The escalating energy prices and the increasing environmental impact posed by the industrial usage of energy have spurred industry to adopt various approaches to conserving energy and mitigating negative environmental impact. This work aims at developing a systematic approach to integrate solar energy into industrial processes to drive thermal energy transfer systems producing power, cool, and heat. Solar energy is needed to be integrated with other different energy sources (biofuels, fossil fuels, process waste heat) to guarantee providing a stable energy supply, as industrial process energy sources must be a stable and reliable system. The thermal energy transform systems (turbines, refrigerators, heat exchangers) must be selected and designed carefully to provide the energy demand at the different forms (heat, cool, power). This dissertation introduces optimization-based approaches to address the following problems: • Design of cogeneration systems with solar and fossil systems • Design and integration of solar-biofuel-fossil cogeneration systems • Design of solar-assisted absorption refrigeration systems and integration with the processing facility • Development of thermally-coupled dual absorption refrigeration systems, and • Design of solar-assisted trigeneration systems Several optimization formulations are introduced to provide methodical and systematic techniques to solve the aforementioned problems. The approach is also sequenced into interacting steps. First, heat integration is carried out to minimize industrial heating and cooling utilities. Different forms of external-energy sources (e.g., solar, biofuel, fossil fuel) are screened and selected. To optimize the cost and to overcome the dynamic fluctuation of the solar energy and biofuel production systems, fossil fuel is used to supplement the renewable forms of energy. An optimization approach is adopted to determine the optimal mix of energy forms (fossil, bio fuels, and solar) to be supplied to the process, the system specifications, and the scheduling of the system operation. Several case studies are solved to demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the devised procedure. The results show that solar trigeneration systems have higher overall performance than the solar thermal power plants. Integrating the absorption refrigerators improves the energy usage and it provides the process by its cooling demand. Thermal coupling of the dual absorption refrigerators increases the coefficient of performance up to 33 percent. Moreover, the process is provided by two cooling levels.

Background: Existing literature has declared migrant integration as social stress putting communities under pressure. Dynamics of social innovations and digital technologies can provide solutions to the pressing matter of migrant integration, yet the academic literature is obscure about processes that organisations employ in this matter. Purpose: This study aims to investigate how the process of digital social innovation unfolds in organisations. The main purpose of this study seeks to answer the research question: How do organisations undertake the process of digital social innovations in relation to migrant integration? Method: To answer the research question, a qualitative research approach was chosen. Multiple case study was carried out, and the empirical data was gathered through semi-structured interviews. The content of the company websites and other additional material were used as a complementary source of information. The scope of participants was delimited to Sweden and Germany due to a high level of immigration in these countries. After data collection, the analysis was carried out in an abductive manner. Conclusion: The findings showed that the social innovation process is intertwined with the context where the actor acts as a mediator between the two. Two models were combined to gain both theoretical and practical insights without excluding one another. A suggested digital social innovation process model was then introduced in pursuit of providing a model that could be used in academia to annex scattered literature and to use the model in practice as a foundation for the innovation process.

This work is aimed to analyze enterprise knowledge management system integration assumptions, problems and their solutions at different complexity and quality levels. In the beginning, brief description of application classification is provided. Assuming large number of specialized applications usage enterprise-wide, we come up with the need to integrate data, contained by those applications, as well as applications themselves. Data level, message level and process level integration principles and their application analysis is made. Enterprise application integration refers to the plans, methods, and tools aimed at modernizing, consolidating, and coordinating the computer applications in an enterprise. Portals presented as tools for federating information in different sources and providing commonly used services (search engine or directory, news, email, forums and options for customization). Portal frameworks from different vendors was observed. SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) and BPEL (Business Process Execution Language) integration capabilities were analyzed. Human Capital Resource Management information system is intended to store and process data, related to human capital across organization. Three layer logical implementation and web service interface usage makes integration possible at data, message and process levels.

This thesis addresses the problem of achieving better convergence between different phases (here design and manufacturing) of the product development cycle. The use of liaison has been proposed to better integrate the product and assembly process. Two facets of integration have been addressed in this thesis. One is concurrent evolution of the process model with the product model and the second is associativity between product model and process model. A liaison data structure has been proposed, which is set of geometric entities, associated with one or more assembly process that acts as an interface between the product model and process model. As the liaison data is not available explicitly in the product model, a set of algorithms have been developed and implemented to identify and extract the geometric entities defined in the liaison data structure from assembly model. The proposed algorithms can identify and extract liaisons for riveting, welding, bolt fastening, screw fastening, adhesive bonding (gluing) and blind fastening. The developed algorithms have been implemented and tested. The process model needs to evolve with the product model concurrently so that any mistakes or infeasibility in the process model can be flagged right away. The use of liaison enables the construction of process model as the product model is fleshed out. A framework based on liaison has been proposed and implemented to demonstrate the concurrent evolution of product and process model. Linking the changes in the product model to flag the changes (or at least identify the need for changes) in the process model forms the associativity problem. The liaison has been used for maintaining associativity between the product and process model. A framework has been proposed for maintaining associativity between product model and process model that makes use of expert knowledge or tribal knowledge to track impact of changes in product model or process model. An aircraft wing box has been used as an example to illustrate and validate the proposed approaches. Finally the thesis concludes by summarizing contributions of the research and outlining future work.

