There has been renewed significance for innovative energy conversion technologies, particularly the heat recovery-to-power technologies for sustainable power generation from renewable energies and waste heat. This is due to the increasing concern over high demand for electricity, energy shortage, global warming and thermal pollution. Among the innovative heat recovery-to- power technologies, the proposed trilateral flash cycle (TFC) is a promising option, which presents a great potential for development. Unlike the Rankine cycles, the TFC starts the working fluid expansion from the saturated liquid condition rather than the saturated, superheated or supercritical vapour phase, bypassing the isothermal boiling phase. The challenges associated with the need to establish system design basis and facilitate system configuration design-supporting analysis from proof-of-concept towards a market-ready TFC technology are significant. Thus, there is a great need for research to improve the understanding of its operation, behaviour and performance. The objective of this study is to develop and establish simulation tools of the TFCs for improving the understanding of their operation, physics of performance metrics and to evaluate novel system configurations for low-grade heat recovery-to-power generation. This study examined modelling and process simulation of the TFC engines in order to evaluate their performance metrics, predictions for guiding system design and parameters estimations. A detailed thermodynamic analysis, performance optimization and parametric analysis of the cycles were conducted, and their optimized performance metrics compared. These were aimed at evaluating the effects of the key parameters on system performances and to improve the understanding of the performance behaviour. Four distinct system configurations of the TFC, comprising the simple TFC, TFC with IHE, reheat TFC and TFC with feed fluid-heating (or regenerative TFC) were examined. Steady-state steady-flow models of the TFC power plants, corresponding to their thermodynamic processes were thermodynamically modelled and implemented using engineering equation solver (ESS). These models were used to determine the optimum synthesis/ design parameters of the cycles and to evaluate their performance metrics, at the subcritical operating conditions and design criteria. Thus, they can be valuable tools in the preliminary prototype system design of the power plants. The results depict that the thermal efficiencies of the simple TFC, TFC with IHE, reheat TFC and regenerative TFC employing n-pentane are 11.85 - 21.97%, 12.32 - 23.91%, 11.86 - 22.07% and 12.01 - 22.9% respectively over the cycle high temperature limit of 393 - 473 K. These suggest that the integration of an IHE, fluid-feed heating and reheating in optimized design of the TFC engine enhanced the heat exchange efficiencies and system performances. The effects of varying the expander inlet pressure at the cycle high temperature and expander isentropic efficiency on performance metrics of the cycles were significant. They have assisted in selecting the optimum-operating limits for the maximum performance metrics. The thermal efficiencies of all the cycles increased as the inlet pressures increased from 2 - 3 MPa and increased as the expander isentropic efficiencies increased from 50 - 100%, while their exergy efficiencies increased. This is due to increased net work outputs that suggest optimal value of pressure ratios between the expander inlets and their outlets. A comprehensive evaluation depicted that the TFC with IHE attained the best performance metrics among the cycles. This is followed by the regenerative TFC whereas the simple TFC and reheat TFC have the lowest at the same subcritical operating conditions. The results presented show that the performance metrics of the cycles depend on the system configuration, and the operating conditions of the cycles, heat source and heat sink. The results also illustrate how system configuration design and sizing might be altered for improved performance and experimental measurements for preliminary prototype development.

