Consistently using "Accelerated Steady-state Analysis" technique across the presentation, the book covers rectifiers and inverters circuits including one-pulse (single-phase, half-wave rectifier), two-pulse (single-phase, full-wave rectifier), three-pulse (three-phase semiconverter), and six-pulse (three-phase, full-wave rectifier) with either uncontrolled bipolar rectifiers or phase-controlled SCR (Silicon Controlled Rectifier). DC-AC inverters using sine-PWM (Pulse-Width-Modulation), triplen injection, and Space-Vector-Modulation are also treated in depth. Accelerated steady state time-domain studies for DC-DC converters and power filters using MATLAB(r) are given in exhaustive details. Many closed-form mathematical expressions are given for the first time.

Requirements engineering is the process by which the requirements for software systems are gathered, analyzed, documented, and managed throughout their complete lifecycle. Traditionally it has been concerned with technical goals for, functions of, and constraints on software systems. Aurum and Wohlin, however, argue that it is no longer appropriate for software systems professionals to focus only on functional and non-functional aspects of the intended system and to somehow assume that organizational context and needs are outside their remit. Instead, they call for a broader perspective in order to gain a better understanding of the interdependencies between enterprise stakeholders, processes, and software systems, which would in turn give rise to more appropriate techniques and higher-quality systems.

Following an introductory chapter that provides an exploration of key issues in requirements engineering, the book is organized in three parts. Part 1 presents surveys of state-of-the art requirements engineering process research along with critical assessments of existing models, frameworks and techniques. Part 2 addresses key areas in requirements engineering, such as market-driven requirements engineering, goal modeling, requirements ambiguity, and others. Part 3 concludes the book with articles that present empirical evidence and experiences from practices in industrial projects.

Its broader perspective gives this book its distinct appeal and makes it of interest to both researchers and practitioners, not only in software engineering but also in other disciplines such as business process engineering and management science.

Parametric cost estimating, when properly used, is a very powerful and cost effective technique. Unfortunately, this technique is often misunderstood and rejected by many potential users for whom it could be a beneficial tool. The development of an agreement on how to use it and how to recognise its limitations is a major benefit to the cost estimating community.

From Product Description to Cost: A Practical Approach:

a [ presents different ways of parametrically forecasting costs, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods by using real examples from the mechanical, software and building industries;

a [ discusses most of the mathematical procedures which are useful for parametrically forecasting costs;

a [ introduces the judgement needed to audit the ways in which these forecasting techniques are used, firstly as a process, and secondly as a tool to generate estimates.

Volume 2: Building a Specific Model is divided into nine parts and focuses on the building of a ~specifica (TM) cost estimating models. These models explicitly refer to a a ~product familya (TM), and, as opposed to a ~generala (TM) models, any company (if properly organised) can build these models. Understanding the procedures is key in creating successful specific models; for this reason all these procedures are fully described in this volume. Classical methods and new ones (such as the "bootstrap") are described and illustrated.

Nature is the best example of a system functioning on the nanometer scale, wherethematerialsinvolved,energyconsumption,anddatahandlingareop- mized. Opening the doors to the nanoworld, the emergence of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1982 and the atomic force microscope in 1986 led to a shift of paradigmin the understanding and perception of matter at its most fundamentallevel. As aconsequence,newrevolutionaryconceptsstimulateda number of new technologies. The current volume Scanning Probe Methods in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology showsthat these methods arestill making a tremendous impact on many disciplines that range from fundamental physics andchemistry throughinformationtechnology,spintronics,quantumcomp- ing, and molecular electronics, all the way to life sciences. Indeed, over 6,000 AFM-related papers were published in 2008 alone, bringing the total to more than 70,000 since its invention, according to the web of science, and the STM has inspired a total of 20,000 papers. There are also more than 500 patents related to the various forms of scanning probe microscopes. Commerciali- tion of the technology started at the end of the 1980s, and approximately 12,000 commercial systems have been sold so far to customers in areas as diverse as fundamental research,the car industry, and even the fashion ind- try. There are also a signi?cant number of home-built systems in operation. Some60-80companiesareinvolvedinmanufacturingSPMandrelatedinst- ments. Indeed, not even the sky seems to be the limit for AFM technology. TheRosettamissiontocomet67Plaunchedbythe EuropeanSpaceAgencyin 2004 includes an AFM in its MIDAS (Micro-Imaging Dust Analysis System) instrument.

