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Este trabalho tem como objetivo estudar alguns aspectos relacionados à secagem de folhas de papel (celulose) sobre uma superfície aquecida e regime de convecção natural no interior de uma estufa. Foram analisadas três situações: - para a umidade inicial: amostras de 1 folha de papel, temperatura de secagem de 100ºC e umidade inicial de 130 a 180% (b.s.); - para a temperatura de secagem: amostras de 1 folha de papel, umidade inicial de 150% (b.s.) e temperatura de 50 a 110ºC;- para a espessura das amostras: temperatura de 100ºC; umidade inicial de 150% (b.s.) e amostras com de 1 a 5 folhas de papel. A influência destas variáveis no comportamento da secagem foi estudada a partir de uma proposta de curvas de secagem generalizadas, analisadas individualmente e para os três efeitos em conjunto, sendo proposto um modelo para ajustá-lasAspects in the drying of paper (cellulose) sheets over a heated surface under natural convection condition inside an oven are provided. Three different operational situations are carried out: (1) for initial paper moisture contents: sheets of only one hand sheet of paper, drying temperature of 100ºC and initial moisture content from 130 to 180% (dry basis - d.b.); (2) for drying temperature: sheets of only one hand sheet of paper, initial moisture content of about 150% (d.b.) and drying temperature from 50 to 110ºC; (3) for sheet thickness: drying temperature of 100ºC, initial moisture content of about 150% (d.b.) and multi-layer sheets of one to five hand sheets of paper. The influence of these variables in drying curves behavior is studied through the theory of generalized drying curves, analyzed individually for each effect and for all together. Finally, the possibility of fitting them is discussed

Considering the increased generation of solid waste and the difficulty of proper final disposal, it is of utmost importance to study the reuse of solid waste, seeking a beneficial alternative for the population and the environment. This study aimed to produce wood particle boards incorporated with different percentage of waste from the manufacture of labels and tags, commonly known as paper shavings, containing biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), aiming its reuse. Physical, chemical and mechanical tests were performed. The difference in density between the materials used to manufacture the boards influenced the production process as well as the amount of waste added. Values of moisture content and thickness swelling remained within the range set by the regulations. The results for water absorption analysis are in agreement with those in the literature on the incorporation of different types of waste in the boards. According to our findings, it was observed the importance of a homogeneous mixture of the materials, and pH control. The incorporation of waste containing BOPP into particle boards may be a promising disposal alternative for this waste, given the development of a by-product that encourages sustainable development.

This paper presents a study carried out in a Brazilian pellet industry in order to determine the main properties of sugarcane bagasse pellets. Materials and methods are in accordance with standards from the Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT), Agência de Proteção Ambiental (EPA) and European Pellets Standard. The pellet properties mean values found in this study are: diameter (9.70 mm), length (22.70 mm), bulk density (726.32 kgm-3), mechanical durability (98.2%), moisture (5.49%), heating value (16.0 MJ kg-1), ash content (8.70%), fixed carbon (14.03%), volatile matter (77.27%), nitrogen (0.28%), sulphur (0.02%) and chlorine (< 0.02 %). The results are compared with those obtained from the literature and discussed according to international standards for biomass pellets, wood pellets and solid biofuel. The comparative analysis showed that there are differences between the results found in our study in comparison with other studies and international standards. The paper also presents the production process energy consumption and cost analysis.

This paper presents the modified perturb and observe (P&O) maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method for photovoltaic (PV) fed three-port DC‐DC converter in PV/battery hybrid system. The proposed MPPT technique reduces the drift problem which occurs in the conventional MPPT methods by including the data of change in current (ΔI) in addition to the data used in the conventional P&O algorithm. The drift phenomenon and its effects are clearly demonstrated in this paper. The ability of the proposed P&O method to address this issue is proved by comparing the conventional P&O algorithm in different modes of operation. The performance assessment includes peak overshoot, settling time, MPP ratio and stability. The experimental validation was implemented using DSPIC30F4011 microcontroller. From the analysis and results, it could be seen that the modified P&O showed better performance in terms of accuracy in tracking the maximum power, less tracking time, high MPP ratio and reduced drift in the changing weather conditions.

The paper aims to propose a business model framework under a product-service approach in the aerospace industry based on the main elements identified in the literature. Through a Multi Criteria Decision Method - the AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) - a set of elements was prioritized by nine specialists from the industry for establishing a fractional ownership business model in the civilian market of a Brazilian helicopter manufacturer. The results indicate ten elements for composing the business model framework, in which value proposition, customers and culture are part of it. The practical implication of this study indicates an opportunity to boost the integration of product and service in the aerospace industry, specially using AHP for business model construction. For future researches, others companies can be considered in the study. In addition to manufacturers, service firms or operators of helicopters can compose the specialists group. Besides, another Multi Criteria Decision Method can be applied aiming to do a comparative analysis of the results among the methods. The paper fulfills a gap about how business model is structured in a product-service integration context, especially in an industry originally considered as manufacturer.

