Energy Resource Management under the Influence of the Weekend Transition Considering an Intensive use of Electric Vehicles

Energy resource scheduling is becoming increasingly important, as the use of distributed resources is intensified and of massive electric vehicle is envisaged. The present paper proposes a methodology for day-ahead energy resource scheduling for smart grids considering the intensive use of distributed generation and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G). This method considers that the energy resources are managed by a Virtual Power Player (VPP) which established contracts with their owners. It takes into account these contracts, the users' requirements subjected to the VPP, and several discharge price steps. The full AC power flow calculation included in the model takes into account network constraints. The influence of the successive day requirements on the day-ahead optimal solution is discussed and considered in the proposed model. A case study with a 33-bus distribution network and V2G is used to illustrate the good performance of the proposed method.

Resource Scheduling in Residential Microgrids Considering Energy Selling to External Players

The operation of distribution networks has been facing changes with the implementation of smart grids and microgrids, and the increasing use of distributed generation. The specific case of distribution networks that accommodate residential buildings, small commerce, and distributed generation as the case of storage and PV generation lead to the concept of microgrids, in the cases that the network is able to operate in islanding mode. The microgrid operator in this context is able to manage the consumption and generation resources, also including demand response programs, obtaining profits from selling electricity to the main network. The present paper proposes a methodology for the energy resource scheduling considering power flow issues and the energy buying and selling from/to the main network in each bus of the microgrid. The case study uses a real distribution network with 25 bus, residential and commercial consumers, PV generation, and storage.

Lean enterprise resource planning

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia e Gestão Industrial

The role of human resource management practices on repatriates’ retention: a literature review

This investigation reviews literature on human resource management practices that influence the retention of repatriates. The processes of selection and training/preparation before the departure, the role of the mentor and of communication during the international assignment, a program of readjustment to repatriation and a career development plan after return to the home firm are the practices identified in the literature as the main promoters of repatriates’ retention. Evidence suggests that greater responsibility on the part of the firms before, during and after the international assignment allows for more efficiency in the management of their repatriates.

Allocation of Parallel Real-Time Tasks in Distributed Multi-core Architectures supported by an FTT-SE Network

Distributed real-time systems such as automotive applications are becoming larger and more complex, thus, requiring the use of more powerful hardware and software architectures. Furthermore, those distributed applications commonly have stringent real-time constraints. This implies that such applications would gain in flexibility if they were parallelized and distributed over the system. In this paper, we consider the problem of allocating fixed-priority fork-join Parallel/Distributed real-time tasks onto distributed multi-core nodes connected through a Flexible Time Triggered Switched Ethernet network. We analyze the system requirements and present a set of formulations based on a constraint programming approach. Constraint programming allows us to express the relations between variables in the form of constraints. Our approach is guaranteed to find a feasible solution, if one exists, in contrast to other approaches based on heuristics. Furthermore, approaches based on constraint programming have shown to obtain solutions for these type of formulations in reasonable time.

Energy-aware Task Allocation onto Unrelated Heterogeneous Multicore Platform for Mixed Criticality Systems

Presented at Work in Progress Session, IEEE Real-Time Systems Symposium (RTSS 2015). 1 to 4, Dec, 2015. San Antonio, U.S.A..

A multi-objective optimization of the active and reactive resource scheduling at a distribution level in a smart grid context

In the traditional paradigm, the large power plants supply the reactive power required at a transmission level and the capacitors and transformer tap changer were also used at a distribution level. However, in a near future will be necessary to schedule both active and reactive power at a distribution level, due to the high number of resources connected in distribution levels. This paper proposes a new multi-objective methodology to deal with the optimal resource scheduling considering the distributed generation, electric vehicles and capacitor banks for the joint active and reactive power scheduling. The proposed methodology considers the minimization of the cost (economic perspective) of all distributed resources, and the minimization of the voltage magnitude difference (technical perspective) in all buses. The Pareto front is determined and a fuzzy-based mechanism is applied to present the best compromise solution. The proposed methodology has been tested in the 33-bus distribution network. The case study shows the results of three different scenarios for the economic, technical, and multi-objective perspectives, and the results demonstrated the importance of incorporating the reactive scheduling in the distribution network using the multi-objective perspective to obtain the best compromise solution for the economic and technical perspectives.

