Water distribution networks are a fundamental part of any modern city and their daily operations constitute a significant expenditure in terms of energy and maintenance costs. Careful scheduling of pump operations may lead to significant energy savings and prevent wear and tear. By means of computer simulation, an optimal schedule of pumps can be found by an optimisation algorithm. The subject of this thesis is the study of pump scheduling as an optimisation problem. New representations of pump schedules are investigated for restricting the number of potential schedules. Recombination and mutation operators are proposed, in order to use the new representations in evolutionary algorithms. These new representations are empirically compared to traditional representations using different network instances, one of them being a large and complex network from UK. By means of the new representations, the evolutionary algorithm developed during this thesis finds new best-known solutions for both networks. Pump scheduling as the multi-objective problem of minimising energy and maintenance costs in terms of Pareto optimality is also investigated in this thesis. Two alternative surrogate measures of maintenance cost are considered: the minimisation of the number of pump switches and the maximisation of the shortest idle time. A single run of the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm obtains pump schedules with lower electrical cost and lower number of pump switches than those found in the literature. Alternatively, schedules with very long idle times may be found with slightly higher electrical cost. Finally, ant colony optimisation is also adapted to the pump scheduling problem. Both Ant System and Max-Min Ant System are tested. Max-Min Ant System, in particular, outperforms all other algorithms in the large real-world network instance and obtains competitive results in the smallest test network. Computation time is further reduced by parallel simulation of pump schedules.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-17T18:10:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAO MARIA TEREZA.pdf: 1938284 bytes, checksum: 27577fa078ef835c08504033a2238932 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-27 / This essay is focused on the study of the Labor Cooperative Societies in Maranhão, from 1990 to 2010, which, following the examples coming from other Brazilian states, have proliferated as a way of intermediation of labor in order to attend the necessities of outsourcing of private companies and public entities. This research‟s analysis has its starting point with the contemplation on the binomial of the mitigation of work and the costs reduction present in this form of hiring workers, so as to attend to the logics of the capitalist restructuration, in a total disagreement with the conceptions of cooperativism. Three pivotal questions are elected for the comprehension of the phenomenon. In the first one, the cooperativism‟s historical trajectory is rescued, since its original conception, ideological aspects, global expansion, and the way through which it was implanted in Brazil, in addition to recovering international organisms‟ conceptions, those of the International Cooperative Alliance and the International Labor Organization (ILO), and the national legislation that concerns the cooperatives. In the second pivotal question, the relevant transformations in the capitalist means of production and their effects in the world of work are discussed, being emphasized the outsourcing process and its effects, among which the mitigation and the discussions that bring together disgraced workers of informality. Also discussed in this topic is whether the Labor Cooperatives consist of an alternative to insert workers into the market or if they contribute to deplete work relations once it reduces costs for the hiring company and the service taker. In the third pivotal point, it is presented a theoretical-conceptual discussion on the cost of work and the social duties in the employment relations as well as the cost of the work coming from associated workforce and the way how they influence the form how private companies and public entities hire their employees. The figures of Brazilian cooperativism, and especially in the state of Maranhão are evidenced as well as the discussion over the role that workforce cooperatives possess, they being subspecies of Labor Cooperatives before the new law of cooperatives as a way to correct the presented distortions. / Este trabalho centra-se no estudo das cooperativas de mão de obra no Maranhão, no período de 1990 a 2010, que a exemplo dos demais estados brasileiros, proliferou como forma de intermediação de mão de obra para atender às necessidades de terceirização de empresas privadas e entes públicos. A análise desta pesquisa tem como ponto de partida refletir sobre o binômio da precarização do trabalho e redução de custos presentes nessa forma de contratação de trabalhadores, para atender à lógica da reestruturação capitalista, em completo desacordo com as concepções do cooperativismo. Elegem-se três eixos centrais para a compreensão do fenômeno. No primeiro eixo, resgata-se a trajetória histórica do cooperativismo, desde a sua concepção originária, aspectos ideológicos, expansão mundial, e modo como foi implantado no Brasil, além de recuperar as concepções de organismos internacionais, da Aliança Internacional do Trabalho e da Organização Internacional do Trabalho OIT e a legislação nacional que trata das cooperativas. No segundo eixo trata-se das transformações relevantes no modo de produção capitalista e seus reflexos no mundo do trabalho, com enfâse para a terceirização e seus efeitos, dentre os quais a precarização e as discussões que aproximam os trabalhadores precarizados da informalidade. Discute-se neste tópico se as cooperativas de mão de obra se constituem em alternativa para inserir trabalhadores no mercado ou se contribuem para precarizar as relações de trabalho a pretexto de reduzir custos para as empresas contratantes e a tomadora de serviços. No terceiro eixo apresenta-se uma discussão teórico-conceitual sobre o custo do trabalho e dos encargos sociais nas relações de emprego, o custo do trabalho da mão de obra associada e o modo como influenciam a contratação de trabalhadores pelas empresas e pelo poder público. Apresentam-se os números do cooperativismo brasileiro e no Estado do Maranhão e retoma-se a discussão sobre o papel das cooperativas de mão de obra, como subespécie das cooperativas de trabalho diante da nova lei das cooperativas como forma de corrigir as distorções apresentadas.

