This research programme was carried out in order to establish design methods and procedures for thermowells and implement these methods in a computer-based expert system. Thermowells are accessories for the temperature measurement instrumentation and they have to protect the temperature sensor from hazardous environments at high pressures and temperatures. The sensor also needs protection from the flow of the fluid it is immersed in as it can cause the sensor to vibrate and subsequently damage it. Thermowells have to be designed in such a way that they can resist the vibration caused by the flowing fluid, do not collapse due to the surrounding pressure and the thermowell's material has to be compatible with the fluid to avoid corrosion of the thermowell. At the same time they have to transfer the heat of the fluid to the sensor to enable the temperature measurement. A literature review was carried out to establish the available methods and procedures concerning thermowell design. The procedures that deal with the calculation of the natural frequency of thermowells, which is required to ensure the thermowell is not damaged by vibration, were verified using practical vibration analysis techniques. After establishing the appropriate procedures to determine the vibration, pressure, stress and thermal aspects concerning thermowell design, they were implemented in an expert system. The software package KAPPA-PC was used to develop the application. After careful testing and elimination of different errors encountered during the testing phase, an expert system was delivered that carries out the analysis of a given thermowell design and also designs a thermowell for a specified application.

Orientador: Lesley Carina do Lago Attadia Galli / Resumo: Este estudo teve por objetivo evidenciar a relevância da utilização do Facilities Management (FM) enquanto elemento estratégico na gestão da organização do setor sucroenergético. Foi fundamentado no referencial teórico que trouxe como abordagem conceitos e teorias do FM, práticas de FM em diferentes setores do mercado e sistema de medição de desempenho. Desenvolvido no escopo de pesquisa descritiva, com abordagem qualitativa, utilizou procedimentos de análise de dados e estudo de caso. A empresa em análise é a líder mundial no setor sucroenergético, composta por 26 unidades de produção canavieira. A investigação ocorreu através de análise do banco de dados do sistema de gestão de FM e entrevista com gestores da organização. Consistiu na análise dos métodos de gestão de medição de desempenho de FM aplicáveis na área de apoio administrativo direcionado a gestão das unidades de produção, a partir de métricas e indicadores estratégicos de desempenho relacionados a área. A partir da análise dos dados coletados durante a pesquisa de campo, constatou-se que a utilização do FM no processo podem gerar redução de custos, qualidade na gestão dos processos e melhorias nos indicadores da perspectiva interna do negócio. / Abstract: This study aimed to highlight the relevance of using Facilities Management (FM) as a strategic element in the management of the organization of the sugar-energy sector. It was based on the theoretical framework that approached FM concepts and theories, FM practices in different market sectors and performance measurement system. Developed in the scope of descriptive research, with qualitative approach, used data analysis procedures and case study. The unit of analysis was the world’s leading organization in the sugarenergy sector, consisting of 26 sugarcane production units. The research consisted of the analysis of FM performance measurement management methods applicable in the area of administrative support directed to the management of production units, based on metrics and strategic performance indicators related to the area. From the analysis of the data collected during the field research, it was found that the use of FM in the process could lead to cost reduction, quality in the process management and improvements in the indicators of the internal business perspective. / Mestre

BACKGROUND Integrated healthcare systems are believed to be enabled by the electronic exchange of clinical information. Canada and other national health systems are making substantial investments in information technology, in order to liberate and share clinical information between providers, improve the quality and safety of care, and reduce costs, yet we currently have no way of measuring these information flows, nor of understanding whether they contribute to the integration of care delivery. METHODS A literature review and consensus development process (nominal group) were used to provide guidance on system integration measures which are enabled by electronic information exchange. In order to conceptualize the components of electronic information exchange, establish a reference vocabulary for terminology, and guide the development of a questionnaire to gather field data, a formal ontology was developed. Validation of a sub-group of the survey data quality was achieved using the ontology and an unrelated database, demonstrating how ontologies may be used to adapt performance measurement methodologies to systems where constraints such as time-compression, lack of resources or access to needed information are prevalent. RESULTS The survey tool gathered cross-sectoral data from a regional health system which populated a summary measure of inter-provider electronic health information exchange (the eHIE), and measured perceptions of system integration from a single health region. The eHIE indicated that 7 -12% of clinical information that could be shared, was being shared electronically in the health region. ANOVA confirmed a significant correlation between the amount of information being exchanged electronically in this system and respondent perceptions of system integration suggesting that the eHIE may be used as a leading indicator for healthcare system integration. CONCLUSIONS It is possible to conceptualize and quantify inter-provider electronic health information exchange. As complex adaptive systems, healthcare systems are dynamic and open to correction; the use of a leading or proximal indicator such as the eHIE may inform effective policy-making and resource allocation in our pursuit of the goal of seamlessly integrated care.

