RealCrono –sistema de difusão de resultados em tempo real na web

A velocidade de difusão de conteúdos numa plataforma web, assume uma elevada relevância em serviços onde a informação se pretende atualizada e em tempo real. Este projeto de Mestrado, apresenta uma abordagem de um sistema distribuído de recolher e difundir resultados em tempo real entre várias plataformas, nomeadamente sistemas móveis. Neste contexto, tempo real entende-se como uma diferença de tempo nula entre a recolha e difusão, ignorando fatores que não podem ser controlados pelo sistema, como latência de comunicação e tempo de processamento. Este projeto tem como base uma arquitetura existente de processamento e publicação de resultados desportivos, que apresentava alguns problemas relacionados com escalabilidade, segurança, tempos de entrega de resultados longos e sem integração com outras plataformas. Ao longo deste trabalho procurou-se investigar fatores que condicionassem a escalabilidade de uma aplicação web dando ênfase à implementação de uma solução baseada em replicação e escalabilidade horizontal. Procurou-se também apresentar uma solução de interoperabilidade entre sistemas e plataformas heterogêneas, mantendo sempre elevados níveis de performance e promovendo a introdução de plataformas móveis no sistema. De várias abordagens existentes para comunicação em tempo real sobre uma plataforma web, adotou-se um implementação baseada em WebSocket que elimina o tempo desperdiçado entre a recolha de informação e sua difusão. Neste projeto é descrito o processo de implementação da API de recolha de dados (Collector), da biblioteca de comunicação com o Collector, da aplicação web (Publisher) e sua API, da biblioteca de comunicação com o Publisher e por fim a implementação da aplicação móvel multi-plataforma. Com os componentes criados, avaliaram-se os resultados obtidos com a nova arquitetura de forma a aferir a escalabilidade e performance da solução criada e sua adaptação ao sistema existente.

Contextual Intelligent Load Management Considering Real-Time Pricing in a Smart Grid Environment

The use of demand response programs enables the adequate use of resources of small and medium players, bringing high benefits to the smart grid, and increasing its efficiency. One of the difficulties to proceed with this paradigm is the lack of intelligence in the management of small and medium size players. In order to make demand response programs a feasible solution, it is essential that small and medium players have an efficient energy management and a fair optimization mechanism to decrease the consumption without heavy loss of comfort, making it acceptable for the users. This paper addresses the application of real-time pricing in a house that uses an intelligent optimization module involving artificial neural networks.

Multi-Agent Based Smart Grid Management and Simulation: Situation Awareness and Learning in a Test Bed with Simulated and Real Installations and Players

The rising usage of distributed energy resources has been creating several problems in power systems operation. Virtual Power Players arise as a solution for the management of such resources. Additionally, approaching the main network as a series of subsystems gives birth to the concepts of smart grid and micro grid. Simulation, particularly based on multi-agent technology is suitable to model all these new and evolving concepts. MASGriP (Multi-Agent Smart Grid simulation Platform) is a system that was developed to allow deep studies of the mentioned concepts. This paper focuses on a laboratorial test bed which represents a house managed by a MASGriP player. This player is able to control a real installation, responding to requests sent by the system operators and reacting to observed events depending on the context.

Data Extraction Tool to Analyse, Transform and Store Real Data from Electricity Markets

The study of electricity markets operation has been gaining an increasing importance in the last years, as result of the new challenges that the restructuring process produced. Currently, lots of information concerning electricity markets is available, as market operators provide, after a period of confidentiality, data regarding market proposals and transactions. These data can be used as source of knowledge to define realistic scenarios, which are essential for understanding and forecast electricity markets behavior. The development of tools able to extract, transform, store and dynamically update data, is of great importance to go a step further into the comprehension of electricity markets and of the behaviour of the involved entities. In this paper an adaptable tool capable of downloading, parsing and storing data from market operators’ websites is presented, assuring constant updating and reliability of the stored data.

