Towards sustainable transport: A comparison of demographic and behavioural characteristics of Finnish and international car sharing users

Strong evidence suggests that the climate is changing and that these changes are largely caused by human activities. A consensus exists among researchers that human activity is causing global warming and that actions to mitigate global warming need to be taken swiftly. The transportation sector, which relies heavily on fossil fuel burning and primarily oil, is one of the big contributors to air pollution problems at local, regional and global levels. It is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions and is estimated to be responsible for nearly a quarter of global energyrelated carbon dioxide emissions. Car sharing is a mobility solution encouraging its users to decrease private car usage in favour of communal transit and environmental goals. The idea of car sharing originates from the aspiration to decrease personal car ownership and to reduce vehicle distance travelled. This thesis seeks to complement the understanding of Finnish car sharing users and their usage through better categorization. Through better categorization and segmentation of Finnish car sharing users the thesis seeks to provide information for improved marketing insight. Research is done on the demographic and behavioural characteristics of Finnish car sharing users and they are compared with international findings about the characteristics of International car sharing users. The main research problem is Are Finnish car sharing users similar to international ones? A theoretical research framework on the determinants of individual car sharing usage is built based on international research about demographic and behaviouristic characteristics. After this a quantitative survey is performed to the customers of a Finnish car sharing organization. The data analysed in the thesis consist out of 532 answers received from the car sharing organizations customers. The data is analysed with descriptive and other exploratory methods, which create an understanding of Finnish car sharing users. At the end of the analysis the demographic and behavioural characteristics of Finnish car sharing users are compared with international ones. The research findings of the thesis indicate that the demographic and behavioural characteristics of Finnish car sharing usage largely follow those of their international counterparts. Thanks to the thesis results the car sharing organization is able to better target their customers through improved marketing insight.

Efectos espaciales en la formación de precios de oferta en mercados spot de generación eléctrica

El mecanismo de fijación del precio de oferta en el mercado eléctrico colombiano exhibe comportamientos estratégicos inherente a la estructura oligopólica de este mercado, no solo por su alto porcentaje hidrológico, aproximadamente 80%, sino también debido a la localización geográfica de las plantas de generación eléctrica cercanas a la Región Andina. En esta investigación se diseña una matriz de pesos espaciales, que recoge características de la localización geográfica de las plantas de generación eléctrica, la cual se incorpora en un panel espacial de tipo Durbin para identificar dichos comportamientos de la geografía económica, además de las variables fundamentales que explican la formación del precio en este mercado.

A implantação de hidrelétricas na Amazônia brasileira, impactos socioambientais e à saúde com as transformações no território : o caso da UHE de Belo Monte

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Humanas, Departamento de Geografia, Pós-Graduação em Geografia, 2016.

Análise hidromecânica do problema de fraturamento hidráulico

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Civil e Ambiental, 2016.

PCRELAP5 - Programa de cálculo para os dados de entrada do código RELAP5

Dissertação (Mestrado em Tecnologia Nuclear)

OBSERVATIONS AND EMISSIONS OF ENERGY-ASSOCIATED OZONE PRECURSORS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC UNITED STATES

Surface ozone is formed in the presence of NOx (NO + NO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and is hazardous to human health. A better understanding of these precursors is needed for developing effective policies to improve air quality. To evaluate the year-to-year changes in source contributions to total VOCs, Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) was used to perform source apportionment using available hourly observations from June through August at a Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Station (PAMS) in Essex, MD for each year from 2007-2015. Results suggest that while gasoline and vehicle exhaust emissions have fallen, the contribution of natural gas sources to total VOCs has risen. To investigate this increasing natural gas influence, ethane measurements from PAMS sites in Essex, MD and Washington, D.C. were examined. Following a period of decline, daytime ethane concentrations have increased significantly after 2009. This trend appears to be linked with the rapid shale gas production in upwind, neighboring states, especially Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Back-trajectory analyses similarly show that ethane concentrations at these monitors were significantly greater if air parcels had passed through counties containing a high density of unconventional natural gas wells. In addition to VOC emissions, the compressors and engines involved with hydraulic fracturing operations also emit NOx and particulate matter (PM). The Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) Model was used to simulate air quality for the Eastern U.S. in 2020, including emissions from shale gas operations in the Appalachian Basin. Predicted concentrations of ozone and PM show the largest decreases when these natural gas resources are hypothetically used to convert coal-fired power plants, despite the increased emissions from hydraulic fracturing operations expanded into all possible shale regions in the Appalachian Basin. While not as clean as burning natural gas, emissions of NOx from coal-fired power plants can be reduced by utilizing post-combustion controls. However, even though capital investment has already been made, these controls are not always operated at optimal rates. CMAQ simulations for the Eastern U.S. in 2018 show ozone concentrations decrease by ~5 ppb when controls on coal-fired power plants limit NOx emissions to historically best rates.

MULTI-UNIT ACCIDENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION QUANTITATIVE HEALTH OBJECTIVES: A SAFETY GOAL POLICY ANALYSIS USING MODELS FROM STATE-OF-THE-ART REACTOR CONSEQUENCE ANALYSES

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission implemented a safety goal policy in response to the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. This policy addresses the question “How safe is safe enough?” by specifying quantitative health objectives (QHOs) for comparison with results from nuclear power plant (NPP) probabilistic risk analyses (PRAs) to determine whether proposed regulatory actions are justified based on potential safety benefit. Lessons learned from recent operating experience—including the 2011 Fukushima accident—indicate that accidents involving multiple units at a shared site can occur with non-negligible frequency. Yet risk contributions from such scenarios are excluded by policy from safety goal evaluations—even for the nearly 60% of U.S. NPP sites that include multiple units. This research develops and applies methods for estimating risk metrics for comparison with safety goal QHOs using models from state-of-the-art consequence analyses to evaluate the effect of including multi-unit accident risk contributions in safety goal evaluations.

