Faced with the climate change phenomena, humanity has had to now contend with numerous changes, including our attitude environment protection, and also with depletion of classical energy resources. These have had consequences in the power production sector, which was already struggling with negative public opinion on nuclear energy, but a favorable perception of renewable energy resources. The objective of this edited volume is to review all these changes and to present solutions for future power generation.

This book deals with nonlinear dynamics of electronic circuits, which could be used in robot control, secure communications, sensors and synchronized networks. The genesis of the content is related to a course on complex adaptive systems that has been held at the University of Catania since 2005. The efforts are devoted in order to emulate with nonlinear electronic circuits nonlinear dynamics. Step-by-step methods show the essential concepts of complex systems by using the Varela diagrams and accompanying MATLAB (R) exercises to reinforce new information. Special attention has been devoted to chaotic systems and networks of chaotic circuits by exploring the fundamentals, such as synchronization and control. The aim of the book is to give to readers a comprehensive view of the main concepts of nonlinear dynamics to help them better understand complex systems and their control through the use of electronics devices.

"a very detailed book on multiferroics that will be useful for PhD students and researchers interested in this emerging field of materials science" -Dr. Wilfrid Prellier, Research Director, CNRS, Caen, France Multiferroics has emerged as one of the hottest topics in solid state physics in this millennium. The coexistence of multiple ferroic/antiferroic properties makes them useful both for fundamental studies and practical applications such as revolutionary new memory technologies and next-generation spintronics devices. This book provides an historical introduction to the field, followed by a summary of recent progress in single-phase multiferroics (type-I and type-II), multiferroic composites (bulk and nano composites), and emerging areas such as domain walls and vortices. Each chapter addresses potential technological implications. There is also a section dedicated to theoretical approaches, both phenomenological and first-principles calculations.

Constant false alarm rate detection processes are important in radar signal processing. Such detection strategies are used as an alternative to optimal Neyman-Pearson based decision rules, since they can be implemented as a sliding window process running on a radar range-Doppler map. This book examines the development of such detectors in a modern framework. With a particular focus on high resolution X-band maritime surveillance radar, recent approaches are outlined and examined. Performance is assessed when the detectors are run in real X-band radar clutter. The book introduces relevant mathematical tools to allow the reader to understand the development, and follow its implementation.

Ceramic and Specialty Electrolytes for Energy Storage Devices, Volume II, investigates recent progress and challenges in a wide range of ceramic solid and quasi-solid electrolytes and specialty electrolytes for energy storage devices. The influence of these electrolyte properties on the performance of different energy storage devices is discussed in detail. Features: * Offers a detailed outlook on the performance requirements and ion transportation mechanism in solid polymer electrolytes * Covers solid-state electrolytes based on oxides (perovskite, anti-perovskite) and sulfide-type ion conductor electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries followed by solid-state electrolytes based on NASICON and garnet-type ionic conductors * Discusses electrolytes employed for high-temperature lithium-ion batteries, low-temperature lithium-ion batteries, and magnesium-ion batteries * Describes sodium-ion batteries, transparent electrolytes for energy storage devices, non-platinum-based cathode electrocatalyst for direct methanol fuel cells, non-platinum-based anode electrocatalyst for direct methanol fuel cells, and ionic liquid-based electrolytes for supercapacitor applications * Suitable for readers with experience in batteries as well as newcomers to the field This book will be invaluable to researchers and engineers working on the development of next-generation energy storage devices, including materials and chemical engineers, as well as those involved in related disciplines.

Light Propagation in Linear Optical Media describes light propagation in linear media by expanding on diffraction theories beyond what is available in classic optics books. In one volume, this book combines the treatment of light propagation through various media, interfaces, and apertures using scalar and vector diffraction theories. After covering the fundamentals of light and physical optics, the authors discuss light traveling within an anisotropic crystal and present mathematical models for light propagation across planar boundaries between different media. They describe the propagation of Gaussian beams and discuss various diffraction models for the propagation of light. They also explore methods for spatially confining (trapping) cold atoms within localized light-intensity patterns. This book can be used as a technical reference by professional scientists and engineers interested in light propagation and as a supplemental text for upper-level undergraduate or graduate courses in optics.

