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- Recyclable waste collection: Increasing ecopoint filling capacity to reduce energy for transportationPublication . Santos, Adriano A; Silva, António Ferreira da; Gouveia, António; Caetano, Nídia; Felgueiras, CarlosUrban waste production is increasing around the world. In the present Covid-19 context, an emergent flow of waste growth, as well as of pollution in general, stems from confinement and the use of protective masks. Although part of the waste is considered commingled, much is recyclable, if properly disposed off. Hence, recycling plays today, more than ever, an extremely important role, not only in terms of pollution prevention, but also from the point of view of the circular economy and of resources use efficiency. Thus, this work is focused on developing an approach to assist in recycling wastes. As a management option, recycling depends on a collective behavior, that relies on individual acts. Therefore, the individual use of plastic/metal compaction systems can help reaching the recycling targets, even as a complement to conventional commingled waste bins. Thus, we present a proposal for a plastic/metal collection station with a built-in compaction element that allows one to compact separated waste, individually, in an easily accessible drawer. Sorting and compaction of waste before collection will then result in a reduction of the number of collection/transportations stops, which will also translate into higher efficiency, reduction of costs, optimization of transported tons/km ratio, and profitability.
- An Energy Storage System for the Alto Douro Wind Power Plant: A Technical StudyPublication . Magalhães, Alexandre; Xavier, Celso; Felgueiras, Carlos; Pereira, Filipe; Almeida Santos, Adriano Manuel; da Silva, A. Ferreira; Silva, Paulo; Caetano, Nídia; Machado, JoséRenewable energies are crucial to meeting global demand for environmentally friendly energy at a time when fossil fuels are being cut back. In recent years, and essentially due to the reduced reserves of fossil fuels, Portugal has been promoting investment in renewable energies as a way of freeing itself from energy imports and dependence on fossil fuels. However, despite the high number of hours of sunshine per day and the use of wind and hydraulic energy, production is unstable due to climate variability. All this climate instability translates into fluctuations in the energy released to the grid. In order to minimize this problem, energy storage systems have become a key element in guaranteeing the stability of the renewable energy supply at times of low production. This article presents a feasibility analysis of a renewable energy storage system with the aim of maximizing the profitability of a wind farm located in Portugal's Alto Douro region. As a starting point, a demand analysis is presented, as well as simulations of the system's performance in terms of energy use and profitability as a function of efficiency and power. Taking these assumptions and the analysis into account, a modular lithium battery storage system with high efficiency and fast charging and discharging powers was chosen.
- Reducing Volume to Increase Capacity—Measures to Reduce Transport Energy for Recyclable Waste CollectionPublication . Santos, Adriano A; Silva, A. Ferreira da; Gouveia, António; Felgueiras, Carlos; Caetano, NídiaThe production of municipal waste is increasing all over the world. Although a significant part of the waste is collected as commingled waste, much of it is recyclable if disposed of properly. Thus, separate deposition and collection plays an extremely important role today, more than ever, not only in terms of preventing pollution but also from the point of view of recycling as a driver of circular economy and of efficient use of resources. This work is focused on the development of compaction equipment to be applied to containers, which allows a more efficient approach to the process of collecting waste for recycling. As a management option, recycling depends on collective behavior which is based on individual acts. Therefore, individual use of plastic/metal compaction systems can help meet recycling targets, even as a complement to conventional bins. Thus, herein a proposal is presented for a plastic/metal collection station with a built-in compaction element that allows for the compacting of the separated waste, individually, in an easily accessible drawer. Sorting and compacting waste before collection will result in a reduction of the number of collection/transport stops, which will also translate into higher energy efficiency, cost savings, optimization of the transported tons/km ratio, and profitability.