A multi vector energy analysis for interconnected power and gas systems

This paper presents the first multi vector energy analysis for the interconnected energy systems of Great Britain (GB) and Ireland. Both systems share a common high penetration of wind power, but significantly different security of supply outlooks. Ireland is heavily dependent on gas imports from GB, giving significance to the interconnected aspect of the methodology in addition to the gas and power interactions analysed. A fully realistic unit commitment and economic dispatch model coupled to an energy flow model of the gas supply network is developed. Extreme weather events driving increased domestic gas demand and low wind power output were utilised to increase gas supply network stress. Decreased wind profiles had a larger impact on system security than high domestic gas demand. However, the GB energy system was resilient during high demand periods but gas network stress limited the ramping capability of localised generating units. Additionally, gas system entry node congestion in the Irish system was shown to deliver a 40% increase in short run costs for generators. Gas storage was shown to reduce the impact of high demand driven congestion delivering a reduction in total generation costs of 14% in the period studied and reducing electricity imports from GB, significantly contributing to security of supply.

Model based integration of management systems (MSs) – case study

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a case study regarding the deployment of a previously developed model for the integration of management systems (MSs). The case study is developed at a manufacturing site of an international enterprise. The implementation of this model in a real business environment is aimed at assessing its feasibility. Design/methodology/approach – The presented case study takes into account different management systems standards (MSSs) progressively implemented, along the years, independently. The implementation of the model was supported by the results obtained from an investigation performed according to a structured diagnosis that was conducted to collect information related to the organizational situation of the enterprise. Findings – The main findings are as follows: a robust integrated management system (IMS), objectively more lean, structured and manageable was found to be feasible; this study provided an holistic view of the enterprise’s global management; clarifications of job descriptions and boundaries of action and responsibilities were achieved; greater efficiency in the use of resources was attained; more coordinated management of the three pillars of sustainability – environmental, economic and social, as well as risks, providing confidence and added value to the company and interested parties was achieved. Originality/value – This case study is pioneering in Portugal in respect to the implementation, at the level of an industrial organization, of the model previously developed for the integration of individualized MSs. The case study provides new insights regarding the implementation of IMSs including the rationalization of several resources and elimination of several types of organizational waste leveraging gains of efficiency. Due to its intrinsic characteristics, the model is able to support, progressively, new or revised MSSs according to the principles of annex SL (normative) – proposals for MSSs – of the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission, that the industrial organization can adopt beyond the current ones.

Improving income and livelihood of poor farming household in Bangladesh through adoption of improved aquaculture technologies and varieties

Fish are an important part of Bangladeshi culture and diet. Bangladesh ranks among the top five freshwater fish producers in the world. Fish are abundant in the thousands of rivers, ponds, lakes and seasonal floodplains across the country. They are a major source of protein for people living near these water bodies. In Bangladesh, many households depend on fish farming for their livelihood. By growing fish in homestead ponds, households have a consistent supply of nutritious fish and can sell the surplus for an income. The USAID-funded Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia in Bangladesh (CSISA-BD) aimed to increase the income of farming households through increased productivity of aquaculture systems. Key activities of the project included developing and disseminating appropriate improved agricultural technology and quality fish seeds to improve livelihoods, food security and nutrition.

Fundamental behaviour of Virtual-Build-to-Order systems

Virtual-Build-to-Order (VBTO) is an emerging order fulfilment system within the automotive sector that is intended to improve fulfilment performance by taking advantage of integrated information systems. The primary innovation in VBTO systems is the ability to make available all unsold products that are in the production pipeline to all customers. In a conventional system the pipeline is inaccessible and a customer can be fulfilled by a product from stock or having a product Built-to-Order (BTO), whereas in a VBTO system a customer can be fulfilled by a product from stock, by being allocated a product in the pipeline, or by a build-to-order product. Simulation is used to investigate and profile the fundamental behaviour of the basic VBTO system and to compare it to a Conventional system. A predictive relationship is identified, between the proportions of customers fulfilled through each mechanism and the ratio of product variety / pipeline length. The simulations reveal that a VBTO system exhibits inherent behaviour that alters the stock mix and levels, leading to stock levels being higher than in an equivalent conventional system at certain variety / pipeline ratios. The results have implications for the design and management of order fulfilment systems in sectors such as automotive where VBTO is a viable operational model.

