Com o passar do tempo, nota-se um aumento gradativo da demanda por veículos mais econômicos e que disponham de itens capazes de aumentar o conforto e a segurança. Citase, como exemplo, o controle de cruzeiro (Cruise Control) que, atualmente presente em diversos veículos, é responsável por controlar a velocidade do veículo de maneira autônoma, sem a necessidade de intervenção do condutor no pedal de aceleração, resultando em um aumento de conforto ao reduzir o esforço para dirigir, além de prover efetividade para manter a velocidade do veículo em torno de um valor desejado. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de um controlador de cruzeiro para operar em um veículo modelo Volkswagen Polo Sedan 2.0L 2004, o qual não possui este recurso em seu estado de fábrica. Para a implementação deste recurso, o trabalho faz uso de uma unidade de gerenciamento eletrônico (conhecida também por Electronic Control Unit - ECU) desenvolvida em 2013, no âmbito do projeto Otto II (PEREIRA, 2013), para controle do motor presente no respectivo veículo, viabilizando, desta forma, a validação do controle de cruzeiro por meio de testes utilizando o veículo em um dinamômetro inercial. Entretanto, previamente ao projeto do controlador de cruzeiro, o presente trabalho teve como foco o aperfeiçoamento do funcionamento desta ECU, visando a sua evolução no que diz respeito ao estado da arte de unidades de gerenciamento eletrônico de motores. Para isto, em sua primeira fase, o trabalho realizou diversas melhorias nas malhas de controle já existentes no firmware de 2013, tais como controle de marcha lenta, controle da borboleta eletrônica e controle de partida. Ao mesmo tempo, novos recursos foram implementados em firmware: controle de torque, controle da mistura ar/combustível em malha fechada (sonda lambda), segurança na comunicação entre blocos da ECU, identificação de marcha, suporte para diagnóstico via OBD-II, dentre outros. Além destas atividades envolvendo desenvolvimento de firmware, o trabalho, ainda em sua primeira fase, promoveu o desenvolvimento de uma nova ferramenta de software que, além de ser capaz de monitorar diversos parâmetros da ECU em tempo real, integra diversas funções, tais como função de computador de bordo alternativo, opção para controle do motor através da simulação do pedal de aceleração, opção para alteração da rotação de marcha lenta e função para automatização do ensaio de identificação do veículo (tarefa necessária para o projeto do controlador de cruzeiro). / Over time, there is a gradual increase of the demand for economical vehicles equipped with items capable of increasing the comfort and safety. As an example, the Cruise Control, which is already available in several vehicles, is responsible to control the vehicle speed in an autonomous manner, without the driver intervention on the throttle pedal. As a result, a greater comfort is achieved by reducing the effort to drive, besides providing effectiveness to keep the vehicle speed around a desired value. In this context, this project aims the development of a Cruise Control applied to a vehicle Volkswagen Polo Sedan 2.0L 2004, in which such resource is not available. To implement this resource, the project uses an electronic engine management unit (also known as Electronic Control Unit - ECU) developed in 2013 by the Otto II project (PEREIRA, 2013). This ECU is responsible to control the engine of the respective vehicle, which allows the Cruise Control validation through a set of tests performed with the vehicle on an inertial dynamometer. However, prior to the Cruise Control design, this project focused on the ECU operation enhancement, in order to achieve the state of the art in electronic engine management units. For this goal, the project, during its first phase, performed several improvements on the control algorithms already existing in the firmware developed in 2013, such as idle speed control, electronic throttle valve control and engine starting control. At the same time, new features were fully implemented in firmware: torque control, closed loop air/fuel ratio control (lambda control), safety for the communication among ECU blocks, gear identification, support to OBD-II diagnostic, among others. In addition to the firmware development activities, the project, still in its first phase, developed a new software tool capable of monitoring several ECU parameters in real time, besides providing many functions, such as alternative board computer, an option to control the engine by simulating the throttle pedal, an option to change the idle speed and a function to automate the system identification test (task required for the Cruise Control design).

