This dissertation investigates the problem of developing verifiable stable control architectures for gas turbine engines. First, a nonlinear physics-based dynamic model of a twin spool turboshaft engine which drives a variable pitch propeller is developed. In this model, the dynamics of the engine are defined to be the two spool speeds, and the two control inputs to the system are fuel flow rate and prop pitch angle. Experimental results are used to verify the dynamic model of JetCat SPT5 turboshaft engine. Based on the experimental data, performance maps of the engine components including propeller, high pressure compressor, high pressure, and low pressure turbines are constructed. The engine numerical model is implemented using Matlab. Second, a stable gain scheduled controller is described and developed for a gas turbine engine that drives a variable pitch propeller. A stability proof is developed for a gain scheduled closed-loop system using global linearization and linear matrix inequality (LMI) techniques. Using convex optimization tools, a single quadratic Lyapunov function is computed for multiple linearizations near equilibrium and non-equilibrium points of the nonlinear closed-loop system. This approach guarantees stability of the closed-loop gas turbine engine system. To verify the stability of the closed-loop system on-line, an optimization problem is proposed which is solvable using convex optimization tools. Through simulations, we show the developed gain scheduled controller is capable to regulate a turboshaft engine for large thrust commands in a stable fashion with proper tracking performance. Third, a gain scheduled model reference adaptive control (GS-MRAC) concept for multi-input multi-output (MIMO) nonlinear plants with constraints on the control inputs is developed and described. Specifically, adaptive state feedback for the output tracking control problem of MIMO nonlinear systems is studied. Gain scheduled reference model system is used for generating desired state trajectories, and the stability of this reference model is also analyzed using convex optimization tools. This approach guarantees stability of the closed-loop gain scheduled gas turbine engine system, which is used as a gain scheduled reference model. An adaptive state feedback control scheme is developed and its stability is proven, in addition to transient and steady-state performance guarantees. The resulting closed-loop system is shown to have ultimately bounded solutions with a priori adjustable bounded tracking error. The results are then extended to GS-MRAC with constraints on the magnitudes of multiple control inputs. Sufficient conditions for uniform boundedness of the closed-loop system is derived. A semi-global stability result is proven with respect to the level of saturation for open-loop unstable plants, while the stability result is shown to be global for open-loop stable plants. Simulations are performed for three different models of the turboshaft engine, including the nominal engine model and two models where the engine is degraded. Through simulations, we show the developed GS-MRAC architecture can be used for the tracking problem of degraded turboshaft engine for large thrust commands with guaranteed stability. Finally, a decentralized linear parameter dependent representation of the engine model is developed, suitable for decentralized control of the engine with core and fan/prop subsystems. Control theoretic concepts for decentralized gain scheduled model reference adaptive control (D-GS-MRAC) systems is developed. For each subsystem, a linear parameter dependent model is available and a common Lyapunov matrix can be computed using convex optimization tools. With this control architecture, the two subsystems of the engine (i.e., engine core and engine prop/fan) can be controlled with independent controllers for large throttle commands in a decentralized manner. Based on this D-GS-MRAC architecture, a "plug and play" (PnP) technology concept for gas turbine engine control systems is investigated, which allows us to match different engine cores with different engine fans/propellers. With this plug and play engine control architecture, engine cores and fans/props could be used with their on-board subordinate controllers ready for integration into a functional propulsion system. Simulation results for three different models of the engine, including the nominal engine model, the model with a new prop, and the model with a new engine core, illustrate the possibility of PnP technology development for gas turbine engine control systems.

