Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão
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Browsing Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão by Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) "07:Energias Renováveis e Acessíveis"
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- Analysis of DC-DC converters for integrated photovoltaic solar-powered electric bus charging systemsPublication . Forigo, Paula Wassao; Soares, Orlando; Tiepolo, GersonThis dissertation aims to conduct a theoretical study and corresponding validation of the feasibility of using integrated photovoltaic systems for charging electric vehicles, specifically focusing on an electric bus as the model of study. The work begins with a theoretical analysis of photovoltaic systems, selecting the most suitable solar cells for application in an electric vehicle, considering performance, technical, and physical characteristics. This study includes the development of a mathematical model of the photovoltaic cells and their numerical simulation. Next, the design of an energy conversion system is addressed, using DC-DC converters. Different types of converters and their combinations are studied to maximize charging efficiency. The most appropriate topologies and control methods for the converters are discussed, aiming to optimize system performance. Finally, the proposed models are validated through simulations in Matlab/Simulink software, using lithium-ion batteries as the storage system. The dissertation seeks to demonstrate how the integration of photovoltaic solar energy can serve as a complementary and eco-friendly solution for charging electric buses, contributing to sustainability in transportation.
- Caraterização dos consumos energéticos por edifício do IPB e dimensionamento do fornecimento de energia ao campusPublication . Teixeira, Zuleica Soraia Conceição; Barbosa, JoséO consumo de energia tem apresentado um crescimento significativo nos últimos anos, impulsionado pelo aumento da demanda industrial, residencial e pela eletrificação dos transportes. Este cenário exige novas estratégias para garantir a sustentabilidade e a eficiência energéticas. Esse trabalho tem por objetivo o estudo e caracterização dos diagramas de carga dos edifícios do IPB, dimensionamento da produção solar fotovoltaica a instalar em cada edifício, considerando ainda o armazenamento de energia caso existam muitos excedentes que visam suprimir os consumos noturnos do campus. Pretende-se utilizar os softwares PVsyst (especializado para simulação, dimensionamento e análise de desempenho de sistemas de energia solar fotovoltaica) e Sunny Design (software da SMA usado para planejar e dimensionar sistemas fotovoltaicos, otimizando o desempenho com base em dados técnicos e condições locais) para facilitar o dimensionamento e a realização deste projeto. A análise do consumo energético foi baseada uma folha de Excel contendo dados de consumo dos edifícios adquiridos em períodos de 15 em 15 minutos ao longo de um ano.
- Data Engineering Roadmap for Implementing Business Intelligence in Higher EducationPublication . Sequeira, Romeu; Reis, Arsénio; Branco, Frederico; Alves, PauloThis article addresses the implementation of Business Intelligence (BI) systems in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), focusing on developing an appropriate data architecture that meets the specificities and requirements of this sector. With the rapid advance of information technologies, HEIs face the growing challenge of managing a considerable volume of data, making it essential to implement BI systems that support informed and efficient decision-making. Using the Design Science Research methodology, this study proposes a BI architecture model that aligns technologies with HEIs' academic and administrative needs and facilitates their integration and ongoing maintenance. The model is designed to be flexible and scalable, allowing adaptations as institutional needs evolve. The article describes the architecture development process, from initial planning to implementation, and discusses how this framework can significantly improve data management and the quality of decision-making processes in educational institutions. The research offers practical and theoretical insights for academics and managers seeking to optimize the use of BI in educational contexts.