Based on research conducted in a three-year, mixed-method, multi-site National Science Foundation, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP) Project, this book offers a comprehensive look into how engineering department culture and climate impacts the successful retention of female and under-represented minority college students. The editors provide valuable insight into how engineering programs support female and minority students and what strategies students employ to successfully complete engineering programs, while also addressing policies and practices that will best serve engineers in the 21st century.  

This text presents the basic concepts of discrete event simulation using ExtendSim 8. The book can be used as either a desk reference or as a textbook for a course in discrete event simulation. This book is intended to be a blend of theory and application, presenting just enough theory to understand how to build a model, design a simulation experiment, and analyze the results. Most of the text is devoted to building models with ExtendSim 8, starting with a simple single-server queue and culminating with a transportation depot for package transfer and delivery. I have built all the models contained in this book with ExtendSim 8 LT, which limits the number of modeling blocks, but otherwise has the required ExtendSim 8 capabilities. ExtendSim 8 LT is not included in this book. Students may obtain ExtendSim 8 LT from Imagine That, Inc. at www.extendsim.com/ store/cart.php?target=category&category_id=3. ExtendSim 8 is a trademark of Imagine That, Inc.

Materials and Processes for Surface and Interface Engineering, which has been written by experts in the fields of deposition technology and surface modification techniques, offers up to date tutorial papers on the latest advances in surface and interface engineering. The emphasis is on fundamental aspects, principles and applications of plasma and ion beam processing technology. A handbook for the engineer and scientist as well as an introduction for students in several branches of materials science and surface engineering.

A groundbreaking treatise by one of the great mathematicians of our age, who outlines a style of thinking by which great ideas are conceived. What inspires and spurs on a great idea? Can we train ourselves to think in a way that will enable world-changing understandings and insights to emerge? Richard Hamming said we can. He first inspired a generation of engineers, scientists, and researchers in 1986 with "You and Your Research," an electrifying sermon on why some scientists do great work, why most don't, why he did, and why you can-and should-too. The Art of Doing Science and Engineering is the full expression of what "You and Your Research" outlined. It's a book about thinking; more specifically, a style of thinking by which great ideas are conceived. The book is filled with stories of great people performing mighty deeds-but they are not meant simply to be admired. Instead, they are to be aspired to, learned from, and surpassed. Hamming consistently returns to Shannon's information theory, Einstein's theory of relativity, Grace Hopper's work on high-level programming, Kaiser's work on digital fillers, and his own work on error-correcting codes. He also recounts a number of his spectacular failures as clear examples of what to avoid. Originally published in 1996 and adapted from a course that Hamming taught at the US Naval Postgraduate School, this edition includes an all-new foreword by designer, engineer, and founder of Dynamicland Bret Victor, plus more than 70 redrawn graphs and charts. The Art of Doing Science and Engineering is a reminder that a capacity for learning and creativity are accessible to everyone. Hamming was as much a teacher as a scientist, and having spent a lifetime forming and confirming a theory of great people and great ideas, he prepares the next generation for even greater distinction.

Why this book? Simply because it is due. Cognitive automation and its system-ergonomic introduction into work systems have been advanced in the meantime to such a degree that already applications for operational work systems are slowly becoming reality. This book shall contribute to give system designers some more guidelines about designing work systems and associated cognitive machines effectively, in particular those related to guidance and control of manned and unmanned vehicles. The issue is that the findings on cognition have to become sufficient commonsense for all from the various disciplines involved in system design, and that guidelines are given how to make use of it in an appropriate and systematic manner. These guidelines are to account for both the needs of the human operator in the work process and the use of computational potentials to make the work system a really most effective one. In other words, this book is meant to provide guidelines for the organisational and technical design of work systems. Therefore, this book is an interdisciplinary one. Findings in individual disciplines are not the main issue. It is rather the combination of these findings for the sake of the performance of work systems which makes this book a useful one for designers who are interested in this modern approach and its implementation.