This paper discusses about the fixed frequency pulse mask control based high frequency AC conversion circuit for industrial induction heating applications. Conventionally, for induction heating load, the output power control is achieved using the pulse with modulation based converters. The conventional converters do not guarantee the zero voltage switching condition required for the minimization of the switching losses. In this paper, pulse mask control scheme for the power control of induction heating load is proposed. This power control strategy allows the inverter to operate closer to the resonant frequency, to obtain zero voltage switching condition. The proposed high frequency AC power conversion circuit has lesser total harmonic distortion in the supply side. Modeling of the IH load, design of conversion circuit and principle of the control scheme and its implementation using low cost PIC controller are briefly discussed. Simulation results obtained using the Matlab environment are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the pulse mask scheme. The obtained results indicate the reduction in losses, improvement in the output power and lesser harmonic distortion in the supply side by the proposed converter. The hardware results are in good agreement with the simulation results.

Relying on the Constructal Design method, this paper introduces new periodic models for the thermal potential of Earth-Air Heat Exchangers (Eahe). As a case study, it analyses the best spacing for three ducts arranged triangularly in order to maximize the heat transfer between soil and air. More specifically, the ratio between the horizontal and vertical spaces among the ducts is set free to vary up to limiting global constraints. This paper aims to better understand how the variations in affect the thermal performance of Eahe. As an additional contribution, some relationships between and the thermal potential of Eahe are mathematically and continuously stated. This allows establishing additional results for the efficiency and energetic performance of Eahe, as well as recommend arrangements in the shape of isosceles triangles with base and height unitary.

To ensure reliable operation of Power transformer, condition monitoring of transformer becomes obligatory. In this paper, condition assessment of transformer oil under various working conditions is performed using UV-visible spectrophotometer. Test samples include both laboratorial prepared ones and those obtained from in service transformers. An index table of spectral responses for various faults which predominantly occur in the transformer is developed. The index table will acts as a reference for spectral response of faulted transformer oil. In this paper, an attempt has been made to determine the quality of transformer oil using their spectral response characteristics.

This paper presents the computation of two limits for the nonlinear gain of the error-squared controller considering two procedures and performance analysis so that a closed-loop system with this control algorithm is asymptotically stable in the Lyapunov sense. The first limit for the nonlinear gain is obtained using Lyapunov stability theorem. The second limit for the nonlinear gain is obtained computing a limit for a linear gain and then the procedure is generalized to the nonlinear case. Simulation results were made comparing the tuning methods proposed in this paper, for the error-squared controller, with other tuning conventional methods found in the literature. It shown that the limit computed from second method is more conservative.

This paper analyzes the main economical and technical aspects of the Brazilian Transportation infrastructure, focusing on the roadway cargo transportation sector. It brings information, reflections and technical considerations concerning political, planning and strategic issues, addressing to the future of the sector and also the possibilities of growth. Summarizing, this paper presents, based on authors like Eric Hobsbawn and Amarthya Sen, a contemporaneous overview of the infrastructure of the Brazilian roadway cargo system, considering the impact of the globalization and government policies, resulting from forecasting growth of the logistics and transportation sector inBrazil.

Statistics is a key tool to validate the conclusions of scientific papers. However, errors in using this method, including the use of low power tests and inadequate analysis of the studies are still frequent. This research identified, through a census of 307 articles published between 2000 and 2010 in the Journal Archives of Veterinary Science, that 34% of the papers had made conclusions without statistical support, 34% were supported by statistical methods inadequate to the evaluated database, whereas only 32% have presented conclusions based on statistical methods consistent with the structure of the analyzed data. Furthermore, the percentage of inadequate conclusions may be even higher, of up to 47%, since some of the articles that had not used statistical analysis should have applied some method for the validation of their conclusions. The results presented herein warn against the misuse of statistical methods that compromise the quality and reliability of the conclusions presented in most papers.

This paper deals with an analytical model of a rigid rotor supported by hydrodynamic journal bearings where the plane separation technique together with the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is used to predict the location and magnitude of the correction masses for balancing the rotor bearing system. The rotating system is modeled by applying the rigid shaft Stodola-Green model, in which the shaft gyroscopic moments and rotatory inertia are accounted for, in conjunction with the hydrodynamic cylindrical journal bearing model based on the classical Reynolds equation. A linearized perturbation procedure is employed to render the lubrication equations from the Reynolds equation, which allows predicting the eight linear force coefficients associated with the bearing direct and cross-coupled stiffness and damping coefficients. The results show that the methodology presented is efficient for balancing rotor systems. This paper gives a step further in the monitoring process, since Artificial Neural Network is normally used to predict, not to correct the mass unbalance. The procedure presented can be used in turbo machinery industry to balance rotating machinery that require continuous inspections. Some simulated results will be used in order to clarify the methodology presented.