abstract: Recently, automation, shared use, and electrification are proposed and viewed as the “three revolutions” in the future transportation sector to significantly relieve traffic congestion, reduce pollutant emissions, and increase transportation system sustainability. Motivated by the three revolutions, this research targets on the passenger-focused scheduled transportation systems, where (1) the public transit systems provide high-quality ridesharing schedules/services and (2) the upcoming optimal activity planning systems offer the best vehicle routing and assignment for household daily scheduled activities. The high quality of system observability is the fundamental guarantee for accurately predicting and controlling the system. The rich information from the emerging heterogeneous data sources is making it possible. This research proposes a modeling framework to systemically account for the multi-source sensor information in urban transit systems to quantify the estimated state uncertainty. A system of linear equations and inequalities is proposed to generate the information space. Also, the observation errors are further considered by a least square model. Then, a number of projection functions are introduced to match the relation between the unique information space and different system states, and its corresponding state estimate uncertainties are further quantified by calculating its maximum state range. In addition to optimizing daily operations, the continuing advances in information technology provide precious individual travel behavior data and trip information for operational planning in transit systems. This research also proposes a new alternative modeling framework to systemically account for boundedly rational decision rules of travelers in a dynamic transit service network with tight capacity constraints. An agent-based single-level integer linear formulation is proposed and can be effectively by the Lagrangian decomposition. The recently emerging trend of self-driving vehicles and information sharing technologies starts creating a revolutionary paradigm shift for traveler mobility applications. By considering a deterministic traveler decision making framework, this research addresses the challenges of how to optimally schedule household members’ daily scheduled activities under the complex household-level activity constraints by proposing a set of integer linear programming models. Meanwhile, in the microscopic car-following level, the trajectory optimization of autonomous vehicles is also studied by proposing a binary integer programming model. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering 2018

Plusieurs cultures se sont mêlées à la conception du système fiscal actuel au Liban. Ce système cédulaire, inchangeable depuis les années cinquante, se caractérise par la prédominance des impôts indirects reflétant une difficulté à atteindre l’assiette des impôts directs.C’est dans cette perspective qu’une révision intégrale du système fiscal Libanais s’avère cruciale. Cette révision doit tenir en compte les spécificités de l’économie libanaise basée sur les secteurs du tourisme et des finances et caractérisée par un secret bancaire très développé, des finances publiques rongées par le poids de la dette publique et du déficit budgétaire, et de la situation géopolitique du Liban, situé dans une région objet de conflits permanents.Dans ce cadre, plusieurs réformes ont déjà été mises en place; l’introduction de la TVA en 2002 constituait la réforme majeure des impôts indirects, la création de la DASS, de la DGE du côté des impôts directs.Toutefois la réforme en cours traite l’unification des impôts cédulaires en un impôt global; cela peut établir une meilleure justice entre les contribuables et engendrer une augmentation des recettes fiscales. Le secret bancaire constitue un important défi à ce type d’imposition. A noter que l’abolition du secret bancaire n’est pas envisageable actuellement considérant son rôle majeur dans l’attraction des capitaux étrangers. Pour cela, la nouvelle loi doit essayer de trouver des solutions pour parvenir à la bonne application de l’imposition globale. A ce niveau, les expériences égyptienne (contrôle fiscal des revenus des capitaux mobiliers, des activités commerciales et industrielles et des professions libérales) et tunisienne (l’application des « acomptes provisionnelles » et de « la retenue à la source ») peuvent constituer des sources d’inspiration. / Many cultures contributed to draw the current Lebanese tax system. This system, where taxes differ according to the source of income, haven’t been reformed since the fifties. The predominance of indirect taxation is the main characteristic reflecting the disability to reach the tax base within the direct taxation.Under this perspective, a full revision of the taxation system seems to be crucial. This revision should take into consideration the specificity of the Lebanese economy based on tourism and financial sectors and where banking secrecy is very developed, the public finance gnaw at by the public debt burden and the budget deficit, and the geopolitical situation where Lebanon is located in the heart of a conflict region.Many reforms had been already undertaken; the VAT implementation in 2002 is the main indirect tax reform; the introduction of DASS and DGE are the reform undertaken on the direct taxes side.Moreover, the current reform aim to unify the different income tax under one global tax; this can lead to a better justice among taxpayers and therefore to an increase in tax revenues.The banking secrecy is an important challenge to this taxation. In fact, due to its major role attracting the foreign capitals, the abolition of this system is not currently considered. For this reason, the new law should figure out the appropriate conducts for a better application of the global tax.At this level, the Egyptian and the Tunisian experiences could be sources of inspiration. The first one regarding the tax audit on the revenues from movable capitals, commercial and industrial activities and the liberal professions. The second one related to the application of the “forecasted installments” and the “stopping at source”.

