This book is based on the 55th International Conference of Machine Design Departments 2014 (ICMD 2014) which was hosted by the Czech Technical University in September 2014. It features scientific articles which solve progressive themes from the field of machine design. The book addresses a broad range of themes including tribology, hydraulics, materials science, product innovation and experimental methods. It presents the latest interdisciplinary high-tech work. People with an interest in the latest research results in the field of machine design and manufacturing engineering will value this book with contributions of leading academic scientists and experts from all around the world.

By the dawn of the new millennium, robotics has undergone a major transformation in scope and dimensions. This expansion has been brought about by the maturity of the field and the advances in its related technologies. From a largely dominant industrial focus, robotics has been rapidly expanding into the challenges of the human world. The new generation of robots is expected to safely and dependably co-habitat with humans in homes, workplaces, and communities, providing support in services, entertainment, education, healthcare, manufacturing, and assistance. Beyond its impact on physical robots, the body of knowledge robotics has produced is revealing a much wider range of applications reaching across diverse research areas and scientific disciplines, such as: biomechanics, haptics, neurosciences, virtual simulation, animation, surgery, and sensor networks among others. In return, the challenges of the new emerging areas are proving an abundant source of stimulation and insights for the field of robotics. It is indeed at the intersection of disciplines that the most striking advances happen. The goal of the series of Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics (STAR) is to bring, in a timely fashion, the latest advances and developments in robotics on the basis of their significance and quality. It is our hope that the wider dissemination of research developments will stimulate more exchanges and collaborations among the research community and contribute to further advancement of this rapidly growing field.

Condition Monitoring Using Computational Intelligence Methods promotes the various approaches gathered under the umbrella of computational intelligence to show how condition monitoring can be used to avoid equipment failures and lengthen its useful life, minimize downtime and reduce maintenance costs. The text introduces various signal-processing and pre-processing techniques, wavelets and principal component analysis, for example, together with their uses in condition monitoring and details the development of effective feature extraction techniques classified into frequency-, time-frequency- and time-domain analysis. Data generated by these techniques can then be used for condition classification employing tools such as: * fuzzy systems; rough and neuro-rough sets; neural and Bayesian networks;hidden Markov and Gaussian mixture models; and support vector machines.

This book presents operational and practical issuesof automotive mechatronics with special emphasis on the heterogeneous automotive vehicle systems approach, and is intended as a graduate text as well as a reference for scientists and engineers involved in the design of automotive mechatronic control systems.

As the complexity of automotive vehicles increases, so does the dearth of high competence, multi-disciplined automotive scientists and engineers. This book provides a discussion into the type of mechatronic control systems found in modernvehicles and the skills required by automotive scientists and engineers working in this environment.

Divided into two volumes and five parts, "Automotive Mechatronics" aimsat improving automotive mechatronics education and emphasises the trainingof students' experimental hands-on abilities, stimulating and promoting experience among high education institutes and produce more automotive mechatronics and automation engineers.

The main subject that are treated are:

VOLUME I: RBW or XBW unibody or chassis-motion mechatronic control hypersystems;DBW AWD propulsion mechatronic control systems; BBW AWB dispulsion mechatronic control systems;

VOLUME II: SBW AWS conversion mechatronic control systems; ABW AWA suspension mechatronic control systems.

This volumewas developed for undergraduate and postgraduate students as wellas for professionals involved in all disciplines related to the design or research and development of automotive vehicle dynamics, powertrains, brakes, steering, and shock absorbers (dampers). Basic knowledge of college mathematics, college physics, and knowledge of the functionality of automotive vehicle basic propulsion, dispulsion, conversion and suspension systems is required.

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Cracks can develop in rotating shafts and can propagate to relevant depths without affecting consistently the normal operating conditions of the shaft. In order to avoid catastrophic failures, accurate vibration analyses have to be performed for crack detection. The identification of the crack location and depth is possible by means of a model based diagnostic approach, provided that the model of the crack and the model of the cracked shaft dynamical behavior are accurate and reliable. This monograph shows the typical dynamical behavior of cracked shafts and presents tests for detecting cracks. The book describes how to model cracks, how to simulate the dynamical behavior of cracked shaft, and compares the corresponding numerical with experimental results. All effects of cracks on the vibrations of rotating shafts are analyzed, and some results of a numerical sensitivity analysis of the vibrations to the presence and severity of the crack are shown. Finally the book describes some crack identification procedures and shows some results in model based crack identification in position and depth. The book is useful for higher university courses in mechanical and energetic engineering, but also for skilled technical people employed in power generation industries.