This paper deals with an analytical model of a rigid rotor supported by hydrodynamic journal bearings where the plane separation technique together with the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is used to predict the location and magnitude of the correction masses for balancing the rotor bearing system. The rotating system is modeled by applying the rigid shaft Stodola-Green model, in which the shaft gyroscopic moments and rotatory inertia are accountedfor, in conjunction with the hydrodynamic cylindrical journal bearing model based on theclassical Reynolds equation. A linearized perturbation procedure is employed to render the lubrication equations from the Reynolds equation, which allows predicting the eight linear forcecoefficients associated with the bearing direct and cross-coupled stiffness and damping coefficients. The results show that the methodology presented is efficient for balancing rotorsystems. This paper gives a step further in the monitoring process, since Artificial Neural Network is normally used to predict, not to correct the mass unbalance. The procedure presentedcan be used in turbo machinery industry to balance rotating machinery that require continuous inspections. Some simulated results will be used in order to clarify the methodology presented.Este trabalho foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de empregara técnica de balanceamento de separação de planos juntamente com Redes Neurais Artificiais (RNA) para a predição da localização e massas de correção para o balanceamento de um sistema rotor-mancal, para tal, foi empregado um modelo analítico consitituído por um rotor rígido apoiado em mancais hidrodinâmicos. O sistema rotativo foi modelado com base no modelo de eixo rígidos de Stodola-Green, no qual foram considerados o efeito girocópico e a inércia rotatória, além de um modelo de mancal hidrodinâmico cilíndrico baseado nas equações deReynolds que permitiu a determinação de oito coeficientes lineares de força associados com os coeficientes de rigidez e amortecimento diretos e cruzados do mancal. Os resultados mostraram que a metodologia apresentada foi eficiente para o balanceamento de rotores. Este trabalho fornece grande contribuição para o processo de monitoramento, uma vez que Redes Neurais Artificiais normalmente são empregadas para identificação, e não para a correção dodesbalanceamento. O procedimento apresentado pode ser empregado no balanceamento de turbomáquinas industriais, as quais necessitam de contínuas avaliações. Resultados simulados são apresentados com o objetivo de ilustrar metodologia de balanceamento proposta.

A hipótese de apoios totalmente rígidos (fundações engastadas ou rotuladas) para as condições de vinculação de edifícios em concreto armado vem sendo utilizada há muito tempo pelos engenheiros de estruturas. Tal fato se deve, principalmente, à grande dificuldade que se tinha no passado em analisar manualmente edifícios sobre apoios flexíveis. Porém, com a chegada dos microcomputadores e com o desenvolvimento de diversos programas computacionais, já se pode usufruir de análises mais realistas, que levam em consideração a deformabilidade do solo adjacente às fundações. No entanto, observa-seque os engenheiros estruturais continuam utilizando o mesmo modelo simplificado do passado, provavelmente pela falta de informações ou talvez pela falta de maior interação com os engenheiros de fundações. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar recomendações práticas para a aplicação da interação solo-estrutura.Adicionalmente, demonstra-se que a hipótese de apoios totalmente rígidos pode levar a importantes distorções nos esforços obtidos para os pilares de edifícios em concreto armado pelos exemplos práticos.The assumption of perfect supports (fixed or pinned foundations) for the boundary conditions of reinforced concrete buildings has been used for many years by structural engineers. This fact is mainly attributed to the great difficulties faced in the past, when designers needed to calculate buildings by using manual methods. Nowadays, realistic analysis that takes into account the deformability of the adjacent soil foundation is possible,based on the development of powerful computers and computational software packages. However, many structural engineers still use the same simplified boundary conditions widely used in the past. The main explanation for this problem may be the lack of information and models available in the literature, as well as the lack of interaction between structural engineers and foundation engineers. In this context, the present paper aims to present practical recommendations for applying the soil-structure interaction. Additionally, based on some practical examples, this paper shows that the rigid support hypothesis may lead reinforced concrete columns to significant force distortions.

O desenvolvimento de aplicações para múltiplos dispositivos leva emconsideração diferentes características e restrições de cada dispositivo. Linguagens de especificação de interfaces e modelos arquiteturais têm sido utilizados por projetistas de interfaces de usuário. Nesse contexto, este artigo apresenta a linguagem de especificação de interfaces de usuário UIML (UIML2 - User Interface Markup Language 2.0) e o modelo arquitetural MIM (Meta-Interface Model), que possuem papel importante na construção de interfaces de usuários para múltiplos dispositivos. Adicionalmente, discute-se odesenvolvimento de uma ferramenta de geração de software da interface de usuário a partir da especificação na linguagem UIML.Multi-device application development takes into account several characteristics and constraints of each device. Interface specification languages and architectural models have been used by user interface designers. Within this context, this paper presents the user interface specification language UIML (UIML2 - User Interface Markup Language 2.0) and the architectural model MIM (Meta-Interface Model) that have important role in user interface design for multiple devices. Furthermore, this paper discusses the development of a user interface software generation tool from UIML specification.

Embedded software development approaches used models of computationsuch as dataflow, discrete events, synchronous/reactive, among others. Due to the specialization of the existing models, each one can be better applied to a specific application domain. Nevertheless, when there is no solution for applications in a specific domain,heterogeneous models have been used. In this context, this paper discusses a heterogeneous model called Extended Dataflow. It is an extension of the dataflow model with support to event handling. This paper also addresses how software can be synthesized from extendeddataflow specifications and discusses the development of a code generation tool prototype. This takes into account the possibility of component reuse for developing digital signal processing applications. A case study of adaptative applications using digital filters is used to illustrate our approach.As abordagens de desenvolvimento de software embutido têm feito o uso de modelos de computação, tais como fluxo de dados, eventos discretos, síncrono/reativo, dentre outros. A especialização desses modelos faz com que sejam apropriados a um domínio específico de aplicações. Entretanto, quando não existe uma solução adequada paradeterminada aplicação, os modelos heterogêneos têm sido utilizados. Neste contexto, este artigo discute um modelo heterogêneo, chamado Extended Dataflow, que é uma extensão do modelo de fluxo de dados com suporte ao tratamento de eventos. O artigo mostra ainda como um software pode ser obtido a partir de especificações usando Extended Dataflow e discute o desenvolvimento de um protótipo de ferramenta de geração de código. Isso leva em consideração a possibilidade de reuso de componentes em aplicações de processamento digital de sinais. Um estudo de caso sobre aplicações adaptativas envolvendo filtros digitais é utilizado para ilustrar o trabalho.

