This volume provides valuable insight into diverse topics related to mechanical engineering and presents state-of-the-art work on sustainable development being carried out throughout the world by budding researchers and scientists. Divided into three sections, the volume covers machine design, materials and manufacturing, and thermal engineering. It presents innovative research work on machine design that is of relevance to such varied fields as the automotive industry, agriculture, and human anatomy. The second section addresses materials characterization, an important tool in assessing proper materials for application-oriented jobs, and emerging unconventional machining processes that are important in design engineering for new products and tools. The section on thermal engineering broadly covers the use of viable alternate fuels, such as HHO, biodiesel, etc., with the objective of reducing the burden on petroleum reserves and the environment.

Technological advance affects almost all areas of human life. Rapid digitization, increased mobility, new biotechnologies, and nanotechnology deeply influence, amongst others, industrial production, entertainment, work, military affairs, and individual life. Besides overwhelmingly positive effects on wealth, comfort, innovation, and development, this also raises questions of unintended effects, of tensions with democracy, of the role of citizens, and of its sustainability facing environmental issues. Tools and procedures are needed to cope with this challenging situation. Technology assessment (TA) has been developed more than fifty years ago to enable science, the economy, and society to harvest the potential of new technology to the maximum extent possible and to deal responsibly with possible adverse effects. It was developed more than 50 years ago in the U.S. Congress and has diversified considerably in the meantime. Parliamentary TA in many European states and at the international level, participatory TA at the local and regional levels worldwide, and TA as part of engineering processes are the most relevant fields today. Technology assessment is a growing field of interdisciplinary research and scientific policy advice. This volume (a) gives an overview of motivations of TA, its history and its current practices, (b) develops a fresh theoretical perspective on TA rooted in social theory and philosophy, and (c) draws conclusions from the theoretical perspective for the further development of TA's practices. It provides the first comprehensive view on the growing field of TA at the international level.

This book provides a novel and holistic perspective on the deployment of prepaid electricity meter technology among energy impoverished (vulnerable) households based in developing or under-developed communities of Sub-Saharan Africa. It explores and reviews the nexus between the technology and socio-economic development, technology acceptance and rejection in low-income households, and ultimately proposes a contextual model to avert or assuage energy poverty in the region using the technology. Science is applied as a convenient, valid, and reliable model to generate bespoke, contextual, and relevant knowledge for policy makers on the development of prepaid meter market in the region. The knowledge shared contributes to extant discourse and debates around the effectiveness of the technology within indigent household settings. The book is intended for energy/electricity utilities, prepaid electricity businesses, policy developers, and other interested parties whose work is related to prepaid electricity meters.

Hundreds of lubricant additives are available industry-wide to improve base stock properties and protect metal surfaces; however, the wrong combination of these commodities can result in substandard performance. Surface Activity of Petroleum Derived Lubricants explains how surface activity is affected by several factors: the interfacial properties of lube oil base stocks at oil/surface interfaces, lubricant solvency properties, additive interactions, and variations in temperature. The book provides an understanding of these factors that will influence proper selection of base stocks and additives necessary for resisting foaming and air entrainment, inhibiting rust and corrosion, preventing wear, and controlling emulsification and demulsification. Using 300 tables to provide experimental data from books, journals, and the patent literature, this practical and comprehensive reference examines: the refining of lube oil base stocks the chemistry of additives the formulation technology of lubricants the performance of the most important finished products such as turbine oils, hydraulic fluids, and engine oils Insight into these variables enables petroleum chemists and engineers to choose the right lubricant base stock and additive combination. By becoming aware of these important elements, those in industry are better able to make the right choices, leading to reduced costs, improved performance, and better management of production timelines.

