An efficient implementation of tabu search in feeder reconfiguration of distribution systems

This paper presents an efficient tabu search algorithm (TSA) to solve the problem of feeder reconfiguration of distribution systems. The main characteristics that make the proposed TSA particularly efficient are a) the way in which the neighborhood of the current solution was defined; b) the way in which the objective function value was estimated; and c) the reduction of the neighborhood using heuristic criteria. Four electrical systems, described in detail in the specialized literature, were used to test the proposed TSA. The result demonstrate that it is computationally very fast and finds the best solutions known in the specialized literature. © 2012 IEEE.

Description and interpretation of Cenozoic vertebrate ichnofossils in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

In the neighborhood of the city of Boqueirão do Leão (State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) a set of three big-sized tunnels has been found. One of the tunnels is only partially filled with sand and accessible along its entire length. It is horizontal, slightly sinuous, 36 m long, up to 4.2 m wide and up to 2.0 m high. The surface morphology of the walls is composed of anthropogenic marks, speleothems, black incrustations and traces like digging scratches and smoothed surfaces. The 2nd tunnel has its entrance blocked by sand and sandstone cobbles, but the end of the tunnel is only partially clogged and therefore accessible. This accessible portion is 12 m long, 3 m wide and 1.5 m high. The 3rd tunnel is completely filled and collapsed and is nowadays only indicated by concave roof features at its end. The general features of the tunnel system and the analysis of the surface morphology of the walls of the accessible portions permit to conclude that the tunnels were produced by ground sloths of the Cenozoic South American megafauna. The size of the tunnels suggests that its excavation was gradually carried out by successive generations of sloth herds, and not by a single individual animal. The primary function of the tunnels probably was not protection from predators, which had easy access to structures of this size, but to shelter during a drier climate. However, it is not yet possible to relate the tunnels to a specific ground sloth genus, a task that depends on the discovery of better-preserved tunnel systems. © 2013 by the Sociedade Brasileira de Paleontologia.

Caracterização geofísica em aterro de resíduos sólidos para avaliação de condicionantes de instabilidade geotécnica

The disposal of solid waste can create environmental problems, in addition to the potential risk of instability even in planned geotechnical works, such as provisions in stacks or high ends of the landfill, because they represent mere adjustments in civil engineering works. The Leme city, SP, generates about 35 t/day of municipal waste, that are deposited in a landfill located in the Barro Preto neighborhood. This work conducted a geophysical survey, based on geotechnical instability evidence in area, for analysis of the conditioners that cause on the sides leachate resurgence landfill and its relationship to mass movements and ravines installation in cover soil, with consequent waste exposure. The results indicate horizons of low resistivity connected with resurgence points generated by the organic matter decomposition contained in the waste. Such horizons result in leachate concentration in some places, which, in turn, may lead to loss of cohesion of the materials constituting the residues mass. The results are areas with mass flow by rotational movements, which, together with the surface flow of rainwater, evolves into ravines and exposed residues, preferably at the resurgence point. The leachate flow on the surface affects areas beyond the limits at landfill with direct impact on local agriculture and risk to pedestrians using the highway bordered by the landfill beyond the soil and the local aquifer.

Sustainable urban energy planning: The case study of a tropical city

The urbanization of modern societies has imposed to the planners and decision-makers a more precise attention to facts not considered before. Several aspects, such as the energy availability and the deleterious effect of pollution on the populations, must be considered in the policy decisions of cities urbanization. The current paradigm presents centralized power stations supplying a city, and a combination of technologies may compose the energy mix of a country, such as thermal power plants, hydroelectric plants, wind systems and solar-based systems, with their corresponding emission pattern. A goal programming multi-objective optimization model is presented for the electric expansion analysis of a tropical city, and also a case study for the city of Guaratinguetá, Brazil, considering a particular wind and solar radiation patterns established according to actual data and modeled via the time series analysis method. Scenarios are proposed and the results of single environmental objective, single economic objective and goal programming multi-objective modeling are discussed. The consequences of each dispatch decision, which considers pollutant emission exportation to the neighborhood or the need of supplementing electricity by purchasing it from the public electric power grid, are discussed. The results revealed energetic dispatch for the alternatives studied and the optimum environmental and economic solution was obtained. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Influência da combinação de dados GPS e GLONASS no georreferenciamento de imóveis rurais

The land question has been a widely discussed topic in Brazil, regarding land tenure. Law No. 10.267/01 was a major breakthrough for the agrarian issue. Since then on all rural properties must be georeferenced to the Brazilian Geodetic System (BGS). Therefore, satellite positioning and conventional methods are extensively used. Changes have been occurring in satellite positioning systems due to the addition of new signals in GPS (Global System Positioning), restructuring of GLONASS (Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System), and the new systems like Galileo and Compass as well. To evaluate the effects of combining GPS and GLONASS data, several batches of processings were performed on different configurations. The data processing was performed to determine the coordinates of points of basic support and those materializing the neighborhood of the rural properties. As a result, it was found that the use of accurate ephemeris in transporting coordinates to support points has no significant influence, since transportation with broadcast ephemeris also meets the accuracy requirements for the Standard Technique for Georreferencing Rural Properties. On the other hand, when GPS and GLONASS data were used, such combination provides the best results. In the case of neighboring points, the use of GPS and GLONASS data is also recommended because such data meet the precision requirement and showed better results than those from where data were processed separately.

Social and environmental indexes to determine the impacts of closed neighbourhoods in Brazil

São Paulo State, in Brazil, is getting increasingly crowded, like in other third world countries around the world, so should give great importance to city development. This work considered the phenomenon of closed neighbourhoods (CN) as an important factor to city planning, papers report many impacts of this model of neighbourhoods in other countries, but in Brazil its impacts are not yet well listed in the literature. The aim of this work was to determine indicators to achieve the social and environmental performances and verify their applicability on three different closed neighbourhoods in São Paulo state, Brazil. The indicators were condensed on indexes: water management, waste management, energy and emissions, legal compliance, environment and buildings, risk management, health and education and governance. The preliminary results indicated several social and environmental problems in all indexes. © 2013 WIT Press.

O Bumba Meu Boi do Grupo de Danças Brasileiras Gracinha: uma experiência de arte-educação

Pós-graduação em Artes - IA

Práxis intervencionista na escola: experiências de ressignificação, deslocamento e insurgência

Pós-graduação em Artes - IA

Leituras urbanas: torre de antena de rádio e televisão da TV Cultura e o bairro do Sumaré

Pós-graduação em Artes - IA

Busca em vizinhança variável aplicado na solução do problema de planejamento da expansão do sistema de transmissão de energia elétrica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Novas aplicações de metaheurísticas na solução do problema de planejamento da expansão do sistema de transmissão de energia elétrica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Planejamento da expansão de sistemas de distribuição usando a metaheurística de busca em vizinhança variável

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Uso de equações de diferenças na obtenção de filtros para redução de ruído em sinais de voz no domínio wavelet

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Programação de horários usando um algoritmo de busca em vizinhança variável

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Metaheurística particle swarm utilizada para alocação ótima de bancos de capacitores em sistemas de distribuição radial

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)