Especificamente no setor público, a Internet tem procurado aproximar os cidadãos dos serviços públicos. Assim, há novas exigências para o setor público, como o fornecimento de serviços via Internet e a transparência das informações. Entretanto, não basta disponibilizar informações em um site de forma desorganizada e sem critérios. Paraatender à nova forma de apresentar serviços, faz-se necessário criar uma estrutura de informação que encampe os aspectos inerentes à estrutura municipal: atividades meio (administração, fazenda, jurídico) e atividades fim (esporte, cultura, educação, assistênciasocial etc.) bem como aspectos relacionados à cidadania. Dentro desse cenário, o presente artigo trata o desenvolvimento de sites municipais sob a ótica de critérios ergonômicos e cidadania. Realizou-se uma pesquisa em 24 sites municipais, e a partir da análise dos resultados procedeu-se à elaboração de critérios ergonômicos com a abordagem cidadania para o desenvolvimento de sites municipais. Além da análise desses sites, esta pesquisa apresenta tanto a estrutura de informação para sites municipais como recomendações para a elaboração de sites municipais que encampem as questões aqui tratadas e que são relevantes para o aproveitamento adequado das capacidades fornecidas pelo governo eletrônico.In the public sector, the Internet has been intended approach the people to the public services. So, new exigencies are presented to the public sector as: services by Internet and information transparence. Therefore, the information needs to be presented in sites with organization and criteria. To attending this new way to present services, it becomes necessary to create an information structure that involves the cities structure: administration; financial; law; sport; culture; education; social assistance and others as well aspects related to citizens. In this scenary, this paper approaches the development of cities sites with the combination between ergonomic criteria and citizens. So, this paper presentsrecommendations for the cities sites elaboration which utilize ergonomic criteria and citizens aspects that are important for e-government.

Aspects in the drying of paper (cellulose) sheets over a heated surface under natural convection condition inside an oven are provided. Three different operational situations are carried out: (1) for initial paper moisture contents: sheets of only one hand sheet of paper, drying temperature of 100ºC and initial moisture content from 130 to 180% (dry basis - d.b.); (2) for drying temperature: sheets of only one hand sheet of paper, initial moisture content of about 150% (d.b.) and drying temperature from 50 to 110ºC; (3) for sheet thickness: drying temperature of 100ºC, initial moisture content of about 150% (d.b.) and multi-layer sheets of one to five hand sheets of paper. The influence of these variables in drying curves behavior is studied through the theory of generalized drying curves, analyzed individually for each effect and for all together. Finally, the possibility of fitting them is discussed

The present paper seeks to enhance the potential damage detention and location of the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) in a thin laminated composite damaged by a signal derived from vibration modes. The DWT-1D is used to spatially identify (x-y plane) the damage location. The matrix damage level occurs during the impulsive load application over the analyzed structure. The finite element used is a Serendipity-type element with a rectangular shape, eight nodes and five mechanical degrees-of-freedom per node, and is formulated by First-order shear Deformation Theory (FSDT). The dynamic equation of motion including internal damage is solved by the Newmark implicit integration method, considering small deformations. The results have demonstrated that discrete mother wavelets applied in dynamic modal signal processing are capable of detecting a small damage magnitude in the matrix level. The wavelet coefficients reached great amplitudes in the damaged area.

Over the years, several studies that compare individual forecasts with the combination of forecasts were published. There is, however, no unanimity in the conclusions. Furthermore, methods of combination by regression are poorly explored. This paper presents a comparative study of three methods of combination and their individual forecasts. Based on simulated data, it is evaluated the accuracy of Artificial Neural Networks, ARIMA and exponential smoothing models; calculating the combined forecasts through simple average, minimum variance and regression methods. Four accuracy measurements, MAE, MAPE, RMSE and Theil’s U, were used for choosing the most accurate method. The main contribution is the accuracy of the combination by regression methods.

This paper presents the development of the Alvar Architecture, which aims to manage learning materials (images, videos, and others medias) shared by professors and the health care team from the emergency unit of a University Hospital. The main objective was to model a web-based architecture for knowledge sharing, which enables precise documents search in weak-connectivity conditions from mobile computing devices. To demonstrate and validate the architecture, a prototype was implemented, named Alvar System, using free and open source software. Early results suggest that the implemented prototype can be successfully applied in the emergency unit to promote knowledge sharing by expert professors and their students.

One of the most important concerns of hydraulics engineers is predicting erosion at the outer banks of rivers by studying the flow pattern along the bend. Not only are the streamlines in meanders non parallel curved lines, but they are also twisted. To study the streamlines flowing a sharp bend, a 180º sharp bend was constructed at Persian Gulf University in Iran. Three dimensional flow components at different locations of the bend were measured using Vectrino velocim. In this paper, streamlines were drawn and investigated in different longitudinal profiles, cross sections, and plans. The results indicated that the secondary flow strength and size of the vortex formed at the distance of the beginning to the bend apex would increase. The core of central vortex moved away from the inner bank towards central line of the channel by 22%, and to the water surface by 20%. On the contrary, the size of the secondary vortex increased by 15%. In addition, the average of the horizontal angle of the streamlines, vector and the locus of maximum velocity were determined at different levels in the present investigation.

