Browsing by Author "Pimentel, Fernando"
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- Broader terms curriculum mapping: using natural language processing and visual-supported communication to create representative program planning experiencesPublication . Duarte, Rogério; Nobre, A.; Pimentel, Fernando; Jacquinet, MarcAccreditation bodies call for curriculum development processes that are open to all stakeholders, reflecting viewpoints of students, industry, university faculty, and society. However, communication difficulties between faculty and non-faculty groups leave an immense collaboration potential unexplored. Using the classification of learning objectives, natural language processing, and data visualization, this paper presents a quantitative method that delivers program plan representations that are universal, self-explanatory, and empowering; promoting stronger links between program courses and curriculum development open to all stakeholders. A simple example shows how the method contributes to representative program planning experiences and a case study is used to confirm the method’s accuracy and utility.
- Elemento de estudo para a unidade curricular de mecânica: conceitos gerais da mecânica vetorial para iniciantesPublication . Pina, Célio; Pimentel, Fernando
- Enfriamiento de un edificio de oficinas con un intercambiador de calor tierra-aire (ESHX) de gran diámetro: resultados de monitoreo para condiciones de verano calurosas y secasPublication . Duarte, Rogério; Gomes, Maria Glória; Rodrigues, Antonio Moret Rodrigues; Pimentel, FernandoLos intercambiadores de calor tierra-aire permiten amortiguar las oscilaciones de temperatura del aire exterior y enfriar edificios ubicados en climas cálidos y secos con muy pocos recursos además de los utilizados durante la construcción. A pesar del gran número de artículos científicos sobre intercambiadores tierra-aire, son pocos los trabajos que presentan datos de monitorización para intercambiadores funcionales con diámetro superior a 30 cm. El presente artículo presenta y discute datos de monitorización de un intercambiador de calor tierra-aire de gran diámetro construido para el enfriamiento de un edificio de oficinas existente. Los datos presentados fueron obtenidos durante un período característico de verano caliente y seco en el sur de Portugal. Se muestra que los gradientes de temperatura entre el aire exterior y el aire de salida del intercambiador alcanzan 9 K y que la capacidad de enfriamiento excede los 27 kW. Se discute el aprovechamiento de esta tecnología para el enfriamiento de edificios y se concluyen los beneficios a nivel de la reducción de las emisiones de CO2 y del consumo de energía asociado al enfriamiento de edificios en climas cálidos y secos.
- A Large-Diameter Earth–Air Heat Exchanger (EAHX) Built for Standalone Office Room Cooling: Monitoring Results for Hot and Dry Summer ConditionsPublication . Duarte, Rogério; Gomes, Maria da Glória; Rodrigues, António Moret; Pimentel, FernandoEarth–air heat exchangers (EAHX) use the soil thermal capacity to dampen the amplitude of outdoor air temperature oscillations. This effect can be used in hot and dry climates for room cooling, and depending on the EAHX design, this cooling can be achieved with very few resources other than those used during EAHX construction. This is an obvious advantage compared to the significant energy consumption and operational costs of refrigeration machines traditionally used in room cooling. Despite the large number of papers on EAHXs available in the scientific literature, very few deal with large-diameter EAHXs (with pipe diameters larger than 0.30 m), and even fewer present monitoring data gathered from a built and functional large-diameter EAHX. The present paper uses monitoring data and provides a detailed quantitative analysis of the performance of a large-diameter EAHX built for standalone cooling of an existing office building. The field monitoring was carried out during a characteristic hot and dry summer period of the south of Portugal. Results show that outdoor air to EAHX exit air temperature gradients reach 9 K and cooling capacities exceed 27 kW. Moreover, the studied EAHX is capable of standalone cooling for outdoor air temperatures up to 33 ◦C and meets more than 50% of the room design cooling demand for outdoor air temperatures as high as 37 ◦C. This evidences that large-diameter EAHXs have the potential to achieve significant reductions in CO2 emissions and in energy consumption associated with building cooling in hot and dry climates.
- Qualidade em tempos de crisePublication . Duarte, Rogério; Nobre, A.; Pimentel, Fernando; Jacquinet, Marc; Silva, Maria LuísaA crise financeira que iniciou em 2008 fez surgir uma vaga de protestos contra a falta de transparência, de accountability e de responsabilidade tanto de instituições privadas como públicas. Naturalmente, destes protestos resultou o recrudescimento da ação reguladora e de controlo por via legislativa e resultou também um maior interesse académico sobre temas de ética corporativa. Os Sistemas de Gestão da Qualidade podem desempenhar um papel importantíssimo na promoção de novas abordagens e formas de pensar a ética que, por aplicação exclusiva de pressões externas (e.g., legislação), muito dificilmente se materializarão. Com efeito, os Sistemas de Gestão da Qualidade estão intrinsecamente ligados aos centros de decisão de empresas e instituições públicas num abraço que permite, por um lado, aceder a informação “sensível” e, por outro, intervir de forma orgânica. O presente artigo defende que a intensificação do uso da abordagem fenomenológica para o estudo do comportamento corporativo contribui para desmascarar comportamento perversos, mais comuns em tempos de crise. Defende que a abordagem fenomenológica ajusta-se perfeitamente aos Sistemas de Gestão da Qualidade e, por isso, deveria ser mais usada. É este o posicionamento teórico da presente comunicação, que exemplifica com transcrições de casos reais do setor da construção paradoxos e incentivos perversos ocorridos em tempos de crise.
- Rethinking Curriculum Development through Design ThinkingPublication . Duarte, Rogério; Nobre, A.; Pimentel, Fernando; Jacquinet, MarcHigher education institutions must be aware of the transformations that occur in societies in order to innovate and to offer revised educational curricula. Design Thinking is a tool that helps to foster innovation in business contexts. Could this methodology be used in higher education for curriculum development? The present article considers this question by pre senting the Design Thinking methodology, establishing links with outcome based education, constructive alignment principles, and discussing the context specific to higher education institutions
- The effect of occupancy and environmental physical variables on classrooms’ natural ventilation: a path modeling approachPublication . Duarte, Rogério; Rodrigues, António Moret; Pimentel, Fernando; Gomes, Maria da GlóriaIn this paper, we use a path model to study natural ventilation in classrooms and research the link between air change rate, occupancy, and both outdoor and indoor physical variables. In general, the path model is derived from the building physics and occupant behavioral considerations via structural equation modeling (SEM), and allows for the use of continuous observable and unobservable factors. The latter are often employed in behavioral and social sciences to represent personal and group attributes. The path model is validated with data gathered during two consecutive academic years from four classrooms of a Portuguese school. The results confirm indoor and outdoor air temperature as major drivers of classroom ventilation, with standardized total path coefficients of approximately 0.55. Solar energy, precipitation, and occupancy are also significant drivers of classroom ventilation, with standardized total path coefficients of 0.24, −0.18, and 0.17, respectively. These results contribute to our understanding of the relative importance of occupancy as well as to identifying the most relevant environmental determinants of natural classroom ventilation. In spite of the statistical significance of the path model as a whole and its detailed causal relationships (direct, indirect, and feedback), only 58% of classroom ventilation variance is explained by the selected input variables. Because naturally ventilated classrooms depend significantly on occupants’ interactions with the built environment, i.e., opening/closing windows and blinds, extending path modeling to include additional personal and context-related drivers of occupants’ behavior would allow for further insights into the complex multi-domain topic of natural classroom ventilation.