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- Increasing energy efficiency with a smart farm - An economic evaluationPublication . Pereira, Filipe; Caetano, Nídia; Felgueiras, CarlosRural farms are typically energy-intensive facilities with relatively low energy efficiency. In this sector, the introduction of renewable energies and integrated resource management technologies has been slower than in the domestic and industrial sector. The introduction of renewable energy sources was an mportant step in the past, but they are currently insufficient, as they do not allow for adequate energy management. The development of new solutions with integrated energy control is especially attractive for these installations as they present the least limitations in terms of space and adaptation to new technologies. This work describes a solution that was developed and implemented in a farm located in central Portugal. The results show that 83.2% reduction in energy from the grid can be achieved, with 5527 kg CO2 savings, and the return on investment (of C 32,434) is about 8 years. However, this period can be shortened if evolutionary options are taken, such as upgrading to electric driven agricultural equipment
- A review in the use of artificial intelligence in textile industryPublication . Pereira, Filipe; Carvalho, Vítor; Vasconcelos, Rosa; Soares, FilomenaThis paper presents an analysis of the state of the art of artificial intelligence applications in the textile industry. A review of the existing literature was performed. This article presents three methods of analyzing textile yarn. Some techniques, used in textile fabric inspection, are presented throughout this paper, as well as the use of artificial intelligence on improving the performance of productive systems using neural networks and artificial vision. The preliminary results demonstrate that the techniques covered are an asset in obtaining defects in textile fabrics at the industrial level. Taking into account the various methods of inspection and analysis of textile yarn, all present pros and cons in applicability in the textile area. In terms of advantages, all allow a better analysis of the textile yarn and defect detection with high quality, but with applicability in more complex systems. As a disadvantage, they present the fact that they do not have an already standardized algorithm that can be used, which makes its use more complex. Some possible future applications are also described.
- Hydroagriculture project - A Portuguese case studyPublication . Silva, Paulo; Felgueiras, Carlos; Almeida Santos, Adriano Manuel; Pereira, FilipeWater plays an essential role in the social fabric and comfort of society, as it plays an important role in our survival and subsistence, in its accessibility, in economic activities, and in the particular case of this study, in the manufacture of agricultural products and activities. In a developing society, and with the number of the human population increasing, consumerism takes place, resulting in an increasing need to use space, resources and food. Agriculture is an ancient activity that serves as the basis for ensuring the subsistence and resilience of the population, producing crops and different types of food, from vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds, etc... and they all have one thing in common: The existence of water. If there are fields suitable for agriculture, but there is no water, they become unusable. Water improvement and supply projects can drastically change this situation, thus stimulating agricultural production. The analysis of this case study, the largest hydroagriculture project in Europe nowadays, aims to highlight the importance of carrying out hydroagriculture projects and the impact they can have on society, demonstrating that this project considerably increases the production of the rice harvest in Portugal through the artificial irrigation of land that previously could not be used for this purpose.
- 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.
- 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.
- Electrification of a remote rural farm with solar energy: Contribution to the development of smart farmingPublication . Santos, Adriano A; Pereira, Filipe; Silva, António Ferreira da; Caetano, Nídia; Felgueiras, Carlos; Machado, JoséRural farms constitute a vital component of a country’s agricultural landscape, traditionally reliant on energy installations known for their reliability yet notorious for their energy-intensive and inefficient characteristics. While the smart farm concept, integrating renewable energy sources and resource management technologies, has seen widespread adoption in domestic and industrial sectors, rural farms have been slower to embrace these innovations. This study presents a groundbreaking solution, deployed on a rural farm in Portugal, resulting in an impressive 83.24% reduction in energy consumption sourced from the grid. Notably, this achievement translates to a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions, aligning with the growing need for environmentally sustainable farming practices. The technical intricacies of this pioneering solution are comprehensively described and juxtaposed with other scientific case studies, offering valuable insights for replication. This initiative represents a vital first step towards the integration or combination of conventional farming with photovoltaic energy production, exemplified by agrivoltaic systems. In conclusion, this research showcases the potential for rural farms to significantly enhance energy efficiency and financial viability, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and cost-effective agricultural sector. These findings serve as a model for similar endeavors, paving the way for a greener and more economically viable future for rural farming practices.
- Didactic bench to support automation learning - Industry 4.0 educationPublication . Pereira, Filipe; Lopes, Rogerio; Sarmento, Ruben; Felgueiras, CarlosThe teaching of automation is increasingly present in the industry, through increasingly aggregating and complete platforms. Automation teaching/learning faces several limitations. On the one hand, teaching automation using automata is done in laboratories whose didactic applications rarely replicate industrial applications. On the other hand, students' difficulties in accessing these spaces are often limited to the time allocated to each laboratory class, and it is often not possible to repeat assignments or work variants. It should be noted that the difficulty of accessibility for working students or students with COVID restrictions has a lot of impact. Thus, it would be important for a student to have access to an automation bench that replicates the needs of the industry and that includes remote access. The present work presents the development of a didactic workbench to support the teaching / learning of automation, with an industrial design and with the possibility of remote access.
- Hardware Test subjects in academic educationPublication . Sarmento, Ruben; Pereira, Filipe; Felgueiras, CarlosNo electronic product can be manufactured without an underlying test strategy, as this operation can assume 90 % of the overall cost of the product. This paper explores the need for testing in the context of electronic hardware development and production, and how its absence from normal university curriculums is affecting its presence during the design of industry-developed hardware. Testing strategies are discussed and an example is presented to explain the advantages of test development. An analysis is done at several random universities in order to try to understand and bring to light how such an important step in the development of a circuit is not present in the learned skill set of a newly graduated hardware development engineer.