http://hdl.handle.net/10174/37664 2026-06-06T13:20:58Z 2026-06-06T13:20:58Z Santos, João Miguel Garcia, João M. Dias, João Martins, João Alvarenga, Nuno Gonçalves, Elsa Freitas, Daniela Silvério, Karina Fernandes, Jaime Gomes, Sandra Lageiro, Manuel Potes, Miguel Caeiro, José http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42117 2026-06-05T10:21:14Z 2025-10-30T00:00:00Z

Title: Energy Sustainability in the Ripening of Traditional Cheese: Renewable Energy Sources and Internet of Things Based Energy Monitoring Authors: Santos, João Miguel; Garcia, João M.; Dias, João; Martins, João; Alvarenga, Nuno; Gonçalves, Elsa; Freitas, Daniela; Silvério, Karina; Fernandes, Jaime; Gomes, Sandra; Lageiro, Manuel; Potes, Miguel; Caeiro, José Abstract: Improving the energy efficiency of traditional production methods while preserving their cultural and economic value is a challenge aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 agenda. Refrigeration during cheese maturation is particularly energy-intensive, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs. An approach to make traditional cheese production more sustainable, through the development of a prototype ripening chamber with a natural refrigerant-based refrigeration system powered by renewable energy was studied. A dedicated system based on an Internet of Things architecture was developed using low-cost sensors, microcontroller units, and single-board computers to enable real-time measurement and monitoring of environmental variables and energy consumption throughout the ripening process. A comparative analysis was conducted using ewe’s milk cheese, produced and ripened with Protected Designation of Origin conditions, in both the prototype and the conventional chambers over four weeks, quantifying energy consumption and evaluating product quality. Results demonstrate the technical feasibility of energy efficient and sustainable refrigeration systems, as well as the possibility of retrofitting installed cheese ripening chambers with affordable IoT monitoring systems, while maintaining traditional cheese quality standards.

2025-10-30T00:00:00Z Almeida Ribeiro, Nuno Poeiras, Ana Camilo-Alves, Constança Ribeiro, João Nunes, José António Dinis, Mariana Fierravanti, Angelo Raposo, Mauro Maymone, Marta Silva, Maria Emília Fonseca, Teresa Vaz, Margarida http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42107 2026-06-05T09:19:28Z 2025-10-12T23:00:00Z

Title: Advances in intensive monitoring plots of Quercus suber Authors: Almeida Ribeiro, Nuno; Poeiras, Ana; Camilo-Alves, Constança; Ribeiro, João; Nunes, José António; Dinis, Mariana; Fierravanti, Angelo; Raposo, Mauro; Maymone, Marta; Silva, Maria Emília; Fonseca, Teresa; Vaz, Margarida Abstract: In Iberian Peninsula, the effects of climate change altered both precipitation and temperature regimes increasing the aridity in all territory. The extreme events are also increased with particular relevance to high temperature periods and prolonged drought. The new climatic dynamics and its unknow contribution to the forest systems functioning led to the necessity of new modelling approaches based on structural functional rational, more in line with basic sciences. For that modelling purpose, a set of intensive monitoring plots where installed with continuous monitoring systems of radiation absorption, interception of precipitation, evapotranspiration, nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, respiration, photosynthate allocation, senescence and mortality in addition with the tree 3D periodic dendrometric data all collected in long term ecological Mediterranean forest research plots. In the present work it is presented the complex data structure rational and the synchronic/diachronic statistics used for the presentation and analysis of the first results in cork oak forest systems. The results show the contribution of the functional structural variables on tree growth responses and permitted to develop the presented new modelling strategies

2025-10-12T23:00:00Z Poeiras, Ana Camilo-Alves, Constança Günther, Björn Ribeiro, João Nunes, José Vaz, Margarida Almeida Ribeiro, Nuno http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42105 2026-06-05T09:13:24Z 2025-10-12T23:00:00Z

Title: Fertigation in the last years of a cork production cycle – a cellular approach Authors: Poeiras, Ana; Camilo-Alves, Constança; Günther, Björn; Ribeiro, João; Nunes, José; Vaz, Margarida; Almeida Ribeiro, Nuno Abstract: This study presents an image-based analysis on cork cell in two cork rings from the same cork profile using a Scanning Electron Microscope. During the cork growth cycle, forest management practices have changed due to the additional fertigation applied to the plot, from the 2020 year onward. The plot is sited in Herdade da Mitra, Évora, property of the University of Évora, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC). The cork oak stand is debarked every 10 years, which the last one occurred in 2023. The objective of this study is to assess changes in cork cell walls and lumens in response to the additional fertigation—whether they follow their regular documented pattern or deviate due to the altered forest management approach. The characteristics of the plot trees were analysed in terms of basal area, stem circumference at breast height, total height and stem height of harvesting before the 2023 extraction. The main goal is to predict the effects of additional water on cork production in adult trees.

2025-10-12T23:00:00Z Barata, Madalena Caeiro, Maria Helena Carneiro, Júlio Pereira, Pedro Martins, José Miguel Ribeiro, Carlos http://hdl.handle.net/10174/42049 2026-05-27T10:05:00Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Fracture Network Characterization in a geological complex considered for carbon dioxide (CO₂) injection in the offshore of the Lusitanian Basin Authors: Barata, Madalena; Caeiro, Maria Helena; Carneiro, Júlio; Pereira, Pedro; Martins, José Miguel; Ribeiro, Carlos Abstract: This study investigates fracture network characterization in a geologically complex offshore sector of the Lusitanian Basin to evaluate its suitability for long-term carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage in deep saline aquifers (DSA). As Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) becomes increasingly important for climate change mitigation, ensuring caprock integrity is essential to prevent CO₂ leakage and maintain storage security. Using the 3D Cabo Mondego seismic dataset as an analogue, the study performed fracture interpretation and statistical characterization of fracture systems within the sealing formation. Key fracture attributes—including length, height, orientation (strike and dip), aspect ratio, and fracture intensity—were analysed to assess fracture distribution and their potential influence on storage performance. The characterization framework enabled evaluation of possible leakage pathways and supported assessment of the feasibility and integrity of geological CO₂ storage under existing data constraints. Conducted within the scope of the PilotSTRATEGY project, this work contributes to improving understanding of fracture behaviour in deep saline aquifers and provides important input for modelling the long-term evolution and containment of injected CO₂ plumes in European storage sites.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z