ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN PRODUCTION ENGINEERING COURSES

Transcription

1 ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN PRODUCTION ENGINEERING COURSES Antonio Vanderley Herrero Sola UTFPR Antonio Augusto de Paula Xavier UTFPR João Luiz Kovaleski UTFPR Abstract: This paper presents a case study accomplished in the State of Paraná, South of Brazil, in public Universities, with the purpose of verifying the insertion of the Energy Efficiency subject in the Undergraduate Curriculum of Production Engineering courses. The energy efficiency subject is very important and deserves the attention of all the sectors of economy, also of the engineering education. An analysis demonstrates that the energy efficiency concept is extended by diverse dimensions and can be taught in several disciplines. The research reveals that the content on energy efficiency is not inserted in the curriculum of many courses. It is possible that many professionals of Production Engineering are graduated without knowledge in energy efficiency. Keywords: Undergraduate Curriculum; ; Energy Efficiency; Researches R in Universities.

2 1 Introduction Brazil suffered, during 2001, a widespread breakdown in the national electric system, more especially in the Southeast area, the biggest consumer of energy of the country. This fact has affected, in an important way, the whole national energy system, as well as impelled a larger number of researches in Universities returned to the energy efficiency and conservation of energy. Some opportunities of operational costs reduction, in buildings or industrial plants, are related with energy conservation programs. Undergraduate education is essential to the professional formation for many reasons. The undergraduate courses provide information about the importance of the research to Production System and beginning a research program. Since the crisis in the electric sector, in 2001, the Brazilian Federal Government has carried out actions for the efficient use of energy, electric mainly, with the National Politics of Energy Efficiency (MME, 2003). The Law 10295/2001 demands minimum levels of energy efficiency in electric equipment. The conscience grew of that the energy resources are finite and the energy production costs expensive. To search the growth economic and to generate job and income, Brazil needs to invest in energy, in the next years, more then other industrialized countries (MME, 2004). The Kyoto Protocol demonstrates the mobilization of the international community for sustainable development (MCT, 2005). Energy efficiency is an important subject for the economy, for the environment, for the international community and Brazil, and it is a continuous process improvement of the technological development. Many Production Engineering courses have been created in the last years in Brazil (FAÉ and RIBEIRO, 2004). The Production Engineer is gaining space in the work market, that it demands prepared professional for the new challenges of the productive world. The case study it evaluates important questions about energy efficiency education in the Production Engineering courses. The work presents initially the results of the research and makes an analysis and discussion on the subject. An analysis demonstrates that the energy efficiency concept is extended by diverse dimensions. Finally it considers a boarding of energy efficiency in the Production Engineering courses.

3 2 Methods The case study it was carried out with three courses of Production Engineering in public Universities in Brazil, in The objective is to verify if the energy efficiency subject is inserted in the education process of the courses. The research was made in two stages: - Analysis on the summary of the courses on the Internet; - Interviews with the coordinators and professors of the respective courses. 3 Results To preserve the image of the Educational Institutions searched, the Production Engineering courses are called EP1, EP2 and EP3. The EP1 course supplies a scientific and professional formation, enabling the academics to decide problems of production engineering systems. The coordinator affirmed that it does not have one disciplines specific on energy efficiency; therefore it has one disciplines of energy management, taught for an Electric Engineering. It does not have use of specific software for simulation or diagnosis of energy conservation. The professor recognized the importance of the subject and commented that energy conservation also could be worked in disciplines related to the environment and the production systems. The EP2 course supplies a critical, ethics and social formation, so that the Engineer wall lamp the knowledge aiming at well-being of the society. The course prepares the professional to creative and innovative solutions for the new problems. The coordinator affirmed that it does not have one disciplines specific to the energy efficiency subject. The physical concept on efficiency is taught in certain disciplines - thermodynamic efficiency, for example but not Energy Efficiency specifically. The coordinator understands that the subject is very important and deserves to be thought. He believes that the subject can be worked in areas of production management, project of product or process. In the EP3 course the profile desired for the engineer is the scientific and professional formation that enables the Production Engineer on identification and solution of project problems, operation and management of production systems. Human aspects are also