There has been renewed significance for innovative energy conversion technologies, particularly the heat recovery-to-power technologies for sustainable power generation from renewable energies and waste heat. This is due to the increasing concern over high demand for electricity, energy shortage, global warming and thermal pollution. Among the innovative heat recovery-to- power technologies, the proposed trilateral flash cycle (TFC) is a promising option, which presents a great potential for development. Unlike the Rankine cycles, the TFC starts the working fluid expansion from the saturated liquid condition rather than the saturated, superheated or supercritical vapour phase, bypassing the isothermal boiling phase. The challenges associated with the need to establish system design basis and facilitate system configuration design-supporting analysis from proof-of-concept towards a market-ready TFC technology are significant. Thus, there is a great need for research to improve the understanding of its operation, behaviour and performance. The objective of this study is to develop and establish simulation tools of the TFCs for improving the understanding of their operation, physics of performance metrics and to evaluate novel system configurations for low-grade heat recovery-to-power generation. This study examined modelling and process simulation of the TFC engines in order to evaluate their performance metrics, predictions for guiding system design and parameters estimations. A detailed thermodynamic analysis, performance optimization and parametric analysis of the cycles were conducted, and their optimized performance metrics compared. These were aimed at evaluating the effects of the key parameters on system performances and to improve the understanding of the performance behaviour. Four distinct system configurations of the TFC, comprising the simple TFC, TFC with IHE, reheat TFC and TFC with feed fluid-heating (or regenerative TFC) were examined. Steady-state steady-flow models of the TFC power plants, corresponding to their thermodynamic processes were thermodynamically modelled and implemented using engineering equation solver (ESS). These models were used to determine the optimum synthesis/ design parameters of the cycles and to evaluate their performance metrics, at the subcritical operating conditions and design criteria. Thus, they can be valuable tools in the preliminary prototype system design of the power plants. The results depict that the thermal efficiencies of the simple TFC, TFC with IHE, reheat TFC and regenerative TFC employing n-pentane are 11.85 - 21.97%, 12.32 - 23.91%, 11.86 - 22.07% and 12.01 - 22.9% respectively over the cycle high temperature limit of 393 - 473 K. These suggest that the integration of an IHE, fluid-feed heating and reheating in optimized design of the TFC engine enhanced the heat exchange efficiencies and system performances. The effects of varying the expander inlet pressure at the cycle high temperature and expander isentropic efficiency on performance metrics of the cycles were significant. They have assisted in selecting the optimum-operating limits for the maximum performance metrics. The thermal efficiencies of all the cycles increased as the inlet pressures increased from 2 - 3 MPa and increased as the expander isentropic efficiencies increased from 50 - 100%, while their exergy efficiencies increased. This is due to increased net work outputs that suggest optimal value of pressure ratios between the expander inlets and their outlets. A comprehensive evaluation depicted that the TFC with IHE attained the best performance metrics among the cycles. This is followed by the regenerative TFC whereas the simple TFC and reheat TFC have the lowest at the same subcritical operating conditions. The results presented show that the performance metrics of the cycles depend on the system configuration, and the operating conditions of the cycles, heat source and heat sink. The results also illustrate how system configuration design and sizing might be altered for improved performance and experimental measurements for preliminary prototype development.

Dans un contexte de transition énergétique et numérique, L’Usine du Futur se définit commeéconome en énergie, mais aussi agile grâce à des moyens de production flexibles etreconfigurables. Conférer ces propriétés aux procédés existants est un challenge complexe quiinduit souvent une réorganisation des unités. Dans ce cadre, la méthodologie RREFlex a pourobjectif de proposer des solutions alternatives d’intégration énergétique à la fois viables, robusteset adaptables via le remodelage des réseaux d’échangeurs de chaleur déjà installés.Contrairement à la conception initiale consistant à réaliser de manière conjointe la conception duprocédé et du réseau d’échangeur de chaleur associé, l’exercice de remodelage d’unitésexistantes peut s’avérer sensiblement plus complexe. En effet, il s’inscrit souvent dans unedémarche d’amélioration continue sur des installations ayant déjà connu au cours de leur vie destransformations pour faire face aux évolutions de la demande ou à de nouvelles contraintesenvironnementales. Aujourd’hui, nombre d’analyses de récupération énergétique sont réaliséessur les sites industriels mais celles-ci ne donnent pas nécessairement lieu à des réalisationsconcrètes. Les raisons le plus souvent invoquées sont d’ordre financières mais aussi, pratiques.En effet, les solutions proposées ne sont pas toujours réalistes d’un point de vue opérationnellecar elles tiennent rarement compte de la variabilité du procédé, soit due à des perturbations nonmaitrisées sur les températures et les débits, soit due à la présence de multiples points defonctionnement (changement de campagne, évolution de la charge, etc.). De plus, ces solutionstiennent peu compte des contraintes spécifiques