The current approach to performance measurement in British Columbia is to select and match performance measures with strategic goals and objectives so that health administrators and decision makers can evaluate the performance of different care sectors (e.g. primary, community and acute care) within the provincial health system. Although this approach offers basic understanding of system performance, it is static and considers the performance of organizational components in isolation from their interrelationships and external influences. The purpose of this research is to enhance the current performance measurement approach in BC by linking health system variables through causal relationships and feedback loops that can impact and lead to health system sustainability. The qualitative system dynamics method was applied to develop a conceptual performance measurement model. Fifteen interviews with stakeholders were conducted at the BC Ministry of Health to validate and improve the pre-validation model. A post-validation model was then created based on the feedback and comments from the 15 interview participants. As a product of this research, the post-validation model, Web of Measures 2.0, will explain how the identified cause and feedback mechanisms both internal and external to the BC health system may help determine policy levers for designing and developing quality improvement initiatives. Although quantitative analysis is out of scope for this research, potential benefits of inputting BC data into the proposed model are discussed at the end of this thesis. / Graduate / 0769 / 0790 / qi.william.yang@gmail.com

BACKGROUND Integrated healthcare systems are believed to be enabled by the electronic exchange of clinical information. Canada and other national health systems are making substantial investments in information technology, in order to liberate and share clinical information between providers, improve the quality and safety of care, and reduce costs, yet we currently have no way of measuring these information flows, nor of understanding whether they contribute to the integration of care delivery. METHODS A literature review and consensus development process (nominal group) were used to provide guidance on system integration measures which are enabled by electronic information exchange. In order to conceptualize the components of electronic information exchange, establish a reference vocabulary for terminology, and guide the development of a questionnaire to gather field data, a formal ontology was developed. Validation of a sub-group of the survey data quality was achieved using the ontology and an unrelated database, demonstrating how ontologies may be used to adapt performance measurement methodologies to systems where constraints such as time-compression, lack of resources or access to needed information are prevalent. RESULTS The survey tool gathered cross-sectoral data from a regional health system which populated a summary measure of inter-provider electronic health information exchange (the eHIE), and measured perceptions of system integration from a single health region. The eHIE indicated that 7 -12% of clinical information that could be shared, was being shared electronically in the health region. ANOVA confirmed a significant correlation between the amount of information being exchanged electronically in this system and respondent perceptions of system integration suggesting that the eHIE may be used as a leading indicator for healthcare system integration. CONCLUSIONS It is possible to conceptualize and quantify inter-provider electronic health information exchange. As complex adaptive systems, healthcare systems are dynamic and open to correction; the use of a leading or proximal indicator such as the eHIE may inform effective policy-making and resource allocation in our pursuit of the goal of seamlessly integrated care.

This thesis presents an energy monitoring system to measure energy consumption of software applications to support security and power management for embedded devices. The proposed system is composed of an Actel Fusion device and a custom designed energy measurement circuit. The Fusion device measures the voltage and the current of the target device at a defined sampling rate. The energy measurement circuit is designed as a current integrator over fixed intervals using the switched-capacitor integrator technique to store energy information of the target device within Fusion’s sampling intervals. This circuit is designed to accommodate the low sampling rate of the Fusion device. Experimental results showed that the Fusion device allows the measurement of the energy of the target device at a minimum rate of 15 µs. The energy measurement circuit is implemented using the 65 nm CMOS technology. Simulation results showed that this circuit provides 91%~97% average energy measurement accuracy.

Diploma thesis is focused on topics of strategic management, business performance management, Balanced Scorecard and Business Intelligence in the company, which operates in Education. Analyzes the current situation and then design and implement selected tools in a specific organization. Main objective is to design a system for monitoring the performance of medium-sized company through the application of the Balanced Scorecard. Not only for monitoring business performance, but also for the management of company itself. Partial objectives include the identification of strategic objectives, design of strategic map and implementation of selected part through Business Intelligence. Diploma thesis first looks at identifying the main risks and benefits of the BSC and BI. In addition, it also deals with the position of the BSC in practice at present, and current trends in BI. A key benefit of this work is another part, which deals with the relation of the parallel implementation of the Balanced Scorecard and Quality Management System according to ISO. The section devoted to design of the Balanced Scorecard strategic objectives are identified, plotted in the strategic map and accompanied by appropriate metrics. Inputs are the interviews, document study and experiences. The acquired information is verified through a questionnaire survey focused on strategic management and performance measurement. For a practical demonstration is realized Business Intelligence project of specific part of the BSC. Since the initial study, through analysis, design, dimensional analysis, modeling, data warehouse design through to the reports design, implementation and evaluation. Part of the work is to establish technological basis required for the implementation and operation of the project. The main benefit is primarily in the practical dimension. The outputs are designed primarily for management. It enables company to enter the world of the strategic management. Selected parts can also be utilized by any other company that deals with similar issues in management. Specifically, it's the relationship between BSC and QMS, BI trends, risks and benefits of the BSC and BI.

