This book discusses the latest developments of the synthesis, preparation, characterization, and applications of nano/microstructure-based materials in biomedical and energetic fields. It introduces several popular approaches to fabricating these materials, including template-assisted fabrication, electrospinning of organic/inorganic hybrid materials, biomineralization-mediated self-assembly, etc. The latest results in material evaluation for targeted applications are also presented. In particular, the book highlights the latest advances and future challenges in polymer nanodielectrics for energy storage applications. As such, it offers a valuable reference guide for scholars interested in the synthesis and evaluation of nano/microstructure-based materials, as well as their biomedical and energetic applications. It also provides essential insights for graduate students and scientists pursuing research in the broad fields of composite materials, polymers, organic/inorganic hybrid materials, nano-assembly, etc.

Energy Management in Wireless Sensor Networks discusses this unavoidable issue in the application of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). To guarantee efficiency and durability in a network, the science must go beyond hardware solutions and seek alternative software solutions that allow for better data control from the source to delivery. Data transfer must obey different routing protocols, depending on the application type and network architecture. The correct protocol should allow for fluid information flow, as well as optimizing power consumption and resources - a challenge faced by dense networks. The topics covered in this book provide answers to these needs by introducing and exploring computer-based tools and protocol strategies for low power consumption and the implementation of routing mechanisms which include several levels of intervention, ranging from deployment to network operation.

This book reports on the formulation of a multi-stage optimization framework for the Danish power system, taking into account the real operational cost, the voltage constraints and the uncertainty associated to the forecasting errors of the wind power. It describes in detail the implementation of this framework into a simulation platform and its validation in real-world applications. The book especially focuses on automatic voltage control systems and on methods to handle uncertainty in them. All in all, it provides readers with a comprehensive overview of power system optimization and future trends in power system operation.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is the only viable way to extract and transport natural gas from areas not serviceable by a pipeline, but it also poses safety risks. This book examines the safety concerns regarding LNG, and examines the debate between its advocates and its opponents. The text considers risks on the extraction, transportation, and maintenance of LNG; includes discussion of case studies and LNG-related accidents over the past half-century; and summerizes the findings of the Governmental Accountability Office's (GAO) survey of nineteen LNG experts from across North America and Europe.

Algal Green Chemistry: Recent Progress in Biotechnology presents emerging information on green algal technology for the production of diverse chemicals, metabolites, and other products of commercial value. This book describes and emphasizes the emerging information on green algal technology, with a special emphasis on the production of diverse chemicals, metabolites, and products from algae and cyanobacteria. Topics featured in the book are exceedingly valuable for researchers and scientists in the field of algal green chemistry, with many not covered in current academic studies. It is a unique source of information for scientists, researchers, and biotechnologists who are looking for the development of new technologies in bioremediation, eco-friendly and alternative biofuels, biofertilizers, biogenic biocides, bioplastics, cosmeceuticals, sunscreens, antibiotics, anti-aging, and an array of other biotechnologically important chemicals for human life and their contiguous environment. This book is a great asset for students, researchers, and biotechnologists.

This collection focuses on energy efficient technologies including innovative ore beneficiation, smelting technologies, recycling and waste heat recovery. The volume also covers various technological aspects of sustainable energy ecosystems, processes that improve energy efficiency, reduce thermal emissions, and reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse emissions. Papers addressing renewable energy resources for metals and materials production, waste heat recovery and other industrial energy efficient technologies, new concepts or devices for energy generation and conversion, energy efficiency improvement in process engineering, sustainability and life cycle assessment of energy systems, as well as the thermodynamics and modeling for sustainable metallurgical processes are included. This volume also offers topics on CO2 sequestration and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from process engineering, sustainable technologies in extractive metallurgy, as well as the materials processing and manufacturing industries with reduced energy consumption and CO2 emission. Contributions from all areas of non-nuclear and non-traditional energy sources, such as solar, wind, and biomass are also included in this volume.Papers from the following symposia are presented in the book:Energy TechnologiesAdvances in Environmental Technologies: Recycling and Sustainability Joint SessionDeriving Value from Challenging Waste Materials: Recycling and Sustainability Joint SessionSolar Cell Silicon

This book is the first of its kind to comprehensively describe the principles of demand response. This allows consumers to play a significant role in the operation of the electric grid by reducing or shifting their electricity usage in response to the grid reliability need, time-based rates or other forms of financial incentives. The main contents of the book include modeling of demand response resources, incentive design, scheduling and dispatch algorithms, and impacts on grid operation and planning. Through case studies and illustrative examples, the authors highlight and compare the advantages, disadvantages and benefits that demand response can have on grid operations and electricity market efficiency. First book of its kind to introduce the principles of demand response; Combines theory with real-world applications useful for both professionals and academic researchers; Covers demand response in the context of power system applications.