du site étudié (topologie des unités, compatibilitédes courants, sécurité, etc.), la formulation a priori de ces dernières ne pouvant être exhaustive.L’outil RREFlex - outil Robuste pour la synthèse de Réseaux d’Echangeurs Flexibles - a étédéveloppée pour pallier autant que possible ces limites. S’appuyant sur une analyse statistiquedes historiques de mesures remontés en salle de contrôle, un premier module - EDiFy : EnhancedData collection for Flexibility analysis - permet de localiser et de caractériser les différents cas demarche des unités. Notamment, la valeur moyenne et la variance des données caractéristiques duprocédé (températures, flux calorifiques) sont estimées pour chaque cas de marche. Ce jeu dedonnées étant souvent incomplet, il est nécessaire d’avoir recours à un modèle de simulation duprocédé pour le compléter et valider la cohérence des données mesurées pour chaque cas demarche potentiellement identifié. Sur cette base, une seconde étape dédiée au diagnosticénergétique permet d’évaluer la pertinence des échangeurs de récupération déjà installés. Cetteanalyse permet d’identifier et de prioriser un ensemble de scenarii de remodelage considéréscomme prometteurs. Chacun d’eux est défini par la liste des échangeurs à reconsidérer et uncertain nombre de paramètres de configuration. Chaque scenario retenu est alors exploité pour lasynthèse du réseau d’échangeurs associé. Cette étape s’appuie sur un modèle de programmationlinéaire mixte multi-période (PLM) pour déterminer la nouvelle topologie du réseau d’échangeurs.Dans ce cadre, le modèle a évidemment la possibilité d’introduire de nouveaux échangeurs maisaussi de déplacer les échangeurs existants et conservés dans un scénario donné, tant qu’ilscouplent la même paire de courant qu’initialement. Les réseaux obtenus sont donc adaptables auxdifférents cas de marche identifiés à la première étape et reconfigurable grâce à l’implantation deby-pass. Le panel de réseaux proposés est enfin évalué et classé au moyen d’indicateurs deperformance, dont notamment la robustesse vis-à-vis de la variabilité du procédé. L’approche aété validée sur deux sites de dimension industrielle: un procédé de fabrication de MVC et un trainde préchauffe de pétrole brut / In a context of numerical and energy transition, the Factory of the Future is meant to be moreenergy efficient but also smarter and agile through the use of flexible and reconfigurableproduction means. Enabling existing processes to achieve those properties is a difficult challengewhich often induces a reorganization of the units. In this context, RREFlex methodology wasdeveloped to provide several alternatives heat integration solutions both viable, robust andadaptable through the retrofitting of existing heat exchanger networks. Unlike grass-root design,which consists in designing both the process and the heat exchanger network at the same time(and thus, allowing many possibilities), retrofitting existing units can be a lot more complex.Indeed, as part of a continuous improvement process of the production, the plants have oftenalready undergone transformations during their life to cope with changes in demand or newenvironmental constraints. Currently, numerous energy recovery analysis are performed onindustrial sites but do not necessarily involves concrete industrial measures. The main reasons forthe lack of results are mainly financial but also practical. The provided solutions are often nonrealistic in terms of operability because of the lack of accounting for the variability of the process,whether due to external disturbances on temperatures and flowrates or due to multiple operatingconditions (many production campaigns, evolution in process load, etc.). Moreover, thosesolutions also do not take on-site constraints into account (units topology, process streamscompatibility, safety, etc.), as it is difficult to apprehend such constraints. The RREFlex module(Robust software tool for the synthesis of Flexible Heat Exchanger Networks), was developed toassess these issues. Based on a statistical analysis of historical data extracted from on-sitemeasurements, a first module - EDiFy : Enhanced Data collection for Flexibility analysis – enablesthe location and characterization of the multiple steady state regimes. The mean value andvariance of operating conditions characterizing the process (e.g. temperature, heat flow) areestimated for each steady state. As this data set is usually incomplete, it is necessary to use asimulation model of the process to complete and validate the consistency of the measurements ofeach identified steady state.Based upon those data, an energy diagnosis step enables the assessment of each existing heatexchanger liability. This analysis results in the identification and classification of several promisingretrofitting scenarios. Each one is defined by a list of heat exchangers to reconsider and severalconfiguration parameters.Each selected scenario is then used to design the corresponding optimal heat exchanger network.The latter step, which is based on a multi-period mixed linear programming model, aims at thedesign of a new heat exchanger network topology. In this context, the model includes not only thepossibility to add new heat exchangers but also to shift the preserved heat exchangers for a givenscenario, as long as the original pair of streams is kept. The resulting heat exchanger networksare thus adaptable to every operating conditions identified in the first step of the methodology butalso reconfigurable through the use of by-passes. The performances of the resulting networks areevaluated and classified using key performance indicators, especially the robustness which iscrucial to account for the process variability.The approach was validated on two industrial scale case studies: a MVC production process and arefinery heating train.

