This work is concerned with the numerical simulation of percussion instruments based on physical principles. Three novel modular environments for sound synthesis are presented: a system composed of various plates vibrating under nonlinear conditions, a model for a nonlinear double membrane drum and a snare drum. All are embedded in a 3D acoustic environment. The approach adopted is based on the finite difference method, and extends recent results in the field. Starting from simple models, the modular instruments can be created by combining different components in order to obtain virtual environments with increasing complexity. The resulting numerical codes can be used by composers and musicians to create music by specifying the parameters and a score for the systems. Stability is a major concern in numerical simulation. In this work, energy techniques are employed in order to guarantee the stability of the numerical schemes for the virtual instruments, by imposing suitable coupling conditions between the various components of the system. Before presenting the virtual instruments, the various components are individually analysed. Plates are the main elements of the multiple plate system, and they represent the first approximation to the simulation of gongs and cymbals. Similarly to plates, membranes are important in the simulation of drums. Linear and nonlinear plate/membrane vibration is thus the starting point of this work. An important aspect of percussion instruments is the modelling of collisions. A novel approach based on penalty methods is adopted here to describe lumped collisions with a mallet and distributed collisions with a string in the case of a membrane. Another point discussed in the present work is the coupling between 2D structures like plates and membranes with the 3D acoustic field, in order to obtain an integrated system. It is demonstrated how the air coupling can be implemented when nonlinearities and collisions are present. Finally, some attention is devoted to the experimental validation of the numerical simulation in the case of tom tom drums. Preliminary results comparing different types of nonlinear models for membrane vibration are presented.

[pt] Este trabalho analisa o fenômeno da estabilidade de tensão no domínio do tempo incluindo fenômenos rápidos (transitórios) e lentos (longo-termo). As diferentes formas de estabilidade existentes nos sistemas elétricos de potência são definidas e classificadas de acordo com a variável de interesse e com a amplitude do distúrbio. Utilizando-se um simples sistema elétrico de potência, verifica-se através de formulações dinâmicas fatores relevantes ao fenômeno da estabilidade de tensão. Investiga-se a influência de cargas do tipo potência constante e impedância constante sobre a estabilidade de tensão. Compensadores estáticos são incluídos nas análises e verifica-se a existência de regiões de operação onde as ações de controle não apresentam o efeito esperado. Investiga-se através de cenários o efeito adverso de dispositivos de controle com o limitador de sobre- excitação e o transformador de tape variável sobre a estabilidade de tensão. A partir de uma versão do programa de estabilidade transitória TRANSTAB, foram desenvolvidas duas versões do programa computacional VOLTDYN para simular no domínio do tempo o fenômeno da estabilidade de tensão. A primeira versão do programa Utiliza um algoritmo de integração de passo variável usando o método trapezoidal implícito enquanto que a segunda versão utiliza o método de Adams-Bashforth- Moulton. Diversos testes computacionais com as duas versões são realizados comprovando-se a importância desta forma de análise. / [en] This work is concerned with voltage stability analysis in time domain including transient and long-term time frames. Different power system stability forms are defined and classified according to the variable of interest and with the disturbance magnitude. Using a simple power system model, it is shown through dynamics formulations important aspects of the voltage stability phenomenon. Important aspects of load characteristics of constant power type and mixed (constant power/constant impedance) type on voltage stability are investigated. A static compensator model is included in the analysis and it is verified that under specific operation conditions the control actions are not efficient. Scenarios show the adverse effects of long-term control devices such as overexcitation limiters and under load tap changers on voltage stability. One version of the transient stability program TRANSTAB is modified in order to simulate transient and long-term voltage phenomena. The resulting modified computer program is called VOLTDYN. Two versions of the VOLTDYN progran are available. The first version uses a variable step-size algorithm based on the trapezoidal method. The other includes a variable step-size algorithm based on the Adams- Bashforth-Moulton method.

