Browsing by Author "Martins, Florinda"
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- Analysis of Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption and Environmental Impacts in European CountriesPublication . Martins, Florinda; Felgueiras, Carlos; Smitkova, Miroslava; Caetano, NídiaThe use of fossil fuels as the main source of energy for most countries has caused several negative environmental impacts, such as global warming and air pollution. Air pollution causes many health problems, causing social and economic negative effects. Worldwide efforts are being made to avoid global warming consequences through the establishment of international agreements that then lead to local policies adapted to the development of each signing nation. In addition, there is a depletion of nonrenewable resources which may be scarce or nonexistent in future generations. The preservation of resources, which is a common goal of the Circular Economy strategy and of sustainable development, is not being accomplished nowadays. In this work, the calculation of indicators and mathematical and statistical analysis were applied to clarify and evidence the trends, provide information for the decision-making process, and increase public awareness. The fact that European countries do not possess abundant reserves of fossil fuels will not change, but the results of this analysis can evolve in the future. In this work, fossil fuel energy consumption, fossil fuel depletion, and their relationship with other variables, such as energy dependence and share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption, were analyzed for 29 European countries. Furthermore, it was possible to conclude that many European countries still depend heavily on fossil fuels. Significant differences were not found in what concerns gross inland consumption per capita when the Kruskal–Wallis test was applied. It was possible to estimate that by 2050 (considering Jazz scenario) it will only remain approximately 14% of oil proven reserves, 72% of coal proven reserves and 18% of gas proven reserves. Given the small reserves of European countries on fossil fuels, if they need to use them, they will fast disappear.
- Assessment of Circular Economy within Portuguese OrganizationsPublication . Fonseca, Luís; Domingues, José; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Martins, Florinda; Zimon, DominikThe move towards a new Circular Economy (CE) economic model has been advocated and supported in Portugal, however, there is limited research on this topic. To address this gap, a quantitative research based on an online survey was carried out among 99 Portuguese organizations, encompassing a wide range of sectors and sizes. The results show that CE is regarded as a strategic and relevant issue for profitability and value creation. Furthermore, the perception that it requires the adoption of new business models in addition to the classical “reduce, reuse and recycle” approach is growing. Moreover, based on the hypotheses raised, results suggest that the level of CE adoption is positively impacted by the status of the EMS (Environmental Management System) certification and the willingness to improve the environmental performance and achieve a sustainable business model. However, CE activities are still relatively modest and a friendlier context (fiscal, legal, organizational, etc.) and the stronger support from supply chain agents and consumers are required. Future research should focus on how to design and shape the transition from a linear to a CE economy and to ascertain if the positive attitude towards CE is materialized in changing the way business is done.
- Economic, environmental and mixed objective functions in non-linear process optimization using simulated annealing and tabu searchPublication . Martins, Florinda; Costa, Carlos A.V.Screening of topologies developed by hierarchical heuristic procedures can be carried out by comparing their optimal performance. In this work we will be exploiting mono-objective process optimization using two algorithms, simulated annealing and tabu search, and four different objective functions: two of the net present value type, one of them including environmental costs and two of the global potential impact type. The hydrodealkylation of toluene to produce benzene was used as case study, considering five topologies with different complexities mainly obtained by including or not liquid recycling and heat integration. The performance of the algorithms together with the objective functions was observed, analyzed and discussed from various perspectives: average deviation of results for each algorithm, capacity for producing high purity product, screening of topologies, objective functions robustness in screening of topologies, trade-offs between economic and environmental type objective functions and variability of optimum solutions.
- Energy Policies, Education and Sustainable Development Goals Applied to Low Developed Countries - a Symbiotic Case StudyPublication . Martins, Florinda; Silva, Paulo; Felgueiras, Carlos; Almeida Santos, Adriano Manuel; Pereira, Filipe; Caetano, NídiaEnergy, its use and management, weighs heavily on the burden that each society can impose on a fragile balance of nature, with implications not only environmental and financial, but also social, creating jobs and improving quality of life. Devising strategies that combine these three factors are a valuable option that will yield good results, meeting the challenge of fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The most important thing is to implement the old maxim: "no one is left behind", so low developed countries are an opportunity to achieve impressive results, while allowing them to improve their way of life and their comfort. It’s often said that ‘action begets reaction’, so any positive action taken in the community can have social repercussions, such as improving the quality of education and knowledge about sustainability. This study will provide an overview of how energy management and environmental mitigation strategies can impact underdeveloped countries.
- Energy storage for renewable energy integration: the case of Madeira Island, PortugalPublication . Miguel, Miguel; Nogueira, Teresa; Martins, FlorindaEnergy storage has become a crucial issue regarding renewable energy management, even more important in an island system with the inherent fluctuating operation and inaccurate energy forecast. The growth of decentralized generation in an isolated electrical grid means load stability problems and requires energy storage as a potential solution to guarantee safety and reliability standards. The study described in this paper highlights the need to store energy in Madeira island system and evaluate theoperational power dispatch with the introduction of batteries. A simulation tool was developed to quantify the impact of batteries in wind and thermal power plants technologies.
