IPT - Ci2 - Centro de Investigação em Cidades Inteligentes
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O Centro de Investigação em Cidades Inteligentes (Ci2) reúne um grupo interdisciplinar de investigadores por forma a congregar os conhecimentos e técnicas necessários para resolver os complexos problemas associados à criação de Cidades e Ambientes Inteligentes e Sustentáveis. Tem como principais objetivos promover a inovação, facilitar a disseminação do conhecimento científico e tecnológico em estreita colaboração com a rede empresarial e social, contribuir para a formação avançada e colaborar em estratégias de desenvolvimento regional, nacional e internacional.
O Ci2 é uma unidade de investigação financiada pela Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) UIDB/05567/2020.
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- Energy Mix in the Production of HydrogenPublication . Pereira, Carlos; Coelho, Paulo; Fernandes, José; Gomes, MárioThis paper presents a study related to the production of electricity through a mini-hydro plant (MHP) and a photovoltaic (PV) system particularly sized for a location in Tomar (Portugal). A system based on this energy mix is adopted in order to produce hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) at high pressure for energy storage purposes. The main features of the different equipments chosen in this study are also presented in the paper.
- Performance Comparison of Grid-Faulty Control Schemes for Inverter-Based Industrial MicrogridsPublication . Camacho Santiago, Antonio; Castilla, Miguel; Canziani, Franco; Moreira, Carlos; Coelho, Paulo; Gomes, Mário; Mercado, PedroSeveral control schemes specifically designed to operate inverter-based industrial microgrids during voltage sags have been recently proposed. This paper first classifies these control schemes in three categories and then performs a comparative analysis of them. Representative control schemes of each category are selected, described and used to identify the main features and performance of the considered category. The comparison is based on the evaluation of several indexes, which measure the power quality of the installation and utility grid during voltage sags, including voltage regulation, reactive current injection and transient response. The paper includes selected simulation results from a 500 kVA industrial microgrid to validate the expected features of the considered control schemes. Finally, in view of the obtained results, the paper proposes an alternative solution to cope with voltage sags, which includes the use of a static compensator in parallel with the microgrid. The novelty of this proposal is the suitable selection of the control schemes for both the microgrid and the static compensator. The superior performance of the proposal is confirmed by the analysis of the quality indexes. Its practical limitations are also revealed, showing that the topic studied in this paper is still open for further research.
- VITASENIOR–MT: Architecture of a Telehealth SolutionPublication . Pires, Gabriel; Lopes, Ana; Manso, António; Jorge, Dário; Mendes, Diogo; Almeida, Luis; Lopes de Oliveira, Luís Miguel; Gomes, Nelson; Dias, Pedro; Panda, Renato; Pereira, Telmo; Monteiro, Paulo; Grácio, CarlaVITASENIOR-MT is a telehealth solution under development that aims to monitor and improve the healthcare of elderly people living in the region of Médio Tejo. This solution performs both remote and local monitoring of biometric parameters of the elderly, and also of environmental parameters of their homes. The biometric variables include heart rate and temperature measurements collected automatically, by means of a bracelet, throughout the day. Blood pressure, body weight, and other biometric parameters are measured on a daily basis by the senior’s own initiative, and automatically recorded. The environmental parameters include temperature, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide measurements. A TV set is used as a mean of interaction between the user and the medical devices. The TV set is also used to receive medical warnings and recommendations according to clinical profiles, and to receive environmental alerts. All data and alerts can be accessible to senior’s family and healthcare providers. In alarm situations, an automatic operational procedure will be triggered establishing communication to predefined entities.
- Screening of Solid Waste as Filler Material for Constructed WetlandsPublication . Mateus, D. M. R.; Pinho, Henrique J. O.The reuse of solid waste can contribute to reducing Earth’s resource depletion, directly through use in the original production processes or by valorisation in alternative applications. In the present work, ten solid wastes were evaluated as candidates for filling material in constructed wetlands (CWs). For that purpose, physical characterization, leaching and adsorptiontests were conducted. Limestone fragments and brick fragments resulting from construction activities, coal slags resulting from power plants, snail shells resulting from the food and catering industry, and cork granulates resulting from the cork industry have potential for use as CW fillers. These five materials have adequate physical properties and some capacity to adsorb phosphorous and organic compounds from wastewater. On the other hand, crushed eggshells resulting from egg farms, dealcoholized grape pomaces resulting from alcohol distilleries, olive seeds waste from olive-oil mills, and pine bark fragments and wood pellets resulting from forestry cleaning activities, wood mills and pulp mills did not demonstrate sufficient potential to be used as CW fillers, either because they have very low adsorption capacities or leach compounds in contact with water, or because they have less adequate physical properties. None of the tested solid wastes showed the ability to adsorb nitrogen compounds. Although the five selected materials do not present a special capability for adsorption of nitrogen, phosphorous and organic compounds, they can all be valued as CW fillers, representing a way to reduce the amount of solid waste sent to landfills.