One-dimensional (1D) nanomaterials are of great importance for a number of potential applications. However, in order to realize this potential a thorough understanding of the charge-carrier dynamics in these materials is required, since these largely determine the optoelectronic properties of the materials in question. This thesis investigates the charge-carrier dynamics of two 1D nanomaterials, single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and tungsten-oxide nanowires (WOxNWs), with the goal of better understanding the nature of their optoelectronic responses, and how nanomaterial geometry and morphology influence these responses. We do this using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and optical pump - terahertz probe time-domain spectroscopy (OPTP). Firstly, we discuss how to properly analyse and interpret the data obtained from these experiments when measuring 1D nanomaterials. While the data obtained from THz-TDS is fairly straight-forward to analyse, OPTP experimental data can be far from trivial. Depending on the relative size of the sample geometry compared to the probe wavelength, various approximations can be used to simplify the extraction of their ultrafast response. We present a general method, based on the transfer matrix method, for evaluating the applicability of these approximations for a given multilayer structure, and show the limitations of the most commonly used approximations. We find that these approximations are only valid in extreme cases where the thickness of the sample is several orders of magnitude smaller or larger than the wavelength, which highlight the danger originating from improper use of these approximations. We then move on to investigate how the charge-carrier dynamics of our CNTs is influenced by nanotube length and density. This is done through studying the nature of the broad THz resonance observed in finite-length CNTs, and how the nanotube length and density affects this resonance. We do this by measuring the conductivity spectra of thin films comprising bundled CNTs of different average lengths in the frequency range 0.3-1000 THz and temperature interval 10-530 K. From this we show that the observed temperature-induced changes in the terahertz conductivity spectra depend strongly on the average CNT length, with a conductivity around 1 THz that increases/decreases as the temperature increases for short/long tubes. This behaviour originates from the temperature dependence of the electron scattering rate, which results in a subsequent broadening of the observed THz conductivity peak at higher temperatures and a shift to lower frequencies for increasing CNT length. Finally, we show that the change in conductivity with temperature depends not only on tube length, but also varies with tube density. We record the effective conductivities of composite films comprising mixtures of WS2 nanotubes and CNTs vs CNT density for frequencies in the range 0.3-1 THz, finding that the conductivity increases/decreases for low/high density films as the temperature increases. This effect arises due to the density dependence of the effective length of conducting pathways in the composite films, which again leads to a shift and temperature dependent broadening of the THz conductivity peak. Next, we investigate the conflicting reports regarding the ultrafast photoconductive response of films of CNTs, which apparently exhibit photoconductivities that can vastly differ, even in sign. Here we observe explicitly that the THz photoconductivity of CNT films is a highly variable quantity which correlates with the length of the CNTs, while the specific type of CNT has little influence. Moreover, by comparing the photo-induced change in THz conductivity with heat-induced changes, we show that both occur primarily due to heat-generated modification of the Drude electron relaxation rate, resulting in a broadening of the plasmonic resonance present in finite-length metallic and doped semiconducting CNTs. This clarifies the nature of the photo-response of CNT films and demonstrates the need to carefully consider the geometry of the CNTs, specifically the length, when considering them for application in optoelectronic devices. We then move on to consider our WOxNWs. We measure the terahertz conductivity and photoconductivity spectra of thin films compromising tungsten-oxide (WOx) nanowires of average diameters 4 nm and 100 nm, and oxygen deficiencies WO2.72 and WO3 using THz-TDS and OPTP. From this we present the first experimental evidence of a metal-to-insulator transition in WOx nanowires, which occurs when the oxygen content is increased from x=2.72 -> 3 and manifests itself as a massive drop in the THz conductivity due to a shift in the Fermi level from the conduction band down into the bandgap. Furthermore we present the first experimental measurements of the photoexcited charge-carrier dynamics of WOx nanowires on a picosecond timescale and map the influence of oxygen-content and nanowire diameter. From this we show that the decay-dynamics of the nanowires is characterized by a fast decay of < 1 ps, followed by slow decay of 3-10 ps, which we attribute to saturable carrier trapping at the surface of the nanowires.