- Dry purification of ethanolic biodiesel through adsorption using almond shells based materialsPublication . Mezzalira, Melissa Giacomet; Queiroz, Ana Maria; Ribeiro, António; Brito, Paulo; Gomes, Maria Carolina SérgiThe growing demand for renewable energy sources has driven the development of sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, among which biodiesel stands out. Biodiesel can be produced from various types of oils, including waste cooking oil (WCO), contributing to the sustainability of the process. An important step in its production process is purification, which is usually carried out through wet washing. Although effective, this method generates large volumes of effluent. Thus, the use of adsorbent materials emerges as a more sustainable alternative for removing impurities such as glycerol. Biodiesel was produced through a transesterification reaction using WCO with an oil:alcohol molar ratio of 1:7.5 and 0.5 wt% catalyst, resulting in a biodiesel with an ester yield of 83.5%. Three adsorbents were prepared from almond shell waste: the first was carbonized at 500°C for 1 hour, the second chemically activated using zinc chloride and the third chemically activated with phosphoric acid. After preliminary adsorption experiments, the adsorbent activated with phosphoric acid was selected for full characterization and further adsorption studies. Kinetic adsorption studies were carried out in batch mode at three different temperatures (25, 35, and 45°C), revealing that equilibrium was reached in approximately 2 hours, with a removal percentage of 73.4% at 25°C. Pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models were fitted to the experimental data. Equilibrium studies were performed at the optimal temperature identified in the kinetics (25°C), and the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Sips models were adjusted to the experimental data, with the Sips model the one that best describe the adsorption behavior of the system. The highest glycerol removal was achieved using 10 wt% of the adsorbent, reaching a maximum of 81.1% removal and a minimum glycerol content of 0.041 wt%, which is still above the limit established by the EN14214:2012 standard. Continuous adsorption experiments were performed in a fixed-bed column, with adsorption–desorption cycles operated at flow rates below 1 mL/min. The highest adsorption capacity (41.64 mg/g) was observed at a flow rate of 0.68 mL/min. The adsorption/desorption cycles indicated the regeneration potential of the adsorbent. Finally, the effect of other contaminants in biodiesel on glycerol adsorption was evaluated using a glycerol solution in ethyl acetate. The results showed a reduction in adsorption capacity (31.55 mg/mL), possibly due to the faster adsorption process, which hindered the complete use of the column bed. When comparing batch and continuous modes, the continuous process generally showed higher adsorption capacities, reinforcing its potential for industrial applications.
- Gestão estratégica: estudo de caso da empresa catedral solarPublication . Presotto, Nathan Gabriel; Scalabrini, E.C.B.A presente dissertação analisa criticamente a mobilização de ferramentas de gestão estratégica e práticas de inovação no processo de consolidação do modelo de negócios da empresa Catedral Solar, atuante no setor de energia solar fotovoltaica em Mato Grosso, Brasil, entre 2023 e 2025. A investigação, de natureza qualitativa, descritiva e exploratória, adota o método de estudo de caso instrumental, centrando-se na compreensão contextualizada das estratégias adotadas por uma organização emergente em um mercado tecnicamente intensivo e competitivo. A análise empírica fundamentou-se na análise documental, observação direta e consulta a fontes secundárias (ANEEL, SEDEC-MT, JUCEMAT e RAIS), sendo os dados tratados segundo os princípios da análise de conteúdo temática proposta por Bardin (2011). Os resultados indicam que a Catedral Solar integra de forma eficaz ferramentas clássicas de gestão estratégica como análise SWOT, Matriz BCG, Balanced Scorecard e o modelo das Cinco Forças de Porter, as práticas inovadoras, como auditorias térmicas com drones, plataformas digitais de monitoramento energético e metodologias avançadas de projeção de ROI. Essa integração tem permitido à empresa adaptar-se rapidamente às exigências regulatórias, técnicas e mercadológicas, consolidando uma vantagem competitiva baseada na inovação contextualizada e na eficiência operacional. Embora limitada ao estudo de um único caso, a investigação contribui para o avanço do conhecimento sobre a gestão estratégica em setores de base tecnológica, ao evidenciar como organizações emergentes podem articular racionalidade analítica e criatividade aplicada para enfrentar a volatilidade de mercados dinâmicos. Recomenda-se, como futuras linhas de pesquisa, a realização de estudos comparativos entre múltiplas empresas do setor e a aplicação de métodos mistos para mensurar o impacto das estratégias adotadas sobre o desempenho organizacional e a sustentabilidade do negócio.
- Implementação de uma comunidade de energia renovável caso de estudo do Instituto Politécnico de BragançaPublication . Baptista, Helder Ferreira; Leite, VicenteA transição energética e a descentralização da produção elétrica são pilares fundamentais para o cumprimento dos compromissos ambientais assumidos por Portugal. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho desenvolve um estudo aprofundado sobre a caracterização, análise e gestão de energia no âmbito de uma Comunidade de Energia Renovável (CER) a ser implementada no Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB), ao abrigo do Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência (PRR). A dissertação baseia-se na análise detalhada de 14 Instalações de Utilização (IU), distribuídas por contratos de média tensão, baixa tensão especial e baixa tensão normal, com um consumo anual total de 2510 MWh (ano). Foram considerados dois cenários de consumo (anual e diurno no verão) para o dimensionamento de quatro Unidades de Produção para Autoconsumo (UPACs), com uma potência total instalada de 500 kW. O software PVSyst foi utilizado para simular a produção solar e otimizar a distribuição da potência entre os centros eletroprodutores, tendo-se escolhido o cenário anual como o mais equilibrado. A proposta de gestão energética assenta num modelo de partilha hierárquica com coeficientes de partilha proporcionais ao consumo, priorizando os pontos de maior custo por kWh. Os resultados demonstram uma taxa média de autoconsumo de aproximadamente 86,5%, com variação sazonal dos excedentes. Adicionalmente, foi analisado o impacto da geração fotovoltaica na fatura de energia reativa, bem como as limitações estruturais dos edifícios para a instalação dos módulos fotovoltaicos.