- Energy storage in isolated electrical systemPublication . Miguel, Miguel; Nogueira, Teresa; Martins, Florindastorage has become a key issue in management of any renewable energy system. That is even more important in an isolated electrical system, as is the case with island system, due to the inherent fluctuating operation and inaccurate energy forecast. The growth of the decentralized generation in an isolated electrical grid means load stability problems and requires energy storage as a potential solution to guarantee safety and reliability standards. The study described in this paper highlights the need to store energy in Madeira island electrical system and evaluate the technical and environment benefits with the introduction of batteries to strengthen power network. A simulation tool was developed, suitable to quantify the impact of batteries in wind energy and thermal power plants existing technologies. This tool also allows the graphical analysis of the daily production, as well as the evolution of the power and energy in battery.
- Engineering Education for a Sustainable Future A systematic literature review and a perspectivePublication . Silva, Paulo; Felgueiras, Carlos; Caetano, Nídia; Martins, Florinda; Onofrei, George; Blue, Juanita; Sintejudeanu, Mara; Acitores, Adela; Cruz, Francisco; Erro, Alfonso Martín; Moreno, Susana; Davey, Todd; Collins, Monica Holly; Spada, DominicEducation represents a fundamental pillar of society, being an important factor in shaping and building each individual for their future. It is common sense that society, like the world we live in, undergoes adaptations and modifications over time, especially due to the need to resolve issues that allow for improved comfort and greater chances of survival in these changes. There-fore, a question arises: what factor must be highlighted in order to respond to this need? Sustainability presents itself as a preponderant factor in humanity's response to building a more sober, educated, conscious and cohesive society. Educating an individual with tools and qualities based on sustainability, who in the future will have the capacity to reach many other individuals in an educational context, presents itself as a possible way to enhance and disseminate sustainability in social, academic and professional aspects. This study is based on the premise of an ERASMUS + project that aims to provide a possibility for a more sustainable education in the field of Engineering, having as its central point a holistic approach that must be the center of society: Sustainability.
- Fossil fuel energy consumption in European countriesPublication . Martins, Florinda; Felgueiras, Carlos; Smitková, MiroslavaTraditionally fossil fuels have been use as the main resource to obtain energy but its use has several negative impacts, such as global warming and air pollution. Global warming has been mentioned has a key challenge to be addressed due to its expected grave consequences. Air pollution is another important problem and has been responsible for many health problems causing social and economic negative effects. However the use of fossil fuels has another strategic dimension when a sustainability perspective is considered, namely the preservation of natural resources, which is a goal of Circular Economy strategy. In this work fossil fuel energy consumption is analyzed in European countries as well as its relationship with other variables such as energy dependence and share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption. It was possible to conclude that many European countries still depend heavily on fossil fuels.
- Guia de segurança para laboratóriosPublication . Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Ferreira Sales, Maria Goreti; Martins, Florinda; Martins, Isabel; Rosas, Mónica; Morais, SérgioSegurança em laboratórios químicos é uma área em que o Grupo de Reacção e Análises Químicas (GRAQ), pertencente ao Laboratório Associado REQUIMTE (REde de QUÍMica e TEcnologia), conjuntamente com o TRELAB (TRatamento de REsíduos de LABoratório) do Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto do Instituto Politécnico do Porto vêm realizando actividades de Investigação e Desenvolvimento. A experiência que a equipa tem vindo a adquirir tem resultado na orientação de diferentes acções de formação dirigidas especialmente a técnicos de laboratórios de ensino e investigação, de análises químicas, de controlo de qualidade e de processos, enologia... que reconhecem a necessidade de trabalhar em ambiente seguro. Este Guia é fruto de uma acção dirigida a técnicos e investigadores de laboratórios de Enologia associados da ALABE (Associação de LABoratórios de Enologia). Pretende ser uma compilação de notas e regras facilitadoras de consulta a implementar em laboratórios interessados em caminhar para uma gestão que contemple a segurança, a qualidade e o ambiente. Assim o Guia versa a temática da Segurança, a que se associa a vertente da Qualidade e do Ambiente. Nesta última estão incluídas as preocupações da Gestão dos Resíduos de Laboratório numa perspectiva sustentável, ogo economicista, de recuperação de recursos e que segue o lema #resíduo trata resíduo". Pretende-se que o Guia seja pragmático e venha a ser útil.
- Indicators Used in the Energy SectorPublication . Martins, Florinda; Felgueiras, CarlosWorld energy mix still depends heavily on fossil fuels but the foreseen increase demand, the scarcity of those resources, their unevenly distribution as well as other factors such as economic burdens due to fossil fuel prices and climate change concerns contributed to the establishment and implementation of new policies in the energy sector. Renewable energy sources are being promoted worldwide as a pathway to reduce external energy dependency, moving towards lower carbon energy systems. It is important to policy makers, investors and other stakeholders to have tools for deciding which policies, investments and measures should be implemented in the future. Thus indicators play very important role for fulfilling that task. This work present a structured presentation of several indicators commonly used to compare solutions in the energy domain.
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