While strides are being made in the research and development of environmentally acceptable and more sustainable alternative fuels-including efforts to reduce emissions of air pollutants associated with combustion processes from electric power generation and vehicular transportation-fossil fuel resources are limited and may soon be on the verge of depletion in the near future. Measuring the correlation between quality of life, energy consumption, and the efficient utilization of energy, the Handbook of Alternative Fuel Technologies, Second Edition thoroughly examines the science and technology of alternative fuels and their processing technologies. It focuses specifically on environmental, technoeconomic, and socioeconomic issues associated with the use of alternative energy sources, such as sustainability, applicable technologies, modes of utilization, and impacts on society. Written with research and development scientists and engineers in mind, the material in this handbook provides a detailed description and an assessment of available and feasible technologies, environmental health and safety issues, governmental regulations, and issues and agendas for R&D. It also includes alternative energy networks for production, distribution, and consumption. What's New in This Edition: Contains several new chapters of emerging interest and updates various chapters throughout Includes coverage of coal gasification and liquefaction, hydrogen technology and safety, shale fuel by hydraulic fracturing, ethanol from lignocellulosics, biodiesel, algae fuels, and energy from waste products Covers statistics, current concerns, and future trends A single-volume complete reference, the Handbook of Alternative Fuel Technologies, Second Edition contains relevant information on chemistry, technology, and novel approaches, as well as scientific foundations for further enhancements and breakthroughs. In addition to its purposes as a handbook for practicing scientists and engineers, it can also be used as a textbook or as a reference book on fuel science and engineering, energy and environment, chemical process design, and energy and environmental policy.

Based on rapid technological developments in wind power, governments and energy corporations are aggressively investing in this natural resource. Illustrating some of the crucial new breakthroughs in structural design and application of wind energy generation machinery, Hybrid Anisotropic Materials for Wind Power Turbine Blades explores new automated, repeatable production techniques that expand the use of robotics and process controls. These practices are intended to ensure cheaper fabrication of less-defective anisotropic material composites used to manufacture power turbine blades. This book covers new methods of casting or pultrusion that reduce thickness in the glass- and graphite-fiber laminate prepregs used in load-bearing skin blades and web shear spars. This optimized process creates thinner, more cost-effective prepegs that still maintain strength and reliability. The book also addresses a wide range of vital technical topics, including: Selection of carbon/fiberglass materials Estimation of combination percentages Minimization and optimal placement of shear webs (spars) Advantages of resin, such as lower viscosity and curing time Strength and manufacturing criteria for selecting anisotropic materials and turbine blade materials Analysis of dynamic fatigue life and vibration factors in blade design NDE methods to predict and control deflections, stiffness, and strength Written by a prolific composite materials expert with more than 40 years of research experience, this reference is invaluable for a new generation of composite designers, graduate students, and industry professionals involved in wind power system design. Assessing significant required changes in transmission, manufacturing, and markets, this resource outlines innovative methods to help the U.S. Department of Energy meet its goal of having wind energy account for 20 percent of total generated energy by 2030.

Fuel Production with Heterogeneous Catalysis presents the groundbreaking discoveries, recent developments, and future perspectives of one of the most important areas of renewable energy research-the heterogeneous catalytic production of fuels. Comprised of chapters authored by leading experts in the field, this authoritative text: Focuses primarily on the state-of-the-art catalysts and catalytic processes anticipated to play a pivotal role in the production of fuels Describes production of fuels from renewable sources using environmentally friendly technologies Exposes the advantages and disadvantages of each production process Suggests solutions to minimize the impact of fuel transportation Conveys the importance of catalysis for the sustainable production of fuels Fuel Production with Heterogeneous Catalysis delivers a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art of the heterogeneous catalytic production of fuels, providing reaction mechanism schemes, engineering solutions, valuable industry insights, and more.

This book provides a unique overview of energy management for the process industries. It provides an overall approach to energy management and places the technical issues that drive energy efficiency in context. It combines the perspectives of freewheeling consultants and corporate insiders. In two sections, the book provides the organizational framework (Section 1) within which the technical aspects of energy management, described in Section 2, can be most effectively executed. It includes success stories from three very different companies that have achieved excellence in their energy management efforts. It covers energy management, including the role of the energy manager, designing and implementing energy management programs, energy benchmarking, reporting, and energy management systems. Technical topics cover efficiency improvement opportunities in a wide range of utility systems and process equipment types, as well as techniques to improve process design and operation.

This book analyzes energy security through the lens of oil and natural gas and explains how geopolitics and security challenges affect India's quest for energy security. It also offers insights into India's international trade and investment in the overseas oil and natural gas markets and discusses shale energy, adopting region-specific (Africa, West Asia, Central Asia, and LAC), country-specific (Russia and the US), maritime-specific (Arctic and South China Sea), and pipeline-specific (TAPI, MBI, IPI, and RCI) approaches to analyze India's oil and natural gas trade and investment abroad. The introductory chapter examines energy perspectives in international relations and conceptualizes energy geopolitics and energy security from both international and Indian standpoints. The book also highlights the similarities and differences in the issues involved in the global oil and natural gas market, and India's approach to these, offering a roadmap for holistic and integrated energy security through oil and natural gas. Since India's energy trade and investment in the international oil and natural gas market are not free from the effects of political instability, corruption, environment crisis, militancy, terrorism, war, and geopolitical involvement and interference, the book investigates the nature and extent of the security threats and competition India faces in the oil and natural gas-producing countries while pursuing its trade and investments there. As major sources of energy, oil and natural gas are strategic assets, and energy security is one of the core areas of India's foreign policy pursuits. As such, the chapters critically assess India's energy policy and resource diplomacy, providing analyses of the issues raised, identifying the central arguments and presenting existing cooperations - with past examples where necessary. The book appeals to scholars and policymakers active in the fields of energy, political science, international relations, economics, foreign policy, peace and conflict, security and geopolitics, as well as non-experts interested in this topic.