[pt] A gestão da cadeia de suprimentos (SCM, Supply Chain Management) está criando oportunidades e desafios para a competição no mundo dos negócios. Apesar disto, ainda existem poucos modelos que oferecem uma análise efetiva de SCM. Dentro deste contexto, esta dissertação tem o intuito de propor um modelo para analisar cadeias de suprimentos baseado em dimensões- chave necessárias para uma bem sucedida SCM. Nessa dissertação, as dimensões consideradas são: integração de processos de negócios, identificação dos membros-chave da cadeia, compartilhamento de informação e medidas de desempenho apropriadas para cadeia de suprimento. Com o objetivo de validar o modelo e avaliar a sua aplicação, foi conduzido um estudo de caso em diferentes cadeias de suprimento de um grande fabricante nacional de cilindros de armazenamento de Gás Natural Veicular (GNV). Para efeitos da análise de SCM, este fabricante é considerado nesta aplicação como a empresa focal da cadeia. A partir da aplicação do modelo nessas diferentes cadeias pôde-se constatar um maior compartilhamento de informação e adoção de medidas de desempenho no processo de negócio SRM (Supplier Relationship Management) do que no processo de negócio CRM (Customer Relationship Management). No CRM, também foi constatado que as cadeias são mais integradas com o fabricante de cilindros de GNV, quando esse cilindro é o seu produto principal, e menos integrada, quando o produto principal das cadeias é outro, como por exemplo, o automóvel zero quilômetro. / [en] The Supply Chain Management (SCM) is creating many opportunities and challenges for world business competition. In spite of this, there are still just a few models that offer an effective SCM analysis. Within this context, this dissertation attempts to propose a model for a supply chain analysis based on key dimensions that are necessary for a successful SCM. The key dimensions considered in this dissertation are: business processes integration, key supply chain members identification, information sharing, and appropriate supply chain performance measures. In order to validate the model and to evaluate its application, a case study was conducted in different supply chains of a big national manufacturer of CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) cylinders for vehicles. Towards the SCM analysis, this manufacturer is considered in this application as the supply chain`s focal company. With the model`s application in these different supply chains, it was possible to figure out a more intense information share and use of performance measures in the SRM (Supplier Relationship Management) business process than in the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) business process. In CRM, it was also found that the supply chains are more integrated with the focal company when the cylinder is the chain`s main product and less integrated when the chain`s main product is another, for instance, a brand new car.

A indústria de papel e celulose passa por constantes desafios para solucionar problemas relacionados ao alto consumo de água industrial. Uma alternativa é utilizar ferramentas como a Integração de Processos, onde é possível aplicar técnicas gráficas como o \"Water Pinch\" ou técnicas com programação matemática para otimizar o circuito de água. Para contribuir com o setor, as técnicas foram aplicadas no presente trabalho utilizando-se dados reais coletados em uma unidade produtora de polpa termomecânica e papel imprensa. Com os dados, um caso base em um simulador foi desenvolvido para iniciar a análise por Integração de Processos. A análise é baseada no aproveitamento das correntes de águas residuais em outras etapas do processo sob restrições na concentração limite de contaminantes, especificamente finos e sólidos dissolvidos. Diferentemente dos trabalhos apresentados na literatura que alegam que a solução encontrada trata-se de valores otimizados, os resultados mostram que os valores encontrados através da programação matemática e do método Pinch são teoricamente corretos, porém, quando novamente simuladas sob estas novas condições obtidas por Integração de Processos, as condições operacionais da unidade industrial mostram-se inadequadas. As concentrações limites de contaminantes previamente estabelecidos pelas técnicas utilizadas são frequentemente ultrapassadas nos resultados de recálculo por simulação, e portanto, as soluções de Integração de Processos devem ser corrigidas antes de implantação. Por isso, os valores previstos, por exemplo, de redução de consumo de até 38% no projeto realístico atinge o valor de 23%, o que ainda é um bom resultado. O trabalho ainda mostra que a programação matemática é eficaz e rápida para encontrar soluções com múltiplos contaminantes, enquanto o método Pinch é mais voltado para casos com contaminante simples. / The Pulp and Paper industry has constantly struggled to solve problems related to high water consumption. One alternative is to use tools like Process Integration, where graphical methods and mathematical programming can be applied to optimize the water circuit. To contribute to the Pulp and Paper sector, the methods were applied in the present work using real process data that have been collected in an integrated thermomechanical and newsprint mill. With these data, a base case simulation was developed to initiate the analysis by Process Integration. The analysis is based on residual water reuse in other process stages under propriety constraints like contaminants concentration limits, specifically the dissolved solids and fine fibers. Differently from works presented in the references that claim that solutions found are optimized values, the results of this work show that values found by mathematical programming and pinch method are theoretically correct, however, the operational conditions of the mill become inadequate when simulated under new conditions achieved by Process Integration. The concentration limits of contaminants previously established for the methods have their values frequently exceed after recalculation by simulation, and thus, the solutions by Process Integration must be corrected before using them. So, if the predicted value for reduction of fresh water consumption is, for example, 38%, in the realistic project this value will reach only 23%, which is still a good result. The work also shows that mathematical programming is efficient to find solutions when there are multiple contaminants, while pinch method is more adequate for those cases with single contaminant.