The treatment of uncertainties in the analysis of engineering structures remains one of the premium challenges in modern structural mechanics. It is only in recent years that the developments in stochastic and deterministic computational mechanics began to be synchronized. To foster these developments, novel computational procedures for the uncertainty assessment of large finite element systems are presented in this monograph. The stochastic input is modeled by the so-called Karhunen-Lo ve expansion, which is formulated in this context both for scalar and vector stochastic processes as well as for random fields. Particularly for strongly non-linear structures and systems the direct Monte Carlo simulation technique has proven to be most advantageous as method of solution. The capabilities of the developed procedures are demonstrated by showing some practical applications.

The series "Studies in Computational Intelligence" (SCI) publishes new developments and advances in the various areas of computational intelligence quickly and with a high quality. The intent is to cover the theory, applications, and design methods of computational intelligence, as embedded in the fields of engineering, computer science, physics and life science, as well as the methodologies behind them. The series contains monographs, lecture notes and edited volumes in computational intelligence spanning the areas of neural networks, connectionist systems, genetic algorithms, evolutionary computation, artificial intelligence, cellular automata, self-organizing systems, soft computing, fuzzy systems and hybrid intelligent systems. Critical to both contributors and readers are the short publication time and world-wide distribution this permits a rapid and broad dissemination of research results.

The field of Artificial Intelligence developed important concepts for simulating human intelligence. Its sister field, Applied Intelligence, has focused on techniques for developing intelligent systems for solving real life problems in all disciplines including science, social science, art, engineering, and finance. The objective of the International Conference on Industrial, Engineering & Other Applications of Applied Intelligent Systems (IEA-AIE) is to promote and disseminate research in Applied Intelligence. It seeks quality papers on a wide range of topics in applied intelligence that are employed in developing intelligent systems for solving real life problems in all disciplines. Every year this conference brings together scientists, engineers and practitioners, who work on designing and developing applications that use intelligent techniques or work on intelligent techniques and apply them to application domains. The book is comprised of seventeen chapters providing up-to-date and state-of-the-art research on the applications of applied Intelligence techniques."

This book is aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of recent developments in sustainability science and engineering. The book focuses on principles and practices and presents 18 interwoven chapters on four major themes: design for sustainability; sustainability metrics and analysis; sustainable energy; and sustainable supply/value. Significant, state-of-the-art work, methodologies, practices and plans are presented by researchers, technology developers and industry leaders. Topics discussed include: life cycle assessment; product end-of-life options; practical approaches to sustainability; environmental footprint assessment; biofuels; and sustainable supply chain management.

The safe operation of computer systems, in both their software and hardware continues to be a key issue in many real time applications, when people, environment, investment or goodwill can be at risk. Such applications include the monitoring and control of high energy processes, of nuclear and chemical plants, of factory automation, of transportation systems, or funds transfer and of communication and information systems. This book represents the proceedings of the 1987 Safety and Reliability Society Symposium held in Altrincham, UK, 11-12 November 1987. It is thus part of the series of proceedings for Society Events, which in previous years have not addressed the topic of the Safety and Reliability of Computer Systems. The book is also part of another series of reports, and is closely related to the Elsevier Book "Safety and Reliability of Programmable Electronic Systems" which I edited in 1986, and the series of workshops known as SAFECOMP held in 1979, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986 which are referenced in some of the papers. The structure of the book represents the structure of the Symposium itself. The session titles, and the papers as selected represent the current practice in many industries. The trend is towards more industrial usage of Formal Methods, and tools to support these methods, whilst continuing to make best use of Software Engineering, Safety and Reliability Assessment, and accumulated experience.

Reconstructing Medical Practice examines how doctors see health care and their place in it, why they remain in medicine and why they are limited in their ability to lead change in the current system. Doctors are beset by doubts and feel rejected by systems where they should be leaders - some see their role as 'flog[ging] a derelict system to get the last breath of workability out ... for their patients'. Others simply turn away. Rigorous studies carried out at large public teaching hospitals in Australia found that doctors were reluctant to increase safety in the wider health system, despite making every effort for their 'own' patients. Doctors' self-esteem was found to be delicate due to the uncertain nature of their work; colleagues provide the support doctors need to deliver good care. However, these essential relationships and their cherished connections with patients have disadvantages: reducing doctors' ability to admit to error. On top of this, senior doctors predict a future bereft of professional values - one where medicine is 'just a job'. While the loss of professional identity introduces new risks for patients and doctors, the repercussions of the more self-serving attitudes of younger doctors are unknown. Reconstructing Medical Practice concludes that regulation, despite its recent proliferation, is a clumsy and limited approach to ensuring good care. It presents original and much-needed ideas for ways to rebuild the critical relationship between doctors and the system. By better valuing communicative interactions and workplace relationships, safe and satisfying medical practice can be reconstructed.

