El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / This research article focuses on the application of the main engineering tools in the wood furniture manufacturing sector. It uses as an information source furniture companies of the industrial park of Villa El Salvador. Its objective is to implement 6TOC methodology based on LEAN philosophy, Six Sigma and restrictions theory, focusing on improvements to the bottleneck. Defines the product design as an ideal input for the planning and development of activities. Start to know the work environment: stations and functions, machines and tools, plant layout and ergonomics in order to increase productivity. Application of tools level operations for planning, control and execution of production. Resulted in the GDP in the year 2017 increased by 2.2%. However, the manufacturing sector of goods decreased by 5.5%, that is, it impairs GDP growth, since the wood and furniture industry, which had an aggregate gross manufacturing value of −19.9%.

The thesis is focused on improving project management in the environment of the company. In addition to the topic of project management the thesis focuses primarily on the theory of constraints and uses its tools, which help in finding and subsequent removing of the found problems in the system. The thesis has several objectives. The first goal is to provide a sufficient theoretical basis not only for project management, which is analyzed in the practical part, but also the theory of constraints and its tools. In the first part of the thesis is adequately explained the principle of the theory of constraints. There are also clear way described the tools for identification of key issues and proposals for their elimination. Second goal is to verify the theoretical tools described, based on the theory of constraints, in practical usage in the study of undesirable effects in the selected company. The third goal is to use tools of the theory of constraints and mapping the current status and the proposal to eliminate the problems found. These tools are the present reality tree, the evaporating clouds and the future reality tree. The outputs from this analysis are specific recommendations for improving project management within the company. The overall benefit is the practical application of the tools in practice and usage of the findings of this thesis for improving of the current situation. By application proposed conclusions of this thesis should be eliminated current problems and improve the performance of the company. With regard to sufficiently sophisticated theoretical part in project management, the theory of constraints and its tools, the thesis can be as a valuable guide to the improvement in other companies.

This study examines changes in lake-water total organic carbon (LW-TOC) and lake sediment geochemistry in two lakes, Stångtjärnen and Holtjärnen in (Dalarna, Sweden), during the Holocene and the role of the historic forest grazing and farming (fäbod-system). The aims of the study were to: 1. Discern the effects of natural processes on the lake’s biogeochemistry in different position in the landscape. 2. Identify the effects and differences in intensity of historic land-use on the lakes. A multi-proxy study was conducted encompassing multi-element (15) geochemistry, biogenic silica, LW-TOC, chlorophyll a and published pollen records. The first lake, Stångtjärnen, is shaped and influenced by surrounding mires, which developed shortly after deglaciation and stabilized the LW-TOC at 19 mg L-1 throughout most of the Holocene, while Holtjärnen, a small upland lake, changed from a productive lake (BSi: 35 %), low humic (LW-TOC: 8 mg L-1) to a less productive (BSi: 4 %) more humic lake (LW-TOC: 12 mg L-1) in 7300 BP. The intensification of agricultural land-use (e.g. hay-making) in Stångtjärnen reduced the concentrations of organic associated elements (Br, Cl) and LW-TOC and increased lithogenic elements (K, Ti), while Holtjärnen showed less anthropogenic influence. The comparison between the two lakes displayed the intensive influence of land-use on the Stångtjärnen catchment, showcased by changes in the sediment geochemistry, vegetation composition and the extent of the forest-grazing system in a landscape perspective. In response to the changes of the Holocene, Stångtjärnen’s mires became the main influence, while Holtjärnen was more sensitive to changes.

Uppdraget var att undersöka huruvida det är möjligt att införa fasta flyttider efter slutmontering på Volvo Bussar AB. Undersökningar i verksamheten har visat på att det finns stora kvalitets- och materialbrister som hindrar verkligt effektiva flöden. Examensarbetet resulterade i två tekniska förslag, med utgångspunkt i två olika scenarion. Det första förslaget är att verksamheten ligger kvar i de lokaler de idag förfogar över, men fasta flyttider införs. Det andra förslaget är att stegen efter slutmontering flyttas ihop med de aktiviteter som ligger före slutmonteringen. På så vis får samtliga arbetare mer insikt i de olika moment som ett chassi går igenom, samt det blir ett naturligare flöde från dagens montering och slutmontering, till stegen som ligger efter slutmontering. Takttider och övrig information för dessa förslag bifogas i en excelfil. Det största hindret för att införa fasta flyttider idag ligger hos personalen i de berörda avdelningarna. De är vana att arbeta lite för sig själva i en lugnare och mer självstyrande miljö än de andra montörerna på Volvo Bussar AB. Det största bekymret som framkom under examensarbetet är att Volvo Bussar AB och Volvo AB arbetar suboptimerat mellan avdelningar och fabriker. Det upplevs att det finns ett stort fokus på tekniska lösningar. Det är vår åsikt att fokus bör ligga på visioner, som sedan stöds av tekniska system.