Real Time Pricing Approaches to Deal With Unexpected Wind Power Variations

The use of renewables have been increased I several countries around the world, namely in Europe. The wind power is generally the larger renewable resource with very specific characteristics in what concerns its variability and the inherent impacts in the power systems and electricity markets operation. This paper focuses on the Portuguese context of renewables use, including wind power. The work here presented includes the use of a real time pricing methodology developed by the authors aiming the reduction of electricity consumption in the moments of unexpected low wind power. A more specific example of application of real time pricing is demonstrated for the minimization of the operation costs in a distribution network. When facing lower wind power generation than expected from day ahead forecast, demand response is used in order to minimize the impacts of such wind availability change. In this way, consumers actively participate in regulation up and spinning reserve ancillary services through demand response programs.

An automatic tool to Extract, Transform and Load data from real electricity markets

The study of Electricity Markets operation has been gaining an increasing importance in the last years, as result of the new challenges that the restructuring produced. Currently, lots of information concerning Electricity Markets is available, as market operators provide, after a period of confidentiality, data regarding market proposals and transactions. These data can be used as source of knowledge, to define realistic scenarios, essential for understanding and forecast Electricity Markets behaviour. The development of tools able to extract, transform, store and dynamically update data, is of great importance to go a step further into the comprehension of Electricity Markets and the behaviour of the involved entities. In this paper we present an adaptable tool capable of downloading, parsing and storing data from market operators’ websites, assuring actualization and reliability of stored data.

Real-Time Simulation of energy Management in a Domestic Consumer

Recent and future changes in power systems, mainly in the smart grid operation context, are related to a high complexity of power networks operation. This leads to more complex communications and to higher network elements monitoring and control levels, both from network’s and consumers’ standpoint. The present work focuses on a real scenario of the LASIE laboratory, located at the Polytechnic of Porto. Laboratory systems are managed by the SCADA House Intelligent Management (SHIM), already developed by the authors based on a SCADA system. The SHIM capacities have been recently improved by including real-time simulation from Opal RT. This makes possible the integration of Matlab®/Simulink® real-time simulation models. The main goal of the present paper is to compare the advantages of the resulting improved system, while managing the energy consumption of a domestic consumer.

Real-Time Tariffs for Electric Vehicles in Wind Power based Power Systems

The use of Electric Vehicles (EVs) will change significantly the planning and management of power systems in a near future. This paper proposes a real-time tariff strategy for the charge process of the EVs. The main objective is to evaluate the influence of real-time tariffs in the EVs owners’ behaviour and also the impact in load diagram. The paper proposes the energy price variation according to the relation between wind generation and power consumption. The proposed strategy was tested in two different days in the Danish power system. January 31st and August 13th 2013 were selected because of the high quantities of wind generation. The main goal is to evaluate the changes in the EVs charging diagram with the energy price preventing wind curtailment.

Realistic Traffic Scenarios Using a Census Methodology: Vila Real Case Study

This paper presents the first phase of the redevelopment of the Electric Vehicle Scenario Simulator (EVeSSi) tool. A new methodology to generate traffic demand scenarios for the Simulation of Urban MObility (SUMO) tool for urban traffic simulation is described. This methodology is based on a Portugal census database to generate a synthetic population for a given area under study. A realistic case study of a Portuguese city, Vila Real, is assessed. For this area the road network was created along with a synthetic population and public transport. The traffic results were obtained and an electric buses fleet was evaluated assuming that the actual fleet would be replaced in a near future. The energy requirements to charge the electric fleet overnight were estimated in order to evaluate the impacts that it would cause in the local electricity network.

Distributed energy resources scheduling considering real-time resources forecast

Energy resource scheduling is becoming increasingly important, such as the use of more distributed generators and electric vehicles connected to the distribution network. This paper proposes a methodology to be used by Virtual Power Players (VPPs), regarding the energy resource scheduling in smart grids and considering day-ahead, hour-ahead and realtime time horizons. This method considers that energy resources are managed by a VPP which establishes contracts with their owners. The full AC power flow calculation included in the model takes into account network constraints. In this paper, distribution function errors are used to simulate variations between time horizons, and to measure the performance of the proposed methodology. A 33-bus distribution network with large number of distributed resources is used.

