Abstract
In this paper a typical electricity distribution network for a residential area in Portugal is used in order to assess the impact of integrating different levels of pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the grid and in pollutants emissions. First, the amount of vehicles that can be safely accommodated in the grid will be determined. Second, changes in pollutants emissions will be evaluated, by applying a vehicle full life cycle analysis.

Abstract
This paper presents a brief characterization of wind power in Portugal, considering the installed power capacity, the capacity under construction, and the location of wind farms. It also describes the Portuguese Lightning Location System, and presents the results of the ccurrence of cloud-to-ground strikes both temporally and eographically distributed and the accumulative probability of the peak current. Based on these results, new ground flash density maps were drawn. Thus, this paper allows the characterization of discharges occurring in Portugal, helping to improve risk analysis and the protection systems adopted.

Abstract
Work flows in a job-shop are determined not only by the release load but also by the number of accepted orders. In this paper the common assumption of accepting all incoming orders regardless of shop condition is relaxed. Instead of placing the orders in a 'pre-shop pool' queue, as in previous research, orders that arrive at the shop, when it is highly congested, may be immediately rejected or their due dates may be negotiated. This paper explores the idea of controlling the workload since the acceptance/rejection stage. A new acceptance/rejection rule is proposed, and tests are conducted to study the sensitivity of job-shop performance to different order acceptance parameters, like the tolerance of the workload limit and the due date extension acceptance. The effect of the negotiation phase on the job-shop performance is evaluated using a simulation model of a generic random job-shop that allow us to conclude that having a negotiation phase prior to rejection improves almost all workload performance measures. Different tolerances of the workload limit slightly affect the performance of the job-shop.

Abstract

Abstract
Reconfigurable computing architectures are becoming increasingly important in many computing domains (e.g., embedded and high-performance systems). These architectures promise comparable characteristics to specific hardware solutions with the flexibility and programmability of microprocessor solutions. This chapter gives a comprehensible overview of reconfigurable computing concepts and programming paradigms for the current and future generation of reconfigurable computing architectures. Two paramount aspects are highlighted: understanding how the programming model can help the mapping of computations to these architectures, and understanding also the way new programming models can be used to develop applications to these architectures. We include a set of simple examples to show different aspects of the use of the reconfigurable computing synergies, driven by the initial programming model used. © 2010, IGI Global.

Abstract
This article presents a design of a four-wheeled omnidirectional mobile robot for RoboCup Middle Size League. The mobile robot was built for the 5dpo-2000 Robotic Soccer team from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Porto, Portugal. The robot's architecture and communication structure are presented. A nonlinear modeling and a motion analysis based on the dynamics, kinematics, and DC motors are analyzed. This model could find the nonlinear saturation elements, such as limits of current of the motors, amplitude of the applied voltage in the motors, and frictions related to equation of motion. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed project.