Considerando que o diagnóstico e os tratamentos de certas doenças do coração, entre as que provocam arritmias cardíacas, se dão por uso de equipamentos eletromédicos como eletrocardiógrafos, monitores cardíacos, holter, marcapassos externos e desfibriladores/cardioversores, torna-se de vital importância que esses tipos de produtos sejam avaliados tecnicamente e certificados como forma de verificar seu desempenho, suas limitações e capacidade de cumprir suas funções para garantir a segurança contra riscos elétricos e erros de comandos, além de assegurar que estão sendo fabricados em conformidade com as prescrições de Normas Técnicas vigentes. O registro de tais produtos na Anvisa é compulsório no Brasil, exigindo uma certificação junto ao INMETRO para que estes produtos possam ser comercializados. De acordo com a regulamentação brasileira vigente devem estar de acordo com as exigências da Série de Normas Técnicas ABNT NBR IEC 60601/ 80601 que estabelecem as prescrições de segurança e desempenho essencial que esses produtos são obrigados a atender. Portanto, a pesquisa apresenta os métodos de ensaios, processos de ensaios e a forma de como se deve mensurar os parâmetros dos equipamentos destinados à área cardíaca, além de fornecer todos os instrumentos de medição, as necessidades para efetuar tal tarefa e as gigas de ensaios. Também são apresentados os resultados finais dos ensaios indicando que alguns parâmetros dos equipamentos ensaiados não estão em conformidade com as Normas vigentes no país. Por fim, são mencionadas conclusões finais e os trabalhos futuros a serem desenvolvidos para contribuir com o aperfeiçoamento e com a busca de melhoria contínua. Esta pesquisa deve contribuir como referência para os Laboratórios de Ensaios congêneres que tenham interesse em obter capacitação técnica, além de ser uma orientação para as empresas que produzem equipamentos dedicados à área cardíaca de acordo com os requisitos e prescrições das Normas vigentes no país. / Whereas the diagnosis and treatment of certain heart diseases, including the ones that cause cardiac arrhythmia, depend on the usage of electromedical equipment such as electrocardiographs, cardiac monitors, holters, pacemakers and defibrillators / cardioverters, it is vital that such products be technically evaluated and certified as a way to check their performance, limitations, and ability to fulfill their functions, in order to ensure safety against electrical hazards and command errors, as well as to ensure that they are manufactured in accordance with the Technical Standards in force. The registration and certification of these products is compulsory in Brazil, and, in order to be marketed, they must comply with the requirements of the series ABNT NBR IEC 60601/ 80601of Technical Standards, which establish the essential safety and performance requirements that these products must meet. This paper describes testing methods, testing procedures, and the way cardiac equipment parameters have to be measured and evaluated providing all the measuring instruments and requirements for test performing and metrology. It also shows are the final results of tests indicating that some important parameters of the evaluated equipament are not in accordance with the standards adopted in Brazil. Finally, the findings and conclusions are presented, with incitements for future works, in order to contribute to pursuit of continuous improvement. This research intends to contribute as a benchmark for Testing Laboratories with similar interest in obtaining testing technical capacity, and is also an orientation to for companies that produce heart medical equipment in accordance with the requirements of the standards adopted in Brazil.