- Combination of various solid wastes with fragmented limestone as filler for constructed wetlands used for wastewater treatmentPublication . Mateus, D. M. R.; Graça, Nuno; Alves, Ana; Pinho, Henrique J. O.This study aims to contribute to the development of eco-efficient constructed wetlands through the concept of circular economy and the use of waste to treat waste Combinations of five solid wastes were evaluated as filler materials for CWs used for wastewater treatment To evaluate the combined capability of the waste materials to wastewater treatment, five sets of unplanted lab-scale CWs were established The CWs were operated in a discontinuous mode for three successive fill and drain cycles The highest COD removal rate was obtained for a CW filled with limestone and cork waste 90.3+/-0.9%. The highest total nitrogen removal rate was obtained for a CW filled with limestone and clay brick fragments 84.8+/-0.1%. Total phosphorus removal percentage of 91.8+/-0.1% was achieved for a control CW filled with limestone It was observed that layer packed solid waste combination fillings are adequate in improving COD removal in limestone based CWs, and that all but the limestone snail shells filling have a very good performance for total nitrogen and total phosphorus removal from wastewater.
- Net Zero Energy for Industrial and Commercial Microgrids: Approaches and ChallengesPublication . Bandeiras, Filipe; Gomes, Mário; Coelho, Paulo; Fernandes, JoséThis paper addresses the concept of net zero energy and net metering in efficient buildings in order to assist in the study and development of future microgrids for buildings with annual zero energy consumption. There are several definitions for zero energy buildings available in the literature with a distinct set of project goals and interests, but this work is focused on the definition that accounts for energy losses by converting each energy type to source energy. Finally, a case study is presented to evaluate whether four distinct all-electric buildings can achieve annual zero energy by deploying on-site renewable sources within their site boundary.
- Solid Waste Mixtures as Constructed Wetlands Filling: Effect of Hydraulic Loading Rate on Nutrient Removal from WastewaterPublication . Pinho, Henrique J. O.; Alves, Ana; Graça, Nuno; Mateus, D. M. R.This study aims to contribute to constructed wetlands’ (CWs) eco-efficiency by applying the concepts of circular economy and waste to treat waste. Five sets of lab-scale CWs with different combinations of filling materials were evaluated and the effect of the hydraulic loading rate (HLR) on the nutrient removal efficiencies was studied. Each CW set consisted of two, duplicate, plastic pots with solid waste filling supporting Phragmites australis macrophyte plants. The filling materials were layer combinations of limestone rock fragments, a waste from construction activities, and one of four other solid wastes: cork granulates from the cork industry (LCG); snail shells from the food and catering industry (LSS); coal slag from coal power plants (LCS); and clay brick fragments from construction activities (LBF). A reference set (LO) was filled only with limestone fragments. The CWs were operated using a low-strength wastewater in successive fill-and-drain cycles with a retention time of one to eight days and a one-day rest. Their removal efficiency was evaluated for COD, total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN). All four CWs with mixed filling showed COD removal efficiencies higher than the reference CW and above 79%. The highest removal efficiency was achieved by the LCS CW (91 to 97%). The reference LO CW showed the highest TP removal efficiency. With exception of the LSS CW, the mixed filling CWs showed removal efficiencies close to the reference CW (above 55%). All but the LSS CW showed higher TN removal efficiencies than the reference CW (above 51%). The observed effect of HLR depends on the type of CW. The effect on COD, TP and TN removal efficiencies averaged 9%, 15% and 20%, respectively, for a range of HLR from 0.005 to 0.087 m/day. From this study it can be concluded that all tested layer-packed mixed solid waste fillings are adequate substrate combinations for nutrient removal from wastewater. Moreover, high nutrient removal efficiencies were maintained over a wide range of hydraulic loading rates. This innovative combination of waste materials can improve the CW adaptability to specific types of wastewater and contribute to reducing solid waste disposal in landfills.