Com o passar do tempo, nota-se um aumento gradativo da demanda por veículos mais econômicos e que disponham de itens capazes de aumentar o conforto e a segurança. Citase, como exemplo, o controle de cruzeiro (Cruise Control) que, atualmente presente em diversos veículos, é responsável por controlar a velocidade do veículo de maneira autônoma, sem a necessidade de intervenção do condutor no pedal de aceleração, resultando em um aumento de conforto ao reduzir o esforço para dirigir, além de prover efetividade para manter a velocidade do veículo em torno de um valor desejado. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de um controlador de cruzeiro para operar em um veículo modelo Volkswagen Polo Sedan 2.0L 2004, o qual não possui este recurso em seu estado de fábrica. Para a implementação deste recurso, o trabalho faz uso de uma unidade de gerenciamento eletrônico (conhecida também por Electronic Control Unit - ECU) desenvolvida em 2013, no âmbito do projeto Otto II (PEREIRA, 2013), para controle do motor presente no respectivo veículo, viabilizando, desta forma, a validação do controle de cruzeiro por meio de testes utilizando o veículo em um dinamômetro inercial. Entretanto, previamente ao projeto do controlador de cruzeiro, o presente trabalho teve como foco o aperfeiçoamento do funcionamento desta ECU, visando a sua evolução no que diz respeito ao estado da arte de unidades de gerenciamento eletrônico de motores. Para isto, em sua primeira fase, o trabalho realizou diversas melhorias nas malhas de controle já existentes no firmware de 2013, tais como controle de marcha lenta, controle da borboleta eletrônica e controle de partida. Ao mesmo tempo, novos recursos foram implementados em firmware: controle de torque, controle da mistura ar/combustível em malha fechada (sonda lambda), segurança na comunicação entre blocos da ECU, identificação de marcha, suporte para diagnóstico via OBD-II, dentre outros. Além destas atividades envolvendo desenvolvimento de firmware, o trabalho, ainda em sua primeira fase, promoveu o desenvolvimento de uma nova ferramenta de software que, além de ser capaz de monitorar diversos parâmetros da ECU em tempo real, integra diversas funções, tais como função de computador de bordo alternativo, opção para controle do motor através da simulação do pedal de aceleração, opção para alteração da rotação de marcha lenta e função para automatização do ensaio de identificação do veículo (tarefa necessária para o projeto do controlador de cruzeiro). / Over time, there is a gradual increase of the demand for economical vehicles equipped with items capable of increasing the comfort and safety. As an example, the Cruise Control, which is already available in several vehicles, is responsible to control the vehicle speed in an autonomous manner, without the driver intervention on the throttle pedal. As a result, a greater comfort is achieved by reducing the effort to drive, besides providing effectiveness to keep the vehicle speed around a desired value. In this context, this project aims the development of a Cruise Control applied to a vehicle Volkswagen Polo Sedan 2.0L 2004, in which such resource is not available. To implement this resource, the project uses an electronic engine management unit (also known as Electronic Control Unit - ECU) developed in 2013 by the Otto II project (PEREIRA, 2013). This ECU is responsible to control the engine of the respective vehicle, which allows the Cruise Control validation through a set of tests performed with the vehicle on an inertial dynamometer. However, prior to the Cruise Control design, this project focused on the ECU operation enhancement, in order to achieve the state of the art in electronic engine management units. For this goal, the project, during its first phase, performed several improvements on the control algorithms already existing in the firmware developed in 2013, such as idle speed control, electronic throttle valve control and engine starting control. At the same time, new features were fully implemented in firmware: torque control, closed loop air/fuel ratio control (lambda control), safety for the communication among ECU blocks, gear identification, support to OBD-II diagnostic, among others. In addition to the firmware development activities, the project, still in its first phase, developed a new software tool capable of monitoring several ECU parameters in real time, besides providing many functions, such as alternative board computer, an option to control the engine by simulating the throttle pedal, an option to change the idle speed and a function to automate the system identification test (task required for the Cruise Control design).

