Today, worldwide business communities are in the era of the Supply Chains. A Supply Chain is a collection of several independent enterprises that partner together to achieve specific goals. These enterprises may plan, source, produce, deliver, or transport materials to satisfy an immediate or projected market demand, and may provide the after sales support, warranty services, and returns. Each enterprise in the Supply Chain has roles and elements. The roles include supplier, customer, or carrier and the elements include functional units, processes, information, information resources, materials, objects, decisions, practices, and performance measures. Each enterprise, individually, manages these elements in addition to their flows, their interdependencies, and their complex interactions. Since a Supply Chain brings several enterprises together to complement each other to achieve a unified goal, the elements in each enterprise have to complement each other and have to be managed together as one unit to achieve the unified goal efficiently. Moreover, since there are a large number of elements to be defined and managed in a single enterprise, then the number of elements to be defined and managed when considering the whole Supply Chain is massive. The supply chain community is using the Supply Chain Operations Reference model (SCOR model) to define their supply chains. However, the SCOR model methodology is limited in defining the supply chain. The SCOR model defines the supply chain in terms of processes, performance metrics, and best practices. In fact, the supply chain community, SCOR users in particular, exerts massive effort to render an adequate supply chain definition that includes the other elements besides the elements covered in the SCOR model. Also, the SCOR model is delivered to the user in a document, which puts a tremendous burden on the user to use the model and makes it difficult to share the definition within the enterprise or across the supply chain. This research is directed towards overcoming the limitations and shortcomings of the current supply chain definition methodology. This research proposes a methodology and a tool that will enable an automated and comprehensive definition of the Supply Chain at any level of details. The proposed comprehensive definition methodology captures all the constituent parts of the Supply Chain at four different levels which are, the supply chain level, the enterprise level, the elements level, and the interaction level. At the Supply Chain level, the various enterprises that constitute the supply chain are defined. At the enterprise level, the enterprise elements are identified. At the enterprises' elements level, each element in the enterprise is explicitly defined. At the interaction level, the flows, interdependence, and interactions that exist between and within the other three levels are identified and defined. The methodology utilized several modeling techniques to generate generic explicit views and models that represents the four levels. The developed views and models were transformed to a series of questions and answers, where the questions correspond to what a view provides and the answers are the knowledge captured and generated from the view. The questions and answers were integrated to render a generic multi-view of the supply chain. The methodology and the multi-view were implemented in an ontology-based tool. The ontology includes sets of generic supply chain ontological components that represent the supply chain elements and a set of automated procedures that can be utilized to define a specific supply chain. A specific supply chain can be defined by re-using the generic components and customizing them to the supply chain specifics. The ontology-based tool was developed to function in the supply chain dynamic, information intensive, geographically dispersed, and heterogeneous environment. To that end, the tool was developed to be generic, sharable, automated, customizable, extensible, and scalable.

The content of the thesis consists of a description of constructivist teaching of the topic of percentage in the primary school, that is the teaching in which not the teacher, but the pupil is in the center. The principles of constructivist teaching and the learning process in terms of the theory of generic models are described on the basis of literature. In accordance with these principles, a number of textbooks have been analyzed, in which the the topic of percentage is introduced, and experimental teaching based on the above principles has been prepared. Experimental teaching was realized in two classes of the 7th grade with a different experience with the teaching of mathematics in their 6th grade. The main goal of the work was to prepare, implement, describe and evaluate the teaching of percentage based on pupils' activity and their individual discovery. The lessons have been described and evaluated on the basis of audio recordings, notes from the lessons, records of pupilss solutions, interviews, notes and interviews with a teacher assistant, pre-tests and post-tests. The lessons were analyzed mainly in terms of pupils' involvement in teaching, their discoveries and knowledge acquisition, including its anchoring in the knowledge structure. In both classes, part of the pupils managed to find a...

The thesis deals with constructivist approaches to teaching mathematics in lower secondary school, which means that a pupil is the centre of learning process. Based on study of literature, textbook analysis, and, in particular, in accordance with the theory of generic models as a theory describing way to build pupils' knowledge, a teaching experiment was prepared, focusing on the area of triangle and parallelogram. Experimental lessons were realized in two 7 grade classes with different experience with being taught mathematics at the elementary school. One class was taught by a highly instructive series of textbooks, while the second by textbooks which respected the principles of constructivism aimed at pupils and allowed individualization of learning process. The main objective of the thesis is to describe the experimental education in both classes and evaluate it from two perspectives. First of all, qualitatively, by analysing video recordings of lessons, pupils' solutions, notes from lessons, print screens from interactive whiteboard, but also by examining attendance sheets from teachers observing some lessons. In the second case, quantitatively, based on pre- and post- tests. The qualitative analysis is mainly focused on key discoveries and didactical situations in teaching and on an assessment...