For decades, people have searched for ways to harvest energy from natural sources. Lately, a desire to address the issue of global warming and climate change has popularized solar or photovoltaic technology, while piezoelectric technology is being developed to power handheld devices without batteries, and thermoelectric technology is being explored to convert wasted heat, such as in automobile engine combustion, into electricity. Featuring contributions from international researchers in both academics and industry, Energy Harvesting with Functional Materials and Microsystems explains the growing field of energy harvesting from a materials and device perspective, with resulting technologies capable of enabling low-power implantable sensors or a large-scale electrical grid. In addition to the design, implementation, and components of energy-efficient electronics, the book covers current advances in energy-harvesting materials and technology, including: High-efficiency solar technologies with lower cost than existing silicon-based photovoltaics Novel piezoelectric technologies utilizing mechanical energy from vibrations and pressure The ability to harness thermal energy and temperature profiles with thermoelectric materials Whether you're a practicing engineer, academician, graduate student, or entrepreneur looking to invest in energy-harvesting devices, this book is your complete guide to fundamental materials and applied microsystems for energy harvesting.

This reference text discusses various security techniques and challenges for cloud data protection from both software and hardware aspects. The text provides readers with an overview of cloud computing, beginning with historical perspectives on mainframe computers and early networking protocols, moving to current issues such as security of hardware and networks, performance, evolving IoT areas, edge computing, etc. It also deals with threat detection and incident response in cloud security. It covers important topics including operational security agitations in cloud computing, cyber artificial intelligence (AI) platform for cloud security, and security concerns of virtualization in cloud computing. The book will serve as a useful resource for graduate students and professionals in the fields of electrical engineering, electronics engineering, computer science, and information technology.

Long-term success in scientific research requires skills that go well beyond technical prowess. Success and Creativity in Scientific Research: Amaze Your Friends and Surprise Yourself is based on a popular series of lectures the author has given to PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Both entertaining and thought-provoking, this essential work supports advanced students and early career professionals across a variety of technical disciplines to thrive as successful and innovative researchers. Features: Discusses habits needed to find deep satisfaction in research, systematic and proven methods for generating good ideas, strategies for effective technical writing, and making compelling presentations Uses a conversational tone, making extensive use of anecdotes from scientific luminaries to engage readers Provides actionable methods to help readers achieve long-term career success Offers memorable examples to illustrate general principles Features topics relevant to researchers in all disciplines of science and engineering This book is aimed at students and early career professionals who want to achieve the satisfaction of performing creative and impactful research in any area of science or engineering.

Major developments in the semiconductor industry are on the horizon through the use of two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, for integrated circuits (ICs). 2D Materials for Nanoelectronics is the first comprehensive treatment of these materials and their applications in nanoelectronic devices. Comprised of chapters authored by internationally recognised researchers, this book: Discusses the use of graphene for high-frequency analog circuits Explores logic and photonic applications of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) Addresses novel 2D materials including silicene, germanene, stanene, and phosphorene Considers the use of 2D materials for both field-effect transistors (FETs) and logic circuits Provides background on the simulation of structural, electronic, and transport properties from first principles 2D Materials for Nanoelectronics presents extensive, state-of-the-art coverage of the fundamental and applied aspects of this exciting field.

Suitable for readers from broad backgrounds, Graphene: Energy Storage and Conversion Applications describes the fundamentals and cutting-edge applications of graphene-based materials for energy storage and conversion systems. It provides an overview of recent advancements in specific energy technologies, such as lithium ion batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, solar cells, lithium sulfur batteries, and lithium air batteries. It also considers the outlook of industrial applications in the near future. Offering a brief introduction to the major synthesis methods of graphene, the text details the latest academic and commercial research and developments, covering all potential avenues for graphene's use in energy-related areas.

