Intelligent supervisory control system for home devices using a cyber physical approach

Although we have many electric devices at home, there are just few systems to evaluate, monitor and control them. Sometimes users go out and leave their electric devices turned on what can cause energy wasting and dangerous situations. Therefore most of the users may want to know the using states of their electrical appliances through their mobile devices in a pervasive way. In this paper, we propose an Intelligent Supervisory Control System to evaluate, monitor and control the use of electric devices in home, from outside. Because of the transferring data to evaluate, monitor and control user's location and state of home (ex. nobody at home) may be opened to attacks leading to dangerous situations. In our model we include a location privacy module and encryption module to provide security to user location and data. Intelligent Supervising Control System gives to the user the ability to manage electricity loads by means of a multi-agent system involving evaluation, monitoring, control and energy resource agents.

Transient analysis of variable-speed wind turbines at wind speed disturbances and a pitch control malfunction

As wind power generation undergoes rapid growth, new technical challenges emerge: dynamic stability and power quality. The influence of wind speed disturbances and a pitch control malfunction on the quality of the energy injected into the electric grid is studied for variable-speed wind turbines with different power-electronic converter topologies. Additionally, a new control strategy is proposed for the variable-speed operation of wind turbines with permanent magnet synchronous generators. The performance of disturbance attenuation and system robustness is ascertained. Simulation results are presented and conclusions are duly drawn. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wind turbines equipped with fractional-order controllers: Stress on the mechanical drive train due to a converter control malfunction

This paper is on variable-speed wind turbines with permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG). Three different drive train mass models and three different topologies for the power-electronic converters are considered. The three different topologies considered are respectively a matrix, a two-level and a multilevel converter. A novel control strategy, based on fractional-order controllers, is proposed for the wind turbines. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the behaviour of the wind turbines during a converter control malfunction, considering the fractional-order controllers. Finally, conclusions are duly drawn. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

De intruso a tutor: impactos da formação em contexto PNEP

Este trabalho decorre de uma experiência de formação contínua de âmbito nacional, durante um ano letivo, relacionada com o ensino do português no 1º Ciclo no contexto do Programa Nacional de Ensino do Português (PNEP). Para se compreender o impacto da formação e do seu modelo, analisaram-se as produções escritas (do género narrativo e epistolar) dos alunos do 1º ao 4º ano de escolaridade, os resultados das Provas de Aferição de Língua Portuguesa do 4º ano, os inquéritos de avaliação dos formandos à própria formação, da competência da Comissão Nacional de Acompanhamento (CNA) e, ainda, as reflexões dos portefólios produzidos pelos formandos ao longo da formação. Em génese, pretende-se aferir de que modo esta formação interferiu nas aprendizagens e no desenvolvimento de competências dos alunos no domínio da língua materna, nomeadamente ao nível da escrita. Nessa perspetiva, são comparados dois grupos de alunos do mesmo agrupamento, do distrito de Lisboa, sendo o grupo experimental constituído pelos alunos cujos professores frequentaram a ação de formação PNEP e o grupo de controlo formado por alunos cujos professores nunca frequentaram a referida ação. Todavia, podendo o PNEP ser considerado como uma formação inovadora, porque se desenvolve em contexto, procura-se também saber como se sentiram os professores ao longo desta formação, bem como que repercussões e mais-valias obtiveram para as suas práticas pedagógicas e para a resolução real dos problemas vividos na sala de aula. Por fim, cruzando todos os dados de que se dispõe, aspira-se compreender o papel e o contributo da figura do formador no contexto PNEP, o que poderá conduzir a uma nova abordagem de formação, mais consentânea com o conceito de “mentoria”, e seus processos, do que com os pressupostos iniciais assentes numa lógica de “tutoria”. - This study originates from a one year education experience, nation wide, in the wake of the PNEP (Programa Nacional de Ensino do Português, in its maiden form) program. The aim is to understand how the model herein impacts first to fourth year primary school children’s learning and writing skills, how it influences the fourth year’s final exam results, and how it is reflected on practitioners’ (teachers undergoing the PNEP) performance evaluation inquires, and on concept development within their portfolios. In genesis, we seek to analyse whether the PNEP changed the way children attending primary school learn and master Portuguese, particularly its written expression. To do so, the study focus on two different publics, whereby an experimental group was build around a set of classes whose teachers had completed the PNEP education and training program, and a control group, set around a similar sample, but where teachers had no PNEP education or training at all. In addition, because PNEP might be considered as an advanced education model, we also wanted to disclosure how it adds to schoolteachers’ education techniques, and how it would help them solve daily ordinary problems within the classroom. Last but not the least, the study reveals that PNEP can change Portuguese standard education perspectives, changing classic tutorial methodologies towards a, more responsive, mentoring approach.