Real-time Energy Resource Scheduling considering a Real Portuguese Scenario

The development in power systems and the introduction of decentralized generation and Electric Vehicles (EVs), both connected to distribution networks, represents a major challenge in the planning and operation issues. This new paradigm requires a new energy resources management approach which considers not only the generation, but also the management of loads through demand response programs, energy storage units, EVs and other players in a liberalized electricity markets environment. This paper proposes a methodology to be used by Virtual Power Players (VPPs), concerning the energy resource scheduling in smart grids, considering day-ahead, hour-ahead and real-time scheduling. The case study considers a 33-bus distribution network with high penetration of distributed energy resources. The wind generation profile is based on a real Portuguese wind farm. Four scenarios are presented taking into account 0, 1, 2 and 5 periods (hours or minutes) ahead of the scheduling period in the hour-ahead and realtime scheduling.

Real-Time Simulation of Real-Time Pricing Demand Response to Meet Wind Variations

Recent changes of paradigm in power systems opened the opportunity to the active participation of new players. The small and medium players gain new opportunities while participating in demand response programs. This paper explores the optimal resources scheduling in two distinct levels. First, the network operator facing large wind power variations makes use of real time pricing to induce consumers to meet wind power variations. Then, at the consumer level, each load is managed according to the consumer preferences. The two-level resources schedule has been implemented in a real-time simulation platform, which uses hardware for consumer’ loads control. The illustrative example includes a situation of large lack of wind power and focuses on a consumer with 18 loads.

Aplicação de um modelo de programação linear inteira mista (PLIM) na expansão da rede de distribuição de energia elétrica em Angola

Em Angola, apenas cerca de 30% da população tem acesso à energia elétrica, nível que decresce para valores inferiores a 10% em zonas rurais mais remotas. Este problema é agravado pelo facto de, na maioria dos casos, as infraestruturas existentes se encontrarem danificadas ou não acompanharem o desenvolvimento da região. Em particular na capital angolana, Luanda que, sendo a menor província de Angola, é a que regista atualmente a maior densidade populacional. Com uma população de cerca de 5 milhões de habitantes, não só há frequentemente problemas relacionados com a falha do fornecimento de energia elétrica como há ainda uma percentagem considerável de municípios onde a rede elétrica ainda nem sequer chegou. O governo de Angola, no seu esforço de crescimento e aproveitamento das suas enormes potencialidades, definiu o setor energético como um dos fatores críticos para o desenvolvimento sustentável do país, tendo assumido que este é um dos eixos prioritários até 2016. Existem objetivos claros quanto à reabilitação e expansão das infraestruturas do setor elétrico, aumentando a capacidade instalada do país e criando uma rede nacional adequada, com o intuito não só de melhorar a qualidade e fiabilidade da rede já existente como de a aumentar. Este trabalho de dissertação consistiu no levantamento de dados reais relativamente à rede de distribuição de energia elétrica de Luanda, na análise e planeamento do que é mais premente fazer relativamente à sua expansão, na escolha dos locais onde é viável localizar novas subestações, na modelação adequada do problema real e na proposta de uma solução ótima para a expansão da rede existente. Depois de analisados diferentes modelos matemáticos aplicados ao problema de expansão de redes de distribuição de energia elétrica encontrados na literatura, optou-se por um modelo de programação linear inteira mista (PLIM) que se mostrou adequado. Desenvolvido o modelo do problema, o mesmo foi resolvido por recurso a software de otimização Analytic Solver e CPLEX. Como forma de validação dos resultados obtidos, foi implementada a solução de rede no simulador PowerWorld 8.0 OPF, software este que permite a simulação da operação do sistema de trânsito de potências.

Entre a "fábula e a alta". O real e o institucional na lusofonia

Dissertação apresentada para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciência Política e Relações Internacionais

Análise da ocorrência de hidroplanagem num caso real

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau Mestre em Engenharia Civil,Perfil de Construção