With this second revised and extended edition, the readers have a solid source of information for designing state-of-the art turbomachinery components and systems at hand. Based on fundamental principles of turbomachinery thermo-fluid mechanics, numerous CFD based calculation methods are being developed to simulate the complex 3-dimensional, highly unsteady turbulent flow within turbine or compressor stages. The objective of this book is to present the fundamental principles of turbomachinery fluid-thermodynamic design process of turbine and compressor components, power generation and aircraft gas turbines in a unified and compact manner. The book provides senior undergraduate students, graduate students and engineers in the turbomachinery industry with a solid background of turbomachinery flow physics and performance fundamentals that are essential for understanding turbomachinery performance and flow complexes. While maintaining the unifying character of the book structure in this second revised and extended edition all chapters have undergone a rigorous update and enhancement. Accounting for the need of the turbomachinery community, three chapters have been added, that deal with computationally relevant aspects of turbomachinery design such as boundary layer transition, turbulence and boundary layer.

This book reports on a novel approach for generating mechanical energy from different, external heat sources using the body of a typical piston engine with valves. By presenting simple yet effective numerical models, the authors show how this new approach, which combines existing internal combustion technology with a lubrication system, is able to offer an economic solution to the problem of mechanical energy generation in piston engines. Their results also show that a stable heat generation process can be guaranteed outside of the engine. The book offers a detailed report on physical and numerical models of 4-stroke and 2-stroke versions of the EHVE together with different models of heat exchange, valves and results of their simulations. It also delivers the test results of an engine prototype run in laboratory conditions. By presenting a novel theoretical framework and providing readers with extensive knowledge of both the advantages and challenges of the method, this book is expected to inspire academic researchers, advanced PhD students and professionals in their search for more effective solutions to the problem of renewable energy generation.

This book describes the fundamental phenomena of, and computational methods for, hydraulic transients, such as the self-stabilization effect, restriction of the Joukowsky equation, real relations between the rigid and elastic water column theories, the role of wave propagation speed, mechanism of the attenuation of pressure fluctuations, etc. A new wave tracking method is described in great detail and, supported by the established conservation and traveling laws of shockwaves, offers a number of advantages. The book puts forward a novel method that allows transient flows to be directly computed at each time node during a transient process, and explains the differences and relations between the rigid and elastic water column theories. To facilitate their use in hydropower applications, the characteristics of pumps and turbines are provided in suitable forms and examples. The book offers a valuable reference guide for engineers and scientists, helping them make transient computations for their own programming, while also contributing to the final standardization of methods for transient computations.

This book explores the geometric and kinematic design of the various types of gears most commonly used in practical applications, also considering the problems concerning their cutting processes. The cylindrical spur and helical gears are first considered, determining their main geometric quantities in the light of interference and undercut problems, as well as the related kinematic parameters. Particular attention is paid to the profile shift of these types of gears either generated by rack-type cutter or by pinion-rack cutter. Among other things, profile-shifted toothing allows to obtain teeth shapes capable of greater strength and more balanced specific sliding, as well as to reduce the number of teeth below the minimum one to avoid the operating interference or undercut. These very important aspects of geometric-kinematic design of cylindrical spur and helical gears are then generalized and extended to the other examined types of gears most commonly used in practical applications, such as straight bevel gears; crossed helical gears; worm gears; spiral bevel and hypoid gears. Finally, ordinary gear trains, planetary gear trains and face gear drives are discussed. This is the most advanced reference guide to the state of the art in gear engineering. Topics are addressed from a theoretical standpoint, but in such a way as not to lose sight of the physical phenomena that characterize the various types of gears which are examined. The analytical and numerical solutions are formulated so as to be of interest not only to academics, but also to designers who deal with actual engineering problems concerning the gears

This volume presents the proceedings of the Joint International Conference of the XII International Conference on Mechanisms and Mechanical Transmissions (MTM) and the XXIII International Conference on Robotics (Robotics '16), that was held in Aachen, Germany, October 26th-27th, 2016. It contains applications of mechanisms and transmissions in several modern technical fields such as mechatronics, biomechanics, machines, micromachines, robotics and apparatus. In connection with these fields, the work combines the theoretical results with experimental testing. The book presents reviewed papers developed by researchers specialized in mechanisms analysis and synthesis, dynamics of mechanisms and machines, mechanical transmissions, biomechanics, precision mechanics, mechatronics, micromechanisms and microactuators, computational and experimental methods, CAD in mechanism and machine design, mechanical design of robot architecture, parallel robots, mobile robots, micro and nano robots, sensors and actuators in robotics, intelligent control systems, biomedical engineering, teleoperation, haptics, and virtual reality.