Adaptable control for electrical generation at irregural wind speeds

The main aims of this work are the development and the validation of one generic algorithm to provide the optimal control of small power wind generators. That means up to 40 kW and blades with fixed pitch angle. This algorithm allows the development of controllers to fetch the wind generators at the desired operational point in variable operating conditions. The problems posed by the variable wind intensity are solved using the proposed algorithm. This is done with no explicit measure of the wind velocity, and so no special equipment or anemometer is required to compute or measure the wind velocity.

Genetic algorithm methodology applied to intelligent house control

In recent years the use of several new resources in power systems, such as distributed generation, demand response and more recently electric vehicles, has significantly increased. Power systems aim at lowering operational costs, requiring an adequate energy resources management. In this context, load consumption management plays an important role, being necessary to use optimization strategies to adjust the consumption to the supply profile. These optimization strategies can be integrated in demand response programs. The control of the energy consumption of an intelligent house has the objective of optimizing the load consumption. This paper presents a genetic algorithm approach to manage the consumption of a residential house making use of a SCADA system developed by the authors. Consumption management is done reducing or curtailing loads to keep the power consumption in, or below, a specified energy consumption limit. This limit is determined according to the consumer strategy and taking into account the renewable based micro generation, energy price, supplier solicitations, and consumers’ preferences. The proposed approach is compared with a mixed integer non-linear approach.

Estudo da percepção dos problemas de usabilidade de um software relacionados com o desempenho dos processos cognitivos

Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Audiovisual e Multimédia.

Intelligent behavior in a Cyber-Ambient training system for control center operators

This paper deals with the application of an intelligent tutoring approach to delivery training in diagnosis procedures of a Power System. In particular, the mechanisms implemented by the training tool to support the trainees are detailed. This tool is part of an architecture conceived to integrate Power Systems tools in a Power System Control Centre, based on an Ambient Intelligent paradigm. The present work is integrated in the CITOPSY project which main goal is to achieve a better integration between operators and control room applications, considering the needs of people, customizing requirements and forecasting behaviors.

Using an ambient intelligent architecture for developing an intelligent tutoring system for training operators of power system control centres

This paper describes an architecture conceived to integrate Power Sys-tems tools in a Power System Control Centre, based on an Ambient Intelligent (AmI) paradigm. This architecture is an instantiation of the generic architecture proposed in [1] for developing systems that interact with AmI environments. This architecture has been proposed as a consequence of a methodology for the inclu-sion of Artificial Intelligence in AmI environments (ISyRAmI - Intelligent Sys-tems Research for Ambient Intelligence). The architecture presented in the paper will be able to integrate two applications in the control room of a power system transmission network. The first is SPARSE expert system, used to get diagnosis of incidents and to support power restoration. The second application is an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) incorporating two training tools. The first tutoring tool is used to train operators to get the diagnosis of incidents. The second one is another tutoring tool used to train operators to perform restoration procedures.