abstract: On-line dynamic security assessment (DSA) analysis has been developed and applied in several power dispatching control centers. Existing applications of DSA systems are limited by the assumption of the present system operating conditions and computational speeds. To overcome these obstacles, this research developed a novel two-stage DSA system to provide periodic security prediction in real time. The major contribution of this research is to develop an open source on-line DSA system incorporated with Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) data and forecast load. The pre-fault prediction of the system can provide more accurate assessment of the system and minimize the disadvantage of a low computational speed of time domain simulation. This Thesis describes the development of the novel two-stage on-line DSA scheme using phasor measurement and load forecasting data. The computational scheme of the new system determines the steady state stability and identifies endangerments in a small time frame near real time. The new on-line DSA system will periodically examine system status and predict system endangerments in the near future every 30 minutes. System real-time operating conditions will be determined by state estimation using phasor measurement data. The assessment of transient stability is carried out by running the time-domain simulation using a forecast working point as the initial condition. The forecast operating point is calculated by DC optimal power flow based on forecast load. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Electrical Engineering 2017

Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a popular non-destructive geophysical technique with a wide range of diverse applications. Civil engineering, hydrogeophysics, forensic, glacier geology, human detection and borehole geology are some of the fields in which GPR has been applied with successful or promising results. One of the most mainstream applications of GPR is landmine detection. A lot of methods have been suggested over the years to assist the landmine detection issue. Metal detectors, trained rats or dogs, chemical methods and electrical resistivity tomography are –amongst others– some of the suggested techniques. The non-destructive nature of GPR makes it an attractive choice for a problem such as demining in which contact to the ground is not allowed. The main advantage of GPR is its ability to detect both metallic and non-metallic targets. Furthermore, GPR can provide an insight regarding the nature of the target (e.g. size, burial depth, type). From the above, it is evident that GPR can potentially reduce the false alarms emerging from small metallic objects (e.g. bullets, wires, etc.) usually encountered in battle-fields and industrialised areas. Combining the robustness of the metal detector with the resolution of GPR results in a reliable and efficient detection framework which has been successfully applied in Cambodia and Afghanistan. Despite the promising, and in some cases impressive results, aspects of GPR can be further improved in an effort to optimise GPR’s performance and decrease its limitations. The validation of a GPR system is usually achieved through the so called Receiver Operation Characteristics (ROC) which depicts the probability of detection with respect to the false alarm rate. ROC is a highly nonlinear function which is sensitive to the environment as well as to the antenna unit. Landmines are typically small objects, often less than 10 cm diameter, which are shallow buried, usually in less than 10 cm depth, and sometimes almost exposed. In order for the landmines to be resolved, high frequency antennas are essential. The latter are sensitive to soil’s inhomogeneities, rough surface, water puddles, vegetation and so on. Apart from that, the near field nature of the problem makes the antenna unit part of the medium which contributes to the unwanted clutter. The above, outlines the multi-parametric nature of the problem for which no straightforward approach has yet to be proposed. Numerical modelling is a practical and solid approach to understand the physical behaviour of a system. In the case of GPR for landmine detection, numerical modelling can be a practical tool for designing and optimising antennas in synthetic but nonetheless realistic conditions. Apart from that, evaluation of a processing method only to a specific environment is not a robust approach and does not provide any evidence for its wider inclusivity and limitations. However, evaluation in different conditions can become costly and unpractical. Numerical modelling can tackle this problem by providing data for a wide range of scenarios. An extensive database of simulated responses, apart from being a practical testbed, can be also employed as a training set for machine learning. A multi-variable problem like demining, in order to be addressed using machine learning, requires a large amount of data. These must equally include all possible different scenarios i.e. different landmines, in different media with stochastically varied properties and topography. Additionally, different heights of the antenna and different depths of the landmines must also be examined. Numerical modelling seems to be a practical approach to achieve an equally distributed and coherent dataset like the one briefly described above. Numerical modelling of GPR for landmine detection has been applied in the past using generic antennas in simplified and clinical scenarios. This approach can be used in an educational context just to provide a rough estimation of GPR’s performance. In the present thesis a realistic numerical scheme is suggested in which, simplifications are kept to a minimum. The numerical solver, employed in the suggested numerical scheme, is the Finite- Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method. Both the dispersive properties and the Absorbing Boundary Condition (ABC) are implemented through novel and accurate techniques. In particular, a