This paper aims to present a study on the implantation of design methods in the Product Development Process (PDP) of companies, with the intention of generating a set of decision support principles and recommendations for deployment of these resources in the industry. This study was classified as applied research, as it aims to apply knowledge in industry’s product development. On the approach, it was classified as a qualitative research because it used interviews, document examinations and has a descriptive character. As for the goals, it was classified as exploratory and descriptive, having a practical application. The technical procedures used were literature review, field study and action research. The main result of this research is a group of systematic character propositions that are the foundation to guide the implementation of design methods in the industry, consisting of Selecting the Appropriate method to be implemented in accordance with PDP, Planning the Implantation of the method selected, Applying the Method and control and actions to improve the implementation. The research offers a synthesis of various experiences about the implantation of design methods in the industry, redeeming values of human wisdom that previously had not received great attention.

Automation has been growing in recent years for the manufacturing industries to increase productivity. Multiple robotic arms are used to handle materials for lifting in flexible directions. The vertical rotation of a 360 degree single arm is considered in this research on a position servo drive with brushless DC motor. The load torque of an arm varies depending upon the angular displacement due to gravity, so it requires four-quadrant operation of the drive with a robust feedback controller. This paper deals with the design and performance comparison of a conventional PID feedback controller with a fuzzy-based PID controller and suggests the most suitable controller. The design was implemented in real time through the dSPACE DS1104 controller environment to verify the dynamic behaviors of the arm.

The Mãe d’Água dam was built in 1962 to supply the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul’s water demanding. Thus, the paper aims to measure Nickel (Ni) and Zinc (Zn) concentrations in many depths of the dam’s bottom, sampling cores of sediments silted in it. The samplings were carried out in June, 2014, and it was sampled four sediment cores in pre-defined points of the dam. The methodology for extraction of sediment cores was ‘Piston Core’. Sediment particles smaller than 63 μm were separated and used for chemical analysis. EPA 3050 acid digestion methodology is used by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency and it was also used in this study. Analyses were carried out in duplicate and two USGS reference materials were used for quality control: SGR-1b and SCO-1. Zn and Ni concentrations were over than local background values and increasing concentrations of the deepest sendiments to the most recent layers as a result of urbanization activities. Geoaccumulation index was able to characterize decreasing of metal concentrations in depth.

The aim of the paper is to develop a theoretical construct about the mitigation of the bullwhip effect, considering trust and collaboration in managing the supply chain. The study presents a qualitative research based on the systematic literature review, which is tested through field research, involving companies in the medical and hospital area belonging to the same supply chain. The bullwhip effect has been observed throughout the industry for many years. Several academic studies have assigned to operating causes the reason for its occurrence. Few studies have focused behavioral causes. Through this study, it appears that affective trust (honesty, mutual understanding, credibility, respect and compliance) and trust in the competence (knowledge/technique, commitment in the relationship) are both necessary for keeping the relationship, but without affective trust, the relationship does not develop. Moreover, an organizational culture based on trust and collaboration exchange, and knowledge related to processes and technology among businesses, contributing to the joint planning and collaboration in the information sharing occurs. Thus, aspects of behavior toward partners of supply chain companies can mitigate the operational causes of the bullwhip effect by improving information and knowledge sharing, demand forecasting, replenishment policy, and reducing the risk coordination among the chain participants.

The most relevant challenges in the water supply system (WSS) are high water losses and the waste of electric energy. This paper aimed to assess the capacity of the Geographic Information System (GIS) in the analysis of the hydro-energy performance of WSSs. The Stage 1 comprises the selection of data and the respective hydro-energy indexes are defined; cartographic data are defined in Stage 2 and a geo-referenced database is constructed in Stage 3. In the stage 4, the data of the Central Water Supply Zone administered by the Water Works Company of the state of Pará in Belém, Brazil were employed to assess its applicability, in which the sectors with the worst hydro-energy performance were identified, such as Sector 9, with the highest water loss rates (59.11%) and electric energy consumption per m3 of water produced (1.57 kwh m-³). The results shows that geo-referential assessment of the hydro-energy performance of WSSs provided accurate information for decision-taking related to the rational use of water and electricity in the systems.

The modulus of elasticity of concrete is an important property because it is crucial for the control of deformation. The impossibility of obtaining concrete with higher elasticity modulus rates may cause economic liabilities due to the need for larger structural elements. Current paper evaluates three compressive strength classes (20, 30 and 40MPa) of concrete produced with two types of coarse aggregate, basalt and dolomite rock from the Triângulo Mineiro region, Brazil. Further, 459 cylindrical test specimens were cast for the experimental study. The experimental results of the elasticity modulus rates were compared and with formulations prescribed by four standards: ABNT NBR 6118, ACI 318, Eurocode 2 and FIB Model Code. Comparisons demonstrated that the effect of coarse aggregate on the elasticity modulus was negligible when compared to the concrete’s resistance class.