Bioremediation of phosphates in seawater: approach for recirculating marine aquaculture effluents

Marine Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) produce great volume of wastewater, which may be reutilized/recirculated or reutilized after undergoing different treatment/remediation methods, or partly discharged into neighbour water-bodies (DWW). Phosphates, in particular, are usually accumulated at high concentrations in DWW, both because its monitoring is not compulsory for fish production since it is not a limiting parameter, and also because there is no specific treatment so far developed to remove them, especially in what concerns saltwater effluents. As such, this work addresses two main scientific questions. One of them regards the understanding of the actual (bio)remediation methods applied to effluents produced in marine RAS, by identifying their advantages, drawbacks and gaps concerning their exploitation in saltwater effluents. The second one is the development of a new, innovative and efficient method for the treatment of saltwater effluents that potentially fulfil the gaps identified in the conventional treatments. Thereby, the aims of this thesis are: (i) to revise the conventional treatments targeting major contaminants in marine RAS effluents, with a particular focus on the bioremediation approaches already conducted for phosphates; (ii) to characterize and evaluate the potential of oyster-shell waste collected in Ria de Aveiro as a bioremediation agent of phosphates spiked into artificial saltwater, over different influencing factors (e.g., oyster-shell pre-treatment through calcination, particle size, adsorbent concentration). Despite the use of oyster-shells for phosphorous (P) removal has already been applied in freshwater, its biosorptive potential for P in saltwater was never evaluated, as far as I am aware. The results herein generated showed that NOS is mainly composed by carbonates, which are almost completely converted into lime (CaO) after calcination (COS). Such pre-treatment allowed obtaining a more reactive material for P removal, since higher removal percentages and adsorption capacity was observed for COS. Smaller particle size fractions for both NOS and COS samples also increased P removal. Kinetic models showed that NOS adsorption followed, simultaneously, Elovich and Intraparticle Difusion kinetic models, suggesting that P removal is both a diffusional and chemically rate-controlled process. The percentage of P removal by COS was not controlled by Intraparticle Diffusion and the Elovich model was the kinetic model that best fitted phosphate removal. This work demonstrated that waste oyster-shells, either NOS or COS, could be used as an effective biosorbent for P removal from seawater. Thereby, this biomaterial can sustain a cost-effective and eco-friendly bioremediation strategy with potential application in marine RAS.

Routines in a European aquaculture company and the development of a Flavobacterium psychrophilum dose response pre-model in adult Rainbow Trout

An internship in a European company dealing with aquaculture and biotechnology - AquaBioTech Group, Malta - was undertaken to complete the Master Degree of Science in Aquaculture of the School of Tourism and Maritime Technology of the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria. Biotechnology and aquaculture are two areas that have been synergistically used to contribute for the progress and improvement of fish production. The AquaBioTech Group is an example of a company able to integrate these areas to maximizing their services. Located in Mosta (Malta) the company operates in a sustainable way using Recirculation Aquaculture Systems (RAS) to maintain aquaculture species. In collaboration with several companies and institutions, the AquaBioTech Group is involved and supports the development of important international research projects. The present report focuses on two important parts of the internship performed during 6 months. Initially, it will cover the operation and constitution of the company, describing the routines and techniques acquired. Then, it will describe a pathology trial that forms the practical and scientific component of this report. Despite the limitation to describe some confidential assays, this trial consisted in the infection of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with the bacterium Flavobacterium psychrophilum in order to evaluate the mortality rates over time. The internship served to solidify theoretical knowledge acquired during the academic training, develop professional skills and provide an understanding of jobs available on the market.