This book presents in detail the theory, processes and equipment involved in cold rolling precision forming technologies, focusing on spline and thread shaft parts. The main topics discussed include the status quo of research on these technologies; the design and calculation of process parameters; the numerical simulation of cold rolling forming processes; and the equipment used. The mechanism of cold rolling forming is extremely complex, and research on the processes, theory and mechanical analysis of spline cold rolling forming has remained very limited to date. In practice, the forming processes and production methods used are mainly chosen on the basis of individual experience. As such, there is a marked lack of both systematic, theory-based guidelines, and of specialized books covering theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, experiments and equipment used in spline cold rolling forming processes. Illustrated using tables, 3D photographs and formula derivations, this book fills that gap in the literature.

Climate change, environmental impact and declining natural resources are driving scientific research and novel technical solutions. Green Energy and Technology serves as a publishing platform for scientific and technological approaches to "green" - i.e., environmentally friendly and sustainable - technologies. While the main focus lies on energy and power supply, the series also covers green solutions in industrial engineering and engineering design. Green Energy and Technology is a monograph series addressing researchers, advanced students and technical consultants, as well as decision makers in industry and politics. The level presentation ranges from instructional to highly technical.

Small Wind Turbines and its associated software provide a thorough grounding in analysing, designing, building and installing a small wind turbine.

Small turbines are introduced by emphasising their differences from large ones and nearly all the analysis and design examples refer to small turbines. The software provided with the book includes MATLAB programs for power production and starting performance, as well as programs for detailed multi-objective optimisation of blade design. An Excel spreadsheet is provided for applying the simple load model of the IEC standard for small wind turbine safety. Small Wind Turbines and its accompanying software represent the distilled outcome of over twenty years experience in fundamental research, design, installation and field testing of small wind turbines.

Besides being a suitable reference for student projects and detailed design studies, it also provides important background material for engineers and others using small wind turbines for remote power and distributed generation applications.

This monograph focuses on methanol and its utilization in transportation sector, namely in spark ignition (SI) engines. The contents focus on methanol production and presents a variety of production technologies from different feedstocks. The potential of methanol utilization in transportation in SI engines is discussed, its challenges, limitations, aspects related to its utilization and current global use of methanol are also presented. The book also contains chapters related to pollutant formation and exhaust emissions from methanol fuelled SI engines, one chapter is focused specifically on formaldehyde emissions, which possesses one of the greatest challenges of methanol use in IC engines. Readers will learn about the production aspects of methanol, its potential as a sustainable fuel, its utilization in SI engine and the effect of methanol and its utilization techniques on engine performance, combustion, exhaust emissions, efficiency and other important parameters. This volume will be a useful guide for professionals, post-graduate students involved in alternative fuels, spark ignition engines, and environmental research.

This volume contains the Proceedings of MUSME 2014, held at Huatulco in Oaxaca, Mexico, October 2014. Topics include analysis and synthesis of mechanisms; dynamics of multibody systems; design algorithms for mechatronic systems; simulation procedures and results; prototypes and their performance; robots and micromachines; experimental validations; theory of mechatronic simulation; mechatronic systems; and control of mechatronic systems. The MUSME symposium on Multibody Systems and Mechatronics was held under the auspices of IFToMM, the International Federation for Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science, and FeIbIM, the Iberoamerican Federation of Mechanical Engineering. Since the first symposium in 2002, MUSME events have been characterised by the way they stimulate the integration between the various mechatronics and multibody systems dynamics disciplines, present a forum for facilitating contacts among researchers and students mainly in South American countries, and serve as a joint conference for the IFToMM and FeIbIM communities.

This edited volume presents research results of the PPP European Green Vehicle Initiative (EGVI), focusing on Electric Vehicle Systems Architecture and Standardization Needs. The objectives of energy efficiency and zero emissions in road transportation imply a paradigm shift in the concept of the automobile regarding design, materials, and propulsion technology. A redesign of the electric and electronic architecture provides in many aspects additional potential for reaching these goals. At the same time, standardization within a broad range of features, components and systems is a key enabling factor for a successful market entry of the electric vehicle (EV). It would lower production cost, increase interoperability and compatibilities, and sustain market penetration. Hence, novel architectures and testing concepts and standardization approaches for the EV have been the topic of an expert workshop of the European Green Vehicles Initiative PPP. This book contains the contributions of current European research projects on EV architecture and an expert view on the status of EV standardization. The target audience primarily comprises researchers and experts in the field.