This thesis is an useful resource for small-sized and medium-sized companies struggling with the problem of out-dated information systems. Every rapidly-growing company will, sooner or later, reach a point where its information system no longer suits its requirements. In the thesis I analyze the case of a small outfit trying to expand to foreign markets, showing the uneven development of the individual parts of its information system. In this particular case, rapid partial changes in the functionality of the system were always preferred over a more systematic and thorough development. Eventually, the company found itself in a situation where it was no longer possible to further develop its system, and did not know what to do next. In accordance with the primary goal of improving the effectiveness of distribution processes, the thesis describes the project of unification of two different e-commerce solutions and their integration into other applications. In the second part, the thesis discusses the problem of choosing a suitable application that would bring all optimized distribution processes under one umbrella, describing various ways how to approach the problem.

Catalytic hydrotreating (HDT) is a mature process technology practiced in the petroleum refining industries to treat oil fractions for the removal of impurities (such as sulfur, nitrogen, metals, asphaltene). Hydrotreating of whole crude oil is a new technology and is regarded as one of the more difficult tasks that have not been reported widely in the literature. In order to obtain useful models for the HDT process that can be confidently applied to reactor design, operation and control, the accurate estimation of kinetic parameters of the relevant reaction scheme are required. This thesis aims to develop a crude oil hydrotreating process (based on hydrotreating of whole crude oil followed by distillation) with high efficiency, selectivity and minimum energy consumption via pilot plant experiments, mathematical modelling and optimization. To estimate the kinetic parameters and to validate the kinetic models under different operating conditions, a set of experiments were carried out in a continuous flow isothermal trickle bed reactor using crude oil as a feedstock and commercial cobaltmolybdenum on alumina (Co-Mo/γ-Al2O3) as a catalyst. The reactor temperature was varied from 335°C to 400°C, the hydrogen pressure from 4 to10 MPa and the liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) from 0.5 to 1.5 hr-1, keeping constant hydrogen to oil ratio (H2/Oil) at 250 L/L. The main hydrotreating reactions were hydrodesulfurization (HDS), hydrodenitrogenation (HDN), hydrodeasphaltenization (HDAs) and hydrodemetallization (HDM) that includes hydrodevanadization (HDV) and hydrodenickelation (HDNi). An optimization technique is used to evaluate the best kinetic models of a trickle-bed reactor (TBR) process utilized for HDS, HDAs, HDN, HDV and HDNi of crude oil based on pilot plant experiments. The minimization of the sum of the squared errors (SSE) between the experimental and estimated concentrations of sulfur (S), nitrogen (N), asphaltene (Asph), vanadium (V) and nickel (Ni) compounds in the products, is used as an objective function in the optimization problem using two approaches (linear (LN) and non-linear (NLN) regression). The growing demand for high-quality middle distillates is increasing worldwide whereas the demand for low-value oil products, such as heavy oils and residues, is decreasing. Thus, maximizing the production of more liquid distillates of very high quality is of immediate interest to refiners. At the same time, environmental legislation has led to more strict specifications of petroleum derivatives. Crude oil hydrotreatment enhances the productivity of distillate fractions due to chemical reactions. The hydrotreated crude oil was distilled into the following fractions (using distillation pilot plant unit): light naphtha (L.N), heavy naphtha (H.N), heavy kerosene (H.K), light gas oil (L.G.O) and reduced crude residue (R.C.R) in order to compare the yield of these fractions produced by distillation after the HDT process with those produced by conventional methods (i.e. HDT of each fraction separately after the distillation). The yield of middle distillate showed greater yield compared to the middle distillate produced by conventional methods in addition to improve the properties of R.C.R. Kinetic models that enhance oil distillates productivity are also proposed based on the experimental data obtained in a pilot plant at different operation conditions using the discrete kinetic lumping approach. The kinetic models of crude oil hydrotreating are assumed to include five lumps: gases (G), naphtha (N), heavy kerosene (H.K), light gas oil (L.G.O) and reduced crude residue (R.C.R). For all experiments, the sum of the squared errors (SSE) between the experimental product compositions and predicted values of compositions is minimized using optimization technique. The kinetic models developed are then used to describe and analyse the behaviour of an industrial trickle bed reactor (TBR) used for crude oil hydrotreating with the optimal quench system based on experiments in order to evaluate the viability of large-scale processing of crude oil hydrotreating. The optimal distribution of the catalyst bed (in terms of optimal reactor length to diameter) with the best quench position and quench rate are investigated, based upon the total annual cost. The energy consumption is very important for reducing environmental impact and maximizing the profitability of operation. Since high temperatures are employed in hydrotreating (HDT) processes, hot effluents can be used to heat other cold process streams. It is noticed that the energy consumption and recovery issues may be ignored for pilot plant experiments while these energies could not be ignored for large scale operations. Here, the heat integration of the HDT process during hydrotreating of crude oil in trickle bed reactor is addressed in order to recover most of the external energy. Experimental information obtained from a pilot scale, kinetics and reactor modelling tools, and commercial process data, are employed for the heat integration process model. The optimization problem is formulated to optimize some of the design and operating parameters of integrated process, and minimizing the overall annual cost is used as an objective function. The economic analysis of the continuous whole industrial refining process that involves the developed hydrotreating (integrated hydrotreating process) unit with the other complementary units (until the units that used to produce middle distillate fractions) is also presented. In all cases considered in this study, the gPROMS (general PROcess Modelling System) package has been used for modelling, simulation and parameter estimation via optimization process.

