2022
Authors
Cabral, M; Fonseca, TF; Cerveira, A;
Publication
FORESTS
Abstract
The success of forest management towards achieving desired outcomes depends on various factors and can be improved through forest planning based on optimization approaches. Regardless of the owner type (state, private or common land) and/or governance model, the number of owners or management bodies considered in most studies is low, typically involving one owner/management body or a very small group. This study extends the approach of formulating a Forest Management Plan (FMP) to a large forest area, consisting of areas with different management bodies. The FMP model returns the harvest schedule that maximizes the volume of wood harvested during the planning horizon, while ensuring (1) sustainability and environmental constraints at the overall scale and (2) independent revenues for each management body. The FMP is tested in a real forested area, consisting of 22 common lands, governed by local communities for a planning period of 30 years. The results show that our approach is appropriate for several management bodies. When evaluating the impact of grouping areas (and their owner bodies) on the total volume removed, a comparison of the FMP model with an alternative model that allows for independent management (FMP-IND) showed significant differences, in terms of total volume removed at the end of the horizon. Global management leads to a reduction of about 8.6% in the total removed volume; however, it will ensure a heritage of well-diversified stands, in terms of age classes. The results highlight the importance of managing multi-stakeholder forest areas as a whole, instead of being managed independently, if the aim is to assure more sustainable management of forest resources in the mid and long term.
2022
Authors
Ferreira, V; Cerveira, A; Baptista, J;
Publication
Renewable Energy and Power Quality Journal
Abstract
Distribution grids currently face news paradigms where Power Quality (PQ) has become one of the most important aspects for distribution system operators (DSO) and consumers. To ensure a PQ within the limits defined by international standards, there is a permanent need to monitor all parameters associated with the distributed voltage by the grid. This task is carried out using the installation of Power Quality Monitors (PQM) at strategic points of the grid. The main aim of this paper is to define a methodology to optimize the best location for the PQM installation. To achieve this target the Monitor Reach Area (MRA) matrix is calculated and an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) optimization model was used to find the best solution. Two case studies were carried out, in which residual voltage values were observed when three-phase short circuits are applied to all nodes. The results obtained show the good effectiveness of the developed method, presenting solutions that allow the total monitoring of the studied networks, using the smallest possible number of PQMs. In this way, it is possible for the DSO to keep the network monitored in real-time with huge efficiency gains. © 2022, European Association for the Development of Renewable Energy, Environment and Power Quality (EA4EPQ). All rights reserved.
2022
Authors
Jesus, B; Cerveira, A; Baptista, J;
Publication
Renewable Energy and Power Quality Journal
Abstract
Currently, there has been a great development of the wind energy market, which is accompanied by an increase in the number of wind farms at sea, the offshore wind farms. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that efficiency in energy production is maximum and that the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) is minimal. In this paper, a mixed-integer linear programming model (MILP) is proposed to find the best wind farm layout taking into account the wake effect in order to maximize energy production. The design of an offshore wind farm located at the North Sea is considered as a case study, contemplating three situations regarding the number of wind turbines to be installed and to determine the best positioning of them in order to maximize energy production, taking into account the wake effect and the lowest LCOE. © 2022, European Association for the Development of Renewable Energy, Environment and Power Quality (EA4EPQ). All rights reserved.
2022
Authors
Rocha, J; Dominguez, C; Cerveira, A;
Publication
OPTIMIZATION, LEARNING ALGORITHMS AND APPLICATIONS, OL2A 2022
Abstract
Reducing the costs associated with health care services is on the agenda, if possible, improving their quality. The Lean management approach has proven to provide good results in creating value and reducing waste. This paper is based on an exploratory case study in the logistic operations of a Northern Portuguese hospital, focusing on the delivery plans of products needed between the central warehouse and the internal medicine ward. Using PDCA improvement cycles and other lean tools, this study analyzed the actual delivery system, identified inefficiencies, and proposed and evaluated some solutions. The aim was to address different types of waste, such as the time the ward head nurse spent to launch orders and perform the reception/arrangement of the products or the excess of products leaving the central warehouse. Although a daily delivery with a fixed stock level seems to be a good delivery system for a large group of products, the recorded or possible failures have led us to devise an optimization model to improve the deliveries. The preliminary results suggest that a weekly plan with a daily delivery of products (to be repeated every week) is even more optimal, not only because it relieves the head nurse of logistical tasks but also because it takes into account the units of products per package. Although this model can be generalized to other nursing wards, some limitations are addressed, namely its non (daily) standardization, leading to some complexity in its handling by the logistic central warehouse operators.
2022
Authors
Dominguez, C; Cruz, G; Cerveira, A;
Publication
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION IN LEARNING, TEACHING AND EDUCATION, TECH-EDU 2022
Abstract
Teaching project management to engineering students demands realworld experiences in which they can apply and develop work-ready skills, such as critical thinking, empathy, and teamwork. While a shortage of these skills in new graduates is frequently claimed by engineering companies and educational bodies, there is still a lack of higher education research studies on how to foster them through teaching practice. This paper intends to contribute to filling this gap by presenting an exploratory case study research of a Project-Based Learning (PjBL) experience aimed at designing and implementing a professional (re)integration plan for social and economic deprived people (e.g., long/short-term unemployed), who depend on external food supply provided by a non-profit organization called REFOOD. The experience was carried out in Portugal, from February to June 2021, with 7 MSc mechanical engineering students from the University of Trasos-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD). We firstly describe the PjBL experience in terms of the key driving question, the learning goals, the educational activities, the collaboration among students and stakeholders, the scaffolding activities, and the tangible learning artefacts produced. We further discuss the preliminary results of the study from data collected through documental analysis, participant observation, and self-completion questionnaires on students' perceptions of the PjBL experience. Data analysis shows that this experience positively impacted the development of students' project management, empathy, critical thinking, and team-working skills, by mainly having challenged their personal belief systems and biases related to the real-world scenarios they dealt with. Finally, we outline implications for the teaching practice concerning the development of similar PjBL experiences, as well as future research directions.
2022
Authors
Martins, I; Alvelos, F; Cerveira, A; Kaspar, J; Marusak, R;
Publication
INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
Abstract
This study aims at solving a harvesting scheduling optimization problem with constraints on the clearcut area with additional constraints on clearcut proximity. The objective function is defined as the net present value generated by harvesting discounted by a penalty for each clearcut. This problem arises to reduce the negative environmental impact of excessive harvesting. We propose the connected-bucket model, the so-called bucket model with additional constraints on bucket connectivity and two definitions of stand adjacency, and a Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition. The decomposed model is solved by branch-and-price and the connected-bucket model by a general-purpose mixed integer programming solver (CPLEX). We compare the quality of the solutions obtained with both approaches for real instances. The branch-and-price approach found better solutions for the majority of the instances.
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