Extreme rainfall in raw water resource is greatly caused by climate change in Taiwan now. When typhoons are occurred, the turbidity in raw water is caused a high concentration frequently. In Taiwan the raw water, used by water treatment plants, comes from majorly river water. Most water treatment plants use chlorine disinfection; the disinfection process also produced excess disinfection by-products when raw water contains high turbidity and organic matter. In recent years, membrane method is widely being applied in water purification, but shortcomings were the higher price and not longer life. The purpose of this study is to investigate the treatment efficiency of turbidity, TOC, AOC, THMs and THMFP by using cheap nonwoven and biofilter (denoted as This System). In this study we used the base weight of 35 g/m2 nonwoven in filtration experiments for turbidity removal. Experimental results show turbidity removal by this system was nearly 90% when inlet turbidity is under moderate condition. The turbidity of treated water in effluent is all below 2 NTU that is compliance with national drinking water quality standards. Turbidity removal was about 90% using nonwoven with 21 pieces. Removal of organic matter is about 39% using biofilter when influent was in the low concentration of TOC. The removal rate is about 77% when the high TOC concentration in influent. In removal of TOC, TOC removal of raw water (I) was about 26.41%. The concentration of TOC was reduced from1169.9 £gg/L to 856.9£gg/L. The TOC removal of raw water (¢º) was about 19.65%. The concentration of TOC was reduced from 680.8£gg/L to 521£gg/L. The TOC removal of raw water (¢») was about 48.78%. The concentration of TOC was reduced from 1819 £gg/L to 936.5£gg/L. In removal of AOC, the removal rate of raw water (I) was about 50.83%. The concentration of AOC was from 59.51 £gg acetate-C/L to 28.42 £gg acetate-C/L). The removal of raw water (¢º) was about 50.97%. The concentration of AOC was from 73.08 £gg acetate-C/L to 35.8 £gg acetate-C/L. The removal of raw water (¢») was about 65.07%. The concentration of AOC was from 226.60 £gg acetate-C/L to 81.19 £gg acetate-C/L. The suggested limit level of AOC in treated water is 50£gg acetate-C/L Longer empty bed contact time of biofilter should enable the concentration below 50 £gg acetate-C/L. Removal of AOC increased with increased the empty bed contact time of biofilter . In removal of THMs and THMFP (denoted as precursors), the raw water (I) : THMs removal was about 50.22%. The concentration of THMs was reduced from 34.64 £gg/L to 17.56 £gg/L. The raw water (¢º): THMFP removal was about 46.83%. The concentration of THMs was reduced from 34.18 £gg/L to 18.27 £gg/L. The raw water (¢»): THMFP removal was about 51.81%. The concentration of THMFP was reduced from 81.49 £gg/L to 39.25 £gg/L. They were all lower than national standard of drinking water (THMs 80 £gg/L). Thus, this system can effectively remove turbidity, TOC, THMs and THMs precursors in raw water.

This study was to investigate the removal efficiency and the feasibility of containing-EDTA solutions by O3 and O3/UV, advanced oxidation processes (denoted by AOPs). The operation parameters conducted in semi-batch reactor were as follows: ozone dose, pH, temperature and initial concentration of EDTA. The best mineralization and COD removal was found at pH= 9 when the pH values in O3 process was controlled at 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. Addition of UV in O3 process for treating solutions containing EDTA was found not increasing the reaction rate but raising the COD and mineralization efficiency. In O3 process, the reaction rate was proportional to the ozone dose, it caused a higher mineralization. The higher the initial concentration of EDTA, the lower reaction rate, and the decreasing the mineralization was. Changing the temperature in reaction process was not obviously affected the removal of EDTA due to the lower activated energy found in O3 process. In O3/UV process, EDTA was decomposed very fast, but it still could not be mineralized the intermediates completely. The concentration of nitrate formed in this process was low. It is probably for high energy NH-containing bonds which is not easy break down by O3/UV. Thus, the major reactions in this process are the break of C-N bond, and followed by the break of C-H bond.