Processos de construção na reabilitação estrutural de edifícios antigos

O presente relatório de estágio surge no âmbito do trabalho final de mestrado, tendo sido desenvolvido na empresa Gonçalves Pereira, Engenheiros, Lda. Durante o período de estágio foi possível ao estagiário participar de forma ativa na elaboração de projetos de especialidades bem como de arquitetura, sendo realizada uma adaptação no presente TFM dos projetos praticados. Esta adaptação consiste no desenvolvimento de soluções construtivas por forma a dar resposta às necessidades impostas pelas intervenções levadas a cabo em quatro edifícios em Lisboa. Algumas das soluções aqui apresentadas foram devidamente comprovadas, tendo sido acompanhadas e garantida a sua funcionalidade em obra. Numa primeira fase deste trabalho realizar-se-á uma caracterização do tipo de edifícios em estudo - edifícios antigos, estando os mesmos compreendidos cronologicamente entre os edifícios anteriores ao terramoto de 1755 e os edifícios do início do séc. XX. Posteriormente caracterizar-se-ão quais os procedimentos a ter no caso da reabilitação deste tipo de edifícios. Por fim apresentar-se-ão os processos construtivos desenvolvidos no âmbito do estágio. Com este trabalho pretendesse não só a integração no mercado de trabalho do estagiário e a aplicação das competências adquiridas academicamente mas também trazer à comunidade científica propostas de novas soluções construtivas possíveis de serem utilizadas no mesmo tipo edifícios intervencionados.

Control of Aedes aegypti with temephos in a Buenos Aires cemetery, Argentina

The efficacy of a larvicide, temephos, for controlling Ae. aegypti was evaluated in a cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Breeding sites decreased from 18.4% in the first study period (Nov 1998 to May 1999, without temephos) to 2.2% in the second period (Nov 1999 to May 2000, two applications), and to 0.05% in the third one (Nov 2000 to May 2001, five applications). Ovitraps with eggs decreased from 17% in the first period to 5.8% in the second period, and to 2.9% in the third one. Results suggest that, in Buenos Aires, Ae. aegypti populations are highly susceptible to temephos. It is recommended to limit the use of temephos to prevent potential epidemics rather than for routine control.

Training control centers' operators in incident diagnosis and power restoration using intelligent tutoring systems

The activity of Control Center operators is important to guarantee the effective performance of Power Systems. Operators’ actions are crucial to deal with incidents, especially severe faults like blackouts. In this paper, we present an Intelligent Tutoring approach for training Portuguese Control Center operators in tasks like incident analysis and diagnosis, and service restoration of Power Systems. Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) approach is used in the training of the operators, having into account context awareness and the unobtrusive integration in the working environment. Several Artificial Intelligence techniques were criteriously used and combined together to obtain an effective Intelligent Tutoring environment, namely Multiagent Systems, Neural Networks, Constraint-based Modeling, Intelligent Planning, Knowledge Representation, Expert Systems, User Modeling, and Intelligent User Interfaces.

Cyber-ambient intelligent training of operators in power systems control centres

Cyber-Physical Systems and Ambient Intelligence are two of the most important and emerging paradigms of our days. The introduction of renewable sources gave origin to a completely different dimension of the distribution generation problem. On the other hand, Electricity Markets introduced a different dimension in the complexity, the economic dimension. Our goal is to study how to proceed with the Intelligent Training of Operators in Power Systems Control Centres, considering the new reality of Renewable Sources, Distributed Generation, and Electricity Markets, under the emerging paradigms of Cyber-Physical Systems and Ambient Intelligence. We propose Intelligent Tutoring Systems as the approach to deal with the intelligent training of operators in these new circumstances.

An intelligent tutoring system for operators’ training in power system control centres

The activity of Control Center operators is important to guarantee the effective performance of Power Systems. Operators’ actions are crucial to deal with incidents, especially severe faults, like blackouts. In this paper we present an Intelligent Tutoring approach for training Portuguese Control Centre operators in tasks like incident analysis and diagnosis, and service restoration of Power Systems. Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) approach is used in the training of the operators, taking into account context awareness and the unobtrusive integration in the working environment.

Optimal intelligent supervisory control system in cyber-physical intelligence

This paper studies Optimal Intelligent Supervisory Control System (OISCS) model for the design of control systems which can work in the presence of cyber-physical elements with privacy protection. The development of such architecture has the possibility of providing new ways of integrated control into systems where large amounts of fast computation are not easily available, either due to limitations on power, physical size or choice of computing elements.