O dinamismo inerente a moda expõe as cadeias de suprimentos a um desafio constante: gerenciar a relação com múltiplos agentes envolvidos em um longo lead time produtivo, enquanto atendem aos anseios por novidades frequentes no ponto de venda. A Cadeia Produtiva Têxtil e de Confecção (CPTC) se antecipa, em até dois anos, nas apostas de tendências e direciona às suas confecções um fluxo empurrado de produtos originais em formas, matérias, cores e estampas. Contudo, é no varejo que o êxito, ou insucesso, de uma coleção fica nítido e tem seus maiores impactos de incerteza. Em sentido contrário, o fast fashion ganha notoriedade por resolver esta problemática, encurtando ciclos produtivos e postergando acabamentos de produção, em uma cadeia de suprimentos que atende às solicitações do varejo, com trocas constantes de informação. Este modelo de negócios se torna, na revisão bibliográfica, um bom exemplo de aplicação das práticas de Gestão da Cadeia de Suprimentos (GCS) na moda, com exemplos recorrentes de marcas do Reino Unido, Suécia, Estados Unidos, Itália e Espanha. Surge, então, o interesse em verificar como interagem os agentes das CPTC do Brasil, comparando coleções programadas e de moda rápida, e se conseguem aplicar as diretrizes da GCS. Um estudo de casos múltiplos em 4 empresas, sendo 2 em modelo tradicional e 2 fast fashion, leva a resultados que confirmam a literatura nas práticas varejistas, enquanto diferem, especialmente nos métodos produtivos, levando a indagações sobre a adaptação dos parâmetros internacionais ao cenário local / The inherent dynamism of fashion exposes supply chains to a constant challenge: managing the relationship with multiple agents involved in a long productive lead time, while meeting the yearnings for frequent novelties at the point of sale. The Textile and Apparel Production Chain (TAPC) anticipates trends, within two years, and directs to their factories a flow of original products into shapes, materials, colors and prints. However, it is in retail that the success, or failure, of a fashion collection becomes clear and has its greatest impacts of uncertainty. On the other hand, fast fashion is notorious for solving this problem, shortening production cycles and postponing production finishes, in a supply chain that responds to retail requests, with constant information exchanges. This business model becomes, in the bibliographic review, a good example of applying the practices of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in fashion, with recurring examples of brands from the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, Italy and Spain. Arises interest in checking how the TAPC agents of Brazil interact, comparing traditional and fast-fashion collections, and whether they are able to apply the guidelines of the SCM. A multiple case study in 4 companies, 2 in a traditional model and 2 fast fashion, leads to results that confirm the literature in retail practices, while differing, especially in productive methods, leading to inquiries about the adaptation of international parameters to the local scenario

De nos jours, environ 3000 huiles essentielles sont produites et utilisées dans le monde avec des champs d'application aussi variés que la cosmétique, la parfumerie l'agro-alimentaire, la pharmacie et l'aromathérapie. Ces huiles sont extraites des hespéridés ou des plantes aromatiques et médicinales. Étant donné que la culture de ces matières premières implique généralement l'application de pesticides, la présence de tels résidus dans les huiles essentielles ne peut pas être écartée. Compte tenu du nombre important de pesticides employés et des nombreux champs d'application des huiles essentielles, il apparaît nécessaire, afin d'assurer la santé du consommateur, de disposer d'une méthode d'analyse multi-résidus capable de doser les pesticides dans les huiles essentielles. L'état de l'art des méthodes d'analyse lié à cette problématique a révélé un manque évident de performance des méthodes actuelles aussi bien en termes de limite de détection que du nombre de pesticides analysés. Ce mémoire propose donc la mise au point d'une méthode d'analyse multi-résidus de pesticides dans les huiles essentielles par couplage de la chromatographie liquide et de la spectrométrie de masse, technologie la plus à même de répondre à la problématique au vue de la bibliographie. Après avoir mis en évidence les performances du nouveau mode d'acquisition Scheduled SRM, disponible sur le spectromètre de masse 4000 QTrap, pour la détection et la quantification de 250 pesticides dans un solvant déterminé, l'importance de considérer la nature de la matrice, aussi bien dans les méthodes de préparation que lors de l'analyse de l'échantillon, a ensuite été démontrée en étudiant deux huiles essentielles représentatives (lavandin et citron). Enfin, la méthode d'analyse multi-résidus LC-MS/MS a été appliquée à la recherche de pesticides dans des échantillons réels d'huiles essentielles. Elle a démontré sa capacité à détecter, quantifier et identifier les pesticides dans ces matrices au travers de l'utilisation d'un mode d'acquisition couplé SRM-EPI faisant appel aux spécificités du spectromètre de masse hybride et notamment de sa trappe d'ion linéaire. Ce travail a de plus révélé l'importance de disposer d'une telle méthode au regard du nombre de pesticides détectés dans les échantillons et de leurs concentrations relativement élevées. Celles-ci peuvent en effet atteindre des teneurs supérieures au milligramme par litre dans les huiles essentielles analysées.