The Aw-Rascle-Zhang (ARZ) model has become a favorable ``second order" macroscopic traffic model, which corrects several shortcomings of the Payne-Whitham (PW) model. The ARZ model possesses a family of flow rate versus density (FD) curves, rather than a single one as in the ``first order" Lighthill-Whitham-Richards (LWR) model. This is more realistic especially during congested traffic state, where the historic fundamental diagram data points are observed to be set-valued. However, the ARZ model also possesses some obvious shortcomings, e.g., it assumes multiple maximum traffic densities which should be a ``property" of road. Instead, we propose a Generalized ARZ (GARZ) model under the generic framework of ``second order" macroscopic models to overcome the drawbacks of the ARZ model. A systematic approach is presented to design generic ``second order" models from historic data, e.g., we construct a family of flow rate curves by fitting with data. Based on the GARZ model, we then propose a phase-transition-like model that allows the flow rate curves to coincide in the free flow regime. The resulting model is called Collapsed GARZ (CGARZ) model. The CGARZ model keeps the flavor of phase transition models in the sense that it assume a single FD function in the free-flow phase. However, one should note that there is no real phase transition in the CGARZ model. To investigate to which extent the new generic ``second order" models (GARZ, CGARZ) improve the prediction accuracy of macroscopic models, we perform a comparison of the proposed models with two types of LWR models and their ``second order" generalizations, given by the ARZ model, via a three-detector problem test. In this test framework, the initial and boundary conditions are derived from real traffic data. In terms of using historic traffic data, a statistical technique, the so-called kernel density estimation, is applied to obtain density and velocity distributions from trajectory data, and a cubic interpolation is employed to formulate boundary condition from single-loop sensor data. Moreover, a relaxation term is added to the momentum equation of selected ``second order" models to address further unrealistic aspects of homogeneous models. Using these inhomogeneous ``second order" models, we study which choices of the relaxation term &tau are realistic. / Mathematics

This thesis is concerned with a constructivist approach to the introduction of the cosine and sine theorems at the secondary school. The aim was to develop recommendations for teaching which are based on the idea of motivating teaching cosine and sine theorems. This approach is based on available literature and builds on experience from my own teaching of this topic. By motivating teaching, I mean an approach that is consistent with the principles of constructivism and emphasizes pupils' active learning. Current textbooks for secondary schools were analyzed from a mathematical and didactic point of view. The aim of this analysis is to describe how the topic is elaborated in publications available to teachers, and to get inspiration for my own approach. My own teaching approach was based on the theory of generic models and has been implemented in two classes of the secondary grammar school. Data collected during teaching cosine and sine theorems (video recordings of lessons, field notes from teaching and pupil artifacts) were analyzed in a qualitative way. The thesis describes the teaching in detail, with an emphasis on key phases of the discovery of the two theorems. Pupils' involvement in this process is closely followed. Where teaching did not work as planned, possible reasons are found and...

Diante da crescente penetração da energia elétrica gerada por unidades eólicas no sistema elétrico de inúmeros países, a presente dissertação de mestrado investiga os problemas de estabilidade transitória, para geradores síncronos, de estabilidade de tensão, para geradores síncronos e aerogeradores e de estabilidade de velocidade, para aerogeradores, em sistemas de transmissão de energia elétrica, frente a grandes perturbações. São estabelecidas comparações entre os diferentes comportamentos dinâmicos de cada tipo de unidade eólica, referentes aos tipos A, B, C e D. Também, são verificados os efeitos de contingências aplicadas a sistemas teste, na presença de sistemas de geração convencionais dotados de geradores síncronos e parques eólicos compostos pelos tipos de unidades eólicas citadas, a fim de verificar a relação entre os diferentes sistemas de geração. As simulações realizadas contemplam aspectos dinâmicos de modelos genéricos de aerogeradores. São estudadas as partes constituintes de aerogeradores, realizadas as modelagens e discutidos os métodos de controle usuais. As principais características dos modelos genéricos de unidades eólicas, assim como os respectivos diagramas de bloco para cada modelo são apresentados. As simulações são realizadas no programa computacional PSS/E, cujos modelos, já validados, representam aerogeradores reais de fabricantes distintos. É observado que as diferentes características dos modelos de unidades eólicas e as estratégias de controle empregadas para atenuar os efeitos negativos de contingências impostas ao sistema, influenciam significativamente o perfil da tensão e o fluxo de potência na rede elétrica. Este fato é refletido em diferentes respostas dos sistemas de geração. As unidades eólicas mostram-se resistentes à perderem a estabilidade e apresentam-se capazes de estabilizar um sistema elétrico de potência, devido aos mecanismos de controle de velocidade e potência dos mesmos. A violação da curva LVRT mostra-se a principal causa da desconexão de aerogeradores da rede elétrica. Verifica-se neste trabalho que os aerogeradores somente tornam-se instáveis quando os geradores síncronos perdem o sincronismo, ou quando o controle do torque aerodinâmico é desconsiderado. / Considering the growing penetration of electrical energy generated by wind turbines in the power system of numerous countries, the present masters dissertation investigates the problems of transient stability, for synchronous generators, voltage stability, for synchronous generators and aerogenerators, and velocity stability, for aerogenerators, in transmission systems, before large disturbances. Comparisons are made between the different dynamic behaviors of each type of wind energy conversion system, namely types A, B, C and D. The effects of contingencies in some test systems in the presence of wind farms with different types of aerogenerators and conventional synchronous generators are verified, whose aim of the simulations is to analyze the relation between the different generation systems. The simulations performed contemplate dynamic aspects of generic models of wind turbines. The components of wind turbines are studied, the modeling of these components is elaborated and the usual control methods are discussed. The main characteristics of generic wind models and the diagram blocks are presented. The simulations were performed in software PSS/E, whose models already validated, represent real machines. The different characteristics of aerogenerator models and the control strategies employed to mitigate the negative consequences, from several contingencies, significantly influence the voltage profile and the power flow network. This fact implies in different responses of generation systems. It is verified that wind generators are very robust to perturbations and contribute to the stabilization of synchronous generators in a power system, increasing the average critical clearing times. Unstable modes related to the acceleration of the wind generator rotor are hardly ever observed due to the existing mechanisms of control of speed and generated power. It is observed that violation of the LVRT curve is the main cause of disconnection of wind turbines from the grid and it consists of the main cause of power system collapse triggered by problems in this type of generators.