The growing mobility needs of travellers have led to the development of increasingly complex and integrated multi-modal transit networks. Hence, transport agencies and transit operators are now more urgently required to assist in the challenging task of effectively and efficiently planning, managing, and governing transit networks. A pre-condition for the development of an effective intelligent multi-modal transit system is the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) tools that will support the needs of transit operators and travellers. To achieve this, reliable real-time simulation and short-term forecasting of passenger demand and service network conditions are required to provide both real-time traveller information and successfully synchronise transit service planning and operations control. Modelling Intelligent Multi-Modal Transit Systems introduces the current trends in this newly emerging area. Recent developments in information technology and telematics have enabled a large amount of data to become available, thus further attracting transport researchers to set up new models outside the context of the traditional data-driven approach. The alternative demand-supply interaction or network assignment modelling approach has improved greatly in recent years and has a crucial role to play in this new context.

This book introduces various advanced, smart materials and the strategies for the design and preparation for novel uses from macro to micro or from biological, inorganic, organic to composite materials. Selecting the best material is a challenging task, requiring tradeoffs between material properties and designing functional smart materials. The development of smart, advanced materials and their potential applications is a burgeoning area of research. Exciting breakthroughs are anticipated in the future from the concepts and results reported in this book.

From wood and coal to predominantly oil and natural gas. Thermal Power Plants use fuels for power generation. Water is used for process, cooling, as well as for service/drinking requirement. Chemicals are used for conditioning of water, corrosion-control and sometimes for conditioning of fuel as well. Lubricants are used for machinery. These inputs generate waste products. Human related wastes (sewage etc.) are also generated along with the processed waste. These pollutants/wastes need to be treated before their disposal from the plants. The treated effluents are required to meet the limits set by Central / State Pollution Control Boards. The regulations, issued by these agencies, specify the maximum allowable limits applicable to the pollutants discharge from the Power Plants. This book is a serious effort that deals in detail with all the above issues and we are sure that scientists, academicians, researchers and professionals who are constantly facing these issues and are striving to move towards a zero emission regime, will find this monograph a very useful reference tool on the topic. Note: T&F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The IET Wiring Regulations are of interest to all those concerned with the design, installation and maintenance of electric wiring in buildings. This includes electricians, electrical contractors, consultants, local authorities, surveyors and architects. This book will also be of interest to professional engineers, as well as students at university and further education colleges. The 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations published in July 2018 and came into effect in January 2019. Changes from the previous edition include requirements concerning Surge Protection Devices, Arc Fault Detection Devices and the installation of electric vehicle charging equipment as well as many other areas.

The second edition offers an update on the single most comprehensive survey of the two intertwined fields of spintronics and magnetism, covering the diverse array of materials and structures, including silicon, organic semiconductors, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and engineered nanostructures. It focuses on seminal pioneering work, together with the latest in cutting-edge advances, notably extended discussion of two-dimensional materials beyond graphene, topological insulators, skyrmions, and molecular spintronics. The main sections cover physical phenomena, spin-dependent tunneling, control of spin and magnetism in semiconductors, and spin-based applications.

Mixed-Signal Circuits offers a thoroughly modern treatment of integrated circuit design in the context of mixed-signal applications. Featuring chapters authored by leading experts from industry and academia, this book: Discusses signal integrity and large-scale simulation, verification, and testing Demonstrates advanced design techniques that enable digital circuits and sensitive analog circuits to coexist without any compromise Describes the process technology needed to address the performance challenges associated with developing complex mixed-signal circuits Deals with modeling topics, such as reliability, variability, and crosstalk, that define pre-silicon design methodology and trends, and are the focus of companies involved in wireless applications Develops methods to move analog into the digital domain quickly, minimizing and eliminating common trade-offs between performance, power consumption, simulation time, verification, size, and cost Details approaches for very low-power performances, high-speed interfaces, phase-locked loops (PLLs), voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and biomedical filters Delineates the respective parts of a full system-on-chip (SoC), from the digital parts to the baseband blocks, radio frequency (RF) circuitries, electrostatic-discharge (ESD) structures, and built-in self-test (BIST) architectures Mixed-Signal Circuits explores exciting opportunities in wireless communications and beyond. The book is a must for anyone involved in mixed-signal circuit design for future technologies.