With the growing interest in converting a wide variety of biomass-based feedstocks to biofuels, there is a need to develop effective procedures for the design and optimization of multi-feedstock biorefineries. The unifying goal of this work is the development of systematic methodologies and procedures for designing flexible multifeedstock biorefineries. This work addresses four problems that constitute building blocks towards achieving the unifying goal of the dissertation. The first problem addresses the design and techno-economic analysis of an integrated system for the production of biodiesel from algal oil. With the sequestration of carbon dioxide from power plant flue gases, algae growth and processing has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Algae are a non-food oil feedstock source and various pathways and technologies for obtaining algal oil were investigated. Detailed economic and sensitivity analysis reveal specific scenarios that lead to profitability of algal oil as an alternative feedstock. In the second problem, a new safety metric is introduced and utilized in process design and selection. A case study was solved to assess the potential of producing biodiesel from sewage sludge. The entire process was evaluated based on multiple criteria including cost, technology and safety. The third problem is concerned with incorporating flexibility in the design phase of the development of multi-feedstock biofuel production processes. A mathematical formulation is developed for determining the optimal flexible design for a biorefinery that is to accommodate the use of multiple feedstocks. Various objective functions may be utilized for the flexible plant depending on the purpose of the flexibility analysis and a case study is presented to demonstrate one such objective function. Finally, the development of a systematic procedure for incorporating flexibility and heat integration in the design phase of a flexible feedstock production process is introduced for the fourth problem. A mathematical formulation is developed for use in determining the heat exchange network design. By incorporating the feedstock scenarios under investigation, a mixed integer linear program is generated and a flexible heat exchange network scheme can be developed. The solution provides for a network that can accommodate the heating and cooling demands of the various scenarios while meeting minimum utility targets.

Η εργασία αυτή παρουσιάζει την Βusiness-to-Βusiness πλευρά των αλυσίδων εφοδιασμού, εξετάζοντας τα χαρακτηριστικά των e-Επιχειρείν σχέσεων και της σημασίας τους για την εφαρμογή τεχνολογιών e-Επιχειρείν, εστιάζοντας όμως στο θέμα της ενοποίησης των e-Διεργασιών και των εμποδίων προς την κατεύθυνση αυτή. Συζητούνται επιλεκτικά μερικά από τα ευρέως υιοθετημένα πρότυπα, έτσι ώστε να γίνουν κατανοητοί οι τρόποι με τους οποίους οι μεγάλες βιομηχανικές πρωτοβουλίες προσπαθούν να αντιμετωπίσουν το γεγονός ότι το e-Επιχειρείν περιβάλλον αντανακλά τους ιδιοσυγκρασιακούς τρόπους με τους οποίους οι επιχειρηματικές διεργασίες λειτουργούν μέσα σε έναν οργανισμό και δημιουργούν ασυνέπειες στην διαλειτουργικότητά τους. Εξετάζεται το πρόβλημα της Ενοποίησης Επιχειρηματικών Διεργασιών και γίνεται εμφανές πως είναι πιθανώς αδύνατο αυτό να αντιμετωπιστεί στο σημείο αυτό στην πλήρη έκτασή του. Για τον σκοπό αυτό, οι τεχνικές και επιχειρηματικές πλευρές της ενοποίησης αποσυνδέονται και εξετάζονται ξεχωριστά, με έμφαση στην επιχειρηματική πλευρά, καθώς διαπιστώνεται έλλειψη λύσεων στον τομέα αυτό. Η μετακίνηση αυτή του βάρους προς την επιχειρηματική πλευρά του προβλήματος οδηγεί στο θέμα των σημασιολογικών ασυνεπειών κατά την ανταλλαγή πληροφορίας μεταξύ επιχειρηματικών διεργασιών, τόσο σε επίπεδο δεδομένων όσο και διεργασιών. Για το σκοπό αυτό, παρουσιάζεται ένα Μοντέλο Συνεργατικών Διεργασιών – Collaborative Process Model (CPM) που προσπαθεί να αντιμετωπίσει την έλλειψη ενός κοινού μοντέλου αναφοράς για ανόμοια μοντέλα διεργασιών, στοχεύοντας στο να επιτρέψει την ευθυγράμμιση ανόμοιων επιχειρηματικών μοντέλων. Τα λειτουργικά και εννοιολογικά χαρακτηριστικά του μοντέλου αυτού συζητούνται και στην συνέχεια διατυπώνονται και σε τυπική μορφή, επιδεικνύοντας τον τρόπο με τον οποίο μια πιο αφαιρετική προσέγγιση στην περιγραφή των διεργασιών μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για να τους επιτρέψει να συνεργαστούν στη δημιουργία μεγαλύτερων δομών όπως οι αλυσίδες διεργασιών. Στη συνέχεια παρουσιάζεται η εφαρμογή του