- VITASENIOR-MT: a telehealth solution for the elderly focused on the interaction with TVPublication . Pires, Gabriel; Frazão Correia, Pedro; Jorge, Dário; Mendes, Diogo; Gomes, Nelson; Dias, Pedro; Ferreira, Pedro; Lopes, Ana; Manso, António; Almeida, Luis; Lopes de Oliveira, Luís Miguel; Panda, Renato; Monteiro, Paulo; Grácio, Carla; Pereira, TelmoRemote monitoring of health parameters is a promising approach to improve the health condition and quality of life of particular groups of the population, which can also alleviate the current expenditure and demands of healthcare systems. The elderly, usually affected by chronic comorbidities, are a specific group of the population that can strongly benefit from telehealth technologies, allowing them to reach a more independent life, by living longer in their own homes. Usability of telehealth technologies and their acceptance by end-users are essential requirements for the success of telehealth implementation. Older people are resistant to new technologies or have difficulty in using them due to vision, hearing, sensory and cognition impairments. In this paper, we describe the implementation of an IoT-based telehealth solution designed specifically to address the elderly needs. The end-user interacts with a TV-set to record biometric parameters, and to receive warning and recommendations related to health and environmental sensor recordings. The familiarization of older people with the TV is expected to provide a more user-friendly interaction ensuring the effectiveness integration of the end-user in the overall telehealth solution.
- Vitasenior - MT : VitaboxPublication . Gomes, Nelson Miguel Pereira; Pires, Gabriel Pereira; Manso, António Manuel RodriguesA monitorização remota dos parâmetros de saúde é uma abordagem promissora para melhorar o estado de saúde e a qualidade de vida de determinados grupos de população, e que pode também aliviar os gastos dos sistemas de saúde. Os idosos, geralmente afetados por problemas crónicos, são um grupo específico da população que pode beneficiar fortemente das tecnologias de tele-saúde, permitindo-lhes alcançar uma vida mais independente, vivendo mais tempo nas suas próprias casas. O trabalho desenvolvido neste projeto insere-se no projeto de I&D VITASENIOR-MT que tem por objetivo a implementação de um sistema de tele-saúde e teleassistência dirigido à população idosa. O projeto VITASENIOR-MT é constituído por várias partes, nomeadamente, 1) uma rede de sensores para monitorização ambiental da casa do utilizador, 2) um módulo (VITABOX) que gere a interação do utilizador com equipamentos médicos através da televisão usando o comando remoto, e que agrega todos os dados biométricos e ambientais e os reencaminha para o servidor da cloud; e 3) um sistema de informação que armazena todos os dados de todos os sistemas colocados nas várias habitações e os disponibiliza aos vários intervenientes do sistema (utilizador, cuidador e médico). Este projeto de Mestrado focou-se no desenvolvimento do módulo VITABOX. Baseado na tecnologia Nodejs, implementou-se um sistema que faz a interação com a TV através do protocolo HDMI-CEC e recebe ordens do comando remoto da TV; comunica com equipamentos biométricos (medidor de pressão arterial, balança, pulsómetro, batimento cardíaco, medição de glucose) através de Bluetooth; adquire dados ambientais da rede de sensores; disponibiliza graficamente e com áudio-descrição os dados biométricos e ambientais recolhidos. O funcionamento e usabilidade do sistema foram testados com sucesso em ambiente laboratorial e por grupos de participantes, sendo os resultados muito satisfatórios. O sistema encontra-se ainda em fase de otimização de funcionalidades e será colocado em ambiente de teste real brevemente.
- Tracer experiments with lithium chloride to evaluate the hydrodynamics of constructed wetlands. Comparison of alternative analytical methodsPublication . Pinho, Henrique J. O.; Mateus, D. M. R.; Alves, Ana; Graça, NunoThe characterization of water flow dynamics (hydrodynamics) through constructed wetlands is relevant for optimizing wastewater treatment. Although constructed wetlands consist of simple systems, the water flow is complex and irregular, therefore, the study of hydrodynamics requires the use of experimental technics such as tracer experiments. To evaluate the effects of the use of three different analytical methods to compute the concentration of lithium chloride on the main hydrodynamics parameters, tracer experiments were conducted in ten independent lab-scale constructed wetlands. The concentration of lithium chloride in the output flow of the wetlands was calculated by flame photometry, electrical conductivity using a calibration curve and electrical conductivity using the salt molar conductivity. The paired samples T-test or the non-parametric Wilcoxon’s Signed-Ranks test were used to demonstrate that the computed hydraulic retention time and the number of tanks accordingly with the tanks-in-series model were not significantly affected by the selected analytical method.