<p>De senaste åren har sömnproblemen ökat i Sverige. Detta gäller även för studenter i åldern 20-24 år. Sömnbesvär hör samman med psykisk ohälsa i en ömsesidig påverkan och en av orsakerna kan vara en oregelbunden och stressfylld livsstil. Studenter är en riskgrupp för detta.Syftet med denna enkätstudie var att se om det fanns något samband mellan hur studenters dagar är strukturerade i form av schemabunden undervisning och hur deras sömnvanor ser ut. Ett annat syfte var att se om det fanns ett samband mellan studenternas självrapporterade sömnkvalitet, sömnkvantitet och deras psykiska välbefinnande. Resultatet visade att studenter som hade fler än 10 lektionstimmar i veckan oftare svarade att de hade lätt att somna och hade en god sömn men inte sov tillräckligt jämfört med studenter som hade färre lektionstimmar. De med få lektionstimmar hade svårare att somna jämfört med övriga studenter. Studenter som sov dåligt och för lite hade också känt mer stress, ängslan, oro och ångest än de som sov gott och tillräckligt.</p> / <p>In recent years, sleep deprivation has been increasing in Sweden. This phenomenon has become quite apparent in the student category aged between 20-24 years old. Insomnia, which is correlated with mental well-being, has many causes some of which include an irregular and hectic lifestyle. Students particularly fall into this group and are becoming more and more vulnerable to this condition. The purpose of this study was to find and identify the links between the students’ busy academic schedules and the apparent inability to get a full and restful night sleep. This paper will also profile the psychological aspects of a carefully selected target group for the purpose of this research. Students with more than 10 academic tuition hours reported that they were able to fall asleep and slept well, but also indicated that the duration was insufficient for their need which is in direct contrast to students who had less than 10 tuition hours. This paper also identified that students with poor sleeping or insufficient sleep were more stressed, agitated and suffered from raised levels of anxiety as opposed to other students.</p>

De senaste åren har sömnproblemen ökat i Sverige. Detta gäller även för studenter i åldern 20-24 år. Sömnbesvär hör samman med psykisk ohälsa i en ömsesidig påverkan och en av orsakerna kan vara en oregelbunden och stressfylld livsstil. Studenter är en riskgrupp för detta.Syftet med denna enkätstudie var att se om det fanns något samband mellan hur studenters dagar är strukturerade i form av schemabunden undervisning och hur deras sömnvanor ser ut. Ett annat syfte var att se om det fanns ett samband mellan studenternas självrapporterade sömnkvalitet, sömnkvantitet och deras psykiska välbefinnande. Resultatet visade att studenter som hade fler än 10 lektionstimmar i veckan oftare svarade att de hade lätt att somna och hade en god sömn men inte sov tillräckligt jämfört med studenter som hade färre lektionstimmar. De med få lektionstimmar hade svårare att somna jämfört med övriga studenter. Studenter som sov dåligt och för lite hade också känt mer stress, ängslan, oro och ångest än de som sov gott och tillräckligt. / In recent years, sleep deprivation has been increasing in Sweden. This phenomenon has become quite apparent in the student category aged between 20-24 years old. Insomnia, which is correlated with mental well-being, has many causes some of which include an irregular and hectic lifestyle. Students particularly fall into this group and are becoming more and more vulnerable to this condition. The purpose of this study was to find and identify the links between the students’ busy academic schedules and the apparent inability to get a full and restful night sleep. This paper will also profile the psychological aspects of a carefully selected target group for the purpose of this research. Students with more than 10 academic tuition hours reported that they were able to fall asleep and slept well, but also indicated that the duration was insufficient for their need which is in direct contrast to students who had less than 10 tuition hours. This paper also identified that students with poor sleeping or insufficient sleep were more stressed, agitated and suffered from raised levels of anxiety as opposed to other students.