Active search for leprosy cases in Midwestern Brazil: a serological evaluation of asymptomatic household contacts before and after prophylaxis with bacillus Calmette-Guérin

Leprosy is a disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae that carries a high risk of disability, making early diagnosis mandatory. This study aimed to determine the applicability of anti-PGL-1 IgM antibody detection, using the ML FLOW technique, as an assistant tool for the detection of leprosy infection in asymptomatic household contacts (AHHC) of multibacillary leprosy index cases from Midwest Brazil. Serological changes induced by the prophylaxis of these household contacts with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) were also verified. A total of 91 AHHC were assessed, among which, 18.68% (n = 17) presented both positive bacilloscopy and positive anti-PGL-1 IgM serology. Positivity concordance between these two laboratorial exams (Kappa Index = 1; p < 0.001) was indicated, however, one case did not demonstrate concordance between the semiquantitative assessment of anti-PGL-1 IgM and the bacilloscopy index (Kappa Index = 0.96; p < 0.001). Among the 17 AHHC with positive bacilloscopy, eight were reassessed after prophylaxis with BCG and two of them presented negative anti-PGL-1 IgM serology, being these patients who had presented a bacilloscopy index of < 2[+] in the initial assessment. This study shows that anti-PGL-1 IgM detection may be used as a tool to determine the bacillary load in AHHC and to detect immune changes related to prophylaxis by nonspecific vaccination.

COLONIZATION OF PALM TREES BY Rhodnius neglectus AND HOUSEHOLD AND INVASION IN AN URBAN AREA, ARAÇATUBA, SÃO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL

The objective of this study is to report on the colonization of palm trees by Rhodnius neglectus, its invasion in an urban area, in Araçatuba - São Paulo, and the control and surveillance measures that have been put in place. Domiciliary triatomine searches occurred in apartments upon the inhabitants' notification. The collected insects were identified and examined for natural infection and food sources with a precipitin test. To search the palm trees, tarps were used to cover the floor, and a “Munck” truck equipped with a tree-pruning device was utilized. Chemical control was performed with the utilization of a manual compression. In 2009, 81 specimens of Rhodnius neglectus were collected from the domiciles by the population. The precipitin test revealed a presence of human blood in 2.7% of the samples. Entomological studies were carried out in these domiciles and in those located within a radius of 200 meters. The search performed in the palm trees resulted in the capture of 882 specimens of triatomines, negative for tripanosomatids. Mechanical and chemical controls were carried out. New searches conducted in the palm trees in the same year resulted in the capture of six specimens. The mechanical and chemical controls of the palm trees, together with the population's work, proved to be effective, therefore preventing these insects' colonization of the city's domiciles.

A crop-land allocation model: A case study in La Rioja, Spain

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies.

Federated IaaS Resource Brokerage

This paper presents the CloudAnchor brokerage platform for the transaction of single provider as well as federated Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) resources. The platform, which is a layered Multi-Agent System (MAS), provides multiple services, including (consumer or provider) business registration and deregistration, provider coalition creation and termination, provider lookup and invitation and negotiation services regarding brokerage, coalitions and resources. Providers, consumers and virtual providers, representing provider coalitions, are modelled by dedicated agents within the platform. The main goal of the platform is to negotiate and establish Service Level Agreements (SLA). In particular, the platform contemplates the establishment of brokerage SLA – bSLA – between the platform and each provider or consumer, coalition SLA – cSLA – between the members of a coalition of providers and resource SLA – rSLA – between a consumer and a provider. Federated resources are detained and negotiated by virtual providers on behalf of the corresponding coalitions of providers.

Potencial Utilização de um Enterprise Resource Planning System para Suportar Práticas de Gestão de Conhecimento nas Organizações. Uma Aplicação com Dynamics Nav da Microsoft

Dissertação apresentada como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Estatística e Gestão de Informação

How does household energy consumption contribute to PM10 emissions?

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Parametric portfolio policies: An application for a global tactical asset allocation model

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics