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[pt] A volatilidade inerente ao mercado de fretes marítimos e as incertezas relacionadas à demanda de transportes prevista contribuem para a complexidade do problema de dimensionamento da frota. Este trabalho aborda o problema da renovação da frota marítima de uma empresa brasileira do setor de óleo e gás, para o transporte, em viagens de cabotagem e longo curso, de derivados de petróleo. Para tal, é apresentado um modelo estocástico de programação inteira-mista de dois estágios para capaz de gerar indicações de contratos de afretamento a serem realizados considerando incertezas nos níveis de mercado de fretes e na previsão de volume movimentado. O modelo é capaz de fornecer composições de frota capazes de atender as especificações do problema, contudo, para os casos analisados, a avaliação das soluções obtidas ao se considerar a incerteza mostrou potencial de ganho pouco significativo em comparação com uma modelagem similar considerando valores esperados dos parâmetros. Este trabalho evidencia uma situação em que é útil a avaliação das soluções Wait-and-See (WS) e Expected Value of Expected Solution (EEV), menos demandantes computacionalmente, para calcular o potencial ganho da solução do modelo estocástico. / [en] The inherent volatility in the maritime freight market and the uncertainties related to the expected transport demand contribute to the complexity of the fleet size and mix problem. This work addresses the problem of the maritime fleet renewal of a Brazilian oil and gas company, for the transportation, in cabotage and international voyages, of oil products. To this end, we present a two-stage stochastic mixed-integer programming model capable of giving recommendations of which chartering contracts to be performed, considering uncertainties in freight market levels and in the forecasted volume movement. The model is able to provide fleet compositions capable of meeting the problem specifications, however, in the evaluated cases, little gain potential was observed by comparing the stochastic solutions to solutions considering expected parameter values. This work highlights a situation in which the evaluation of the computationally less demanding Waitand-See (WS) and Expected Value of Expected Solution (EEV) solutions is useful to calculate the potential gain of the stochastic model solution.

A rapidly growing interest in augmented and virtual reality within industrial areas such as manufacturing, quality control, and fleet monitoring has been seen in the last couple of years. This technology shift could bring a new era to the industry sector in the near future. This study aims to evaluate if using virtual reality can be a more efficient way of monitoring lots of data than a traditional monitor based solution or not. In this study, a virtual reality application has been created in order to provides a virtual environment where operators can access and monitor their assets, which a proof-of-concept digital model represents. The digital model presents information about the components from a physical asset’s current state and status. This VR application was then evaluated in an A/B test against an existing monitor-based dashboard application. The A/B test was conducted with 10 participants performing 11 different tasks. The results show that VR technology could be a promising solution for operating and monitoring fleet unit assets, with an overall improvement in the efficiency of 17% for all of the participants.

[pt] A presente dissertação aborda a análise do contingente atual e futuro da frota terceirizada utilizada pela empresa para a distribuição de óleo lubrificante a granel no Brasil. O objetivo central é propor uma melhor utilização dos recursos logísticos, visando ganhos operacionais e financeiros. Inicialmente, é destacada a importância dos óleos lubrificantes para veículos e equipamentos motorizados e a relevância do mercado de lubrificantes no contexto econômico brasileiro. Uma análise prévia fornecida pela companhia revelou que aproximadamente 55 por cento do valor pago em contrato, valor referente a disponibilidade da frota, às transportadoras não vem sendo revertido em ganhos para a empresa. Evidenciando um gap na eficiência da operação. O objetivo dessa dissertação, portanto, é identificar as demandas e projetar cenários futuros para três propostas principais: reduzir a quantidade de veículos disponíveis, expandir a operação aumentando os volumes vendidos ou aplicar as duas propostas simultaneamente, reduzindo o contingente e aumentando os volumes vendidos. A proposta de expansão do volume vendido no contingente atual indicou um ganho superior à redução da frota, tendo sido considerados diversos custos e receitas, sendo, portanto, a opção recomendada. Este trabalho também contribui para a literatura acadêmica e para a prática empresarial ao fornecer uma visão abrangente sobre a gestão de frota terceirizada no contexto brasileiro de distribuição de óleos lubrificantes. Utilizando metodologias quantitativas, foram fornecidas recomendações práticas para otimizar operações logísticas, melhorando a competitividade e sustentabilidade da empresa. Ao final desse estudo foram observados possíveis estudos futuros, com o objetivo de aprofundar mais sobre o tema. / [en] This dissertation addresses the analysis of the current and future contingent of the outsourced fleet used by the company for the distribution of bulk lubricating oil in Brazil. The main objective is to propose a better use of logistics resources, aiming at operational and financial gains. Initially, the importance of lubricating oils for vehicles and motorized equipment and the relevance of the lubricants market in the Brazilian economic context are highlighted. A previous analysis provided by the company revealed that approximately 55 percent of the amount paid in the contract, the amount referring to the availability of the fleet, to the transporters has not been reverted into gains for the company, highlighting a gap in the efficiency of the program. The objective of this dissertation, therefore, is to identify the demands and project future scenarios for three main proposals: reduce the number of vehicles available, expand the program by increasing the volumes sold or apply both proposals simultaneously, reducing the contingent and increasing the volumes sold. The proposal to expand the volume sold in the current contingent indicated a gain greater than the reduction of the fleet, having considered several costs and revenues, and is, therefore, the recommended option. This work also contributes to the academic literature and business practice by providing a comprehensive overview of outsourced fleet management in the Brazilian context of lubricating oil distribution. Using quantitative methodologies, practical recommendations were provided to optimize logistics operations, improving the company s competitiveness and sustainability. At the end of this study, possible future studies were observed, with the aim of further deepening the topic.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / Over the past several years the United States Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force has been faced with increasing losses of qualified enlisted men. In 1965 the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force had more men leaving the Navy than any other Force in the Navy. Of particular concern was the high loss percentage of first term enlisted men. The Force was faced with a serious internal public relations problem. To combat the problem an internal public relations program was initiated throughout the Force under the title of the "Leadership Career Counseling Program." This thesis studies the Leadership Career Counseling Program. It studies the background leading to the development of the program. It presents, through literature research, a basis for the importance and significance of public relations, particularly for the necessity of a good internal public relations in large organizations. The introduction of the program and its functions are presented. The current instructions concerning the program at each level of command within the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force are studied. The Bureau of Naval Personnel program and the instructor training programs are also investigated. The research is concluded by conducting direct interviews with individuals concerned with the program. All levels of command are investigated. The interviews and findings are reported. From the research the thesis attempts to illustrate how the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force's internal public relations program functions. It compares command level thinking on the public relations program and problems with that of the enlisted man whom the program is attempting to retain. It attempts to illustrate communication channels, the effectiveness of these channels, and if the internal public relations program information passes through these channels. Finally, the thesis attempts to illustrate and develop public relations information which may be of value to the Navy and the public relations profession. / 2999-01-01

The following thesis deals with optimization of freight transport planning. The goal is to minimize expenses connected to transportation, which emerge from travelled distance. The expenses can be heavily reduced, if the routes are correctly planned, especially when there is a large number of customers to be served. This thesis focuses on solving the problem by using the evolutional algorithms, that are optimization methods based on principles of evolution. Thesis concentrates on Heterogeneous Fixed Fleet Vehicle Routing Problem. Thesis introduces multiple evolutional algorithms and their results are compared. The best algorithm, evolutional strategy with local neighbourhood search, achieves similar, for certain tasks even better results, than other existing evolutional algorithms, created to solve given problem.

In today’s world of volatile fuel prices and climate concerns, there is little study on the relation between vehicle ownership patterns and attitudes toward potential policies and vehicle technologies. This work provides new data on ownership decisions and owner preferences under various scenarios, coupled with calibrated models to microsimulate Austin’s household-fleet evolution. Results suggest that most Austinites (63%, population-corrected share) support a feebate policy to favor more fuel efficient vehicles. Top purchase criteria are vehicle purchase price, type/class, and fuel economy (with 30%, 21% and 19% of respondents placing these in their top three). Most (56%) respondents also indicated that they would seriously consider purchasing a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) if it were to cost $6,000 more than its conventional, gasoline-powered counterpart. And many respond strongly to signals on the external (health and climate) costs of a vehicle’s emissions, more strongly than they respond to information on fuel cost savings. 25-year simulations suggest that 19% of Austin’s vehicle fleet could be comprised of Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and PHEVs under adoption of a feebate policy (along with PHEV availability in Year 1 of the simulation, and current gas prices throughout). Under all scenarios vehicle usage levels (in total vehicle miles traveled [VMT]) are predicted to increase overall, along with average vehicle ownership levels (per household, and per capita); and a feebate policy is predicted to raise total regional VMT slightly (just 4.43 percent, by simulation year 25), relative to the trend scenario, while reducing CO2 emissions only slightly (by 3.8 percent, relative to trend). Doubling the trend-case gas price to $5/gallon is simulated to reduce the year-25 vehicle use levels by 17% and CO2 emissions by 22% (relative to trend). Two- and three-vehicle households are simulated to be the highest adopters of HEVs and PHEVs across all scenarios. And HEVs, PHEVs and Smart Cars are estimated to represent a major share of the fleet’s VMT (25%) by year 25 under the feebate scenario. The combined share of vans, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), and cross over utility vehicles (CUVs) is lowest under the feebate scenario, at 35% (versus 47% in Austin’s current household fleet), yet feebate-policy receipts exceed rebates in each simulation year. A 15% reduction in the usage levels of SUVs, CUVs and minivans is observed in the $5/gallon scenario (relative to trend). Mean use levels per vehicle of HEVs and PHEVs are simulated to have a variation of 753 and 495 across scenarios. In the longer term, gas price dynamics, tax incentives, feebates and purchase prices along with new technologies, government-industry partnerships, and more accurate information on range and recharging times (which increase customer confidence in EV technologies) should have even more significant effects on energy dependence and greenhouse gas emissions. / text

Transportation fleet emissions have a dominant role in air quality because of their significant contribution to ozone precursor and greenhouse gas emissions. Regulatory policies have emphasized improvements in vehicle fuel economy, alternative fuel use, and engine and vehicle technologies as approaches for obtaining transportation systems that support sustainable development. This study examined the air quality impacts of the partial electrification of the transportation fleet and the use of biofuels for the Austin Metropolitan Statistical Area under a 2030 vision of regional population growth and urban development using the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions (CAMx). Different strategies were considered including the use of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) with nighttime charging using excess capacity from electricity generation units and the replacement of conventional petroleum fuels with different percentages of the biofuels E85 and B100 along or in combination. Comparisons between a 2030 regional vision of growth assuming a continuation of current development trends (denoted as Envision Central Texas A or ECT A) in the Austin MSA and the electrification and biofuels scenarios were evaluated using different metrics, including changes in daily maximum 1-hour and 8-hour ozone concentrations, total area, time integrated area and total daily population exposure exceeding different 1-hour ozone concentration thresholds. Changes in ozone precursor emissions and predicted carbon monoxide and aldehyde concentrations were also determined for each scenario. Maximum changes in hourly ozone concentration from the use of PHEVs ranged from -8.5 to 2.2 ppb relative to ECT A. Replacement of petroleum based fuels with E85 had a lesser effect than PHEVs on maximum daily ozone concentrations. The maximum reduction due to replacement of 100% of gasoline fuel in light and heavy duty gasoline vehicles by E85 ranged from -2.1 to 2.8 ppb. The magnitude of the effect was sensitive to the biofuel penetration level. Unlike E85, B100 negatively impacted hourly ozone concentrations relative to the 2030 ECT A case. As the replacement level of petroleum-diesel fuel with B100 in diesel vehicles increased, hourly ozone concentrations increased as well. However, changes due to the penetration of B100 were relatively smaller than those due to E85 since the gasoline fraction of the fleet is larger than the diesel fraction. Because of the reductions in NOx emissions associated with E85, the results for the biofuels combination scenario were similar to those for the E85 scenario. Also, the results showed that as the threshold ozone concentration increased, so too did the percentage reductions in total daily population exposure for the PHEV, E85, and biofuel combination scenarios relative to ECT A. The greatest reductions in population exposure under higher threshold ozone concentrations were achieved with the E85 100% and 17% PHEV with EGU controls scenarios, while the B100 scenarios resulted in greater population exposure under higher threshold ozone concentrations. / text