Les catastrophes naturelles au nord-est de l’Inde, tout comme dans le reste du monde, attirent régulièrement l’attention des médias. Au-delà des interventions d’urgence, il s’avère nécessaire de prendre du recul afin de mieux cerner l’origine des évènements et les stratégies d’adaptation déployées par les populations pour y faire face. Suivant une approche interdisciplinaire mêlant hydro-géomorphologie, éco-anthropologie et political ecology, cette thèse apporte un éclairage nouveau sur les dynamiques du Brahmapoutre, les interactions sociétés-milieux et la gestion des risques dans une région peu étudiée. En Assam, chaque année au cours de la mousson, le fleuve Brahmapoutre entre en crue et déborde dans sa plaine, déposant sur son passage des sédiments sableux et des limons fertiles. Dans cet espace densément peuplé, les Mising - population originaire de l’Himalaya oriental, Scheduled Tribe d’Assam - ont longtemps adapté leurs modes de vie à ce milieu dynamique. Au rythme du fleuve, les Mising pratiquent plusieurs types de riziculture, utilisent différentes techniques de pêche et déplacent leurs villages dans les espaces exposés aux inondations en suivant le mouvement des chenaux. Or, en 1950, un séisme majeur provoqua d’importantes modifications de l’hydrosystème fluvial, bouleversant ce système socio-écologique fragile. Pour contrôler le Brahmapoutre et mettre en valeur les territoires, la région connut dès le XIIe siècle des programmes d’endiguement et d’administration foncière sur la rive sud. À partir de 1954, l’État d’Assam étendit l’endiguement de part et d’autre du lit mineur. Ces aménagements incitèrent les communautés paysannes à se sédentariser dans les périmètres protégés en les contraignant à respecter les nouvelles délimitations foncières. Toutefois, depuis 1988, des ruptures de digues soudaines ont été à l’origine d’inondations récurrentes dans les espaces censés être protégés, tandis que l’érosion se poursuit, emportant les terres de plusieurs villages des subdivisions de Bokakhat, Majuli et Dhakuakhana, objets de cette thèse. L’objectif général de cette thèse est de montrer – à l’aide d’exemples pris dans trois localités – comment les aménagements fluviaux et les politiques foncières ont provoqué une crise sociale et environnementale obligeant les Mising à réajuster leurs pratiques agricoles tout en renégociant leur place au sein de la société et du territoire assamais. Ainsi, à Bokakhat, les Mising négocient leurs droits d’accès aux ressources avec les autorités du parc national de Kaziranga ; à Majuli, ils travaillent pour les institutions religieuses vaishnavites et les propriétaires terriens assamais ; à Dhakuakhana, certains d’entre eux se réfugient illégalement sur les débris de digues et espèrent que leurs terres pourront redevenir fertiles, tandis que d’autres émigrent. Dans ces situations socio-économiques distinctes, les Mising adoptent différentes stratégies socioreligieuses. Ils sont partagés entre ceux qui souhaitent s’insérer au sein de la société assamaise en adoptant les cultes vaishnavites localement dominants, ceux qui envisagent d’accéder au monde globalisé par une conversion au christianisme, et ceux qui affirment une identité tribale en faisant revivre des cultes plus anciens. En représentant l’ensemble de la communauté devant l’État d’Assam, les organisations politiques mising demandent plus d’autonomie territoriale vis-à-vis de Delhi. Un projet néanmoins difficile à mettre en œuvre, car les villages mising sont dispersés parmi ceux d’autres communautés d’Assam. Dans quelle mesure ces stratégies permettront-elles aux Mising de maintenir leurs capacités d'adaptation dans un milieu changeant ? / Natural disasters in Northeast India and in the rest of the world regularly attract media’s attention. Besides an emergency response to these events, it is necessary to distance oneself from the disaster in order to acquire a better understanding of the cause of the events and the coping strategies adopted by the population. Following on an interdisciplinary approach combining disciplines such as hydro-geomorphology, eco-anthropology and political ecology, this thesis sheds new light on the dynamics of the Brahmaputra River, the socio-environmental interactions and risk management in an area where few studies have been conducted.In Assam, every year during the monsoon, the level of the Brahmaputra River rises and overflows into the floodplain, covering sandy land and carrying fertile silts. In this densely populated area, the Mising tribe - a group from the eastern Himalayas, a scheduled tribe of Assam - has for long time managed to adapt its way of life to this dynamic environment. The Misings practise several types of rice cultivation; use different fishing techniques and move their villages according to the flow of the braided river’s channels. However, in 1950, a major earthquake brought about important modifications in the river’s hydrosystem, seriously upsetting this fragile socio-ecological system. Embankments have been built and land has been administrated on the south bank of the Brahmaputra since the twelfth century to control the river and to establish territories. But since 1954, the State of Assam has extended the embankments on both sides of the river. These infrastructures have encouraged farming communities to settle on these new protected lands, forcing them to respect cadastral boundaries. However, since 1988, breaches in the embankment have frequently led to flash floods, while erosion has caused land belonging to several villages in Majuli, Bokakhat and Dhakuakhana subdivisions, which are discussed in this thesis, to be washed away. The main objective of this thesis is to demonstrate — using examples from these three territories — how river engineering and rigid administrative boundaries have led to a social and environmental crisis that leaves the Misings no option but to adjust their agricultural practices and to adopt various strategies to negotiate their space on Assamese land and within Assamese society. Thus, in Bokakhat, the Misings negotiate their right to access resources with the Kaziranga National Park authorities; in Majuli, they work as farmers for Vaishnavite religious institutions and Assamese landowners; in Dhakuakhana, some of them take shelter illegally on portions of the embankment in the hope that their land will be restored to them, while others choose to migrate. In these distinct socio-economical conditions, they are divided into those who are assimilated into Assamese society through Vaishnavite cults, those who have converted to Christianity, which is gaining a foothold in the globalized world, and those who defend their tribal identity and who are reviving ancient faith. Finally, Mising political organizations are claiming to the State of Assam and to Delhi for more territorial autonomy. This would be a difficult undertaking as their villages are scattered among the other communities of Assam. To what extent these strategies will help the Misings to maintain their adaptability in a changing environment?

