Nearly 250,000 sites with past and present potentially polluting activities need urgent remediation within Europe. Major pollutants include organochlorines (OCls), e.g. chlorinated ethenes (CEs) and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), mainly used as industrial solvents and pesticides, respectively. Due to improper handling and disposal, OCls contaminants are present in the soil or groundwater surrounding sites, where they have been produced or used. CEs and HCHs can undergo degradation by microorganisms indigenous to the soil or groundwater. Therefore natural attenuation (NA), relying on the in situ biodegradation of pollutants, is considered as a cost effective remediation strategy, yet it requires accurate monitoring methods. Compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is a powerful tool to provide information on the extent of degradation and, when combining two isotope systems (2D-CSIA), such as carbon (δ13C) and chlorine (δ37Cl), on reaction mechanisms. The diagnostic reaction-specific isotope enrichment factors (εC and εCl) were determined in laboratory experiments for the anaerobic degradation of PCE, TCE (Paper II) and α-HCH (Paper III) by mixed bacterial cultures enriched from CEs and HCHs contaminated sites, respectively. The related mechanism-specific εCl/εC ratios were calculated as 0.35 ± 0.11 (PCE), 0.37 ± 0.11 (TCE) and 0.52 ± 0.23 (α-HCH). These values are smaller than previously reported values for pure cultures. This is explained by the microbial community composition changes observed during degradation of PCE and α-HCH, which also reflect the variability of the microbial community at the field level. Furthermore, εCl/εC ratio might be bacteria specific. These values allowed the estimation of the extent of contaminant degradation at the respective study sites (Paper III and IV). Application of both isotope systems (δ13C and δ37Cl) led to comparable estimates. However the choice of representative ε values is crucial for an accurate assessment. These studies show that CSIA is useful to quantify in situ degradation of OCls contaminants and identify reaction pathways, by combining δ13C and δ37Cl. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Submitted. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p>

Source water protection planning (SWPP) is an approach to prevent contamination of ground and surface water in watersheds where these resources may be abstracted for drinking or used for recreation. For SWPP the hazards within a watershed that could contribute to water contamination are identified together with the pathways that link them to the water resource. In rural areas, farms are significant potential sources of pathogens. A risk-based index can be used to support the assessment of the potential for contamination following guidelines on safety and operational efficacy of processes and practices developed as beneficial approaches to agricultural land management. Evaluation of the health risk for a target population requires knowledge of the strength of the hazard with respect to the pathogen load (mass concentration). Manure handling and on-site wastewater treatment systems form the most important hazards, and both can comprise confined and unconfined source elements. There is also a need to understand the modification of pathogen numbers (attenuation) together with characteristics of the established pathways (surface or subsurface), which allow the movement of the contaminant species from a source to a receptor (water source). Many practices for manure management have not been fully evaluated for their impact on pathogen survival and transport in the environment. A key component is the identification of potential pathways of contaminant transport. This requires the development of a suitable digital elevation model of the watershed for surface movement and information on local groundwater aquifer systems for subsurface flows. Both require detailed soils and geological information. The pathways to surface and groundwater resources can then be identified. Details of land management, farm management practices(including animal and manure management) and agronomic practices have to be obtained, possibly from questionnaires completed by each producer within the watershed. To confirm that potential pathways are active requires some microbial source tracking. One possibility is to identify the molecular types of Escherichia coli present in each hazard on a farm. An essential part of any such index is the identification of mitigation strategies and practices that can reduce the magnitude of the hazard or block open pathways.

No description available.

No description available.