This paper presents a new class of probability distributions generated from the gamma distribution. For the new class proposed, we present several statistical properties, such as the risk function, expansions to density and cumulative function, moment generating function, characteristic function, the moments of order , central moments of order , the log likelihood and its partial derivatives and also Rényi entropy, kurtosis, skewness and variance. Some of these properties are indicated for a particular distribution within this new class that is used to illustrate the capability of the proposed new class through an application to a real data set. The data set presented in Choulakian and Stephens (2001) was used. Six models are compared and for the selection of these models was used the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and tests of Cramer-Von Mises and Anderson-Darling to assess the models fit. Lastly, the conclusions from the analysis and comparison of the results obtained are presented, as well as the directions for future researches.

Coagulation is one of the most important processes in a drinking-water treatment plant, and it is applied to destabilize impurities in water for the subsequent flocculation stage. Several techniques are currently used in the water industry to determine the best dosage of the coagulant, such as the jar-test method, zeta potential measurements, artificial intelligence methods, comprising neural networks, fuzzy and expert systems, and the combination of the above-mentioned techniques to help operators and engineers in the water treatment process. Current paper presents an artificial neural network approach to evaluate optimum coagulant dosage for various scenarios in raw water quality, using parameters such as raw water color, raw water turbidity, clarified and filtered water turbidity and a calculated Dose Rate to provide the best performance in the filtration process. Another feature in current approach is the use of a backpropagation neural network method to estimate the best coagulant dosage simultaneously at two points of the water treatment plant. Simulation results were compared to the current dosage rate and showed that the proposed system may reduce costs of raw material in water treatment plant.

In this paper, we study energy of involute curves for slant helix in the Lie group. With this new representation, we illistrate some figures of energy by elastica. Finally, we have an original and satisfactorily connection between energy of the curve on Lie groups.

Open innovation (OI) has taken its place as a mainstream innovation process. Although the growing interest in OI since then, there are still many unanswered questions. One of the most persistent for researchers alike relates to how OI can be measured: what framework could companies adopt to measure OI? What are the most important constructs to be considered in the definition of a framework for OI? We identify constructs to be considered in a framework for the maturity measurement in medium and large companies in Brazil, considering strategic, organizational and operational aspects. The purpose of this paper is to develop an OI measurement instrument that has sound psychometric properties and recognize a key feature on the field. The results suggest that the constructs have good empirical support. In the manner in which the instrument is presented, it is possible to separately measure construct related to each of the approaches.

The aim of this paper is to evaluate through bending tests the structural behavior of reinforced concrete beams additionally reinforced with bamboo splints coated with rubber latex. The bamboo splints are prepared from the stems of the Bambusa vulgaris species and are reinforced in the nodal regions. To examine the strength of adhesion between the bamboo splint and concrete, pull out tests are performed for the specimens. The results of the pullout tests of the test samples show the strengthening of the nodes leading to an increase in the normal tension and rupture of the splint instead of its slip. According to the results of the bending beams, the presence of bamboo splints increases their load capacity when compared with the reference beams. This fact indicates a reduction in the amount of steel required as the structural element. Strengthening the nodes of the bamboo splints provides better performance in terms of deflection and also leads to a slight increase in the beams load capacity. It is worth mentioning that the beams additionally reinforced with bamboo splints reinforced in the nodal region present the same cracking pattern as that of reference beams.

This paper presents the modeling of tool life and surface roughness for machining AISI 52100 steel with a hardness of 50 HRC through Design of Experiments and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with a view to enhance the quality and productivity. Knowing that the tool life and surface roughness are factors that influence the quality of the product, this study used the statistical tool of RSM in the search of factors that better determine optimal models. The models obtained prioritize the product quality and the cutting productivity. Results from Analysis of Variance demonstrated that the mathematical models elaborated allowed the prediction of surface roughness parameters’ values and tool life (T) with a precision of 95% confidence interval and a coefficient of determination above 94%. The wiper geometry of the tool led to the achievement of low average surface roughness (Ra) ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 µm with relatively high advances (0.2-0.4 mm rev-1) and maximum height of the profile surface roughness (Rt) in the range of 1.4 to 2.8 µm, without making use of the cutting fluid.

In this paper we analyzed the complexity of the time series of wind speed in Petrolina, Brazil at heights of 25 and 50 m. We applied the sample entropy (SampEn) method on wind speed temporal series for each month of 2010, in order to analyze the intra-annual variability of complexity for wind dynamics and its relation with the wind potential. The results showed that wind speed fluctuations are more regular when comparing consecutive data sequences over one hour periods. Although the average wind speed was higher at 50m, indicating higher wind potential, the values of SampEn were also higher between June and September indicating a greater complexity of wind dynamics and consequently lower efficiency in wind energy capture. In the months of February, October, and November, when the average wind speed exceeded the minimum value for generation of wind power (3.5 m s-1) at both heights, the average wind speed increased and the entropy decreased with height. This indicates a higher wind potential and more regularity of wind dynamics at a height of 50 m, both favorable for wind energy production. For the rest of the year the wind power generation was possible only at height of 50 m.

In this paper, we study the two-parameter exponentiated generalized standardized Gumbel distribution, which consists of a simple generalization of the Gumbel distribution. We investigate the power of fit of the proposed distribution to real data and study via Monte Carlo simulation the behavior of the MLEs for the model parameters. We provide a comprehensive mathematical treatment and prove that the formulas related to the new model are simple and manageable.