4 developed with ethical and humanist vision, to take care of to the society. The coordinator affirmed that it does not have one specific discipline on energy efficiency. The coordinator commented that the absence of an exclusive professor to teach energy efficiency is the main problem. The public Universities have to open a public competition to contract new professors. In ergonomic area some aspects of illumination and power plants for work accomplishment are worked. It does not have use of specific software. The Coordinator believes that the subject can be inserted in disciplines of environment. The research was extended to other engineering courses for comparative effect. In the course of Electric Engineering at Federal Technological University of Parana, in Brazil, energy efficiency is taught in discipline that it studies the energy conservation. Some aspects are worked, for example: the tariff system; rational use of equipment; efficient use of illumination, heaters, ovens and air conditioner. In the Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul, in Brazil, the Mechanics Engineering course has discipline called "Alternative Energies", that it studies Aeolian energy, solar energy and others. 4 Discussion The research, based on deposition of coordinators and based on program summaries, reveals that the content on energy efficiency is not inserted in the curriculum of Production Engineering courses. It is possible that many professionals of Production Engineering are graduated without knowledge on energy efficiency. Energy efficiency is not inserted in the Educational Politics of the Institutions. The main problem in this question, according research, is that the professors are not qualified in the energy area. Some times contents on energy they are taught by professors from other departments. All the coordinators and professors searched show that they are conscientious on the importance about questions related to the use of energy in the current context. Energy efficiency is much more a professional qualification question and not an awareness question. This is a question which includes an Educational Politics. An adjusted Educational Politics can approach the relationship between University and the companies to enable the people to work with energy efficiency in the companies (SOLA, XAVIER and KOVALESKI, 2005).

5 The use of Information Technology can improve the exploitation of the equipment and reduce operational costs, improving the performance of the company in the market (SALAMACHA, REIS and SCANDELARI, 2004). The use of computational resources provides a support to the education procedures in disciplines (DÁVALOS, 2004). A good computational interface also considers human factors, to improve the learning time and to facilitate the use of the applicatory, stimulating the user to work with tool (SHNEIDERMAN, 1998). In the education process the academics make use of tools. However, the students do not use any software to work with energy efficiency. The energy efficiency education, when restricted to one discipline, it can allow the deepening of the subject. However, energy efficiency is a transversal subject and deserves to be boarded in others disciplines of the course. The energy efficiency concept is extended by diverse dimensions, as it shows following Fig. 1. Figure 1: Energy Efficiency and its dimensions (by author) 4.1 The legal dimension The Brazilian Federal Government can manage the energy sector in three ways: formularization of public politics, planning and regulation of market (BAJAY and CARVALHO, 1998). Different social and environmental impacts of power plants, for example, they can justify an intervention of the State in the preferences of the society, when the market mechanisms are limited. This mainly happens with the calls "public

6 goods", that they are those consumed by all and that they cannot be restricted to few purchasers (JANNUZZI, 2000). It is the case of energy, water, air quality, for example. The Brazilian Federal Government, after the crisis of the electric sector in 2001, made some actions (MME, 2003; ELETROBRAS, 2005). The Law 10295/2001 establishes maximum levels of energy consumption or minimum of energy efficiency for devices and machines manufactured or commercialized in the country. The Public Politics of Energy Efficiency will define mechanisms of energy efficiency for constructions, like other countries. The Engineer must understand and apply the ethics and the professional responsibility. This implies in the domain of the legal and normative aspects about profession. Disciplines that they study norms and legislation, as Quality Management, Environment, Legislation, Ethics, they can also approach the normative, legal and ethical aspects on energy efficiency. 4.2 The environmental dimension A clean development mechanism is defined by Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations framework convention on climate change. The purpose is to assist many countries in achieving sustainable development. Parties not included will be benefit from project activities resulting in certified emission reductions. (MCT, 2005). Research in companies in Brazil discloses that the awareness for efficient use of energy gives good resulted with specific procedures in Management Integrated system, Quality and Environment System (SOLA and KOVALESKI, 2004). The Engineer must be capable to evaluate the social and environment impact. Disciplines that they deal with social and environment aspects also they can argue the energy efficiency subject. 4.3 A The social, economic and financial dimension The Brazilian Gross Internal Product has grown 1.63% per year in the last five years and the internal energy offered grew 1.85% per year. The increase of energy consumption in the industrial sector is mainly to the exportations. Brazil will have to invest in energy to generate job and income. If the Internal Energy Offers will be compared with the Gross Internal Product, Brazil will have to invest, in the next years, more in energy comparing with the Japan, for example (MME, 2004). The final energy consumption, considering the diverse energy sources, it has grown mainly in the transports area and the industrial sector.