novel method which implements an inclusive susceptibility function is suggested and it is shown that surpasses the performance of the previous approaches while retaining their computational efficiency. Furthermore, Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) and more specifically Convolutional Perfectly Matched Layer (CPML) is implemented through a novel time-synchronised scheme which it is proven to be more accurate compared to the traditional CPML with no additional computational requirements. An accurate numerical solver, although essential, is not the only requirement for a realistic numerical framework. Accurate implementation of the geometry and the dielectric properties of the simulated model is highly important, especially when it comes to high-frequency near-field scenarios such as GPR for landmine detection. In the suggested numerical scheme, both the soil’s properties as well as the rough surface are simulated using fractal correlated noise. It is shown, that fractals can sufficiently represent Earth’s topography and give rise to semi-variograms often encountered in real soils. Regarding the dielectric properties of the soils, a semi-analytic function is employed which relates soil’s dielectric properties to its sand fraction, clay fraction, sand density, bulk density and water volumetric fraction. Subsequently, the semi-analytic function is approximated using a Debye function that can be easily implemented to FDTD. Vegetation is also implemented to the model using a novel method which simulates the geometry of vegetation through a stochastic process. The experimentally-derived dielectric properties of vegetation are approximated –similarly to soil’s dielectric properties– with a Debye expansion. The antenna units tested in the numerical scheme are two bow-tie antennas based on commercially available transducers. Regarding the targets, three landmines are chosen, namely, PMN, PMA-1 and TS-50. Dummy landmines are used in order to obtain their geometrical characteristics and comparison between measured and numerically evaluated traces are used to tune the dielectric properties of the modelled landmines. Lastly, water puddles are realistically implemented in the model in an effort to realistically simulate high-saturated scenarios. The proposed numerical scheme has been employed in order to test and evaluate widely used post-processing methods. The results clearly illustrate that post-processing methods are sensitive to the antenna unit as well as the medium. This highlights the importance of an accurate numerical scheme as a testbed for evaluating different GPR systems and post-processing approaches in wide range of scenarios. Using an equivalent 2D numerical scheme –restricted to 2D due to computational constrains– preliminary results are given regarding the effectiveness of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) subject to an adequate and equally distributed database. The results are promising, showing that ANN can be successfully employed for detection as well as classification using only a single trace as input. A basic requirement to do so is a representative training set. This can be synthetically generated using a realistic numerical framework. The above, provide solid arguments for further expanding the proposed machine learning scheme to the more computationally demanding 3D case.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004-07-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:55:34Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 santos_kac_me_ilha.pdf: 2835945 bytes, checksum: c558fa3df558636f50b76fdd657c5ff5 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Nas técnicas de identificação de parâmetros, procuram-se determinar os valores desconhecidos pela manipulação dos sinais de entrada e saída do sistema. O tratamento e análise de sinais são relativamente recentes na engenharia, sendo que seu desenvolvimento deu-se juntamente com o dos sensores e condicionadores de sinais e mais recentemente, com os sistemas automáticos de aquisição de dados. Vários métodos têm sido propostos para resolver problemas de identificação, embora nenhum deles possa ser considerado como sendo universalmente adequado a todas as situações. Conhecendo-se os parâmetros dos sistemas, pode-se acompanhar através de monitoramento e técnicas de identificação, a evolução de possíveis falhas devido à variação destes parâmetros. Os processos de identificação, a partir de funções ortogonais, começam com a construção de uma matriz operacional, o que permite, através de integrações a conversão de um conjunto de equações diferenciais em um conjunto de equações algébricas e consequentemente a obtenção dos parâmetros desconhecidos. Neste trabalho, apresentam-se as técnicas de Identificação de Parâmetros utilizando as funções ortogonais de Fourier e polinomiais de Legendre e Chebyshev. / In the parameter identification techniques, it is important to determine the unknown values in the manipulation of input and output signal of the system. The treatment and analysis of signals are relatively recent in the engineering, and its development took place with the sensors and the signal conditioning and recently, with the automatic data acquisition systems. Various methods have been proposed to solve identification problems, although any of them can be regarded universally adequate to all the situations. If the parameters of the systems, is known it can be accompanied, through monitoring and identification techniques, the evolution of possible fault due to the variation of the parameters. The identification process, from these types of functions, start with the construction of an operational matrix for the integration of orthogonal bases vectors, which allow the conversion of a differential equation set to a algebraic equation set, obtaining the unknown parameters. In this work, the parameter identification techniques used, the orthogonal functions of Fourier and polynomial of Legendre and Chebyshev, is presented.

