“Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.”

I would like to thank my family for the unconditional support not just throughout this project but also, during my entire academic journey and my life. A special thanks to my sister Marlene for the help in revising the document. I thank my supervisor Doutora Ana Madureira for her guidance, availability, interest and support shown throughout the development. I thank Eng. Mário Felgueiras for his tireless support over the years to all the students of the Departamento de Engenharia Electrónica as well as his sympathy and kindness. Finally, to all my friends who have, one way or another, tried to help me in the project and keeping me motivated and focused in my goals. iii Resumo A área da simulação computacional teve um rápido crescimento desde o seu apareciment, sendo actualmente uma das ciências de gestão e de investigação operacional mais utilizadas. O seu princípio baseia-se na replicação da operação de processos ou sistemas ao longo de períodos de tempo, tornando-se assim uma metodologia indispensável para