Syftet med denna undersökning var att bidra till en ökad kunskap kring ensamkommande flyktingbarns integrationsprocess i det svenska samhället. Vidare syftar studien till HVB-hemmets roll i denna process. Studiens val av metod är den kvalitativa metoden med åtta öppna intervjuer. Vi använde teorier som berör integrationsprocessen, vilket i detta fall var identitet, roll, socialt nätverk, socialt stöd, integration samt byråkrati för verksamhetens arbete. Studiens resultat tyder på att HVB-hemmets roll för denna process har varit omfattande med tanke på boendet har bidragit till att skapa ett tryggt hem, erbjudit socialt stöd, uppmuntrat till att delta i föreningslivet samt bidragit till sociala kunskaper. Även språket, skolan, nätverket och stödet från myndighetsutövare har bidragit till integrationsprocessen för barnen. Slutsatser som framkom är att de före detta ensamkommande asylsökande barnen är på ett objektivt och subjektiv plan integrerade i det svenska samhället. Lyckade integrationsprocesserna beror på kombinationen mellan barnens egna drivkrafter och samhället tillgängliga stödfunktioner. I och med flykten till ett främmande land kan en slutsats dras från denna studie att rollförändringar och identitetsbildningar har präglat de före detta ensamkommande barnen under deras integrationsprocess. Även inslag av rollförändringar och identitetsskapande finns hos personalen som arbetat med de ensamkommande barnen genom samspelet mellan grupperna. / The purpose of this study was to contribute to an increased knowledge of unaccompanied refugee children's process of integration into the Swedish society. Furthermore, the study aims to HVB-home role in this process. The study selection method is the qualitative method with eight open interviews. We used the theories related to the integration process, which in this case was the identity, role, social networks, social support and integration. Also bureaucracy was used to describe HVB-homes work. The study's results suggest that HVB-home role in this process has been extensive considering the accommodation has helped to create a safe home, offering social support, encouraged to participate in club activities and contributed to social skills. Even the language, school, network and the support of public power have contributed to the integration process for children. Conclusions that emerged is that the former unaccompanied asylum seeking children are in an objective and subjective planes integrated into the Swedish society. Successful integration processes depends on the combination of the children's own motivations and society accessible support functions. By fleeing to a foreign country, there is a role change and identity formation that characterized the former unaccompanied children during their integration process. Elements of the role and identity changes characterize the staff worked with this group through collaboration between the groups.

The aim of the present study is to clarify the nature of integration between the individual and the organization. I have utilized four analytical tools in this endeavor – forms of association, theoretical starting points, integrating factors, and principles of integration. The forms of association have been taken from Amitai Etzioni's model for describing the interplay between members' experience of an organization and organizational sanctions. These in turn provide us with three categories – coercion, when association is steered by constraint exercised by the organization; interest, when integration proceeds deliberately and voluntarily; and normative or institutional integration, when association is steered by a normative community. The starting point selected is important, and often decisive, for any effort to understand the connection between the individual and the organization. In the present effort to theoretically explain how a particular association between individual and organization emerges, I have deliberately selected human nature (the integrating unit) from the choice of two alternatives for the starting point. That is to say that the starting point for integration should be sought not in the organization, but in people. The reason for this decision is my contention that organizations have no organic form, and that they can be steered and influenced in a completely differently way than people. In order for the theoretical starting point to function as a explanatory factor, it should provide the location for an active element. I have chosen the individual's striving for development and maturity as the active element or integrating factor in this regard. The integration of individual and organization is fostered to the extent that the individual's striving for development is satisfied within the framework of the organization. I argue that participation is the principle of integration that serves this goal. In conclusion, participation promotes the integration of the individual and organization, and it drives the process of integration in respect to three forms of coordination – coercion, interest, and institutional integration. Submission (the absence of participation) leads to coercion. Negotiation (the preliminary stage of participation) leads to interest integration. Participation, finally, leads to institutional integration.