Covers ML applications across multiple application domains (reservoir characterization, drilling, production, reservoir modeling, preventative maintenance, and text mining) Details the emerging area of unstructured (text and image) data analysis applied across these multiple domains Offers multiple perspectives from authors representing operating companies, universities, and research organizations Provides an array of case studies illustrating the latest application of multiple ML techniques in each application domain Includes a literature review of each state-of-art application domain

This book describes the state of the art at the interface between energy and environmental research. The contributing authors are some of the world leaders in research and education on energy and environmental topics. The coverage is worth noting for its breadth and depth. The book begins with the latest trends in applied thermodynamics: the methods of exergy analysis, entropy generation minimization and thermoeconomics. It continues with the most modem developments in energy processing and conservation techniques: heat transfer augmentation devices, inverse thermal design, combustion and heat exchangers for environmental systems. The environmental impact of energy systems is documented in a diversity of applications such as the flow of hazardous waste through cracks and porous media, thermally induced flows through coastal waters near power plants, and lake ecology in the vicinity of pumped storage systems. The book outlines new research directions such as the manufacturing of novel materials from solid waste, advances in radiative transport, the measurement of convective heat transfer in gas turbines and environmentally acceptable refrigerants.

The book is rich in engineering design data that make a concrete statement on topics of world wide interest, e.g., toxic emissions, the depletion of energy resources, global environmental change (global warming), and future trends in the power generation industries. Written by leaders in research and education, this book is an excellent text or supplement for undergraduate and graduate courses on energy engineering and environmental science.

Based on the author's decades of years of experience in oil refining, Catalytic Naphtha Reforming Process conveys essential information on key concepts, operations, and practices of catalytic naphtha reforming technologies and associated oil refining processes. The book reviews collective technical and operational advancements with respect to efficient use of catalysts and catalytic reformers in oil refining and incorporates key advancements from recent developments in catalytic reforming technologies and processes. High octane reformate gasoline blendstock production via the use of high performing continuous catalyst regenerative processes is emphasized for regulated, environmentally friendly gasoline. The benefits of timely, effective process unit monitoring are covered in this book. Some of the principal objectives of this book include the need to emphasize more proactive approaches in the planning, operations and maintenance of catalytic reforming units and oil refineries. A number of recommendations are provided for enhancing the operations, reliability, and productivity of catalytic reformers and oil refineries.

Featuring research on topics such as low energy buildings' concepts, construction materials and technology, hybrid energy systems, energy balance, and wellbeing, this book meets the expectations of academicians, specialists and researchers in the field, along with the scholars seeking coverage on buildings, environmental and human impact. It presents an integrated approach to the buildings' energetic aspects, from the perspective of environmental impact, together with the indoor wellbeing. In this respect, the chapters include state of the art, case studies, as well as research results that validate the raised hypotheses. The book integrates topics related to buildings' performance, approached by researchers with different backgrounds within the civil engineering domain, i.e. achieved energetics performances, obstacles, restrictions and limitations issues within design and optimization processes, including the new perspectives in the buildings & energy sector.

"Energy Economics: CO2 Emissions in China" presents a collection of the researches on China's CO2 emissions as studied by the Center for Energy & Environmental Policy Research (CEEP). Based on the analysis of factors related to global climate change and CO2 emissions, it discusses China's CO2 emissions originating from various sectors, diverse impact factors, as well as proposed policies for reducing carbon emissions. Featuring empirical research and policy analysis on focused and critical issues involving different stages of CO2 emissions in China, the book provides scientific supports for researchers and policy makers in dealing with global climate change.