Components used in mobile hand-held devices (smart phones and tablets) vary greatly in performance and power consumption. The microprocessors used in these devices also have vastly different capabilities and manufacturing limitations leading to significant variation effects. Battery life is a significant concern to the end users of these products. A stand-alone Android application capable of benchmarking a device's performance and power consumption is introduced. The application does not require the end user to have any analytic equipment or to have a technical background. This enables individual end users to better understand their particular device's performance and battery life interaction. They may also use the application to determine if their device's performance or battery life has degraded over time. Data is also uploaded to a central location so that devices can be compared against each other. The benchmarking application is capable of resolving variation effects caused by device, environmental changes and power management actions. This application demonstrates the feasibility of creating a low cost ecosystem where thousands of devices can be quantitatively compared. / text

The execution of parallel discrete event simulation across metacomputing infrastructures is examined. A master/worker architecture for parallel discrete event simulation is proposed providing robust executions under a dynamic set of services with system-level support for fault tolerance, semi-automated client-directed load balancing, portability across heterogeneous machines, and the ability to run codes on idle or time-sharing clients without significant interaction by users. Research questions and challenges associated with issues and limitations with the work distribution paradigm, targeted computational domain, performance metrics, and the intended class of applications to be used in this context are analyzed and discussed. A portable web services approach to master/worker parallel discrete event simulation is proposed and evaluated with subsequent optimizations to increase the efficiency of large-scale simulation execution through distributed master service design and intrinsic overhead reduction. New techniques for addressing challenges associated with optimistic parallel discrete event simulation across metacomputing such as rollbacks and message unsending with an inherently different computation paradigm utilizing master services and time windows are proposed and examined. Results indicate that a master/worker approach utilizing loosely coupled resources is a viable means for high throughput parallel discrete event simulation by enhancing existing computational capacity or providing alternate execution capability for less time-critical codes.

A presente tese analisa o desenvolvimento do setor agroalimentar brasileiro, no período pós-1990, e suas relações com as oscilações da economia brasileira, com sua inserção internacional e com a política agrícola. O papel dos investimentos, da demanda e dos recursos ociosos ocupa espaço central na análise. A hipótese central é que a dinâmica do setor agroalimentar brasileiro, na década de 1990 e seguinte, foi marcada mais pelo amadurecimento dos investimentos realizados nas décadas de 1970 e 80, do que pela dinâmica da abertura e desmonte da ação do Estado da década de 1990. Baseado na teoria da dinâmica cíclica com formação de recursos ociosos de Ignácio Rangel e com apoio de ampla análise de dados argumentou-se que: 1- o crescimento do setor agroalimentar na década de 1990, e das exportações agrícolas após 1999, foram possíveis pelos investimentos e pela política de desenvolvimento do setor das décadas de 1970 e 80. Os investimentos no setor agroalimentar possuem uma dinâmica cíclica que respondeu a partir da década de 1990 reativamente ao crescimento, e que retornam após 1999 com recursos oficiais e a partir de 2003 com a elevação dos preços internacionais de commodities agrícolas. 2- a trajetória dos sub-setores do setor agroalimentar foi heterogênea, em conseqüência da mesma política macroeconômica. Logo, a diferença dos impactos causados relacionou-se diretamente a trajetória de cada sub-setor no período anterior à abertura em termos de investimentos, de nível tecnológico e em especial quanto as perspectivas de crescimento ou estagnação da demanda. 3- As oscilações da conjuntura, da política macroeconômica e das políticas setoriais são fundamentais. O setor é sensível a distribuição de renda, às taxas de crescimento do PIB e ao aumento do desemprego. Além disso, o setor agroalimentar apresentou um papel político central: na década de 1980, como elemento para o controle da inflação, recebeu incentivos e proteção; na década de 1990, as exportações são liberadas mas recorre-se às importações para baixar os preços internos. Após 1999, o setor passa a ocupar novamente o lugar de auxiliar na obtenção de divisas, de redução do déficit comercial e retomada do crescimento do PIB (como no início da década de 1980). Com isso, os interesses do setor se reforçam (incluindo seus representantes no legislativo e no executivo) e novas políticas setoriais de incentivo começam a surgir. 