CPM σε ένα επιχειρηματικό πεδίο ως μια μελέτη της εφαρμοσιμότητας και λειτουργικότητας του μοντέλου. / This work discusses the Business-to-Business aspect of supply chains, examining the characteristics of the e-Business relationships and their relevance for the application of e-Business technology, but focusing on the issue of the integration of e-Business Processes and the impediments in this effort. A selection of widely adopted business standards is being presented in order to get a glimpse of the ways that major industrial efforts are trying to deal with the fact that the e-Business environment reflects the idiosyncratic ways that the business processes work within an organization, and create inconsistencies in their interoperation. The problem of Business Process Integration is being discussed, and what becomes evident during that discussion is that the problem is probably impossible to handle at this point in its full extent. For this purpose, the technical- and business-related aspects of the integration are decoupled and examined in isolation, with the emphasis put on the business aspect, due to the lack of solutions for this part of the problem. Since the focus is moved towards the business level issues then this inadvertently leads to the problem of the semantic inconsistencies during the exchange of information between processes, both on data and process level. For this purpose, a Collaborative Process Model - CPM is presented that attempts to address the lack of a common reference model for the description of business information and business logic, aiming to enable the alignment of disparate process models. The functional and conceptual characteristics of the Model are being discussed and consequently formally defined, showing how a more abstract approach in the description of the processes can be utilized in order to allow them to cooperate in the creation of bigger structures like process chains. Following on, the application of CPM to a business domain is presented as a proof of concept of its applicability and functionality.

Requirements Engineering (RE) approaches are widely used in several domains such as telecommunications systems, information systems, and even regulatory compliance. However, they are rarely applied in healthcare beyond requirements elicitation. Healthcare is a multidisciplinary environment in which clinical processes are often performed across multiple units. Introducing a new Information Technology (IT) system or a new process in such an environment is a very challenging task, especially in the absence of recognized RE practices. Currently, many IT systems are not welcomed by caregivers and are considered to be failures because they change what caregivers are familiar with and bring new tasks that often consume additional time. This thesis introduces a new RE-based approach aiming to evaluate and estimate the potential impact of new system integrations on current practices, organizational goals,and user satisfaction using goal modelling and process modelling techniques. This approach is validated with two case studies conducted in real hospitals and a usability study involving healthcare practitioners. The contributions of the thesis are: • Major: a novel Activity-based Process Integration (AbPI) framework that enables the integration of a new process into existing practices incrementally, in a way that permits continuous analysis and evaluation. AbPI also provides several alternatives to a given integration to ensure effective flowing and minimal disturbance to current practices. AbPI has a Goal Integration Method to integrate new goals, an Integration Method to integrate new processes, and an Alternative Evaluation Method exploiting multi-criteria decision-making algorithms to select among strategies. The modelling concepts of AbPI are supported by a profile of the User Requirements Notation augmented with a new distance-based goal-oriented approach to alternative selection and a new data-quality-driven algorithm for the propagation of confidence levels in goal models. • Minor: a usability study of AbPI to investigate the usefulness of the framework in a healthcare context. This usability study is part of the validation and is also a minor contribution due to: 1) the lack of usability studies when proposing requirements engineering frameworks, and 2) an intent to discover the potential usefulness of the framework in a context where recognized RE practices are seldom used.