This book is primarily based on data from the third analysis of domestic energy consumption, and it combines the conclusive summarizes from the previous two investigations. The book sets out to extend the spatial dimension of the research to a global one and discusses future development of domestic energy consumption from a global perspective. Additionally, the book seeks to discover general rules and diversity features via comparison, domestic vs. global. Future predictions via observations and summaries of history are provided for the reader in this volume as well. The studies in this volume not only provide a basic and supportive index for academic research, but also provide readers with a concrete sketch for people to understand energy use in their day-to-day lives, and it provides policy makers with fundamental, need-to-know data.

This book highlights the latest advances in waste management, resource recovery and resource circulation in various countries, with a special emphasis on India. It leads the way towards a sustainable circular economy developing local economy and enhances the sustainability of the energy sector as a whole by holistically addressing waste management. Waste management is a major problem around the globe; effective waste disposal is one of the most plaguing issues faced by municipalities. Yet waste can also serve as a major source of energy rather than a disposable material. The book discusses various upstream and downstream aspects of waste management systems, e.g. conversion processes and collection methods, that are needed in order to make waste management systems into an effective industry and move closer to a circular economy. It also provides information on management tools for analysis and decision support. All chapters included here are based on high-quality research papers presented at the conference IconSWM 2018.

An introduction for postgraduate and undergraduate students to the chemical and physical principles of flame and combustion phenomena. This book should be of interest to undergraduate/postgraduate chemists; chemical engineers; undergraduate/postgraduate mechanical engineers and environmental scientists; and industrial combustion technologists.

Piston Engine-Based Power Plants presents Breeze's most up-to-date discussion and clear and concise analysis of this resource, aimed at those working and researching in the area. Various engine types including Diesel and Stirling are discussed, with consideration of economic factors and important planning considerations, such as the size and speed of the plant. Breeze also evaluates the emissions which piston engines can create and considers ways of planning for and controlling those.

Thermal-hydraulic instability can potentially impair thermal reliability of reactor cores or other power equipment components. Thus it is important to address stability issues in power equipment associated with thermal and nuclear installations, particularly in thermal nuclear power plants, chemical and petroleum industries, space technology, and radio, electronic, and computer cooling systems. Coolant Flow Instabilities in Power Equipment synthesizes results from instability investigations around the world, presenting an analysis and generalization of the published technical literature. The authors include individual examples on flow stability in various types of equipment, including boilers, reactors, steam generators, condensers, heat exchangers, turbines, pumps, deaerators, bubblers, and pipelines. They also present information that has not been widely available until recently, such as thermal-acoustic instability, flow instability with supercritical parameters, and single-phase coolant flow static instability. The material described in this book is derived from vast amounts of experimental data from thermal-physical test facilities and full-scale installations. It is presented in a manner accessible to readers without advanced mathematical backgrounds. Particular attention has been paid to oscillatory (low-frequency and thermal-acoustic) and static thermal-hydraulic coolant flow instability. In addition, the physical mechanism of instability has been considered in detail. This book provides knowledge of the various types of flow instability, the equipment where this instability can manifest, and the ensuing consequences, as well as makes recommendations concerning possible removal or mitigation of these consequences. The authors provide this information as a useful reference for readers to facilitate the enhanced safety of modern power equipment through qualitative evaluation of design and flow parameters and subsequent selection of the optimal means for increasing flow stability.

Along with the increasing deregulation of European utility markets the dynamics of and the competitive pressure in the utility industries have steadily increased over the last years. These changes in the regulatory framework towards an integrated market environment have resulted in new challenges for the management of power and gas companies and in a substantial need for strategic reorientation. In the context of these developments the Handbook Utility Management reflects current challenges in the utility industries and provides solutions from a managerial perspective. The inclusion of latest insights from top managers, renowned researchers, professionals in utility-related investment banking and consulting, and professionals in public and supranational organizations on all value chain activities within the industry makes the Handbook an indispensable asset for both professionals and researchers.

This book provides IT professionals, educators, researchers, and students a compendium of knowledge on smart sensors and devices, types of sensors, data analysis and monitoring with the help of smart sensors, decision making, impact of machine learning algorithms, and artificial intelligence-related methodologies for data analysis and understanding of smart applications in networks. Smart sensor networks play an important role in the establishment of network devices which can easily interact with physical world through plethora of variety of sensors for collecting and monitoring the surrounding context and allowing environment information. Apart from military applications, smart sensor networks are used in many civilian applications nowadays and there is a need to manage high volume of demands in related applications. This book comprises of 9 chapters and presents a valuable insight on the original research and review articles on the latest achievements that contributes to the field of smart sensor networks and their usage in real-life applications like smart city, smart home, e-healthcare, smart social sensing networks, etc. Chapters illustrate technological advances and trends, examine research opportunities, highlight best practices and standards, and discuss applications and adoption. Some chapters also provide holistic and multiple perspectives while examining the impact of smart sensor networks and the role of data analytics, data sharing, and its control along with future prospects.