This volume gathers the latest fundamental research contributions, innovations, and applications in the field of design and analysis of complex robotic mechanical systems, machines, and mechanisms, as presented by leading international researchers at the 1st USCToMM Symposium on Mechanical Systems and Robotics (USCToMM MSR 2020), held in Rapid City, South Dakota, USA on May 14-16, 2020. It covers highly diverse topics, including soft, wearable and origami robotic systems; applications to walking, flying, climbing, underground, swimming and space systems; human rehabilitation and performance augmentation; design and analysis of mechanisms and machines; human-robot collaborative systems; service robotics; mechanical systems and robotics education; and the commercialization of mechanical systems and robotics. The contributions, which were selected by means of a rigorous international peer-review process, highlight numerous exciting and impactful research results that will inspire novel research directions and foster multidisciplinary research collaborations among researchers from around the globe.

Condition monitoring of machines in non-stationary operations (CMMNO) can be seen as the major challenge for research in the field of machinery diagnostics. Condition monitoring of machines in non-stationary operations is the title of the presented book and the title of the Conference held in Hammamet - Tunisia March 26 - 28, 2012. It is the second conference under this title, first took place in Wroclaw - Poland , March 2011. The subject CMMNO comes directly from industry needs and observation of real objects. Most monitored and diagnosed objects used in industry works in non-stationary operations condition. The non-stationary operations come from fulfillment of machinery tasks, for which they are designed for. All machinery used in different kind of mines, transport systems, vehicles like: cars, buses etc, helicopters, ships and battleships and so on work in non-stationary operations. The papers included in the book are shaped by the organizing board of the conference and authors of the papers. The papers are divided into five sections, namely: Condition monitoring of machines in non-stationary operationsModeling of dynamics and fault in systems Signal processing and Pattern recognition Monitoring and diagnostic systems Noise and vibration of machinesThe presented book gives the back ground to the main objective of the CMMNO 2012 conference that is to bring together scientific community to discuss the major advances in the field of machinery condition monitoring in non-stationary conditions.

This collection of all of Stan Shiels articles for World Pumps covers specification, operational issues, troubleshooting and the well-known PumpAcademy articles which covered specific topics of importance to pump engineers. The result is a volume which is enjoyable and instructive to read, containing facts and opinions as fresh as the day they were written.
*The late Stan Shiels had over 35 years experience as a professional engineer and over a period of nearly 15 years made a regular contribution to World Pumps magazine.
*This book includes 28 articles which will form a valuable resource to the pump engineer.
*Articles cover many aspects of pump specification, operation and troubleshooting

In Logomotive Ian Logan's photographs are assembled into chapters and picture essays recalling the great days of lines such as the Santa Fe, the Union Pacific, and the Kansas City Southern. Some of his journeys are presented as travelogues in which he meets the Fat Controller, gets to sound the horn, and wanders into freight yards to see the last generation of streamline locomotives rusting amid the weeds. Animal motifs, Native American allusions, advertising slogans, names of famous trains such as the Super Chief and the Wabash Cannonball provide the subject matter for other picture features.

This unique reference represents a cross-section of forefront robotics research, ranging from robotics and systems to learning, autonomy and failure detection, from vision and navigation to localization and mapping, which are based on the papers presented at the 1st European Robotics Symposium (EUROS-06) held in Palermo, Italy from 16-18 March, 2006. The European Robotics Symposium (EUROS) is a brand-new International scientific event promoted by EURON, the European Robotics Network.

This book provides readers with an overview of recent theories and methods for machinery diagnostics applied to machinery maintenance. Each chapter, accepted after a rigorous peer-review process, reports on a selected, original piece of work discussed at the International Congress on Technical Diagnostics, ICTD2016, held on September 12 - 16, 2016, in Gliwice, Poland. The book covers a broad range of topics, including machines operating in non-stationary conditions, and examples from different industrial fields of mechanical, civil, computer and electronic engineering as well as the medical, food, automotive, and mining industries. By presenting state-of-the-art diagnostic solutions and discussing important industrial issues the book offers a valuable resource to both academics and professionals as well as a bridge to facilitate communication and collaboration between the two groups.