A água é uma matéria-prima estratégica na indústria química, petroquímica e de alimentos, sendo utilizada em diversas etapas dos processos. Devido à importância econômica e ao impacto ambiental resultante do consumo da água na indústria, o uso racional da água vem sendo amplamente enfatizado. Nas últimas décadas, diversas metodologias foram propostas para a minimização do consumo de água e emissão de efluentes líquidos na indústria, baseadas em conceitos de integração mássica como reuso, reciclo e regeneração das correntes que conectam os processos. As metodologias propostas na literatura para a integração mássica dividem-se em dois grandes grupos: o primeiro utiliza a abordagem termodinâmica-heurística-evolutiva, enquanto que o segundo faz uso da programação matemática e otimização. Ambas as metodologias apresentam dificuldades para tratar do caso de múltiplos poluentes, sendo que na primeira, é necessário uma série de aproximações para tratar deste tipo de problema e na segunda estão presentes limitações relativas aos métodos de otimização. Além disso, sistemas integrados massicamente podem apresentar dificuldades operacionais devido ao maior número de reciclos e reusos de correntes. O presente trabalho através do uso de ferramentas de programação matemática e, baseado no problema padrão de síntese de redes proposto por Fontana (2002), propõe métodos para a redução da complexidade do problema de síntese e obtenção de redes integradas massicamente, considerando aspectos econômicos e operacionais. Inicialmente foi proposta a eliminação de variáveis inteiras do problema de otimização, transformando o problema de programação nãolinear inteira-mista (MINLP) em um problema de programação não-linear (NLP). Em seguida, foi proposta uma metodologia para a redução da complexidade do problema baseada na utilização das restrições de igualdade, reduzindo o número de variáveis de decisão. As formulações propostas apresentaram bons resultados, diminuindo consideravelmente o tempo computacional em relação ao problema MINLP original. Baseada nas metodologias desenvolvidas para redução da complexidade do problema, foi implementado ainda um gerador de estimativas iniciais viáveis utilizando números aleatórios. Também foram propostas três implementações para a síntese de redes com considerações econômicas e operacionais, resolvendo o problema de otimização em dois níveis: um externo para avaliação de critérios econômicos e um interno de onde é obtido o índice operacional. Das três formulações com considerações operacionais propostas, duas apresentaram redes com melhor desempenho operacional quando comparadas com os problemas somente com considerações econômicas. Tais resultados foram avaliados através de simulações dinâmicas com modelos linearizados, sendo observado, nestas duas implementações, aumento da robustez do sistema (redução da ação de controle sobre as variáveis manipuladas) frente a distúrbios positivos nas cargas de poluentes e mudanças nos set-points das variáveis controladas. / Water is an important raw material in the chemical, petrochemical, and food industry, being used in several stages of a process. Based on the economic importance of the water and the environmental impact through its employment in the industry, its rational consume has been receiving special attention. In the past decades, several methodologies have been proposed for the minimization of industrial water consume and wastewater emissions based on concepts of mass integration such as reuse, recycle, and regeneration of process streams. The methodologies proposed in the literature for the mass integration can be classified in two main groups: the first uses the themodynamic-heuristic-evolutive approach while the second uses mathematical programming and optimization. Both methodologies show difficulties to deal with the case of multiple pollutants: on the first one it is necessary to make some assumptions to solve this problem while the second, limitations relative to optimization methods are present. Another problem is the operational limitations due to streams recycle and reuse, that integrated processes can present. The present study, through the use of mathematical programming tools, based on the synthesis problem proposed by Fontana (2002), proposes methods to reduce the problem complexity and also for the synthesis of mass integration networks regarding economical and operational aspects. Initially it was proposed the elimination of the integer variables from the optimization problem, changing the problem from mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) to nonlinear programming (NLP). In the following, a methodology for the reduction of the problems complexity, based on the equality constraints, was applied to reduce the number of decision variables. The proposed formulations showed good results, reducing the computational time comparing to the MINLP problem. Based on the proposed methodologies for the reduction of the problem complexity described above, it was implemented a feasible initial guess generator based on random numbers. It was also proposed three formulations for the network synthesis with economic and operational considerations, solving the synthesis problem in two levels: an external level for the evaluation of economical criteria and an internal level where the operational index is obtained. Two out of the three implementations presented networks with better operational results comparing with problems only with economical aspects. These results were evaluated by dynamic simulations with linearized models and it was observed an increase in the systems robustness (reduction of the control action over the manipulated variables) when the system was subjected to positive disturbances in the pollutants loads and set-points changes.