4- A dinâmica regional da agricultura é outro elemento central para se compreender os movimentos mais amplos do setor. A ociosidade de terras e de instalações industriais (devido as grandes distâncias entre as áreas produtoras de matérias-primas e a indústria e também devido aos impostos interestaduais) possui um componente territorial que influencia em toda a dinâmica do setor agroalimentar. As diferentes condições de solo, relevo e clima influenciam na produtividade e na escolha das técnicas utilizadas, o que gera grande diferenciação regional no Brasil. / This thesis analyzes the development of the Brazilian food sector in the post-1990, and its relations with the fluctuations of the Brazilian economy, with its international integration and agricultural policy. The investments, demand and idle resources has an important role. The central hypothesis is that the dynamics of the Brazilian food industry in the 1990s and after, was leaded by maturity of the investments in the 1970s and 80s. Based on the theory of cyclical dynamics with formation of idle resources by Ignacio Rangel and with broad support from data analysis, it was argued that: 1- the growth of food industry in the 1990s, and agricultural exports after 1999 were made possible by the investments and the development policy of the industry of the 1970s and 80s. Investment in food sector have a cyclical dynamic that responded from the 1990s reactively growth, and after returning in 1999 with governmental resources from 2003 to the rising international prices of agricultural commodities. 2- the trajectory of the sub-sectors of the food industry was heterogeneous, as a result of the macroeconomic policy. The difference of the impact caused is related directly to the trajectory of each sub-sector in the period before the opening, in terms of investments, technological level and specially on the prospects for growth or stagnation of demand. 3- Fluctuations in the economy, the macroeconomic policy and sectoral policies are crucial. The food sector is sensitive to distribution of income, the growth rates of GDP and increased unemployment. Moreover, the food sector had a central political role: in the 1980s, as an element for controlling inflation, its received subsidies and protection, in the 1990s, exports are released but it relies on imports to reduce domestic prices. After 1999, the food sector will again occupy the place of help in obtaining foreign currency, reducing the trade deficit and leading to growth of GDP (as in the early 1980\'s). With this, the interests of the sector is strengthening (including their representatives in the legislative and the executive) and new policies to encourage food sector begin to emerge. 4- The regional dynamics of agriculture is another key element to understanding the movements of the food sector. The idleness of land and industrial plants (due to the large distances between the areas producing raw materials and industry and also due to tax interstate) has a territorial component that influences the dynamic in the food sector. The different soil conditions, topography and climate influence the productivity and the choice of techniques, which generates large regional differences in Brazil.

Canada 150, or the sesquicentennial anniversary of Confederation, celebrates a nation-state that can be described as “settler colonial” in relation to Indigenous peoples. This thesis brings a Critical Religion and Critical Discourse Analysis methodology into conversation with Settler Colonial and Indigenous Studies to ask: how is Canadian settler colonial sovereignty enacted, and how do Indigenous peoples perform challenges to that sovereignty? The parliamentary mace and the eagle feather are conceptualized as emblematic and condensed metaphors, or metonyms, that assert and represent Canadian and Indigenous sovereignties. As a settler colonial sovereignty, established and naturalized partially through discourses on religion, Canadian sovereignty requires the displacement of Indigenous sovereignty. In events from 1990 to 2017, Indigenous people wielding eagle feathers disrupt Canadian governance and challenge the legitimacy of Canadian sovereignty. Indigenous sovereignty is (re)asserted as identity-based, oppositional, and spiritualized. Discourses on Indigenous sovereignty and spirituality provide categories and concepts through which Indigenous resistance occurs within Canada.