Power system harmonics and interharmonics are power quality concerns that have received a great deal of attention in recent years. These phenomena can have several adverse effects on power system operation. The main harmonic and interharmonic sources are devices based on power electronics. An emerging class of harmonic sources is comprised of power electronic-based home appliances. These appliances are dispersed throughout the low-voltage distribution system, and their collective impact can result in unacceptable levels of voltage distortion. The characterization of home appliances based on their harmonic currents is an important step toward understanding the impact of these devices. This thesis presents an evaluation of the relative severity of the harmonic currents from these devices, and the impact of the disparity of the harmonic current phase angles. Typically, the voltage supplied to each harmonic source is already distorted. This distortion causes a change of the harmonic current magnitudes (traditionally referred to as the attenuation effect). Common harmonic analysis methods cannot take this variation into account because they use a typical harmonic current source model specified by a supply voltage having little or no distortion. This thesis characterizes the harmonic attenuation effect of power electronic-based appliances. One of the findings is that harmonic amplification, rather than attenuation, can occur under credible voltage conditions. This finding had not been made previously. In order to include the harmonic attenuation/amplification in appliance modeling, a measurement-based harmonic modeling technique is proposed. One of the most economic and effective ways to mitigate harmonics in power systems is through the use of harmonic shunt passive filters. These filters can be of many topologies. Selecting these topologies is a task that, today, depends on the experience and judgment of the filter designer. An investigation is carried out on the common filter topologies, and the most cost-effective topologies for mitigating harmonics are identified. As many of the larger harmonic loads also generate interharmonics, interharmonics have become prevalent in today’s medium-voltage distribution system. Mitigation cannot be carried out until the interharmonic-source location is known. A method for interharmonic source determination is proposed and then verified through simulation and field measurement studies.

Cette thèse est consacrée à une analyse approfondie de la capacité des "réseaux de neurones artificiels" (RNA) à la prédiction des mouvements sismiques. Un premier volet important concerne la dérivation par RNA de "GMPE" (équations de prédiction du mouvement du sol) et la comparaison des performances ainsi obtenues avec celles des GMPE "classiques" obtenues sur la base de régressions empiriques avec une forme fonctionnelle préétablie (plus ou moins complexe). Pour effectuer l’étude comparative et obtenir les deux composnates inter-événement « betweeen-event » et intra-événement « within-event » de la variabilité aléatoire, nous intégrons l’algorithme du « modèle à effets aléatoires » à l’approche neuronale. Cette approche est testée sur différents jeux de données réelles et synthétiques : la base de données compilée à partir d'événements européens, méditerranéens et du Moyen-Orient (RESORCE : Reference database for Seismic grOund-motion pRediction in Europe), la base de données NGA-West 2 (Next Generation Attenuation West 2 développée aux USA), la base de données japonaise dérivée du réseau accélérométrique KiK-net. En outre, un set de données synthétiques provenant d'une approche par simulation stochastique est utilisé. Les paramètres du mouvement du sol les plus utilisés en génie parasismique (PGA, PGV, spectres de réponse et également, dans certains cas, les fonctions d'amplification locales) sont considérés. Les modèles neuronaux ainsi obtenus, complètement dirigés par les données « data-driven », nous renseignent sur les influences respectives et éventuellement couplées de l’atténuation avec la distance, de l'effet d’échelle lié à la magnitude, des conditions de site et notamment la présence éventuelle de non-linéarités. Un autre volet important est consacré à l'utilisation des RNA pour tester la pertinence de différents proxies de site, au travers de leur capacité à réduire la variabilité aléatoire des prédictions de mouvement du sol. Utilisés individuellement ou en couple, ces proxies de site décrivent de manière plus ou moins détaillée l'influence des conditions de site locales sur le mouvement sismique. Dans ce même volet, nous amorçons également une étude des liens entre les aspects non-linéaire de la réponse de site, et les différents proxies de site. Le troisième volet se concentre sur certain effets liés à la source : analyse