The objective of this paper was to develop fuzzy models for asphalt pavement performance. The fuzzy logic can convert linguistic or qualitative variables into quantitative values. This feature makes it possible to gather experts’ experience about the knowledge they have on factors that affect the pavement performance and its state condition. Forms developed in an organized way were applied for acquiring the knowledge from experts on pavement construction and maintenance. The variables pavement age, traffic, International Roughness Index (IRI) and Flexible Pavement Condition Index (FPCI) were associated with numerical scales and linguistic concepts such as new, old, light, heavy, good, fair, and poor. From the information obtained through the application of forms, variables were modeled with the aid of software InFuzzy and fuzzy models were developed for IRI and FPCI. For validating the model, a straight line adjustment was used to relate the predicted to the observed data. Also, the corresponding correlation coefficient (r) was calculated and residuals were analyzed. The developed models fitted to observed data and correlation coefficient r = 0.71 and 0.70, respectively.

This paper presents, as its main contribution, a Framework for Web Applications named Agile and Collaborative Model Driven Development (AC-MDD). It aims to increase productivity by generating source-codes from agile models. It tackles the waste reduction of resources on the modeling and documentation stages of web applications, involving collaborative work among stakeholders. To reach this goal, some visual constructs from a novel Unified Modeling Language (UML) profile named Web Agile Modeling Language (Web-AML) was conceptualized and implemented. To apply the proposed AC-MDD Framework using these new visual constructions, the WebAC-MDD Method was defined providing all steps to transform agile models into Web applications source-codes. A case study is performed in a real project developed at the Brazilian Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Sao Paulo codes to provide verification and validation on the WebAC-MDD Method and Web-AML Profile. Finally, a comparative analysis between the AC-MDD Framework and other agile model driven development processes is presented highlighting the main aspects of the proposed framework.

In this paper, homotopy analysis transform method and residual power series method for solving linear and nonlinear Schrödinger equations are introduced. Residual power series algorithm gets Maclaurin expansion of the numerical soliton solutions. The solutions of our equations are computed in the form of rapidly convergent series with easily calculable components by using mathematica software package. Reliability of methods are given graphical consequens and series solutions are made use of to illustrate the solution. The approximate solutions are compared with the known exact solutions.

This paper aimed to compare the performance of multivariate GR&R (gage repeatability and reproducibility) studies based on PCA (principal component analysis) and Manova (multivariate analysis of variance) methods. To estimate the multivariate gauge index, geometric and arithmetic means have been implemented with and without weighting strategies. Bootstrap confidence interval based on BCa (bias-corrected and accelerated) method has been adopted to determine multivariate gauge index adequacy. This confidence interval was calculated for the mean of univariate gauge indices estimated from each quality characteristic. The result analyses have shown that weighted approaches provided the best estimates of gauge index in multivariate GR&R studies.

Although an important significant sector in world economy, the textile industry is known for its large volumes of wastewater generated in production processes. In the search for cleaner technologies, the application of electrochemical processes, such as electro-flocculation, or natural coagulants, such as Moringa oleifera Lam extract, have become recurrent in literature. Since the required operating conditions for alternative technologies are such that they hamper effective application, current paper presents results obtained with the use of a hybrid system of treatment which combines electro-flocculation and the aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera lam to evaluate the removal of reactive blue 5G dye from aqueous solutions. Milder conditions of electric current intensity (0.10 – 1.50 A) and natural coagulant concentration (250-2000 mg L-1) were tested. Through a Central Composite Rotatable Design, it was possible to obtain a quadratic model which subsidized the optimization of operating conditions. Applying an electric current of 0.97 A to sacrificial electrodes of iron and a concentration of 2000 mg L-1 for the extract of Moringa oleifera Lam, an average 86.79% color removal was obtained, considered a satisfactory rate.

In this paper, the mechanical behavior of steel-fiber-reinforced concrete was investigated to analyze the influence of steel fibers on tension stiffening. Using tension tests, the tension stiffening coefficient was evaluated through the load versus strain responses obtained from strain gages fixed to reinforcement steels. Moreover, an empirical model is proposed to estimate the tension stiffening coefficient of steel-fiber-reinforced concrete from reinforcement strains. From the test results, it was verified that the addition of steel fibers to concrete reduced the reinforcement steel strains and the crack width and increased the stiffness of cracked concrete, mainly in concretes reinforced with highvolumesof fibers.

This paper has the objective to evaluate the use of different methods to obtain an initial solution for the branch and bound algorithm with the objective of minimizing the makespan in a flowshop with zero buffer environment. As the problem is known to be NP-Hard, the branch and bound algorithm may take long computational time to find the best solution. The use of an initial solution may reduce the computational time, by providing an initial upper bound. In this work, the efficiency of the use of an initial solution to the Branch and Bound algorithm was evaluated by comparison of the algorithms. The branch and bound algorithm used, as well as the lower bound, was proposed by Ronconi (2005). Four heuristic methods (MM, PF, wPF, and PW) were tested using a 180 problems data. Results show that the use of an initial solution does considerably reduce the computational time.