QUALITY PLANNING AND ASSURANCE Discover the most crucial aspects of quality systems planning critical to manufacturing and service success In Quality Planning and Assurance: Principles, Approaches, and Methods for Product and Service Development, accomplished engineer Dr. Herman Tang delivers an incisive presentation of the principles of quality systems planning. The book begins with an introduction to the meaning of the word "quality" before moving on to review the principles of quality strategy and policy management. The author then offers a detailed discussion of customer needs and the corresponding quality planning tasks in design phases, as well as a treatment of the design processes necessary to ensure product or service quality. Readers will enjoy explorations of advanced topics related to proactive approaches to quality management, like failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA). They ll discover discussions of issues like supplier quality management and the key processes associated with quality planning and execution. The book also includes: A thorough introduction to quality planning, including definitions, discussions of quality system, and an overview of the planning process A comprehensive exploration of strategic planning development, including strategic management, risk management and analysis, and pull and push strategies Practical discussions of customer-centric planning, including customer-oriented design, quality function deployment, and affective engineering In-depth examinations of quality assurance by design, including the design review process, design verification and validation, and concurrent engineering Perfect for senior undergraduate and graduate students in technology and management programs, Quality Planning and Assurance will also earn a place in the libraries of managers and technical specialists in a wide range of fields, including quality management.

This book provides probabilistic, deterministic and geolocation-aware approaches for adaptive connectivity, robust security and privacy-aware communications for vehicular cyber physical systems (CPS). It presents mathematical models and numerical results obtained from experiments and simulations, and a trade-off between connectivity, security and privacy for vehicular communications. Connectivity between vehicles is crucial for vehicular CPS. Intelligent vehicular CPS provides not only road safety and traffic efficiency by exchanging information among vehicles, but also offers infotainment services to passengers using a variety of wireless technologies to forward the traffic/trajectory information with Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), vehicular ad hoc network (VANET), and Vehicle-to-Roadside-to-Vehicle (V2R2V) communications. The book covers how to ensure that the message received from other vehicles is secure and trustworthy, rather than malicious. Further, it reveals how to make sure that the privacy of participants is not revealed while validating the received message. Researchers and professionals working with vehicular networks, smart systems, cyber physical systems, and mobile privacy will find this book valuable.

Imaging by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) has been established in clinical diagnosis and is conquering materials science with a rapidly expanding number of applications in basic research as well as product and quality control for fluid flow, elastomers, and polymer materials. This book will provide graduate students, scientists and engineers with an introduction to the field. It is the first book on the subject and is likely to become the standard text for years to come.

Nano and Bio Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow focuses on the use of nanoparticles for bio application and bio-fluidics from an engineering perspective. It introduces the mechanisms underlying thermal and fluid interaction of nanoparticles with biological systems. This book will help readers translate theory into real world applications, such as drug delivery and lab-on-a-chip. The content covers how transport at the nano-scale differs from the macro-scale, also discussing what complications can arise in a biologic system at the nano-scale. It is ideal for students and early career researchers, engineers conducting experimental work on relevant applications, or those who develop computer models to investigate/design these systems. Content coverage includes biofluid mechanics, transport phenomena, micro/nano fluid flows, and heat transfer.

Electricity has become a basic requirement in today's world. Interruption free electrical energy and availability of surplus power are entwined in improving consumers quality of life. EHT Transmission Performance Evaluation: Emerging Research and Opportunities provides emerging research on reliability aspects of components, transmission lines, and substation designs. While highlighting power system adequacy and security, readers will also see how those aspects need to be given first consideration when making continuous power available to consumers. This book is a vital resource for researchers, professionals, and academics seeking current research on EHT transmission performance.

This book describes the operation and analysis of soft-commutated isolated DC-DC converters used in the design of high efficiency and high power density equipment. It explains the basic principles behind first- and second-order circuits with power switches to enable readers to understand the importance of these converters in high efficiency and high power density power supply design for residential, commercial, industrial and medical use as well as in aerospace equipment. With each chapter featuring a different power converter topology, the book covers the most important resonant converters, including series resonant converters; resonant LLC converters; soft commutation pulse width modulation converters; zero voltage switching; and zero current switching. Each topic is presented with full analysis, a showcase of the power stages of the converters, exercises and their solutions as well as simulation results, which mainly focus on the commutation analysis and output characteristic. This book is a valuable source of information for professionals working in power electronics, power conversion and design of high efficiency and high power density DC-DC converters and switch mode power supplies. The book also serves as a point of reference for engineers responsible for development projects and equipment in companies and research centers and a text for advanced students.

This book looks at the early history of nuclear power, at what happened next, and at its longer-term prospects. The main question is: can nuclear power overcome the problems that have emerged? It was once touted as the ultimate energy source, freeing mankind from reliance on dirty, expensive fossil energy. Sixty years on, nuclear only supplies around 11.5% of global energy and is being challenged by cheaper energy options. While the costs of renewable sources, like wind and solar, are falling rapidly, nuclear costs have remained stubbornly high. Its development has also been slowed by a range of other problems, including a spate of major accidents, security concerns and the as yet unresolved issue of what to do with the wastes that it produces. In response, a new generation of nuclear reactors is being developed, many of them actually revised versions of the ideas first looked at in the earlier phase. Will this new generation of reactors bring nuclear energy to the forefront of energy production in the future?