de l’influence du style de la faille sismique sur le mouvement du sol, ainsi qu'une approche indirecte de la dépendance entre la magnitude et la chute de contrainte sismique. / This thesis is devoted to an in-depth analysis of the ability of "Artificial Neural Networks" (ANN) to achieve reliable ground motion predictions. A first important aspect concerns the derivation of "GMPE" (Ground Motion Prediction Equations) with an ANN approach, and the comparison of their performance with those of "classical" GMGEs derived on the basis of empirical regressions with pre-established, more or less complex, functional forms. To perform such a comparison involving the two "betweeen-event" and "within-event" components of the random variability, we adapt the algorithm of the "random effects model" to the neural approach. This approach is tested on various, real and synthetic, datasets: the database compiled from European, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern events (RESORCE: Reference database for Seismic grOund-motion pRediction in Europe), the database NGA West 2 (Next Generation Attenuation West 2 developed in the USA), and the Japanese database derived from the KiK-net accelerometer network. In addition, a comprehensive set of synthetic data is also derived with a stochastic simulation approach. The considered ground motion parameters are those which are most used in earthquake engineering (PGA, PGV, response spectra and also, in some cases, local amplification functions). Such completely "data-driven" neural models, inform us about the respective, and possibly coupled, influences of the amplitude decay with distance, the magnitude scaling effects, and the site conditions, with a particular focus on the detection of non-linearities in site response. Another important aspect is the use of ANNs to test the relevance of different site proxies, through their ability to reduce the random variability of ground motion predictions. The ANN approach allows to use such site proxies either individually or combined, and to investigate their respective impact on the various characteristics of ground motion. The same section also includes an investigation on the links between the non-linear aspects of the site response and the different site proxies. Finally, the third section focuses on a few source-related effects: analysis of the influence of the "style of faulting" on ground motion, and, indirectly, the dependence between magnitude and seismic stress drop.

O desenvolvimento de pesquisas relativas ao comportamento das estruturas offshore são de fundamental importância para as atividades de exploração de petróleo a fim de permitir uma análise mais precisa do desempenho do sistema de ancoragem. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o comportamento das linhas de ancoragem submetidas a esforços de tração bem como avaliar e quantificar a atenuação das cargas ao longo do trecho enterrado determinando assim as forças que efetivamente chegam à estaca torpedo. Inicialmente foram projetados e construídos os equipamentos, em modelo reduzido, para a realização dos ensaios experimentais de carregamento estático conduzidos na escala de 1:40. As argilas empregadas nos ensaios foram produzidas em laboratório com o objetivo de obter um solo com propriedades físicas similares à da argila típica do leito marinho, a partir da mistura caulim, bentonita e água, sendo definida a composição em massa seca de 85% de caulim, 15% de bentonita e teores de 100% de umidade para a mistura denominada como argila A, e 120% de umidade para a mistura referida como argila B. Após a caracterização geotécnica concluiu-se que a argila B se assemelha às condições de campo. A força que chega ao ponto de ancoragem, equivalente ao que seria o ponto de fixação da amarra ao torpedo, foi medida experimentalmente através de uma célula de carga para duas componentes (vertical e horizontal) instalada no piso do tanque. A catenária invertida formada pela amarra foi registrada em alguns pontos não visíveis através de um sensor por ultrassom. O carregamento da linha de ancoragem foi produzido para diferentes ângulos de incidência, em ciclos de carga e descarga. Os resultados mostram que, mesmo em uma abordagem estática, flutuações de carga na linha de ancoragem não são inteiramente transmitidas ao ponto de ancoragem (torpedo), sendo parcialmente absorvidas ao longo do trecho enterrado da amarra. A atenuação de carga na argila A foi de 24%, enquanto que a atenuação apresentada na argila B variou entre 14 %, 6% e tendendo a 0 nos ensaios realizados respectivamente nas alturas de solo de 72 cm, 48 cm e 24 cm. Verificou-se também que a qualidade dos critérios de similaridade inicialmente adotados foi satisfatória. / The research development on the behavior of offshore structures is fundamentaly