Feeding Dietary Mannan Oligosaccharides to Juvenile Nile Tilapis, Oreochromis niloticus, Has No Effect on Hematological Parameters and Showed Decreased Feed Consumption

Impaired immune system by environmental stressors can lead fishes to be more susceptible to diseases that limit the economic development of aquaculture systems. This study was set out to determine the effect of six levels of mannan oligosaccharides (MOS; ActiveMOS((R)); Biorigin, Lencois Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil) on the performance index and hematology of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus juveniles. Fish (13.62 g) were randomly distributed into 18 plastic aquaria (300 L; 20 fishes per aquarium) and fed during 45 d with a commercial diet supplemented with 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1% dietary MOS, in a totally randomized design trial (n = 3); biometrical and hematological data were collected and analyzed. There were no significant differences in hematological parameters between fish fed control and MOS supplementation diets, and daily feed consumption (FC) decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of dietary MOS. Dietary MOS did not increase leukocyte count and presented negative effects on FC of Nile tilapia. At 0.4% MOS supplementation, the individual weight gain was higher in absolute values but not different (P > 0.05) compared to control diet.

Assessing the ex ante economic impacts of transportation infrastructure policies in Brazil

This paper uses a fully operational inter-regional computable general equilibrium (CGE) model implemented for the Brazilian economy, based on previous work by Haddad and Hewings, in order to assess the likely economic effects of road transportation policy changes in Brazil. Among the features embedded in this framework, modelling of external scale economies and transportation costs provides an innovative way of dealing explicitly with theoretical issues related to integrated regional systems. The model is calibrated for 109 regions. The explicit modelling of transportation costs built into the inter-regional CGE model, based on origin-destination flows, which takes into account the spatial structure of the Brazilian economy, creates the capability of integrating the inter-regional CGE model with a geo-coded transportation network model enhancing the potential of the framework in understanding the role of infrastructure on regional development. The transportation model used is the so-called Highway Development and Management, developed by the World Bank, implemented using the software TransCAD. Further extensions of the current model specification for integrating other features of transport planning in a continental industrialising country like Brazil are discussed, with the goal of building a bridge between conventional transport planning practices and the innovative use of CGE models. In order to illustrate the analytical power of the integrated system, the authors present a set of simulations, which evaluate the ex ante economic impacts of physical/qualitative changes in the Brazilian road network (for example, a highway improvement), in accordance with recent policy developments in Brazil. Rather than providing a critical evaluation of this debate, they intend to emphasise the likely structural impacts of such policies. They expect that the results will reinforce the need to better specifying spatial interactions in inter-regional CGE models.

Tracing the fate of N-15-enriched feed in an intensive shrimp system

The fate of N-15-nitrogen-enriched formulated feed fed to shrimp was traced through the food web in shallow, outdoor tank systems (1000 1) stocked with shrimp. Triplicate tanks containing shrimp water with and without sediment were used to identify the role of the natural biota in the water column and sediment in processing dietary nitrogen (N). A preliminary experiment demonstrated that N-15-nitrogen-enriched feed products could be detected in the food web. Based on this, a 15-day experiment was conducted. The ammonium (NH4+) pool in the water column became rapidly enriched (within one day) with N-15-nitrogen after shrimp were fed N-15-enriched feed. By day 15, 6% of the added N-15-nitrogen was in this fraction in the 'sediment' tanks compared with 0.4% in the 'no sediment' tanks. The particulate fraction in the water column, principally autotrophic nanoflagellates, accounted for 4-5% of the N-15-nitrogen fed to shrimp after one day. This increased to 16% in the 'no sediment' treatment, and decreased to 2% in the 'sediment' treatment by day 15. It appears that dietary N was more accessible to the phytoplankton community in the absence of sediment. The difference is possibly because a proportion of the dietary N was buried in the sediment in the 'sediment' treatment, making it unavailable to the phytoplankton. Alternatively, the dietary N was retained in the NH4+ pool in the water column since phytoplankton growth, and hence, N utilization was lower in the 'sediment' treatment. The lower growth of phytoplankton in the 'sediment' treatment appeared to be related to higher turbidity, and hence, lower light availability for growth. The percentage N-15-nitrogen detected in the sediment was only 6% despite the high capacity for sedimentation of the large biomass of plankton detritus and shrimp waste. This suggests rapid remineralization of organic waste by the microbial community in the sediment resulting in diffusion of inorganic N sources into the water column. It is likely that most of the dietary N will ultimately be removed from the tank system by water discharges. Our study showed that N-15-nitrogen derived from aquaculture feed can be processed by the microbial community in outdoor aquaculture systems and provides a method for determining the effect of dietary N on ecosystems. However, a significant amount of the dietary N was not retained by the natural biota and is likely to be present in the soluble organic fraction. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Qualifound – a modular tool developed for quality improvement in foundries