CO2 sequestration is a promising strategy to reduce the emissions of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, to enhance hydrocarbon production, and/or to extract geothermal heat. The target formations can be deep saline aquifers, abandoned or depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, and/or coal bed seams or even deep oceanic waters. Thus, the potential formations for CO2 sequestration and EOR (enhanced oil recovery) projects can vary broadly in pressure and temperature conditions from deep and cold where CO2 can exist in a liquid state to shallow and warm where CO2 can exist in a gaseous state, and to deep and hot where CO2 can exist in a supercritical state. The injection, transport and displacement of CO2 in these formations involves the flow of CO2 in subsurface rocks which already contain water and/or oil, i.e. multiphase flow occurs. Deepening our understanding about multiphase flow characteristics will help us building models that can predict multiphase flow behaviour, designing sequestration and EOR programmes, and selecting appropriate formations for CO2 sequestration more accurately. However, multiphase flow in porous media is a complex process and mainly governed by the interfacial interactions between the injected CO2, formation water, and formation rock in host formation (e.g. interfacial tension, wettability, capillarity, and mass transfer across the interface), and by the capillary , viscous, buoyant, gravity, diffusive, and inertial forces; some of these forces can be neglected based on the rock-fluid properties and the configuration of the model investigated. The most influential forces are the capillary ones as they are responsible for the entrapment of about 70% of the total oil in place, which is left behind primary and secondary production processes. During CO2 injection in subsurface formations, at early stages, most of the injected CO2 (as a non-wetting phase) will displace the formation water/oil (as a wetting phase) in a drainage immiscible displacement. Later, the formation water/oil will push back the injected CO2 in an imbibition displacement. Generally, the main concern for most of the CO2 sequestration projects is the storage capacity and the security of the target formations, which directly influenced by the dynamic of CO2 flow within these formations. Any change in the state of the injected CO2 as well as the subsurface conditions (e.g. pressure, temperature, injection rate and its duration), properties of the injected and present fluids (e.g. brine composition and concentration, and viscosity and density), and properties of the rock formation (e.g. mineral composition, pore size distribution, porosity, permeability, and wettability) will have a direct impact on the interfacial interactions, capillary forces and viscous forces, which, in turn, will have a direct influence on the injection, displacement, migration, storage capacity and integrity of CO2. Nevertheless, despite their high importance, investigations have widely overlooked the impact of CO2 the phase as well as the operational conditions on multiphase characteristics during CO2 geo-sequestration and CO2 enhanced oil recovery processes. In this PhD project, unsteady-state drainage and imbibition investigations have been performed under a gaseous, liquid, or supercritical CO2 condition to evaluate the significance of the effects that a number of important parameters (namely CO2 phase, fluid pressure, temperature, salinity, and CO2 injection rate) can have on the multiphase flow characteristics (such as differential pressure profile, production profile, displacement efficiency, and endpoint CO2 effective (relative) permeability). The study sheds more light on the impact of capillary and viscous forces on multiphase flow characteristics and shows the conditions when capillary or viscous forces dominate the flow. Up to date, there has been no such experimental data presented in the literature on the potential effects of these parameters on the multiphase flow characteristics when CO2 is injected into a gaseous, liquid, or supercritical state. The first main part of this research deals with gaseous, liquid, and supercritical CO2- water/brine drainage displacements. These displacements have been conducted by injecting CO2 into a water or brine-saturated sandstone core sample under either a gaseous, liquid or supercritical state. The results reveal a moderate to considerable impact of the fluid pressure, temperature, salinity and injection rate on the differential pressure profile, production profile, displacement efficiency, and endpoint CO2 effective (relative) permeability). The results show that the extent and the trend of the impact depend significantly on the state of the injected CO2. For gaseous CO2-water drainage displacements, the results showed that the extent of the impact of the experimental temperature and CO2 injection rate on multiphase flow characteristics, i.e. the differential pressure profile, production profile (i.e. cumulative produced volumes), endpoint relative permeability of CO2 (KrCO2) and residual water saturation (Swr) is a function of the associated fluid pressure. This indicates that for formations where CO2 can exist in a gaseous state, fluid pressure has more influence on multiphase flow characteristics in comparison to other parameters investigated. Overall, the increase in fluid pressure (40-70 bar), temperature (29-45 °C), and CO2 injection rate (0.1-2 ml/min) caused an increase in the differential pressure. The increase in differential pressure with increasing fluid pressure and injection rate indicate that viscous forces dominate the multi-phase flow. Nevertheless, increasing the differential pressure with temperature indicates that capillary forces dominate the multi-phase flow as viscous forces are expected to decrease with this increasing temperature. Capillary forces have a direct impact on the entry pressure and capillary number. Therefore, reducing the impact of capillary forces with increasing pressure and injection rate can ease the upward migration of CO2 (thereby, affecting the storage capacity and integrity of the sequestered CO2) and enhance displacement efficiency. On the other hand, increasing the impact of the capillary force with increasing temperature can result in a more secure storage of CO2 and a reduction in the displacement efficiency. Nevertheless, the change in pressure and temperature can also have a direct impact on storage capacity and security of CO2 due to their impact on density and hence on buoyancy forces. Thus, in order to decide the extent of change in storage capacity and security of CO2 with the change in the above-investigated parameters, a qualitative study is required to determine the size of the change in both capillary forces and buoyancy forces. The data showed a significant influence of the capillary forces on the pressure and production profiles. The capillary forces produced high oscillations in the pressure and production profiles while the increase in viscous forces impeded the appearance of these oscillations. The appearance and frequency of these oscillations depend on the fluid pressure, temperature, and CO2 injection rate but to different extents. The appearance of the oscillations can increase CO2 residual saturation due to the re-imbibition process accompanied with these oscillations, thereby increasing storage capacity and integrity of the injected CO2. The differential pressure required to open the blocked flow channels during these oscillations can be useful in calculating the largest effective pore diameters and hence the sealing efficiency of the rock. Swr was in ranges of 0.38-0.42 while KrCO2 was found to be less than 0.25 under our experimental conditions. Increasing fluid pressure, temperature, and CO2 injection rate resulted in an increase in the KrCO2, displacement efficiency (i.e. a reduction in the Swr), and cumulative produced volumes. For liquid CO2-water drainage displacements, the increase in fluid pressure (60-70 bar), CO2 injection rate (0.4-1ml/min) and salinity (1% NaCl, 5% NaCl, and 1% CaCl2) generated an increase in the differential pressure; the highest increase occurred with increasing the injection rate and the lowest with increasing the salinity. On the other hand, on the whole, increasing temperature (20-29 °C) led to a reduction in the differential pressure apart from the gradual increase occurred at the end of flooding.