important for the exploration of oil in order to allow a more precise analysis of the performance of offshore mooring systems. In this sense, the present work aims to analyze the behavior of embedded mooring lines subjected to tensile stresses and to evaluate and quantify the attenuation of loads along the stretch buried thus determining the forces that effectively reach the torpedo pile. Initially, the equipment were designed and built, in a reduced model, so the experimental tests of conducted static load on the scale of 1:40 could be conducted. The clays used in the tests were produced in the laboratory in order to obtain a soil with similar physical properties to the typical clay seabed, from mixing kaolin, bentonite and water, the composition being set on dry matter of 85% kaolin 15% bentonite content and 100% humidity for mixing clay called as A, and 120% humidity for mixing said clay as B. After geotechnical characterization, it was found that the clay B is similar to field conditions. The force that reaches the anchor point, equivalent to what would be the point of attachment of mooring the torpedo, was experimentally measured by a load cell for two components (vertical and horizontal) installed on the floor of the tank. The reverse catenary formed by the embedded mooring line was recorded in some not visible spots through an ultrasound sensor. The load of the anchor line has been produced for different incidence angles, in loading and unloading cycles. The results show that, even in a static approach, load fluctuations in the anchor line are not fully transmitted to the anchor point (torpedo). Partially absorbed along the stretch of mooring buried. The attenuation of the load on the clay A was 24%, while the attenuation shown in clay B ranged from 14%, 6% and approaches 0 in the tests performed respectively on the ground heights of 72 cm, 48 cm and 24 cm. It was also found that the quality of similarity criteria adopted initially was satisfactory.

A crescente utilização de plataformas flutuantes na atividade de exploração de petróleo vem exigindo desenvolvimento de estudos relacionados a novas técnicas de execução e metodologias de projetos de fundações em ambiente marinho. A presente pesquisa é continuação do trabalho desenvolvido por Rocha (2014) e tem como objetivo: estudar a atenuação de cargas dinâmicas no trecho da linha de ancoragem embutida no solo, através de experimentos em modelos reduzidos com solos argilosos. Os ensaios foram realizados em laboratório a partir de um sistema de carregamento dinâmico capaz de produzir vibração com faixas de aceleração e frequência desejadas. Para atingir os objetivos da pesquisa foram abordados os conceitos da carga dinâmica, reologia e tixotropia. Foram realizados ensaios em solos argilosos com teores de umidade em torno de 120%, obtidos a partir de misturas no laboratório de caulim (85% em massa seca), bentonita (15% em massa seca) e água, com a finalidade de obter um solo argiloso com propriedades geotécnicas similares às dos solos offshore prospectados pela Petrobras. Os ensaios de mini palheta e extração de umidade ao longo da profundidade permitiram concluir que os valores da resistência não drenada da argila crescem com profundidade, enquanto o teor de umidade decresce, sendo que a resistência ao cisalhamento não-drenada guarda similaridade em relação às condições de campo. Na realização dos ensaios de carregamentos estáticos e dinâmicos realizados com variação do ângulo de referência de 0º a 55º foram utilizadas duas células de cargas para medir as forças aplicadas no touch down point e no ponto de ancoragem. Os resultados obtidos nesses ensaios mostraram atenuação de carga devido à força de reação (atrito) gerada pelo solo na interface solo-corrente, quando a massa do solo envolvente é sujeita a grandes deformações. Observou-se que a magnitude de atenuação estática varia de 12,9 a 18,3% e depende da variação de profundidade de embutimento da estaca (comprimento da linha de ancoragem), do ângulo de referência, da resistência não drenada da argila e do nível de força de pré-tração aplicada, enquanto que no ensaio de carregamento dinâmico verificou-se que os valores de atenuação normalizada de cargas dinâmicas situam-se na faixa de 24 a 26% e são levemente influenciados pela variação da força de pré-tração e frequência de vibração devido à parcela viscosa da argila. / The increasing use of floating platforms for oil exploration activity has required development of studies related to new techniques and methodologies for foundation design in the marine environment. This research is the continuation of the work of Rocha (2014) and aims: to study the attenuation of dynamic loads in buried mooring lines through experiments in reduced scale models in clay deposits. The tests were performed in the