Purpose – Castings defects are usually easy to characterize, but to eradicate them can be a difficult task. In many cases, defects are caused by the combined effect of different factors, whose identification is often difficult. Besides, the real non-quality costs are usually unknown, and even neglected. This paper aims to describe the development of a modular tool for quality improvement in foundries, and its main objective is to present the application potential and the foundry process areas that are covered and taken into account. Design/methodology/approach – The integrated model was conceived as an expert system, designated Qualifound, which performs both qualitative and quantitative analyses. For the qualitative analyses mode, the nomenclature and the description of defects are based on the classification suggested by the International Committee of the Foundry Technical Association. Thus, a database of defects was established, enabling one to associate the defects with the relevant process operations and the identification of their possible causes. The quantitative analysis mode deals with the number of produced and rejected castings and includes the calculation of the non-quality costs. Findings – The validation of Qualifound was carried out in a Portuguese foundry, whose quality system had been certified according to the ISO 9000 standards. Qualifound was used in every management area and it was concluded that the application had the required technological requisites to provide the necessary information for the foundry management to improve process quality. Originality/value – The paper presents a successful application of an informatics tool on quality improvement in foundries.

Structural, physical, and chemical modifications induced by microwave heating on native agar-like galactans

Native agars from Gracilaria vermiculophylla produced in sustainable aquaculture systems (IMTA) were extracted under conventional (TWE) and microwave (MAE) heating. The optimal extracts from both processes were compared in terms of their properties. The agars’ structure was further investigated through Fourier transform infrared and NMR spectroscopy. Both samples showed a regular structure with an identical backbone, β-D-galactose (G) and 3,6-anhydro-α-L-galactose (LA) units; a considerable degree of methylation was found at C6 of the G units and, to a lesser extent, at C2 of the LA residues. The methylation degree in the G units was lower for MAEopt agar; the sulfate content was also reduced. MAE led to higher agar recoveries with drastic extraction time and solvent volume reductions. Two times lower values of [η] and Mv obtained for the MAEopt sample indicate substantial depolymerization of the polysaccharide backbone; this was reflected in its gelling properties; yet it was clearly appropriate for commercial application in soft-texture food products.

