and adult emergence times the annual life cycle of this insect. Adults from the desynchronized population emerged earlier than adults from the normal population, which in turn determined the change in the larvae development period. Different factors, potentially affecting the timing of adult emergence in both normal and abnormal populations are also discussed. To study P. Major, nest-boxes were placed in the areas of Setúbal and Leiria and they were monitored during three seasons. The nest-boxes increased the density of breeding and wintering birds in the studied pine plantations, indicating that a lack of natural holes are in fact a limiting factor for this populations. The earliest breeding start for this species was recorded in my study area, indicating that Portuguese coastal pines provide good breeding conditions earlier than in other areas of Europe and North Africa. This leads to an overlap between the end of the larvae stage of T. pityocampa and the beginning of the breeding season of P. major. Key-words: Thaumetopoea pityocampa, Parus major, Pinus pinaster, population dynamics, Portugal.

Nano-CF: a Coordination Framework for macro-programming in wireless sensor networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) are being used for a number of applications involving infrastructure monitoring, building energy monitoring and industrial sensing. The difficulty of programming individual sensor nodes and the associated overhead have encouraged researchers to design macro-programming systems which can help program the network as a whole or as a combination of subnets. Most of the current macro-programming schemes do not support multiple users seamlessly deploying diverse applications on the same shared sensor network. As WSNs are becoming more common, it is important to provide such support, since it enables higher-level optimizations such as code reuse, energy savings, and traffic reduction. In this paper, we propose a macro-programming framework called Nano-CF, which, in addition to supporting in-network programming, allows multiple applications written by different programmers to be executed simultaneously on a sensor networking infrastructure. This framework enables the use of a common sensing infrastructure for a number of applications without the users having to worrying about the applications already deployed on the network. The framework also supports timing constraints and resource reservations using the Nano-RK operating system. Nano- CF is efficient at improving WSN performance by (a) combining multiple user programs, (b) aggregating packets for data delivery, and (c) satisfying timing and energy specifications using Rate- Harmonized Scheduling. Using representative applications, we demonstrate that Nano-CF achieves 90% reduction in Source Lines-of-Code (SLoC) and 50% energy savings from aggregated data delivery.

Intérêts du travail isolé du pouce dans le jeu de la harpe: rapport de stage

Résumé I (Pratiques Pédagogiques)- Ce compte-rendu du stage réalisé pour ma deuxième année de master rapporte le résultat de l’observation des cours donnés à trois élèves de niveaux différents par le professeur de harpe de l’Ecole de Musique « Nossa Senhora do Cabo » à Linda-a-Velha, commune de Oeiras, située près de Lisbonne. Grâce à l’activité du professeur, et par le suivi de l’évolution de ses élèves tout au long de l’année scolaire 2012-2013, tant sur le plan technique que sur le plan musical, j’ai pu participer à toutes les étapes de leur apprentissage et retrouver quelques principes pédagogiques fondamentaux. Ainsi, j’ai constaté la nécessité d’une organisation didactique solide dans la définition d’objectifs, la planification du travail, le choix des méthodes d’étude, mais souple par la régulation des rythmes d’apprentissage et des techniques d’acquisition. La métacognition est aussi une notion composante essentielle de la pratique du professeur, dont un des grands objectifs est de développer chez ses élèves la capacité de se prendre en charge seul. J’ai également apprécié l’importance de l’aspect relationnel intrinsèque à toute situation d’apprentissage, ainsi que celle de la connaissance des théories de la motivation, atout important permettant d’agir au niveau psychologique sur les élèves et d’obtenir à plus ou moins long terme des changements comportementaux influents sur la qualité de ces apprentissages. J’ai enfin essayé de dégager différents types d’approches pédagogiques possibles, parmi les stratégies observées chez le professeur, ainsi que d’après quelques éléments de réflexion personnelle.