laboratory from a system of dynamic loading that is able to produce vibration within desirable ranges of acceleration and frequency. The concepts of dynamic loading, rheology and thixotropy are discussed in order of evaluating the properties of the clay. Tests were conducted on clay soils with moisture content of about 120% obtained from laboratory mixtures of kaolin (85% dry matter), bentonite (15% dry matter) and water, in order to obtain a clay soil with geotechnical properties similar to those of offshore fields prospected by Petrobras. The mini vane tests and water content of specimens showed that the values undrained shear strength increase with increasing depth, while the moisture content decreases. In carrying out static and dynamic loading tests performed on reference angles ranging from 0° to 55° two cell loads were used to measure the forces applied at the touch down point and at the anchor point. The results obtained in these tests showed load attenuation due to the reaction forces (friction) generated by the soil along the soil-stream interface, when the mass of the surrounding soil is subjected to large deformations. It was observed that the magnitude of the static attenuation varies from 12.9 to 18.3%, the variation being a function of depth of cutting mounting (anchoring line length), reference angle, undrained shear strength of the clay and level of pre-applied tensile force, while the dynamic loading tests were found to give normalized attenuation values of dynamic loads in the range of 24 to 26%. Under dynamic loading, attenuation is slightly influenced by variation of tensile force and frequency of vibration due the viscous efects of the clay.

As reservas de petróleo e gás estão localizadas cada vez mais longe da costa e em águas profundas e ultra profundas, o que faz necessário a utilização de estruturas flutuantes, as quais estão sujeitas às forças impostas por condições ambientais, tais como vento, ondas e correntes marítimas. É portanto relevante o estudo de sistemas de ancoragem de estrutura flutuantes, sendo estes responsáveis pelo posicionamento da plataforma, garantindo segurança às operações realizada. Este é o objetivo do presente trabalho, que diz respeito a um estudo numérico do comportamento do trecho enterrado da linha de ancoragem de plataformas flutuantes de extração, produção e/ou armazenamento de petróleo. O sistema de ancoragem estudado é do tipo taut-leg, recomendado para lâminas de água superiores a 1000m. Este tipo de ancoragem pode ser dividido em três partes, um trecho suspenso que vai da plataforma até o leito marinho, um trecho apoiado sobre o leito marinho e um terceiro segmento que penetra no solo junto com a âncora, o qual adquire a forma de uma catenária invertida. Este tipo de sistema chega ao leito marinho com inclinações entre 30 e 45° e é capaz de resistir a esforços horizontais e verticais. O objetivo deste estudo é analisar os parâmetros envolvidos, as forças atuantes e a configuração do trecho em catenária invertida, através de análise numérica para os experimentos realizados em laboratório em escala reduzida. Os ensaios experimentais realizados por Rocha (2014) consistiram na aplicação de um conjunto de forças no trecho da linha de ancoragem que simula o encontro da corrente com o leito marinho, medindo-se as cargas no ponto que representa o olhal onde a corrente é fixada à âncora. A configuração da linha no trecho enterrado era obtida através de um ultrassom. Neste trabalho foi feita retro-análise numérica dos resultados obtidos experimentalmente a fim de se determinar os parâmetros que definem o equilíbrio do trecho enterrado da linha de ancoragem. Esses parâmetros foram validados para diferentes carregamentos, respeitando as configurações do solo e da corrente, através de um conjunto de equações diferenciais e do software DIGIN. Com base nas análises são quantificados a atenuação do sistema e os parâmetros de capacidade de carga e adesão que controlam o processo de transferência de cargas. / Oil and gas reserves are located offshore, in deep and ultra deep waters and for this reason the use of floating structures becomes necessary. Those structures are subject to forces imposed by environmental conditions such as wind, waves and sea currents. It is therefore relevant to study the anchoring of floating structure systems, as it is responsible for positioning the platform and ensuring security operations. This is the aim of the present research efforts, which describes a numerical study of the behavior of the embedded portion of systems designed to anchor the floating platform during extraction, production and/or storage of oil. The taut-leg mooring system is the one studied herein, which is recommended for water depth beyond 1000m. This type of mooring system can be divided in three parts, one