A água é uma matéria-prima estratégica na indústria química, petroquímica e de alimentos, sendo utilizada em diversas etapas dos processos. Devido à importância econômica e ao impacto ambiental resultante do consumo da água na indústria, o uso racional da água vem sendo amplamente enfatizado. Nas últimas décadas, diversas metodologias foram propostas para a minimização do consumo de água e emissão de efluentes líquidos na indústria, baseadas em conceitos de integração mássica como reuso, reciclo e regeneração das correntes que conectam os processos. As metodologias propostas na literatura para a integração mássica dividem-se em dois grandes grupos: o primeiro utiliza a abordagem termodinâmica-heurística-evolutiva, enquanto que o segundo faz uso da programação matemática e otimização. Ambas as metodologias apresentam dificuldades para tratar do caso de múltiplos poluentes, sendo que na primeira, é necessário uma série de aproximações para tratar deste tipo de problema e na segunda estão presentes limitações relativas aos métodos de otimização. Além disso, sistemas integrados massicamente podem apresentar dificuldades operacionais devido ao maior número de reciclos e reusos de correntes. O presente trabalho através do uso de ferramentas de programação matemática e, baseado no problema padrão de síntese de redes proposto por Fontana (2002), propõe métodos para a redução da complexidade do problema de síntese e obtenção de redes integradas massicamente, considerando aspectos econômicos e operacionais. Inicialmente foi proposta a eliminação de variáveis inteiras do problema de otimização, transformando o problema de programação nãolinear inteira-mista (MINLP) em um problema de programação não-linear (NLP). Em seguida, foi proposta uma metodologia para a redução da complexidade do problema baseada na utilização das restrições de igualdade, reduzindo o número de variáveis de decisão. As formulações propostas apresentaram bons resultados, diminuindo consideravelmente o tempo computacional em relação ao problema MINLP original. Baseada nas metodologias desenvolvidas para redução da complexidade do problema, foi implementado ainda um gerador de estimativas iniciais viáveis utilizando números aleatórios. Também foram propostas três implementações para a síntese de redes com considerações econômicas e operacionais, resolvendo o problema de otimização em dois níveis: um externo para avaliação de critérios econômicos e um interno de onde é obtido o índice operacional. Das três formulações com considerações operacionais propostas, duas apresentaram redes com melhor desempenho operacional quando comparadas com os problemas somente com considerações econômicas. Tais resultados foram avaliados através de simulações dinâmicas com modelos linearizados, sendo observado, nestas duas implementações, aumento da robustez do sistema (redução da ação de controle sobre as variáveis manipuladas) frente a distúrbios positivos nas cargas de poluentes e mudanças nos set-points das variáveis controladas. / Water is an important raw material in the chemical, petrochemical, and food industry, being used in several stages of a process. Based on the economic importance of the water and the environmental impact through its employment in the industry, its rational consume has been receiving special attention. In the past decades, several methodologies have been proposed for the minimization of industrial water consume and wastewater emissions based on concepts of mass integration such as reuse, recycle, and regeneration of process streams. The methodologies proposed in the literature for the mass integration can be classified in two main groups: the first uses the themodynamic-heuristic-evolutive approach while the second uses mathematical programming and optimization. Both methodologies show difficulties to deal with the case of multiple pollutants: on the first one it is necessary to make some assumptions to solve this problem while the second, limitations relative to optimization methods are present. Another problem is the operational limitations due to streams recycle and reuse, that integrated processes can present. The present study, through the use of mathematical programming tools, based on the synthesis problem proposed by Fontana (2002), proposes methods to reduce the problem complexity and also for the synthesis of mass integration networks regarding economical and operational aspects. Initially it was proposed the elimination of the integer variables from the optimization problem, changing the problem from mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) to nonlinear programming (NLP). In the following, a methodology for the reduction of the problems complexity, based on the equality constraints, was applied to reduce the number of decision variables. The proposed formulations showed good results, reducing the computational time comparing to the MINLP problem. Based on the proposed methodologies for the reduction of the problem complexity described above, it was implemented a feasible initial guess generator based on random numbers. It was also proposed three formulations for the network synthesis with economic and operational considerations, solving the synthesis problem in two levels: an external level for the evaluation of economical criteria and an internal level where the operational index is obtained. Two out of the three implementations presented networks with better operational results comparing with problems only with economical aspects. These results were evaluated by dynamic simulations with linearized models and it was observed an increase in the systems robustness (reduction of the control action over the manipulated variables) when the system was subjected to positive disturbances in the pollutants loads and set-points changes.