The diploma thesis on „Optimizing of shopping center energy demands“ deals with the reduce of the energy demand of the shopping center. The theoretical part describes the possibilities of reducing the energy intensity in terms of renewable resources, the potential of renewable resources. In practical part the energy audit of the existing building is designed, then the possibilities of reducing the energy intensity of the building, the budget and expressed return on investment by means of the net present value, the internal rate of return and simple payback period.

Denna studie undersöker utvecklingen av digitala tjänster och integrationen av innovativ teknik hos försäkringsförmedlingsföretaget Portfolio Försäkra. Under de inledande diskussionerna med VD, Andreas Adolfsson, noterades att företaget hade vissa luckor i sitt digitala tjänsteutbud och saknade användning av innovativ teknik. Bristerna är inte unika för Portfolio Försäkra utan potentiellt förekommande inom hela försäkringssektorn, vilket innebär en stor inverkan på marknadens konkurrens.  I dagens digitala era är expertis inom teknik och innovativa metoder avgörande för försäkringssektorns framgång. Förbättrad digital tjänsteinnovation är nödvändig för att kunderna ska kunna använda information mer effektivt, vilket i slutändan leder till ökad kundlojalitet och kundnöjdhet. Därför är behovet av att förbättra de digitala tjänsterna inom försäkringssektorn absolut nödvändigt.  Syftet med denna undersökning är att fördjupa oss i de digitala möjligheter som finns tillgängliga för Portfolio Försäkra och andra försäkringsbolag som för närvarande saknar de senaste tekniska lösningarna. Vi antar rollen som forskare, genomför intervjuer och kommunicerar med anställda på Portfolio Försäkra. Vår dataanalys och våra intervjuer kommer att hjälpa oss att identifiera problemområden som kan hindra företagets utveckling och kundnöjdhet.  Resultaten tyder på att integrationen av innovation och digital teknik måste bli en integrerad del av Portfolio Försäkra företagskultur för att säkerställa en hållbar och långsiktig tillväxt. Resultaten av denna studie erbjuder värdefulla insikter för andra organisationer inom försäkringssektorn som vill förbättra sina digitaltjänsteinnovation och kundnöjdhet. / This study explores the digital service development and innovative technology integration of Portfolio Försäkra, an insurance brokerage firm. During the initial discussions with the CEO, Andreas Adolfsson, it was noted that the company faced gaps in its digital service offerings and lacked the adoption of innovative technologies. The observed shortcomings are not unique to Portfolio Försäkra but potentially prevalent across the insurance sector, signifying a major impact on market competition.  In today's digital age, expertise in technology and innovative practices is crucial to the success of the insurance sector. Improved digital service innovation is essential for the customers to utilize information more efficiently, ultimately leading to increased customer loyalty and satisfaction. Therefore, the need for digital service improvement in the insurance sector is imperative.  The aim of this research is to delve deeper into the digital opportunities available to Portfolio Försäkra and other insurance companies that currently lack the necessary technological advancements. We adopt the role of researcher, conducting interviews and communicating with Portfolio Försäkra's employees. Our data analysis and interviews will help identify problematic areas that could hinder the company's development and customer satisfaction.  The findings suggest that the integration of innovation and digital technology must become an integral part of Portfolio Försäkra's company culture to ensure sustainable and long-term growth. The results of this study offer valuable insights for other organizations in the insurance sector seeking to enhance their digital service offerings and customer satisfaction.