Diante da crescente penetração da energia elétrica gerada por unidades eólicas no sistema elétrico de inúmeros países, a presente dissertação de mestrado investiga os problemas de estabilidade transitória, para geradores síncronos, de estabilidade de tensão, para geradores síncronos e aerogeradores e de estabilidade de velocidade, para aerogeradores, em sistemas de transmissão de energia elétrica, frente a grandes perturbações. São estabelecidas comparações entre os diferentes comportamentos dinâmicos de cada tipo de unidade eólica, referentes aos tipos A, B, C e D. Também, são verificados os efeitos de contingências aplicadas a sistemas teste, na presença de sistemas de geração convencionais dotados de geradores síncronos e parques eólicos compostos pelos tipos de unidades eólicas citadas, a fim de verificar a relação entre os diferentes sistemas de geração. As simulações realizadas contemplam aspectos dinâmicos de modelos genéricos de aerogeradores. São estudadas as partes constituintes de aerogeradores, realizadas as modelagens e discutidos os métodos de controle usuais. As principais características dos modelos genéricos de unidades eólicas, assim como os respectivos diagramas de bloco para cada modelo são apresentados. As simulações são realizadas no programa computacional PSS/E, cujos modelos, já validados, representam aerogeradores reais de fabricantes distintos. É observado que as diferentes características dos modelos de unidades eólicas e as estratégias de controle empregadas para atenuar os efeitos negativos de contingências impostas ao sistema, influenciam significativamente o perfil da tensão e o fluxo de potência na rede elétrica. Este fato é refletido em diferentes respostas dos sistemas de geração. As unidades eólicas mostram-se resistentes à perderem a estabilidade e apresentam-se capazes de estabilizar um sistema elétrico de potência, devido aos mecanismos de controle de velocidade e potência dos mesmos. A violação da curva LVRT mostra-se a principal causa da desconexão de aerogeradores da rede elétrica. Verifica-se neste trabalho que os aerogeradores somente tornam-se instáveis quando os geradores síncronos perdem o sincronismo, ou quando o controle do torque aerodinâmico é desconsiderado. / Considering the growing penetration of electrical energy generated by wind turbines in the power system of numerous countries, the present masters dissertation investigates the problems of transient stability, for synchronous generators, voltage stability, for synchronous generators and aerogenerators, and velocity stability, for aerogenerators, in transmission systems, before large disturbances. Comparisons are made between the different dynamic behaviors of each type of wind energy conversion system, namely types A, B, C and D. The effects of contingencies in some test systems in the presence of wind farms with different types of aerogenerators and conventional synchronous generators are verified, whose aim of the simulations is to analyze the relation between the different generation systems. The simulations performed contemplate dynamic aspects of generic models of wind turbines. The components of wind turbines are studied, the modeling of these components is elaborated and the usual control methods are discussed. The main characteristics of generic wind models and the diagram blocks are presented. The simulations were performed in software PSS/E, whose models already validated, represent real machines. The different characteristics of aerogenerator models and the control strategies employed to mitigate the negative consequences, from several contingencies, significantly influence the voltage profile and the power flow network. This fact implies in different responses of generation systems. It is verified that wind generators are very robust to perturbations and contribute to the stabilization of synchronous generators in a power system, increasing the average critical clearing times. Unstable modes related to the acceleration of the wind generator rotor are hardly ever observed due to the existing mechanisms of control of speed and generated power. It is observed that violation of the LVRT curve is the main cause of disconnection of wind turbines from the grid and it consists of the main cause of power system collapse triggered by problems in this type of generators.