The theoretical part of the thesis deals with the education of pupils with special needs. It describes the term of integration, its types, forms and grades. Subsequently it focuses on possible problems of integration process and concentrates on integration according to the type and level of individual disability. The practical part reflects the integration process from the classmates? point of view. It presents data from the questionnaire survey made by the author of the thesis and compares them with the data collected with the same questionnaire in 2008 by o.s. Rytmus.

O objetivo geral deste trabalho é analisar a recente fase de integração da América do Sul a partir da estratégia da política externa brasileira no governo do presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, com ênfase nas instituições desta integração, utilizando a análise dos discursos e ações, a comparação histórica a processos e períodos relacionados à integração na região e em outras regiões, bem como os condicionantes nacionais, regionais e internacionais. Partimos da premissa de que o sistema internacional está fragmentado em sua ordem, num movimento cíclico da economia capitalista com reestruturação científico-tecnológica de alta intensidade, forjando-se um cenário multipolar em blocos onde se destacam processos de integração regional. A estratégia de integração do governo Lula se dá a partir da conjunção de três principais vertentes: infraestrutura com a IIRSA, econômico-comercial com a ampliação do Mercosul, e política com a Unasul, que se desdobra em áreas sensíveis como a segurança e defesa. A OTCA recebe um tratamento especial por parte da diplomacia brasileira, objetivando não abrir espaços para o aparecimento de iniciativas de influência externa na região Amazônica, seja de Estados ou ONG. A estratégia de integração do governo Lula é solidária com objetivos de médio e longo prazo, não intervencionista sem ser indiferente, objetivando o fortalecimento de sua posição regional e daí internacionalmente, possui características institucionais de neofuncionalismo com intergovernamentalismo, enfatizando a diminuição das assimetrias, com o Brasil assumindo o papel de país pagador. Em comparação com o mais avançado processo de integração, a União Europeia, a integração sulamericana não permite vislumbrar o mesmo alcance de complementaridade econômica que tornou a experiência no velho continente um ator importante no cenário internacional. Comparada às experiências na região latina e sulamericana, existem semelhanças na trajetória institucional e nas dificuldades político, econômica e institucionais de concretização de uma União Aduaneira, como no Mercosul, bem como na flexibilidade e gradualismo deste. Por outro lado as diferenças em termos de integração física, de um país pagador, do foco nas assimetrias, na diminuição das desigualdades sociais, dos condicionantes internacionais, regionais e nacionais remetem a um processo em formação, como nunca na história do Brasil. / The general objective of this study is to analyze the recent phase of South America integration concerning to the international politics strategy of the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration, focusing on the institutions, using the analysis of the speeches and actions, the historical comparisons between periods and processes related to integration in the region and other regions, as well as national, regional and international constraints. Our premise is that the international system is fragmented in its order, in a cyclical movement of capitalist economy with high intensity scientific-technological restructuring that forges a multipolar scenario in blocks which highlight regional integration processes. The integration strategy of the Lula’s administration happens from the conjunction of three main areas: infrastructure to IIRSA, economic-trade with expansion of Mercosul, and politics with Unasul, which unfolds in sensitive areas such as security and defense. OTCA receives a special treatment by the Brazilian diplomacy, aiming to open spaces for the emergence of initiatives from outside influence in the Amazon region, whether by States or NGOs. The integration strategy of the Lula administration is sympathetic with medium and long term targets, non-interventionist but not being indifferent, aiming to strengthen its regional and international position, has institutional characteristics of neofunctionalism with intergovernmental relations, emphasizing the reduction of asymmetries, with Brazil assuming the role of paymaster. Compared with the more advanced integration process – the European Union – the South American integration do not reveal the same range of economic complementarity that has became the Old World experience a key player in the international arena. Compared to the experiences in Latin and South American region, there are similarities in the institutional history and also in the political, economic and institutional difficulties for implementation of a Customs Union, as in Mercosul, as well as this flexibility and gradualism. Otherwise the differences in terms of physical integration, for a payer country, the focus on asymmetries, in the reduction of social inequalities, as well as international, regional and national determinants resolve to a formation process, as ever in the history of Brazil.