Orientador: Gilberto Pechoto de Melo / Banca: Cleudmar Amaral de Araújo / Banca: Vicente Lopes Júnior / Resumo: Nas técnicas de identificação de parâmetros, procuram-se determinar os valores desconhecidos pela manipulação dos sinais de entrada e saída do sistema. O tratamento e análise de sinais são relativamente recentes na engenharia, sendo que seu desenvolvimento deu-se juntamente com o dos sensores e condicionadores de sinais e mais recentemente, com os sistemas automáticos de aquisição de dados. Vários métodos têm sido propostos para resolver problemas de identificação, embora nenhum deles possa ser considerado como sendo universalmente adequado a todas as situações. Conhecendo-se os parâmetros dos sistemas, pode-se acompanhar através de monitoramento e técnicas de identificação, a evolução de possíveis falhas devido à variação destes parâmetros. Os processos de identificação, a partir de funções ortogonais, começam com a construção de uma matriz operacional, o que permite, através de integrações a conversão de um conjunto de equações diferenciais em um conjunto de equações algébricas e consequentemente a obtenção dos parâmetros desconhecidos. Neste trabalho, apresentam-se as técnicas de Identificação de Parâmetros utilizando as funções ortogonais de Fourier e polinomiais de Legendre e Chebyshev. / Abstract: In the parameter identification techniques, it is important to determine the unknown values in the manipulation of input and output signal of the system. The treatment and analysis of signals are relatively recent in the engineering, and its development took place with the sensors and the signal conditioning and recently, with the automatic data acquisition systems. Various methods have been proposed to solve identification problems, although any of them can be regarded universally adequate to all the situations. If the parameters of the systems, is known it can be accompanied, through monitoring and identification techniques, the evolution of possible fault due to the variation of the parameters. The identification process, from these types of functions, start with the construction of an operational matrix for the integration of orthogonal bases vectors, which allow the conversion of a differential equation set to a algebraic equation set, obtaining the unknown parameters. In this work, the parameter identification techniques used, the orthogonal functions of Fourier and polynomial of Legendre and Chebyshev, is presented. / Mestre

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica, 2012. / Submitted by Alaíde Gonçalves dos Santos (alaide@unb.br) on 2013-01-25T12:20:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_LeandroCarisioFernandes.pdf: 11244387 bytes, checksum: 56968dbdb42928aca7dfd8945faf01cd (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Guimaraes Jacqueline(jacqueline.guimaraes@bce.unb.br) on 2013-02-01T12:59:34Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_LeandroCarisioFernandes.pdf: 11244387 bytes, checksum: 56968dbdb42928aca7dfd8945faf01cd (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-02-01T12:59:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_LeandroCarisioFernandes.pdf: 11244387 bytes, checksum: 56968dbdb42928aca7dfd8945faf01cd (MD5) / A demanda por serviços de comunicações móveis cresce ano após ano. A implantação de sistema que ofereça esse tipo de serviço requer mecanismos de predição de cobertura de sinal, a fim de otimizar parâmetros usados na fase de planejamento. E importante considerar que, em um enlace de comunicação via rádio, a propagação do sinal não ocorre em situações ideais, na maioria das vezes. A quantidade de fenômenos que influenciam a propagação do sinal é proporcional a complexidade do ambiente. Em regra, em áreas urbanas existe um número maior de obstáculos do que em localidades rurais, o que torna mais complicado estimar a perda de propagação em cidades e metrópoles. Melhorar a estimativa da perda de propagação pode assegurar mais qualidade ao serviço oferecido por operadoras de telecomunicações. Este trabalho mostra como o ambiente urbano pode ser considerado no cálculo da perda de propagação em duas faixas de freqüência. Para a faixa de 900 MHz, são propostos métodos que analisam situações em que a altura da antena transmissora é menor do que a altura média das