O dinamismo inerente a moda expõe as cadeias de suprimentos a um desafio constante: gerenciar a relação com múltiplos agentes envolvidos em um longo lead time produtivo, enquanto atendem aos anseios por novidades frequentes no ponto de venda. A Cadeia Produtiva Têxtil e de Confecção (CPTC) se antecipa, em até dois anos, nas apostas de tendências e direciona às suas confecções um fluxo empurrado de produtos originais em formas, matérias, cores e estampas. Contudo, é no varejo que o êxito, ou insucesso, de uma coleção fica nítido e tem seus maiores impactos de incerteza. Em sentido contrário, o fast fashion ganha notoriedade por resolver esta problemática, encurtando ciclos produtivos e postergando acabamentos de produção, em uma cadeia de suprimentos que atende às solicitações do varejo, com trocas constantes de informação. Este modelo de negócios se torna, na revisão bibliográfica, um bom exemplo de aplicação das práticas de Gestão da Cadeia de Suprimentos (GCS) na moda, com exemplos recorrentes de marcas do Reino Unido, Suécia, Estados Unidos, Itália e Espanha. Surge, então, o interesse em verificar como interagem os agentes das CPTC do Brasil, comparando coleções programadas e de moda rápida, e se conseguem aplicar as diretrizes da GCS. Um estudo de casos múltiplos em 4 empresas, sendo 2 em modelo tradicional e 2 fast fashion, leva a resultados que confirmam a literatura nas práticas varejistas, enquanto diferem, especialmente nos métodos produtivos, levando a indagações sobre a adaptação dos parâmetros internacionais ao cenário local / The inherent dynamism of fashion exposes supply chains to a constant challenge: managing the relationship with multiple agents involved in a long productive lead time, while meeting the yearnings for frequent novelties at the point of sale. The Textile and Apparel Production Chain (TAPC) anticipates trends, within two years, and directs to their factories a flow of original products into shapes, materials, colors and prints. However, it is in retail that the success, or failure, of a fashion collection becomes clear and has its greatest impacts of uncertainty. On the other hand, fast fashion is notorious for solving this problem, shortening production cycles and postponing production finishes, in a supply chain that responds to retail requests, with constant information exchanges. This business model becomes, in the bibliographic review, a good example of applying the practices of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in fashion, with recurring examples of brands from the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, Italy and Spain. Arises interest in checking how the TAPC agents of Brazil interact, comparing traditional and fast-fashion collections, and whether they are able to apply the guidelines of the SCM. A multiple case study in 4 companies, 2 in a traditional model and 2 fast fashion, leads to results that confirm the literature in retail practices, while differing, especially in productive methods, leading to inquiries about the adaptation of international parameters to the local scenario

The purpose of this disertation is to introduce and demonstrate a new approach to robust control of AC electrical drives. The proposed robust control method takes advantage of a nonlinear nature of AC motor d-q equations to construct self-scheduled LPV stator current controller. The benefit of this approach is in maitaining the robustness without any increase in conservatism of the H infinity controller. The resulting controller achieves fast and consistent response in the entire range of operating speeds. Rejection of the load torque disturbance is achieved with nonparametric H infinity speed controller in the outter loop of the cascade structure. The combination of LPV current controller and H infinity speed controller was verified on real-time simulation platform dSPACE ds1103. Simulation results for both types of AC motors (PMSM and IM) shows that the proposed solution is not only robust with respect to operating speeds but also impervious to wide range of load disturbance values.