Influência da implementação de um sistema de gestão nas concessões rodoviárias

Se a implementação de Sistemas de Gestão dentro dos padrões recomendados pelas normas individuais de referência, já é prática comum nas empresas nacionais, a implementação de Sistemas Integrados de Gestão (SIG), verdadeiramente contidos uns nos outros como um só, é ainda invulgar. Constitui actualmente emblema de modernidade, enquanto aplicado à construção. Estudar todos os meandros e práticas associadas aos SIG, neste pequeno‐grande mundo, que é o das obras concessionadas, é de facto um grande desafio, não tanto pela novidade do conceito que representa, mas pela possibilidade de idealizar uma proposta de uma sistemática exequível, que me proponho apresentar. Assim, este trabalho baseia‐se numa pesquisa de informação teórica, bem como na prática da implementação de um Sistema Integrado numa empresa de referência no sector – a Empresa de Construções Amândio Carvalho, S.A. e neste caso, concretamente na obra ‐ “VRI: Aeroporto/IP4 – Lote 3”. O objectivo geral baseia‐se em diagnosticar as principais dificuldades e limitações enfrentadas por um sector de actividade, na adopção de um modelo específico de gestão da qualidade, ambiente e segurança no trabalho, baseando‐se nas normas de referência, ISO 9001: 2000, ISO 14001:2004 e OHSAS 18001: 2001. Normas estas, que embora agora tenham sido revistas a primeira e a última, na altura em que a obra decorreu, encontravam‐se em vigor. No caso especifico de estudo, comprova‐se a necessidade de implementação de um Sistema único, que atinja o nível de comprometimento dos recursos financeiros e humanos necessários para a execução de obra, respeitando os princípios apresentados pelo cliente. Pretende‐se ainda demonstrar que a adopção de Sistemas “desintegrados”, poderá conduzir ao colapso da estrutura montada para corresponder aos requisitos propostos.

Sistema móvel de telemetria para automóveis

Este trabalho compreende uma análise crítica e reflexiva sobre o que atualmente existe no âmbito dos sistemas de navegação integrados (e.g. sistemas de posicionamento global com sistemas de navegação por inércia). O objetivo deste estudo vai também no sentido de desenvolver para um dispositivo móvel, um sistema de telemetria para automóveis baseado na plataforma Android fazendo uso de conceitos estudados e tecnologias existentes. Pretende-se demonstrar a potencialidade da integração de um sistema de posicionamento por satélite, com um sistema de navegação por inércia, em dispositivos cada vez mais acessíveis ao utilizador comum, tais como tablets, smartphones e outros equipamentos dotados de dispositivos MEMS (sistemas microelectromecânicos) de baixo custo usando a plataforma Android. Este trabalho pretende explorar a forma como podemos fundir os registos dos vários sensores, tais como o acelerómetro, magnetómetro e giroscópio, para determinar a orientação do dispositivo e assim integrar esta informação de maior frequência, com a informação disponibilizada pelo GNSS de menor frequência, tendo como objetivo final a determinação em tempo real do posicionamento do dispositivo, destacando as forças e fraquezas de cada um dos sistemas de navegação.

Estudo relativo à utilização dos Equipamentos de Medida e Precisão (EMP) nas ações de manutenção da frota F-16

Esta dissertação foi realizada, tendo como objecto de estudo a utilização de equipamentos de Medida e Precisão, em diversas áreas da manutenção da Base Aérea Nº 5. Como hipótese de trabalho, no âmbito da dissertação do Mestrado de Engenharia Instrumentação e Metrologia, foi proposta a elaboração de um estudo, tendo em vista, uma melhoria das capacidades da organização demonstrar certos requisitos no âmbito da gestão e controlo de equipamentos de Medida e Precisão. Assim, a metodologia utilizada para a realização desta dissertação, partiu da análise do estado da arte nas normas internacionais, da regulamentação emitida pela Força Aérea Portuguesa e no estudo das práticas em uso na manutenção da Base Aérea Nº 5, assim como, nos atuais meios de execução e controlo dessa gestão num sistema integrado de “gestão de conteúdos”. Foram realizados diversos trabalhos, tendo como objectivo uma melhoria no processo de gestão de Equipamentos de Medida e Precisão, com resultados imediatos, tais como um novo portal de metrologia, e-mail de informação sobre Equipamentos de Medida e Precisão e certificados digitais. Seguidamente, forma apresentados os resultados do estudo e demonstrada a necessidade de implementar um processo de recall, para as acções onde são usados Equipamentos de Medida e precisão. Na dissertação, são utilizadas terminologias aeronáuticas, por as mesmas serem comuns no seio da organização, assim como, consonantes com a prática usual na indústria de manutenção aeronáutica militar no mundo.

Implementação de um Sistema Integrado de Gestão da Qualidade e Segurança e Saúde do Trabalho

Dissertação de Mestrado em Gestão Integrada Qualidade, ambiente e Segurança