One of the most distinguishing abilities that human beings display is the ability of turning almost everything into a clue to make a problem affordable in relation to what one knows and, most of all, to what one does not know. That is what characterizes humans as chance seekers. A poor pattern of reasoning and even our ignorance may help us make a decision, and eventually solve a problem. This is the rationale of biased rationality. However, not everything leads us always to a good decision. Some people are not satisfied with weak arguments or it-is-just-so strategies. They want something better. This second attitude points to a different form of rationality that takes advantage of the idea of distributed cognition. Basically, human beings improve their survival strategies by building cognitive niches capable of delivering potentially ever more symptomatic information. It is through various manipulations of the environment that we gain new and more reliable chances which can be used to de-bias our rationality. Through the laborious activity of cognitive niche construction, we come up with situations in which we are better afforded by our environment, and thus biases or fallacies cease to be appealing.

This book presents the most recent research advances in the theory, design, control and application of robotic systems, which are intended for a variety of purposes such as manipulation, manufacturing, automation, surgery, locomotion & biomechanics. The issues addressed are fundamentally kinematic in nature, incl. synthesis, calibration, redundancy, force control, dexterity, inverse and forward kinematics, kinematic singularities, as well as over-constrained systems. Methods used include line geometry, quaternion algebra, screw algebra, and linear algebra. These methods are applied to both parallel and serial multi-degree-of-freedom systems. The book includes 53 reviewed papers of researchers specialising in robot kinematics. The chapters are as follows: Methods in Kinematics, Properties of Mechanisms, Humanoids and Biomedical Applications, Workspace and Isotropy, Analysis of Mechanisms, Design of Mechanisms, Motion Synthesis and Mobility.

Macro-engineering involves the large-scale modification and manipulation of natural systems for the benefit of mankind. The primary goals of some Earth-based macroprojects described in this book are power production, land reclamation, food production, climate change, environment, water, transport and coastal protection. Other Earth or space projects considered here have a more futuristic ring, but our present-day technical skill makes their realization possible. Earth-based macroprojects usually combine different aspects and aims. They have a major impact on the ecology of a region and the inhabitant's means of living (like tourism, fishing, shipping). Its effects may be felt worldwide, like the rise in global sea level after the damming and evaporation of large ocean gulfs for power production, or the change in climate following the regional reduction of solar insolation. Each project will dramatically change the lives of the people affected.

The central purpose of this book is to impart knowledge, skills and practical - plementation methods for the planning and operation of adaptable production - cilities and factories. It addresses planning methods and procedures for various types of production facility up to and including entire factories, and is aimed at practicing factory planners and students alike. The book provides facts and demonstrates practical processes using case studies for the purposes of illustration, so that ultimately skills can be acquired that make independent practical implementation and app- cation possible. It is based on up-to-the-minute practical experience and univ- sally applicable knowledge of the planning and technological design of adaptable production facilities (manufacturing and assembly) and factories. In comparison to existing, thematically-similar reference books, what is in- vative about this manual is that it provides the impulse for a more flexible pl- ning approach for the efficient design of adaptable production facilities using - sponsive, unconventional planning and organizational solutions. The book aims to provide a way of integrating systematic and situation-driven planning methods in a meaningful way. Situation-driven planning is becoming increasingly important to production facilities in these fast-moving times of change, in particular in terms of resource and energy efficiency. Existing technical and organizational course of action in terms of resources (both human and technical) need to be selected for the specific case at hand, and changes (to workshops, products, processes and equ- ment) need to be managed.

Proceedings of the ISPRA Course Held November 25-29, 1985, Organized in Collaboration with the European Safety and Reliability Association-ESRA