A scientific co-authorship network may be modeled by a graph G composed of k nodes and m edges. Researchers that make up this network may be interpreted as its nodes and the link between these agents (co-authored papers) as its edges. Current work evaluated and compared the reliability measure of networks with two emphases: 1) On nodes (perfectly reliable edges) and 2) On edges (perfectly reliable nodes). Specifically, the reliability of a fictitious co-authorship network at a given time t was analyzed taking into account, first, the reliability of nodes (researchers) equal and different, and, second, the reliability of edges (co-authorship relations), equal and different. Additionally, centrality measures of nodes were obtained to identify situations where the insertion of an edge significantly increased the reliability of the network. Results showed that the reliability of the co-authorship network focusing on edges is more sensitive to changes in individual reliabilities than the reliability of the network focusing on nodes. Additionally, the use of centrality measures was viable to identify possible insertions of edges or co-authorship relations to increase the reliability of the network in the two approaches.

The new product development (NPD) becomes more and more critical for the competitiveness, due to increasing internationalization of markets and diversification of products and decreasing life cycle of products. This paper addresses gaps in NPD literature, presenting a multiple case study involving small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), all of them are technology-based companies (TBC) manufacturers of electronics. A detailed investigation was conducted and three main sources of data were used for each case: documents from companies, in-depth interviews with NPD managers, and real-time observations. The different data sources enhanced reliability and validity to results. Our main finding is the identification of characteristics (e.g. Investment, establishing date, ISO 9001 certification) which influence these NPD in SMEs TBCs.

This paper presents the evaluation of two metaheuristics to solve the Unrelated Parallel Machine Scheduling Problem with Sequence Machine Dependent Setup Time. Considering such a problem, there is no relation between the time to process each task and the machine; and this is why the machines are referred to as unrelated. Furthermore, the setup time between the executions of two tasks depends on both, the task sequence and its associated machine. A metaheuristic genetic algorithm and a variable neighborhood search were used in order to solve the problem due to the difference among their characteristics. The maximal time for the schedule to be completed, also called makespan, was the performance measure used to evaluate the solutions. The results obtained by both metaheuristics were directly compared according to their performance to try to reduce this makespan. The results showed that the variable neighborhood algorithm search outperformed the genetic algorithm regarding the solutions quality and execution time.

A comparative investigation of enhanced heat transfer and friction factor by insertion of twisted tapes consisting of alternate axes and regularly spaced tapes in a round tube under wall heat flux condition is presented in this paper. This effort encompassed the flow velocity to be in range of 500 < Re < 1750. All verifications are assumed to be in laminar condition. The two scenarios are verified using numerical procedure, CFD tools, for two types of twisted tapes: short width twisted tape and center cleared twisted tape. The results show that in both types, using alternate axes improved thermal properties. Also the tube friction factor which represents the flow resistance grows with alternate axes twisted tapes. Investigation of regularly spaced twisted tapes also showed that putting the tapes in closer distance can improve flow disturbance. While rotating the middle part helped the flow disturbance, the amount of rotation is also important. Investigation of the free space between twisted tapes compound with the rotation effects showed that the twisted tapes set with smaller space ratios can give better thermal performance.

This paper presents an experimental study on wave reflection from submerged rectangular objects (shelves) in a 2-D laboratory flume. Preliminary tests using resistive wire probes and an acoustic Doppler anemometer were first conducted to confirm that a piston-type wavemaker was able to produce sinusoidal waves in the channel, without significant reflection from the boundaries. Then, measurements of water surface displacements using the two-fixed probe method and considering the presence of submerged rectangular obstacles provided reflection coefficients for different wave parameters and submergence conditions. Dimensional analysis was conducted and a dimensionless relationship was obtained to describe the reflection coefficient as a function of the wave slope and the water-to-shelf depth ratio. This relationship can be potentially used to predict ocean wave reflection from submerged obstacles for similar conditions as those evaluated in the present study.

Forest fragmentation may negatively impact fauna and flora. An important tool for the development and implementation of research on these effects is the use of a geographic information system (GIS). This paper aims to perform an integrated analysis of the landscape fragments that compose the Alonzo River watershed, Paraná State, by using remote sensing tools and landscape ecology metrics. The analyzed landscape metrics were Patton’s index, total area of the patches, edge length, edge density, forest fragment density, and the core area of the patches. The results showed 888 forest patches with area values ranging from 0.15 ha to 2509.82 ha, and it represents 12.5% of the total forest land cover of the studied basin; this means that 85.3% of the forest patches are less than 50 ha and that 75% of those fragments have a Patton’s index value of less than 3.9. The fragments that compose the studied area may be subject to edge effects and biodiversity loss as long as they present reduced areas and small core areas. Thus, the use of GIS and landscape ecology metrics is a quick and efficient way to evaluate the effect of fragmentation over large areas.

Process variables regularly control and evaluate industrial processes. Information with gross errors may in some cases not be attenuated by function reconciliation and change the calculation of process balance, leading optimization results towards non-feasible regions or to optimal sites. A promising alternative for reconciling functions is the use of robust functions. Current paper considers the above scenario and evaluates the fitness of some robust functions in solving in steady state chemical processes data reconciliation problems represented by linear and nonlinear systems in the presence of gross errors. Traditional Cauchy, Fair, Contaminated Normal and Logistic robust functions are used in the reconciliation problem where their estimates are compared to those obtained with the use of the latest features, such as New Target and Alarm. Rates for gross errors in tests were limited between 4 and 10σ of the measured current and elaborated a region of outliers. Results showed that New Target and Alarm functions are different from the others as the magnitude of the gross error increases, tending towards true rates specified by set point.