Mar e Mar : caso Porto Santo

Prova final de Licenciatura em Arquitectura

An Implementable and Stabilizing Model Predictive Control Strategy for Inverted Pendulum-Like Behaved Systems

In control theory, the inverted pendulum is a class of dynamic systems widely used as a benchmarking for evaluating several control strategies. Such a system is characterized by an underactuated behavior. It is also nonlinear and presents open-loop unstable and integrating modes. These dynamic features make the control more difficult, mainly when the controller synthesis seeks to include constraints and the guarantee of stability of the closed-loop system. This chapter presents a stabilizing model predictive control (MPC) strategy for inverted pendulum-like behaved systems. It has an offset-free control law based on an only optimization problem (one-layer control formulation), and the Lyapunov stability of the closed-loop system is achieved by adopting an infinite prediction horizon. The controller feasibility is also assured by imposing a suitable set of slacked terminal constraints associated with the unstable and integrating states of the system. The effectiveness of the implementable and stabilizing MPC controller is experimentally demonstrated in a commercial-didactic rotary inverted pendulum prototype, considering both cases of stabilization of the pendulum in the upright position and the output tracking of the rotary arm angle

Relato de um “Pibidiano” Pós-moderno

Anais do II Seminário Seminário Estadual PIBID do Paraná: tecendo saberes / organizado por Dulcyene Maria Ribeiro e Catarina Costa Fernandes — Foz do Iguaçu: Unioeste; Unila, 2014Esse trabalho é fruto das investigações realizadas por meio do Programa Institucional de Bolsa de Iniciação à Docência – PIBID. Propomos estudar brevemente a concepção de pós- modernidade por meio do relato de uma experiência desenvolvida em uma escola, para tanto, respaldadas principalmente nos estudos de HARVEY (1992); POURTOIS (1999); e LIMA (2010). A partir do princípio de que para se obter uma educação de qualidade e que objetive-se em desenvolver as capacidades do nosso aluno, requer que pensemos a educação de acordo com o período em que está inserida. Esse texto apresenta momentos de discussão para num movimento de influencias e relações, ideias e argumentos, respaldamos-nos sobre o conceito de pós-modernidade, expondo como objeto principal de estudo o relato de experiência vivenciad

A análise preditiva sob o aspecto da regulação

Esta investigação analisa o impacto das inovações disruptivas no tratamento de dados, e na extração de dados de alto valor para que as organizações possam melhorar o desempenho. As novas tecnologias da área de análise preditiva, que contém um conjunto de técnicas de captação, tratamento da informação e seu produto de valor, que auxilia na mitigação dos custos de comercialização e propicia atingir o público cliente certo. A análise preditiva, permitiu às empresas e organizações, criarem ou aperfeiçoarem seus produtos, para um público cada vez mais informado e em um mundo tão globalizado, o que torna a concorrência, não só inevitável, como uma variável comum. Através do tratamento de dados, as organizações conseguem distinguir o seu potencial cliente e perceber o que cada um quer, como e quando. Inovar e ser criativo, são características indispensáveis, e os dados é o novo “óleo” deste século, uma comparação a era exploratória do petróleo. O novo Regulamento Geral de Proteção de Dados (RGPD), que por um lado, protege os direitos dos cidadãos e garante o respeito individual, por outro, ameaça o pilar importante das organizações em utilizarem técnicas de tratamentos de dados. Este regulamento introduz recomendações, baseadas em princípios como consentimento, transparência, conceito de dados pessoais, “pseudoanonimato” (palavra criada no âmbito deste regulamento), direito a esquecimento e tem uma abrangência Europeia, mesmo aquelas empresas que não tenham atividade comercial na comunidade, mas que recolham dados na União Europeia. O blockchain, sendo uma de várias das tecnologias disruptivas na história recente (e base de algumas criptomoedas, como o Bitcoin) pode ser uma alternativa, e através do seu modo de funcionamento, atender as recomendações do RGPD, e permitir às organizações o tratamento de dados. No entanto é preciso adequar

Nuclear Plants and Emergency Virtual Simulations based on a Low-cost Engine Reuse

Our industrialised society comprises many industrial processes that are very important for everyone, in a wide range of fields. Activities related to these industrial processes, though, involve, in higher or lower degrees, some risk for personnel,  besides risk for the general public in some cases. Therefore, efficient training programs and simulations are highly required, to improve the processes involved, increasing safety for people. To cite an example, nuclear plants pose high safety requirements in operational and maintenance routines, to keep plants in safe operation conditions and reduce personnel exposure to radiation dose. Besides operational and maintenance in nuclear plants, there are also other situations where efficient training is required, as in evacuation planning from buildings in emergency situations. Also, rescue tasks play similar role. These apply specially for nuclear sites. Another situation that requires efficient training is security, what has special meaning for plants that involve dangerous materials, such as nuclear plants. Nuclear materials must be kept under high security level, to avoid any misuse

Two stochastic optimization algorithms applied to nuclear reactor core design

Two stochastic optimization algorithms conceptually similar to Simulated Annealing are presented and applied to a core design optimization problem previously solved with Genetic Algorithms. The two algorithms are the novel Particle Collision Algorithm (PCA), which is introduced in detail, and Dueck’s Great Deluge Algorithm (GDA). The optimization problem consists in adjusting several reactor cell parameters, such as dimensions, enrichment and materials, in order to minimize the average peak factor in a three-enrichment-zone reactor, considering restrictions on the average thermal flux, criticality and sub-moderation. Results show that the PCA and the GDA perform very well compared to the canonical Genetic Algorithm and its variants, and also to Simulated Annealing, hence demonstrating their potential for other optimization applications