Coastal outwelling of organic carbon from mangrove wetlands contributes to near-shore productivity and influences biogeochemical cycling of elements. I used a flume to measure fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) between a mangrove forest and adjacent tidal creek along Shark River, Florida. Shark River’s hydrology is influenced by diurnal tides and seasonal rainfall and wind patterns. Samplings were made over multiple tidal cycles in 2003 to include dry, wet, and transitional seasons. Surface water [DOC], temperature, salinity, conductivity and pH were significantly different among all sampling periods. [DOC] was highest during the dry season (May), followed by the wet (October) and transitional (December) seasons. Net DOC export was measured in October and December, inferring the mangrove forest is a source of DOC to the adjacent tidal creek during these periods. This trend may be explained by high rates of rainfall, freshwater inflow and subsequent flushing of wetland soils during this period of the year.

Long-term dynamics of lake-water total organic carbon (LW-TOC) concentrations in freshwater lakes provide an important perspective on the recent increases in LW-TOC observed in many of these systems and may assist with the identification of natural and anthropogenic drivers of change. This study examines how LW-TOC in Dragsjön, a lake situated in an area with a long history of anthropogenic land use, has changed in response to natural and anthropogenic perturbations throughout the Holocene. To provide a better understanding of the processes involved, a multi-proxy study was conducted and included multi-element geochemistry (17 major and trace elements), biogenic silica, organic matter (OM) content and composition, and the faecal biomarker “coprostanol”. The direct biomarker for anthropogenic presence, “coprostanol”, and a detailed characterisation of OM composition are for the first time applied for tracing changes in LW-TOC. Natural processes contributed to stable LW-TOC concentrations in Dragsjön for most part of the Holocene. Humans were present in the catchment from AD 100 as indicated by coprostanol, but did not begin to affect LW-TOC until c. AD 1500. In the last 500 years LW-TOC steadily declined from 17 to 10 mg L-1 in response to anthropogenic alterations to the terrestrial biomass balance. The increase in LW-TOC during the last 70 years likely represents a recovery from anthropogenic disturbance rather than a baseline shift in response to any of the number of proposed recent stressors. The faecal biomarker coprostanol and OM composition provided information essential for identifying and characterising the effects of anthropogenic disturbance.

The aim of this study was investigate if increasing total organic carbon (TOC) affects the growth rate and biomass of perch (Perca fluviatilis) and biomass of roach (Rutilus rutilus). The ongoing climate change affects the climate by increasing annual mean temperature and precipitation. The runoff to surface waters will increase, which also has the consequence that the export of terrestrial organic matter (TOM) and nutrients to surface waters will increase. Increasing of TOM into the surface waters make it darker, i.e. brownification of the water. This brownification of surface water affects the amount of available light for benthic algae causing the benthic primary production to decrease. As the benthic primary production decreases also whole lake ecosystem productivity decreases. The impact on fish biomass and production of fish were studied in five small lakes in Sweden. Lake morphology, water chemistry and fish community characteristics were sampled. A subset of perch from the catch was selected to determine age and growth. Data from age determination was then used to calculate the size dependent growth and production of perch in each lake. Total fish biomass and biomass of perch and roach was negatively affected by TOC and yearly biomass production of perch was lower in lakes with higher TOC. Thus, climate change may at least in small forest lakes lead to lower production and biomass of fish in the future.

Waterborne carbon (C) forms an active and significant part of the global C cycle, which is important in theArctic where greater temperature increases and variability are anticipated relative to the rest of the globe withpotential implications for the C cycle. Understanding and quantification of the current processes governing themovement of C by connecting terrestrial and marine systems is necessary to better estimate future changes ofwaterborne C. This thesis investigates how the sub-arctic landscape influences the waterborne carbon exportby combining data-driven and modeling methods across spatial and temporal scales. First, a study of the stateof total organic carbon monitoring in northern Scandinavia was carried out using national-scale monitoringdata and detailed data from scientific literature. This study, which highlights the consistency in land cover andhydroclimatic controls on waterborne C across northern Scandinavia, was combined with three more detailedstudies leveraging field measurements and modeling. These focused on the Abisko region to provide insightto processes and mechanisms across scales. The thesis highlights that the governing transport mechanismsof dissolved organic and inorganic carbon (DOC and DIC respectively) are fundamentally different due todifferences in release rates associated with the nature of their terrestrial sources (geogenic and organic matterrespectively). As such, the DIC mass flux exhibits a high flow-dependence whereas DOC is relatively flowindependent.Furthermore, these investigations identified significant relationships between waterborne C andbiogeophysical as well as hydroclimatic variables across large to small spatial scales. This thesis demonstratesthat both surface and sub-surface hydrological processes (such as flow pathway distributions) in combinationwith distributions of C sources and associated release rates are prerequisite for understanding waterborne Cdynamics in northern streams. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Submitted. Paper 4: Accepted.</p>