Análise da descarga sólida em suspensão na Bacia do Riacho Fundo, Brasília - DF

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Geociências, 2015.

Avaliação do potencial energético de cana (Arundo donax L.) no Algarve

Dissertação de Mestrado, Energias Renováveis e Gestão de Energia, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2016

Comando e Controlo na Artilharia Antiaérea

O presente trabalho, subordinado à temática “Comando e Controlo na Artilharia Antiaérea”, pretende problematizar algumas das questões mais recentes relativas a matérias de segurança e defesa, fruto dos mais recentes acontecimentos. Por exemplo, refira-se o abate do voo comercial na Ucrânia, entre outros inúmeros casos que se constituem como fatores que levam a questionar a capacidade de defesa dos Estados face ao fácil acesso e baixo custo destes meios, à mercê de pessoas/organizações criminosas e terroristas. Assim, é premente a necessidade de aquisição, por parte dos Estados, nomeadamente de Portugal, de uma Artilharia mais robusta e com um sistema de Comando e Controlo automático capaz de combater as potenciais e prováveis ameaças aéreas. Esta investigação pretende, então, analisar o atual sistema de Comando e Controlo da Artilharia Antiaérea nacional, por forma a identificar as suas capacidades e, em paralelo, as suas vulnerabilidades. Concomitantemente pretende-se analisar o sistema perante as ameaças aéreas e as operações que deverá executar no âmbito dos compromissos internacionais, com o objetivo fulcral de identificar prováveis potencialidades que deverão integrar o referido sistema. Pretende-se, deste modo, propor uma revisão do atual sistema no sentido de colmatar as suas prováveis lacunas e capacitando-o para uma resposta eficaz e efetiva perante eventuais ameaças, na esteira dos compromissos internacionais. No início apresentamos uma ‘revisão de literatura’ para que o leitor se familiarize com os conceitos e nomenclatura em uso nesta reflexão. Subsequentemente, expõe-se a metodologia empregue e são abordados os sistemas de Defesa Aérea e de Artilharia Antiaérea e, posteriormente, o Comando e Controlo. De seguida, apresenta-se uma análise possível dos dados provenientes das entrevistas executadas. Baseando-nos na investigação realizada, conclui-se que a Artilharia Antiaérea corre o risco sério de não dispor de capacidade de defesa, a baixa e muito baixa altitude, se não forem adquiridos rapidamente os materiais imprescindíveis para que os sistemas possam cabalmente atuar.

Post-growth policy instruments

This paper proposes a framework to evaluate post-growth policy instruments which gauges their capacity to lessen the pressure for growth emanating from the labour market and the state’s contradictory legitimisation and accumulation imperatives, whilst increasing societal well-being and reducing the biophysical throughput of the economy. It is argued that the most effective policies to do this are measures to reduce average working hours, expand low productivity sectors and reduce inequality. Specific policies instruments include public sector expansion and the promotion of cooperatives, the introduction of citizens’ basic income schemes, environmental tax reform, the abolition of fossil fuel subsidies, reforms to monetary policy, financial regulatory reform and the introduction of alternative measures of progress to gross domestic product.

ELECTROCATALYTIC PROCESSING OF RENEWABLE BIOMASS-DERIVED COMPOUNDS FOR PRODUCTION OF CHEMICALS, FUELS AND ELECTRICITY

The dual problems of sustaining the fast growth of human society and preserving the environment for future generations urge us to shift our focus from exploiting fossil oils to researching and developing more affordable, reliable and clean energy sources. Human beings had a long history that depended on meeting our energy demands with plant biomass, and the modern biorefinery technologies realize the effective conversion of biomass to production of transportation fuels, bulk and fine chemicals so to alleviate our reliance on fossil fuel resources of declining supply. With the aim of replacing as much non-renewable carbon from fossil oils with renewable carbon from biomass as possible, innovative R&D activities must strive to enhance the current biorefinery process and secure our energy future. Much of my Ph.D. research effort is centered on the study of electrocatalytic conversion of biomass-derived compounds to produce value-added chemicals, biofuels and electrical energy on model electrocatalysts in AEM/PEM-based continuous flow electrolysis cell and fuel cell reactors. High electricity generation performance was obtained when glycerol or crude glycerol was employed as fuels in AEMFCs. The study on selective electrocatalytic oxidation of glycerol shows an electrode potential-regulated product distribution where tartronate and mesoxalate can be selectively produced with electrode potential switch. This finding then led to the development of AEMFCs with selective production of valuable tartronate or mesoxalate with high selectivity and yield and cogeneration of electricity. Reaction mechanisms of electrocatalytic oxidation of ethylene glycol and 1,2-propanediol were further elucidated by means of an on-line sample collection technique and DFT modeling. Besides electro-oxidation of biorenewable alcohols to chemicals and electricity, electrocatalytic reduction of keto acids (e.g. levulinic acid) was also studied for upgrading biomass-based feedstock to biofuels while achieving renewable electricity storage. Meanwhile, ORR that is often coupled in AEMFCs on the cathode was investigated on non-PGM electrocatalyst with comparable activity to commercial Pt/C. The electro-biorefinery process could be coupled with traditional biorefinery operation and will play a significant role in our energy and chemical landscape.