construções. Os resultados demonstram uma melhora signicativa quando comparados com aqueles obtidos por meio do modelo COST-Walfisch-Ikegami. Em ondas médias, na faixa de 1MHz, propõe-se uma correção da Recomendação ITU-R P.368 de forma a se incluir informações sobre a densidade de área ocupada por construções na localização do receptor. Os valores estimados do campo elétrico estão mais próximos dos dados de medidas do que os obtidos usando-se apenas a recomendação do ITU. O estudo da propagação em ambientes indoor também e um problema de grande interesse prático. Nesse caso, devido a complexidade do ambiente, o uso de equações analíticas torna-se impraticável. Uma forma de contornar essa restrição e usando métodos numéricos. Nesse sentido, será mostrado também como problemas de propagação em ambientes indoor podem ser analisados via métodos numéricos. _______________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT / The demand for mobile communications services grows year after year. Path loss prediction models are necessary to deploy any system that o ers this service. In a wireless communication link, the propagation of the signal occurs mostly over a non line of sight path. The more complex the environment, the greater the number of phenomena that a ect the propagation of the signal. In urban areas, the number of obstacles is greater than in rural areas, and therefore it is more di cult to estimate the path loss in those sites. However, improve estimates of path loss in urban environment can also improve the quality of service o ered by telecommunications operators. Thus, this thesis shows how the urban environment can be considered to calculate the path loss in two frequency bands. Two path loss models are proposed at 900 MHz, when transmitting antenna is lower than the average height of the buildings. The results show a signi cant improvement when compared with COST-Wal sch-Ikegami model. For medium waves, at 1 MHz, a correction of Recommendation ITU-R P.368 is proposed to include information of area occupied by buildings in the receiver's location. The estimated values of the electric fi eld are better than those obtained using the Recommendation ITU-R P.368. Propagation in indoor environments is also a problem with practical interest. Due to the complexity of the environment, the use of analytical equation is impractical. Numerical methods solve this limitation. Thus, it will be shown how to analyse indoor environments using numerical methods.

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo comparativo entre análises no domínio do tempo e análises espectrais, como forma de sugerir uma abordagem alternativa para o projeto de pontes de seção celular submetidas à ação de terremotos. Com esse propósito, desenvolveu-se um programa em linguagem JAVA para a geração de sismos artificiais, usando como base o Eurocode 8. A saída do programa foi utilizada para o desenvolvimento de um estudo de caso, que consiste em uma modelagem simplificada no software ADINA, de um vão de 21 m da Ponte Alverca, em Portugal. Após a extração e comparação de resultados dos dois métodos, é possível perceber que o método alternativo proposto - no domínio do tempo, que consiste na aplicação de acelerogramas artificiais ao modelo - possui resultados bastante coerentes com a análise espectral, além de ser mais recomendado se efeitos geométricos ou fisicamente não lineares forem considerados na modelagem. / This work presents a comparative study between time-domain analysis and spectral analysis, as a way of suggesting an alternative approach for treating cell section bridges subjected to earthquakes. To reach this goal, it was developed a program in JAVA language for the artificial earthquakes generation, using the Eurocode 8 as a basis. The program output was used for a case study that consists in a simplified modeling using ADINA software, of a twenty-one-meter-long span of Alverca Bridge, in Portugal. After the results extraction of both methods, it is possible to notice that the alternative method - in the time-domain, which consists of the application of artificial accelerograms to the model - has fairly consistent results with spectral analysis, not to mention that it is the most suitable one, in case geometrical or physical non-linearities are considered in the modelling.