Strain differences in baroceptor reflex in adult wistar kyoto rats

OBJECTIVES: A subset of normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats show lower baroreflex sensitivity; however, no previous study investigated whether there are differences in baroreflex sensitivity within this subset. Our study compared baroreflex sensitivity among conscious rats of this specific subtype. METHODS: Male Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats (16 weeks old) were studied. Cannulas were inserted into the abdominal aortic artery through the right femoral artery to measure mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). Baroreflex gain was calculated as the ratio between change in HR and MAP variation (&#916;HR/&#916;MAP) in response to a depressor dose of sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 50 µg/kg, i.v.) and a pressor dose of phenylephrine (PE, 8 µg/kg, i.v.). Rats were divided into four groups: 1) low bradycardic baroreflex (LB), baroreflex gain (BG) between -1 and -2 bpm/mmHg tested with PE; 2) high bradycardic baroreflex (HB), BG < -2 bpm/mmHg tested with PE; 3) low tachycardic baroreflex (LT), BG between -1 and -2 bpm/mmHg tested with SNP and; 4) high tachycardic baroreflex (HT), BG < -2 bpm/mmHg tested with SNP. Significant differences were considered for p < 0.05. RESULTS: Approximately 37% of the rats showed a reduced bradycardic peak, bradycardic reflex and decreased bradycardic gain of baroreflex while roughly 23% had a decreased basal HR, tachycardic peak, tachycardic reflex and reduced sympathetic baroreflex gain. No significant alterations were noted with regard to basal MAP. CONCLUSION: There is variability regarding baroreflex sensitivity among WKY rats from the same laboratory

Estaremos cegos pelo ciclo da inteligência tradicional? Uma releitura a partir das abordagens de monitoramento ambiental

Procura-se identificar a extensão da utilização de abordagens de monitoramento ambiental entre profissionais de inteligência competitiva (IC) e como tais abordagens afetam os ciclos de inteligência. Este estudo é de natureza quantitativa com dados obtidos por meio de questionários junto aos profissionais de IC, a maioria deles, associada à SCIP (Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals). Como resultado, verificou-se que diferentes abordagens de monitoramento demandam diferentes ciclos de inteligência, sendo o ciclo tradicional adequado apenas a uma das abordagens. Como conseqüência, propõem-se novos ciclos de inteligência para atender a todas as abordagens de monitoramento utilizadas pelas organizações. Palavras-chave Ciclo de inteligência. Monitoramento do ambiente competitivo. Processo decisório. Inteligência competitiva. Teoria da contingência. Are we blinded by the traditional Intelligence Cycle? A different view based on environmental scanning modes Abstract This study investigates in what extent the competitive intelligence (CI) community makes use of different environmental scanning modes. This study has a quantitative nature and was based on data collected via questionnaires sent to CI professional, being the large majority of them members of the SCIP (Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals). As an outcome of this study, we propose that different scanning mode calls for different intelligence cycles and that the traditional fits in only one of the scanning modes used by one organization. Consequently, new intelligence cycles are proposed so as to match all scanning modes used by the organizations. Keywords Intelligence cycle. Environmental scanning. Decision-making process. Competitive intelligence. Contingency theory

Overview of human damages caused by droughts and floods in Brazil and a proposal for regionalization of investments in risk management

Entre 1991 e 2012 foram registrados quase 39 mil desastres naturais no Brasil, afetando, aproximadamente, 127 milhões de pessoas e causando perdas de R$182,7 bilhões. Desses desastres, 84$ 182,7 billion. 84% of these disasters are associated with excess and lack of water. In addition to compiling an overview of the human damages caused by natural disasters in Brazil related to excess and lack of water, the present study proposes a regionalization based on the concept of susceptibility to drought and flood, in order to provide an indicative of prioritization of investment in Brazil in the area of risk management. The results of this study are based on the 2013/16 series, since the Brazilian Atlas of Natural Disasters provides data until 2012. Only drought affected 66.1 million people in the period 2013/16. Considering only droughts and floods, the most striking disasters in Brazil, four 'Brazils' coexist in the national territory, being predominantly 'Brazil immune to drought and flood' (46% of municipalities), followed by 'drough Brazil' (29% of the municipalities), 'flood Brazil' (13% of municipalities) and 'Brazil of simultaneous droughts and floods' (12%). In order to improve the National Civil Protection and Defense Policy, it is suggested that the regionalization defined in this study be used as a tool to prioritize investments

Mobile robotic system for mapping dose

The advancement of technology has allowed the development of ever more elaborate systems that, even, contributes to increase the life quality and safety at work. This becomes more crucial when dealing with an environment that may present some kind of danger and requires several care steps, such as the nuclear environment. In situations of radiation exposure, the use of robots has become a valuable tool. This research aims to discuss the deployment of a mobile-robotic system capable of detecting ionizing radiation and to send important information to an operator who thus can act outside a risk area. Through a predetermined path, the robot identifies the color that is marked on the floor of the environment, therefore, making a path that matters to the operator. Programming was done using the NXC (Not eXactly C) is a high-level programming language for the Lego Mindstorm NXT and the IDE The for NXC is the Bricx Command Center interface that provides a totally friendly and interactive interface with the Lego Mindstorm. The processing code is done completely on the robot CPU, and the information is sent (dose rate and position) to the controller positioned outside the environment via Bluetooth and through the radiation detector -PM1401K Multipurpose Radiation Monitor. Finally, information will be sent to a mobile phone, which the operator uses. This research will be tested as an aid to control and mapping the Argonauta Reactor, present at IEN / CNEN