"Surface Integrity in Machining" describes the fundamentals and recent advances in the study of surface integrity in machining processes.

"Surface Integrity in Machining" gathers together research from international experts in the field. Topics covered include: the definition of surface integrity and its importance in functional performance; surface topography characterization and evaluation; microstructure modification and the mechanical properties of subsurface layers; residual stresses; surface integrity characterization methods; and surface integrity aspects in machining processes.

A useful reference for researchers in tribology and materials, mechanical and materials engineers, and machining professionals, "Surface Integrity in Machining" can be also used as a textbook by advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students.

This books contains the Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Power Transmissions, that was held in Sinaia, Romania from June 20 -23, 2012. Power Transmissions is a very complex and multi-disciplinary scientific field of Mechanical Engineering that covers the different types of transmissions (mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic) as well as all the machine elements involved, such as gears, bearings, shafts, couplings and a lot more. It concerns not only their basic theory but also their design, analysis, testing, application and maintenance. The requirements set to modern power transmissions are really tough to meet: They need to be more efficient, stronger, smaller, noiseless, easier to produce and to cost less. There is a strong demand to become easier in operation and maintenance, or even automatic and in maintenance-free. Last but not least, they should be easily recycled and respect the environment. Joint efforts of specialists from both academia and industry can significantly contribute to fulfill these needs. The main goal of this conference was to bring together experts from all over the world and present the latest developments in the field of Power Transmissions.

In 1998 the chairman of the Russian National Committee of TMM Professor Arcady Bessonov, recommended one of authors of this book to be come a member of the IFToMM Permanent Commission on the History of Mechanisms and Machines Sciences (PC HMMS). Willy-nilly from this time the history of technique, as hobby passed on to a serious the employment in the history of engineering science. Interest history of a subject is natural for Professor, a leading a course of Theory of Mechanisms and Machines in Bauman University. This interest is supported by the fact that Bauman University is one of the oldest technical universities in Russia, and the course "Applied Mechanics" - later "Theory of Mechanisms and Machines" was the first systematic course in Russia. The second author supervises a cycle of laboratory works on TMM. Models of mechanisms are placed in laboratory in show-windows of ancient cases quite possibly coevals of the first course. He became interested in contents of these cases: firstly in models, and then in their origin. Later he occupied himself with the creation of a web-site "The Collection of mechanisms in department TMM in Bauman University". Gradually both authors had the idea of cooperation, although several years previously, we could not imagine this happening. We took an active part in the work of PC HMMS from 2000. It was promoted by of chairman of the commission Professor Marco Ceccarelli.

Industrial energy efficiency is one of the most important means of reducing the threat of increased global warming. Research however states that despite the existence of numerous technical energy efficiency measures, its deployment is hindered by the existence of various barriers to energy efficiency. The complexity of increasing energy efficiency in manufacturing industry calls for an interdisciplinary approach to the issue. Improving energy efficiency in industrial energy systems applies an interdisciplinary perspective in examining energy efficiency in industrial energy systems, and discusses how "cross-pollinating" perspectives and theories from the social and engineering sciences can enhance our understanding of barriers, energy audits, energy management, policies, and programmes as they pertain to improved energy efficiency in industry. Apart from classical technical approaches from engineering sciences, Improving energy efficiency in industrial energy systems couples a sociotechnical perspective to increased energy efficiency in industry, showing that industrial energy efficiency can be expected to be shaped by social and commercial processes and built on knowledge, routines, institutions, and methods established in networks. The book can be read by researchers and policy-makers, as well as scholars and practicians in the field. "This book is extremely valuable for anyone who is designing or executing energy efficiency policies, schemes or projects aiming at SMEs. Both authors deserve the highest respect, and the combination of their expertise makes the results truly unique." - Daniel Lundqvist, programme manager at the Swedish energy agency "For anyone interested in improving energy efficiency in industry, this is a must-read. The book combines tools from social science and engineering to discuss the state of art today as well as possible development path tomorrow. This is a compelling book that I find useful both in my teaching and my research." - Kajsa Ellegard, Professor at Linkoeping University, Sweden "The book Improving energy efficiency in industrial energy systems is a novel approach on how improved levels of energy efficiency can be reached in industrial energy systems by merging engineering with social sciences. It is with delight that I can recommend their book to anyone interested in the field."- Mats Soederstroem, Director Energy Systems Programme, Linkoeping University, Sweden