- Previsão da potência média produzida por turbinas eólicas utilizando redes neuraisPublication . Campos, Letícia Góes; Teixeira, João Teixeira; Poubel , Raphael Paulo BragaThis thesis presents the development and evaluation of artificial neural network models applied to short-term wind power generation forecasting in a wind farm. The main objective of the study was to explore the performance of Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) architectures, using real data from wind turbines collected by SCADA systems between 2016 and 2017 in Portugal. Data preprocessing included normalization techniques, seasonal decomposition, and the construction of sliding windows for temporal modeling. Several configurations of MLP and LSTM were implemented, varying in the number of neurons, hidden layers, and training strategies, including early stopping and different data partitioning approaches. The evaluation employed statistical metrics to assess forecasting accuracy, including RMSE, NRMSE, and R2. Early stopping and randomized data splits were analyzed to enhance model performance and robustness. The models achieved results above 83% for the coefficient of determination (R2). The main objective of this work was to develop MLP and LSTM models capable of accurately predicting the average power output of a wind turbine in a short-term horizon. To achieve this, different layer configurations, neuron counts, and validation techniques were tested for both approaches. Additionally, both single-variable and multivariable inputs were considered for the LSTM models. Finally, the three best-performing models were selected based on the evaluation metrics and compared with existing studies in the literature.
- Separation of methane and hydrogen in a 3D-printed porous carbon monolithPublication . Junqueira, Matheus Raphael Diniz; Silva, José A.C.; Dumont, Marcello RosaThe efficient separation of methane (CH4) and hydrogen (H2) is a key challenge in industrial processes such as steam methane reforming (SMR), which is the primary technology used for hydrogen production; however, the generated gas contains impurities such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and unreacted methane, which must be removed to ensure high-purity H2. The separation of these gases is commonly performed through pressure swing adsorption (PSA) using adsorbent materials such as zeolites (e.g., zeolite 13X) and activated carbons. However, these adsorbents often present challenges, including high pressure drop and limited control over pore structure. In this context, this study investigates a 3D-printed porous carbon monolith with tetragonal cubic centred unit cells, designed to maximize CH4 selectivity over H2 while reducing pressure drop due to its highly controllable structural design. The material was characterized using fixed-bed adsorption experiments analyzed via flow gas chromatography, including single-component (H2 and CH4) and binary adsorption (CH4/H2 mixtures) at 303 K, 313 K, and 343 K, with pressures up to 30 bar. Adsorption equilibrium modelling was conducted using the Dual-Site Langmuir (DSL) isotherm, accurately describing an experimental 76/24 (% vol.) CH4/H2 mixture, reinforcing the material’s selectivity, closely matching the values predicted by the isotherm from single component experiments. These findings highlight the potential of 3D-printed porous carbon monoliths for selective CH4 separation in PSA processes applied to SMR, offering a promising alternative with lower pressure drop and greater structural control compared to conventional adsorbents. the gas-monolith interactions. Results showed that H2 adsorption was negligible under all tested conditions. For CH4, the maximum adsorption experimental capacity was 3.25 mol.kg−1 at 303 K and 30 bar. Equilibrium isotherms confirmed material heterogeneity, with two distinct adsorption sites, each with its own adsorption capacity. The isosteric heat of adsorption ranged from 17.5 to 17.1 kJ.mol−1, indicating a moderate physisorption mechanism. In binary adsorption experiments at 303 K and 5 bar, CH4 adsorption reached 2.10 mol.kg−1 for an experimental 76/24 (% vol.) CH4/H2 mixture, reinforcing the material’s selectivity, closely matching the values predicted by the isotherm from single component experiments. These findings highlight the potential of 3D-printed porous carbon monoliths for selective CH4 separation in PSA processes applied to SMR, offering a promising alternative with lower pressure drop and greater structural control compared to conventional adsorbents.