7 The industrial sector consumed, in 2004, 47% of the all electricity generated in Brazil, the residential sector 22% and advertising 14% of electricity (MME, 2004). The industries are important in the energy context because besides consuming energy, also they produce equipment that consumes energy. The losses of electric energy have grown annually, reaching 15% in 2004 (MME, 2004). Fig. 2 shows the evolution of the electric energy consumption in the Brazil. Figure 2: Consumption of electric energy (GWh) Source: Brazilian Ministry of Mining and Energy (MME, 2004) The Brazilian Federal Government intends to create conditions for sustainable commercial relations, with federal fiscal and detributos profits, prices and others, to stimulate the efficient use of energy in all the sectors of the economy. Electric equipment used in poor regions of the country will be improved. The development of alternative sources of energy - Aeolian, biomass, biodiesel - in poor regions of the country it is a way of job and income generation. The Engineer must be capable to evaluate the economic viability of projects. Thus, disciplines that they study Economy, Financial analysis, Accounting and Costs can approach the economic and financial production aspects on energy efficiency, also public financings and contracts. The relation of the cost-benefit about use of energyefficient technologies, comparing with obsolete technologies is an important discussion. The financial analysis can show the importance of investments in alternative sources of energy and the development and use of energy-efficient technologies

8 4.4 The technological dimension Currently the incentive to the Alternative Sources of Electric Energy Program (Proinfa), in accordance with Laws 10438/2002 and 10762/2003, it diversifies the Brazilian energy matrix. The legislation advancing to demand efficient use of energy means that the concept on energy efficiency is related to the products (SOLA and KOVALESKI, 2004). A building, for example, it is not an energy-efficient product for consuming a little energy. An energy-efficient building must contain: energy-efficient technologies that, when operating as designed, will effectively reduce energy use; amenities and features appropriate for that kind of building; it must be operated in such a manner as to be efficient (MEIER, OLOFSSON and LAMBERTS, 2002). During the development of an activity executed for the human being, the heat generated for the organism must be wasted in equal ratio to the indoor environment, by thermal exchanges mechanisms (XAVIER, LAMBERTS and VOLPATO, 2000). The aspects of illumination and natural ventilation also must be considered. Thus, a product can be considered energy-efficient by the set of energy-efficient technologies applied - project, materials, products and processes -, for its adequate operation and the capacity to remain equal to the project during its useful life. A maintenance management program, in buildings, machines or equipment, it is an important way to preserve the conditions established in the project. A predictive maintenance program, based on sensors, it is recommended to minimize the losses of energy (SOLA, XAVIER and MARÇAL, 2005). The Engineer must be able with the new technologies. 4.5 Conclusions The increase of losses of electric energy compromises the trustworthiness of the electrical system; it affects the environment; it demands greater investment in generation; it burdens the production; it becomes the product less competitive in the international market. The Energy Efficiency subject, for its relevance, it deserves the due attention of all the sectors of the economy, also of the Engineering Education. In the research it has a unanimous recognition on the part of the coordinators and

9 professors of the searched courses on the importance of the energy resources in the social, economic and environmental context. The Energy Efficiency subject, with its legal dimension, environmental dimension, technological dimension, social economic and financial dimension (Fig 1 and Fig 3), it is perfectly in acord with the principles and the proposal for professional formation of the Production Engineer. DIMENSIONS CONTENTS Legal dimension - Norms and legislation - Quality Management - Environment - Ethics. The environmental dimension - Environment management - Sustainable development The social, economic and financial dimension - Economy - Financial analysis - Social impacts - Human factors The technological dimension - Electric and thermal systems - Project of product - Materials and process - Alternative energies - Efficient illumination and natural ventilation in building - Heaters, ovens and air conditioner - Rational use of equipment - Electric machines; - Maintenance management Figure 3: Energy Efficiency: dimensions and contents (by ( author) Acknowledgments I thank the coordinators and professors of Production Engineering courses searched for the important contribution in this work.

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