Model Free Adaptive Control: Theory and Applications summarizes theory and applications of model-free adaptive control (MFAC). MFAC is a novel adaptive control method for the unknown discrete-time nonlinear systems with time-varying parameters and time-varying structure, and the design and analysis of MFAC merely depend on the measured input and output data of the controlled plant, which makes it more applicable for many practical plants. This book covers new concepts, including pseudo partial derivative, pseudo gradient, pseudo Jacobian matrix, and generalized Lipschitz conditions, etc.; dynamic linearization approaches for nonlinear systems, such as compact-form dynamic linearization, partial-form dynamic linearization, and full-form dynamic linearization; a series of control system design methods, including MFAC prototype, model-free adaptive predictive control, model-free adaptive iterative learning control, and the corresponding stability analysis and typical applications in practice. In addition, some other important issues related to MFAC are also discussed. They are the MFAC for complex connected systems, the modularized controller designs between MFAC and other control methods, the robustness of MFAC, and the symmetric similarity for adaptive control system design. The book is written for researchers who are interested in control theory and control engineering, senior undergraduates and graduated students in engineering and applied sciences, as well as professional engineers in process control.

Introduction to the Calculus of Variations and Control with Modern Applications provides the fundamental background required to develop rigorous necessary conditions that are the starting points for theoretical and numerical approaches to modern variational calculus and control problems. The book also presents some classical sufficient conditions and discusses the importance of distinguishing between the necessary and sufficient conditions. In the first part of the text, the author develops the calculus of variations and provides complete proofs of the main results. He explains how the ideas behind the proofs are essential to the development of modern optimization and control theory. Focusing on optimal control problems, the second part shows how optimal control is a natural extension of the classical calculus of variations to more complex problems. By emphasizing the basic ideas and their mathematical development, this book gives you the foundation to use these mathematical tools to then tackle new problems. The text moves from simple to more complex problems, allowing you to see how the fundamental theory can be modified to address more difficult and advanced challenges. This approach helps you understand how to deal with future problems and applications in a realistic work environment.

Expanding the range of antenna frequency is the main objective of this book. Solutions proposed are based on the development of new theoretical methods for analyzing and synthesizing antennas. The book shows that concentrated capacitive loads connected along linear and V-antennas provide a high level of matching with a cable over a wide frequency range and improves directional characteristics of antennas, i.e. increases the communication distance. New theoretical methods are proposed for analysis and synthesis of antennas under consideration: 1) method of calculating directional characteristics of radiators with a given current distribution, and 2) method of electrostatic analogy for calculating mutual and total fields of complex multi-element radiating structures. These methods allow us to obtain optimal directional characteristics for director-type antennas (arrays of Yagi-Uda) and log-periodic antennas with concentrated capacitances and show that use of capacitors makes it possible to extend the frequency range of the director antennas and to decrease dimensions of the log-periodic antennas Multi-element (flat and three-dimensional) self-complementary antennas with different variants of connecting generator poles and cable wires to antenna elements are proposed, which improves the matching with a cable. Characteristics of flat structures are compared with characteristics of volume structures: conical, parabolic, and located on a pyramid edges. The book describes new versions of transparent antennas, antennas for cellular communication, multi-tier and multi-radiator antennas, and much more.

The field of medical imaging seen rapid development over the last two decades and has consequently revolutionized the way in which modern medicine is practiced. Diseases and their symptoms are constantly changing therefore continuous updating is necessary for the data to be relevant. Diseases fall into different categories, even a small difference in symptoms may result in categorising it in a different group altogether. Thus analysing data accurately is of critical importance. This book concentrates on diagnosing diseases like cancer or tumor from different modalities of images. This book is divided into the following domains: Importance of big data in medical imaging, pre-processing, image registration, feature extraction, classification and retrieval. It is further supplemented by the medical analyst for a continuous treatment process. The book provides an automated system that could retrieve images based on user's interest to a point of providing decision support. It will help medical analysts to take informed decisions before planning treatment and surgery. It will also be useful to researchers who are working in problems involved in medical imaging.