The focus of this book is the remarkable advances in understanding of low pressure RF (radio frequency) glow discharges. A basic analytical theory and plasma physics are explained. Plasma diagnostics are also covered before the practicalities of etcher use are explored.

This book explains the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy and its storage. It covers the basic background; interface modeling at the reacting surface; energy conversion with chemical, electrochemical and photoelectrochemical approaches and energy conversion using applied photosynthesis. The important concepts for converting solar to chemical energy are based on an understanding of the reactions' equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions. Since the energy conversion is essentially the transfer of free energy, the process are explained in the context of thermodynamics.

This book addresses the potential of the transformation of biomass into a wide range of marketable products, and examines the biological, biochemical, physical and thermal processing of biomass into products such as fuels, power, heat, feeds, chemicals and materials. Respective chapters explore various topics including biomass characterization, biomass pre-conditioning and sustainability analysis, aspects that are supplemented by a global overview of their implementation in current pilot bio-refineries. Providing a valuable resource to energy engineers, chemical engineers, biotechnologists and economists, this book will also be of great interest to students and policymakers.

This book examines energy efficiency in the Australian built environment and presents current developments with a particular focus on the temperate setting of Victoria state. It is divided into four main parts discussing policies, climate, and carbon footprint and presenting case studies on the energy performance and indoor environmental quality of various building types. The book is intended for readers wanting to understand the various policies related to different buildings types and their energy performance.

Loop control is an essential area of electronics engineering that today's professionals need to master. A control system is a complex electronics architecture involving setpoints and targets. One simple example is the cruise control system of an automobile. Rather than delving into extensive theory, this practical book focuses on what power electronics engineers really need to know for compensating or stabilizing a given system. Engineers can turn instantly to practical sections with numerous design examples and ready-made formulas to help them with their projects in the field. Readers also find coverage of the underpinnings and principles of control loops so they can gain a more complete understanding of the material. This authoritative volume explains how to conduct analysis of control systems and provides extensive details on practical compensators. It helps engineers measure their system, showing how to verify if a prototype is stable and features enough design margin. Moreover, professionals learn how to secure high-volume production by bench-verified safety margins.

This volume provides a comprehensive overview of advanced research in the field of efficient, clean and renewable energy production, conversion and storage. The ten chapters, written by internationally respected experts, address the following topics: (1) solar and wind energy; (2) energy storage in batteries; (3) biomass; and (4) socio-economic aspects of energy. Given its multidisciplinary approach, which combines environmental analysis and an engineering perspective, the book offers a valuable resource for all researchers and students interested in environmentally sustainable energy production, conversion, storage and its engineering.

From the Foreword: "...the presentation of real-time scheduling is probably the best in terms of clarity I have ever read in the professional literature. Easy to understand, which is important for busy professionals keen to acquire (or refresh) new knowledge without being bogged down in a convoluted narrative and an excessive detail overload. The authors managed to largely avoid theoretical-only presentation of the subject, which frequently affects books on operating systems. ... an indispensable [resource] to gain a thorough understanding of the real-time systems from the operating systems perspective, and to stay up to date with the recent trends and actual developments of the open-source real-time operating systems." -Richard Zurawski, ISA Group, San Francisco, California, USA Real-time embedded systems are integral to the global technological and social space, but references still rarely offer professionals the sufficient mix of theory and practical examples required to meet intensive economic, safety, and other demands on system development. Similarly, instructors have lacked a resource to help students fully understand the field. The information was out there, though often at the abstract level, fragmented and scattered throughout literature from different engineering disciplines and computing sciences. Accounting for readers' varying practical needs and experience levels, Real Time Embedded Systems: Open-Source Operating Systems Perspective offers a holistic overview from the operating-systems perspective. It provides a long-awaited reference on real-time operating systems and their almost boundless application potential in the embedded system domain. Balancing the already abundant coverage of operating systems with the largely ignored real-time aspects, or "physicality," the authors analyze several realistic case studies to introduce vital theoretical material. They also discuss popular open-source operating systems-Linux and FreRTOS, in particular-to help embedded-system designers identify the benefits and weaknesses in deciding whether or not to adopt more traditional, less powerful, techniques for a project.

Taking the Qinghai-Tibet Railway as an example, this book introduces intelligent processing for Global Positioning Data (GPS) data. Combining theory with practical applications, it provides essential insights into the Chinese Qinghai-Tibet Railway and novel methods of data processing for GPS satellite positioning, making it a valuable resource for all those working with train control systems, train positioning systems, satellite positioning, and intelligent data processing. As satellite positioning guarantees the safe and efficient operation of train control systems, it focuses on how to best process the GPS data collected, including methods for error detection, reduction and information fusion.