"Principles of Solidification" offers comprehensive descriptions of liquid-to-solid transitions encountered in shaped casting, welding, and non-biological bulk crystal growth processes. The book logically develops through careful presentation of relevant thermodynamic and kinetic theories and models of solidification occurring in a variety of materials. Major topics encompass the liquid-state, liquid-solid transformations, chemical macro- and microsegregation, purification by fractional crystallization and zone refining, solid-liquid interfaces, polyphase freezing, and rapid solidification processing. Solid-liquid interfaces are discussed quantitatively both as sharp and diffuse entities, with supporting differential geometric descriptions. The book offers: - Detailed mathematical examples throughout to guide readers - Applications of solidification and crystal growth methodologies for preparation and purification of metals, ceramics, polymers and semiconductors - Appendices providing supporting information on special topics covered in the chapters. Readers in materials, metallurgical, chemical, and mechanical engineering will find this to be a useful source on the subjects of solidification and crystal growth. Chemists, physicists, and geologists concerned with melting/freezing phenomena will also find much of value in this book.

Refiners' efforts to conform to increasingly stringent laws and a preference for fuels derived from renewable sources have mandated changes in fluid cracking catalyst technology. Advances in Fluid Catalytic Cracking: Testing, Characterization, and Environmental Regulations explores recent advances and innovations in this important component of petroleum refining technology and evaluates how the industry has been changed by environmental regulations worldwide. Measurement, testing, and improvement Modern spectroscopic techniques continue to be essential to the understanding of catalyst performance and feedstock properties. The book contains a detailed review of the use of adsorption microcalorimetry to measure acidity, acid site density, and the strength of the strongest acid sites in heterogenous catalysts. It also discusses the use of 1H-NMR to characterize the properties of a FCCU feedstock. In addition, the book dedicates several chapters to pilot plant testing of catalysts and nontraditional feedstocks, maximizing and improving LCO (heating oil) production and quality, and improving FCCU operations. Complying with the EPA The EPA has identified the petroleum refining industry as a targeted enforcement area for the Clean Air Act (CAA) passed in 1970 and the CAA Amendments of 1990. The final chapters of the book examine the evolution of the EPA's attempts to encourage the refining industry to enter into voluntary consent decrees to comply with the CAA and the 1990 amendments. The book describes consent decree negotiations as well as FCC emissions (SOx, NOx, CO, PM) reduction technologies through consent decree implementations. Containing contributions from a panel of worldwide experts, the book demonstrates how the global shift toward environmentalism has engineered significant changes in the petroleum refining industry at a critical level.

What role will biofuels play in the scientific portfolio that might bring energy independence and security, revitalize rural infrastructures, and wean us off of our addiction to oil? The shifting energy landscape of the 21st century, with its increased demand for renewable energy technology, poses a worrying challenge. Discussing the multidisciplinary study of bioenergy and its potential for replacing fossil fuels in the coming decades, Introduction to Biofuels provides a roadmap for understanding the broad sweep of technological, sociological, and energy policy issues that intermingle and intertwine. Copiously illustrated and with numerous examples, this book explores key technologies, including biotechnology, bioprocessing, and genetic reprogramming of microorganisms. The author examines the future of biofuels from a broader perspective, addressing the economic, social, and environmental issues crucial for studying the sustainable development of bioenergy. Each chapter begins with questions and provides the answers later in the chapter as key informational points. Embedded Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) sections provide detailed derivations and equations for a subset of topics that can be found easily as buzzwords in popular media and on web sites. Together, the STEM topics form a thread of essential technologies and a guide to how researchers have established quantitative parameters that are crucial to the ever-growing biofuels database. With so much information scattered throughout the literature, it is often difficult to make sense of what is real and what is an optimistic selling of ideas with no scientific credibility. This book does an excellent job of filtering through volumes of data, providing a historical perspective on which to anchor the information, and outlining the strengths and constraints of the different biofuels.

Discusses the modeling and analysis of nanoparticles. Covers all fundamental aspects of particle and droplet flows. Includes heat and mass transfer processes. Features new and updated sections throughout the text. Includes chapter exercises.