Orientador: Edson Eiji Matsura / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agricola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T21:37:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MestasValero_RogerManuel_M.pdf: 1264659 bytes, checksum: bbb3d9d1a7966c854866628251702d0c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: O aumento na utilização de estufas para produção agrícola e o conseqüente cultivo em recipientes fez com que houvesse uma substituição de solos por substratos para plantas. Em cultivos em substratos, o pequeno volume e o baixo efeito tampão podem ocasionar prejuízos na produção, mas também podem aumentar as chances de sucesso agronômico. Conseqüentemente um sistema sensível como este deve ser continuamente monitorado, a fim de se obter bons resultados. É preciso avaliar metodologias que determinem a umidade (?) e condutividade elétrica (CE) nos substratos, com maior rapidez e in situ, mantendo boa correlação com o método padrão. Das várias propostas para determinação da umidade e CE dos meios porosos, a técnica da TDR (Reflectometria no domino do tempo) vem despertando cada vez mais interesse, pois apresentam características desejáveis, como a mensuração em tempo real e a possibilidade de leituras automatizadas, porém apresenta como desvantagens seu alto custo e sua necessidade de calibração. Apesar da técnica da TDR para determinação de umidade em solos ser mais estudada é necessário novos conhecimentos acerca desta técnica quando se utiliza substratos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi de avaliar o uso da técnica TDR na estimativa de umidade e condutividade elétrica em dois substratos orgânicos: casca de pinus (CP) e fibra de coco (FC), na qual, determinou-se as principais características físicas destes substratos (densidade, granulometria e curva de retenção de umidade). A calibração da TDR foi feita através de duas metodologias; umedecimento e secagem do substrato. Já para estimativa da condutividade elétrica utilizou-se modelos matemáticos desenvolvidos por Rhoades et al., (1976). Os resultados mostraram que os valores da constante dielétrica (Ka) e da umidade volumétrica (?) dos substratos puderam ser ajustados através de equações polinomiais cúbicas, estatisticamente significativas a nível de1%. Conclui-se que o uso da TDR para estimativa de umidade em substratos é possível, desde que se faça a calibração para cada um. Além disso, houve correlação da condutividade elétrica determinada pela TDR com a condutividade elétrica determinada pelo condutivímetro no extrato de solução dos substratos, possibilitando o uso da TDR na estimativa de condutividade elétrica nos substratos estudados / Abstract: The increasing use of greenhouse in agricultural production and the resulting grow of container crops is determining the substitution of soil for substrates. The small container volume and the low tampon effect can cause failures in substrate crops production, but also has the potential to increase the opportunities of agronomic success. Therefore, this sensible production system must be continuously monitored in order to obtain good results. So, more precise and fast methodologies that determine in situ the water content and electrical conductivity (EC) in substrates has to be evaluated, when compared to standard method. From the several proposals methods to determinate water content and EC in a porous means, the technique of the TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry) show some desirable characteristics, like real time measurements and the possibility of automated readings. Some disadvantages of this technique are the high initial cost and necessity of calibration. Although, the number of information of TDR use in soil moisture determination its use in substrate still needs more developments. The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of TDR technique in the measurement of water content and electrical conductivity in two organic substrates: pine bark (CP) and coconut fiber (FC). The specific gravity, particle size distribution and water content retention curve of both substrates were determined. The calibration of the TDR was done using two methodologies: dryness and saturation cycles. In the electrical conductivity determination it was applied mathematical models developed by Rhodes et al. (1976). The results showed that the values of water content and dielectric constant of the substrates can be mathematically adjust in cubic polynomial equations with 1% significant level. Therefore, the use of TDR technique of the TDR is feasible since a calibration curve is determined for each substrate. In addition, there was correlation of the electrical conductivity determined by the TDR with the electrical conductivity determined in the extract saturation by conductivimeter, making possible the use of the TDR in the EC measuring of the studied substrates / Mestrado / Agua e Solo / Mestre em Engenharia Agrícola