part that runs from the suspended platform to the seabed, a slice resting on the seabed and a third segment that penetrates the soil together with the anchor, which takes the form of a inverse catenary. This type of mooring system reaches the seabed at angles of 30° to 45 ° and is able to resist horizontal and vertical forces. The objective of this study is to analyze the parameters involved in the anchor system, the forces acting at the inverse catenary and its configuration through numerical analysis of small-scale laboratory experiments. Experimental tests conducted by Rocha (2014) consisted of applying a set of forces on the a chain that simulates the embedded portion of the anchor line, from the seabed to the shank attachment point, using a load cell located at a point that represents the lug throw in which the chain is connected to the anchor. The configuration of the embedded portion of anchor line was obtained through an ultrasound. In this study the experimental results were numerically back analyzed in order to determine the parameters that define the equilibrium of the embedded slice of the anchor line. These parameters were validated for various loads in compliance with both soil resistance and the configuration of the chain through a set of differential equations and DIGIN software. Based on this analysis, the attenuation of the system is quantified and the parameters controlling of load capacity and adherence are obtained.

Na barreira regressiva da Pinheira, são reconhecidos quatro ambientes deposicionais costeiros, caracterizados por parâmetros geológicos como a análise de litofácies, estruturas sedimentares, grau de compactação e conteúdo de moluscos. Informações que são analisadas em conjunto com imagens de dados geofísicos obtidas com o método do Radar de Penetração no Solo (GPR – Ground Penetrating Radar) para determinar esses ambientes. O presente trabalho visa a caracterização destes ambientes deposicionais através da análise da amplitude do sinal em traços de antenas com frequências centrais de 80, 100, 200 e 400 MHz em conjunto com os dados de compactação e litológicos de um furo de sondagem. E também mostra o comportamento da atenuação do sinal em relação a umidade presente no ambiente. A análise dos traços permitiu a identificação dos contatos entre os ambientes já descritos para barreiras regressivas, mostrando variação no valor das amplitudes (decréscimo ou aumento) em conjunto com a variação no grau de compactação, que evidenciam em subsuperfície a mudança entre os ambientes de cordões litorâneos, backshore/foreshore e shoreface superior e inferior. A interferência da umidade na atenuação do sinal nos dados analisados pode ser observada apenas nos primeiros 0,5 m. Demonstrando que a pluviosidade não é um fator de relevância para atenuação do sinal em ambientes arenosos onde o nível da água é próximo a superfície. A análise dos radargramas para todas as antenas, permitiu a identificação dos padrões de refletores já descritos para os ambientes da área de estudo e a antena com frequência central de 200 MHz apresentou maior resolução para a definição de todos os ambientes. / In the Pinheira regressive barrier, four coastal depositional environments are recognized, characterized by geological parameters such as lithofacies analysis, sedimentary structures, compaction degree and set of mollusks. Information that is analyzed together with images of geophysical data obtained with the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) method to determine these environments. The present work aims to characterize these depositional environments by analyzing the signal amplitude in traces with central frequencies antennas of 80, 100, 200 and 400 MHz in conjunction with the compaction and lithological data of a drill hole. It also shows the behavior of signal attenuation in relation to the humidity present in the environment. The analysis of the traces allowed the identification of the contacts between the environments already described for regressive barriers, showing variation in the value of the amplitudes (decrease or increase), together with the variation in the degree of compaction, which evidences in subsurface the change between the environments of foredune ridges, backshore/foreshore and upper and lower shoreface. The interference of humidity in attenuation of the signal in the studied data can be observed only in the first 0.5 m. Rainfall was not relevant for signal attenuation in the studied sandy deposits with water level close to the surface. The analysis of the radargrams for all the antennas allowed the identification of the patterns of reflectors already described for the environments of the study area and the central frequency antenna of 200 MHz showed the highest resolution for the definition of all the environments.