Hydropower is the most important power balancing resource in the Swedish electrical power system, regulating the power supply to match the load. Consequently, several hydropower plants have periods of stand-by operation where the power production is absent but where several devices within a plant are still active. Such a device is the step-up power transformer, which during stand-by operation still generates no-load energy losses. These losses can accumulate to a considerable amount of energy and costs during the long technical lifetime of the apparatus. One option to minimize these no-load energy losses is by turning the transformer off when its generating unit is in stand-by operation. However, when this transformer operational change has been explained to experts in the field, the most common response has been that a more frequent reenergizing of a transformer leads to higher risks for errors or transformer breakdowns. This study aimed to analytically investigate three effects from this operational change. First, the potential of fatigue failure for the windings due to the increased sequences of inrush current. Secondly, the thermal cycling as a consequence of change in present losses. Lastly, the energy and economic saving potentials for hydropower plants where this operational adjustment is applied. The study used both established as well as analytical tools explicitly created for this study. These were then applied on currently active transformers in different plant categories in Fortum’s hydropower fleet.  The study primarily showed three things. Firstly, risk of fatigue failure due to the increased presence of inrush currents did not affect the transformer’s technical lifetime. Secondly, the thermal cycling changes were slightly larger with absent no-load losses during stand-by operation. The average temperature for the transformer decreased, which in general is seen as a positive indicator for a longer insulation lifetime and thus the transformer’s technical lifetime. Finally, the created frameworks showed the potential of saving energy and money for all plant categories, where the potential grew with the installed production capacity and the stand-by operation timeshare. Despite the simplifications made to describe the complex reality of a transformer operating in a hydropower plant, this thesis contributes to lay a foundation for future investigation of an easy adjustment to avoid unnecessary energy losses and costs for transformers in hydropower plants.

In its relatively unchanged form and effective for nearly 140 years the Indian Act of 1876 is the basic law governing the rights and responsibilities of First Nations and their status within Canada. The law protects the special status of Indigenous groups in Canadian society albeit it has been criticized as discriminatory. Voices calling for change of the legislation are growing stronger with the deepening socio-economic problems of Aboriginal peoples. First Nations primarily require the assertion of their constitutional right to self-determination in any future reform. In contrast, the current Conservative government of Stephen Harper emphasizes self- sufficiency and financial responsibility of Native peoples. Legislative actions that Conservatives rarely consult with representatives of the Indigenous peoples themselves correspond to the general priorities of the Harper Government based on the principles of market economy and do not reflect the demands for self-determination and self-government of Indigenous communities. The Idle No More protest movement founded in 2012 in reaction to some of Harper's laws pertaining to Aboriginal peoples fights for their rights and environmental protection inextricably linked with their identity. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze different perspectives on...

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Much of the scholarly literature on Indigenous media relations frames Indigenous peoples as passive players in the mainstream media, and focuses on negative elements such as stereotypes. This thesis challenges this view, finding that Indigenous peoples in Canada actively and strategically engage with mainstream and social media as they forward their social and political agendas. This thesis provides an analysis of the counter-colonial narrative in Canada by offering a new perspective on Indigenous media relations, focusing as a case on the Idle No More movement. Emphasizing three dimensions of communication--the mainstream print media, social media, and individuals involved in Indigenous media relations--I examine the ways in which Indigenous agency and empowerment have the potential to change discourses in the media. As sources of insight I draw on a discourse analysis of mainstream news media, a qualitative analysis of social media and on interviews with those who have significant experience in Indigenous media relations. Interviews with prominent media personalities and individuals involved in media relations (including CBC’s Duncan McCue and Janet Rogers; Four Host Nations CEO Tewanee Joseph, and others) illustrate the novel and impactful ways indigenous peoples in Canada are actively and strategically shaping the mainstream media. These representations create a more complex picture of Indigenous peoples as they counter the stereotyped or victimized media narratives within which Indigenous peoples have historically been placed. / Graduate / 0327 / 0708 / 0391 / tiahiltz@uvic.ca