Considerando que o diagnóstico e os tratamentos de certas doenças do coração, entre as que provocam arritmias cardíacas, se dão por uso de equipamentos eletromédicos como eletrocardiógrafos, monitores cardíacos, holter, marcapassos externos e desfibriladores/cardioversores, torna-se de vital importância que esses tipos de produtos sejam avaliados tecnicamente e certificados como forma de verificar seu desempenho, suas limitações e capacidade de cumprir suas funções para garantir a segurança contra riscos elétricos e erros de comandos, além de assegurar que estão sendo fabricados em conformidade com as prescrições de Normas Técnicas vigentes. O registro de tais produtos na Anvisa é compulsório no Brasil, exigindo uma certificação junto ao INMETRO para que estes produtos possam ser comercializados. De acordo com a regulamentação brasileira vigente devem estar de acordo com as exigências da Série de Normas Técnicas ABNT NBR IEC 60601/ 80601 que estabelecem as prescrições de segurança e desempenho essencial que esses produtos são obrigados a atender. Portanto, a pesquisa apresenta os métodos de ensaios, processos de ensaios e a forma de como se deve mensurar os parâmetros dos equipamentos destinados à área cardíaca, além de fornecer todos os instrumentos de medição, as necessidades para efetuar tal tarefa e as gigas de ensaios. Também são apresentados os resultados finais dos ensaios indicando que alguns parâmetros dos equipamentos ensaiados não estão em conformidade com as Normas vigentes no país. Por fim, são mencionadas conclusões finais e os trabalhos futuros a serem desenvolvidos para contribuir com o aperfeiçoamento e com a busca de melhoria contínua. Esta pesquisa deve contribuir como referência para os Laboratórios de Ensaios congêneres que tenham interesse em obter capacitação técnica, além de ser uma orientação para as empresas que produzem equipamentos dedicados à área cardíaca de acordo com os requisitos e prescrições das Normas vigentes no país. / Whereas the diagnosis and treatment of certain heart diseases, including the ones that cause cardiac arrhythmia, depend on the usage of electromedical equipment such as electrocardiographs, cardiac monitors, holters, pacemakers and defibrillators / cardioverters, it is vital that such products be technically evaluated and certified as a way to check their performance, limitations, and ability to fulfill their functions, in order to ensure safety against electrical hazards and command errors, as well as to ensure that they are manufactured in accordance with the Technical Standards in force. The registration and certification of these products is compulsory in Brazil, and, in order to be marketed, they must comply with the requirements of the series ABNT NBR IEC 60601/ 80601of Technical Standards, which establish the essential safety and performance requirements that these products must meet. This paper describes testing methods, testing procedures, and the way cardiac equipment parameters have to be measured and evaluated providing all the measuring instruments and requirements for test performing and metrology. It also shows are the final results of tests indicating that some important parameters of the evaluated equipament are not in accordance with the standards adopted in Brazil. Finally, the findings and conclusions are presented, with incitements for future works, in order to contribute to pursuit of continuous improvement. This research intends to contribute as a benchmark for Testing Laboratories with similar interest in obtaining testing technical capacity, and is also an orientation to for companies that produce heart medical equipment in accordance with the requirements of the standards adopted in Brazil.