The book comprises six chapters which deal with the critical currents and the ferromagnetism-superconductivity coexistence in high-Tc oxides. It begins by gathering key data for superconducting state and the fundamental properties of the conventional superconductors, followed by a recap of the basic theories of superconductivity. It then discusses the differences introduced by the structural anisotropy on the Ginzburg-Landau approach and the Lawrence-Doniach model before addressing the dynamics of vortices and the ferromagnetism-superconductivity coexistence in high-Tc oxides, and provides an outline of the pinning phenomena of vortices in these materials, in particular the pinning of vortices by the spins. It elucidates the methods to improve the properties of superconducting materials for industrial applications. This optimization aims at obtaining critical temperatures and densities of critical currents at the maximum level possible. Whereas the primary objective is the basic mechanisms pushing the superconductivity towards high temperatures, the secondary objective is to achieve a better understanding of the vortices pinning. This book is targeted at researchers and graduate students of fundamental and engineering sciences.

This resource provides a single, concise reference containing terms and expressions used in the study, practice, and application of physical sciences. The reader will be able to identify quickly critical information about professional jargon, important people, and events. The encyclopedia gives self-contained definitions with essentials regarding the meaning of technical terms and their usage, as well as about important people within various fields of physics and engineering, with highlights of technical and practical aspects related to cross-functional integration. It will be indispensable for anyone working on applications in biomedicine, materials science, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, geology, astronomy, and energy. It also includes handy tables and chronological timelines organized by subject area and giving an overview on the historical development of ideas and discovery.

Modern semiconductor devices have reached high current and voltage levels, and their power-handling limits can be extended if they are used in multilevel converter configurations. To create high-performance and reliable control designs, however, engineers need in-depth understanding of the characteristics and operation of these topologies. Multilevel Converters for Industrial Applications presents a thorough and comprehensive analysis of multilevel converters with a common DC voltage source. The book offers a novel perspective to help readers understand the principles of the operation of voltage-source multilevel converters as power processors, and their capabilities and limitations. The book begins with an overview of medium-voltage power converters and their applications. It then analyzes the topological characteristics of the diode-clamped multilevel converter, the flying capacitor multilevel converter, and the asymmetric cascaded multilevel converter. For each topology, the authors highlight particular control issues and design trade-offs. They also develop relevant modulation and control strategies. Numerous graphical representations aid in the analysis of the topologies and are useful for beginning the analysis of new multilevel converter topologies. The last two chapters of the book explore two case studies that analyze the behavior of the cascade asymmetric multilevel converter as a distribution static compensator and shunt active power filter, and the behavior of the diode-clamped topology configured as a back-to-back converter. These case studies demonstrate how to address the associated control problems with advanced control and modulation schemes. Examining recent advances, this book provides deep insight on the design of high-power multilevel converters and their applications. It is a valuable reference for anyone interested in medium-voltage power conversion, which is increasingly being used in industry and in renewable energy and distributed generation systems to improve efficiency and operation flexibility.

This book presents theoretical treatments on various electronic and atomic processes in non-metallic materials from a unified point of view. It starts with the basic properties of semiconductors, treating the system as a macroscopic association of electrons and ions. In their ground state, fruitful results are derived, such as the band theory for electrons in a periodic lattice and a useful concept of "hole." The electron-lattice interaction is then introduced as a dynamical response of condensed matter when it is electronically excited. With the aid of proper configuration coordinate diagrams, various phenomena are precisely examined, including carrier scattering, polaron formation, lattice relaxation, Stokes shift and phonon side band in optical spectrum, intrinsic and extrinsic self-trapping, and structural changes. The book provides readers a deep understanding of the physics underlying these phenomena and excellent insight to develop their further research. Graduate students who have finished the basic study on solid-state physics and quantum mechanics and research scientists and engineers in materials science and engineering will benefit immensely from it.