Instabilities of fluid flows and the associated transitions between different possible flow states provide a fascinating set of problems that have attracted researchers for over a hundred years. This book addresses state-of-the-art developments in numerical techniques for computational modelling of fluid instabilities and related bifurcation structures, as well as providing comprehensive reviews of recently solved challenging problems in the field.

Drag Reduction of Complex Mixtures discusses the concept of drag reduction phenomena in complex mixtures in internal and external flows that are shown experimentally by dividing flow patterns into three categories. The book is intended to support further experiments or analysis in drag reduction. As accurately modeling flow behavior with drag reduction is always complex, and since drag reducing additives or solid particles are mixed in fluids, this book covers these complex phenomena in a concise, but comprehensive manner.

Some years ago, silicon-based mechanical sensors, like pressure sensors, accelerometers and gyroscopes, started their successful advance. Every year, hundreds of millions of these devices are sold, mainly for medical and automotive applications. The airbag sensor on which research already started several decades ago at Stanford University can be found in every new car and has saved already numerous lives. Pressure sensors are also used in modern electronic blood pressure equipment. Many other mechanical sensors, mostly invisible to the public, perform useful functions in countless industrial and consumer products.

The underlying physics and technology of silicon-based mechanical sensors is rather complex and is treated in numerous publications scattered throughout the literature. Therefore, a clear need existed for a handbook that thoroughly and systematically reviews the present basic knowledge on these devices.

After a short introduction, Professor Bao discusses the main issues relevant to silicon-based mechanical sensors. First a thorough treatment of stress and strain in diaphragms and beams is presented. Next, vibration of mechanical structures is illuminated, followed by a chapter on air damping. These basic chapters are then succeeded by chapters in which capacitive and piezoresistive sensing techniques are amply discussed. The book concludes with chapters on commercially available pressure sensors, accelerometers and resonant sensors in which the above principles are applied.

Everybody, involved in designing silicon-based mechanical sensors, will find a wealth of useful information in the book, assisting the designer in obtaining highly optimized devices.

This book presents the most important tools, techniques, strategy and diagnostic methods used in industrial engineering. The current widely accepted methods of diagnosis and their properties are discussed. Also, the possible fruitful areas for further research in the field are identified.

Spacecraft Dynamics and Control: The Embedded Model Control Approach provides a uniform and systematic way of approaching space engineering control problems from the standpoint of model-based control, using state-space equations as the key paradigm for simulation, design and implementation. The book introduces the Embedded Model Control methodology for the design and implementation of attitude and orbit control systems. The logic architecture is organized around the embedded model of the spacecraft and its surrounding environment. The model is compelled to include disturbance dynamics as a repository of the uncertainty that the control law must reject to meet attitude and orbit requirements within the uncertainty class. The source of the real-time uncertainty estimation/prediction is the model error signal, as it encodes the residual discrepancies between spacecraft measurements and model output. The embedded model and the uncertainty estimation feedback (noise estimator in the book) constitute the state predictor feeding the control law. Asymptotic pole placement (exploiting the asymptotes of closed-loop transfer functions) is the way to design and tune feedback loops around the embedded model (state predictor, control law, reference generator). The design versus the uncertainty class is driven by analytic stability and performance inequalities. The method is applied to several attitude and orbit control problems.

Bio-inspired Algorithms for Engineering builds a bridge between the proposed bio-inspired algorithms developed in the past few decades and their applications in real-life problems, not only in an academic context, but also in the real world. The book proposes novel algorithms to solve real-life, complex problems, combining well-known bio-inspired algorithms with new concepts, including both rigorous analyses and unique applications. It covers both theoretical and practical methodologies, allowing readers to learn more about the implementation of bio-inspired algorithms. This book is a useful resource for both academic and industrial engineers working on artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, vision, classification, pattern recognition, identification and control.

Interval Finite Element Method with MATLAB provides a thorough introduction to an effective way of investigating problems involving uncertainty using computational modeling. The well-known and versatile Finite Element Method (FEM) is combined with the concept of interval uncertainties to develop the Interval Finite Element Method (IFEM). An interval or stochastic environment in parameters and variables is used in place of crisp ones to make the governing equations interval, thereby allowing modeling of the problem. The concept of interval uncertainties is systematically explained. Several examples are explored with IFEM using MATLAB on topics like spring mass, bar, truss and frame.

Sensors for Mechatronics, Second Edition, offers an overview of the sensors and sensor systems required and applied in mechatronics. Emphasis lies on the physical background of the operating principles that is illustrated with examples of commercially available sensors and recent developments. Chapters discuss the general aspects of sensors, with a special section on quantities, notations and relations. In addition, the book includes a section devoted to sensor errors and error minimization that apply to most of the sensors discussed. Each subsequent chapter deals with one class of sensors, pursuing a classification according to physical principles rather than measurands. Categories discussed include resistive, capacitive, inductive and magnetic, optical, piezoelectric and acoustic sensors. For each category of sensors, a number of applications is given. Where appropriate, a section is added on the interfacing of the sensor.

Advanced research in the field of mechatronics and robotics represents a unifying interdisciplinary and intelligent engineering science paradigm. It is a holistic, concurrent, and interdisciplinary engineering science that identifies novel possibilities of synergizing and fusing different disciplines. The Handbook of Research on Advanced Mechatronic Systems and Intelligent Robotics is a collection of innovative research on the methods and applications of knowledge in both theoretical and practical skills of intelligent robotics and mechatronics. While highlighting topics including green technology, machine learning, and virtual manufacturing, this book is ideally designed for researchers, students, engineers, and computer practitioners seeking current research on developing innovative ideas for intelligent robotics and autonomous and smart interdisciplinary mechatronic products.

Flexible Multibody Dynamics comprehensively describes the numerical modelling of flexible multibody dynamics systems in space and aircraft structures, vehicles, and mechanical systems. A rigorous approach is followed to handle finite rotations in 3D, with a thorough discussion of the different alternatives for parametrization. Modelling of flexible bodies is treated following the Finite Element technique, a novel aspect in multibody systems simulation.

Moreover, this book provides extensive coverage of the formulation of a general purpose software for flexible multibody dynamics analysis, based on an exhaustive treatment of large rotations and finite element modelling, and incorporating useful reference material.

Features include different solution techniques such as:

• time integration of differential-algebraic equations

• non-linear substructuring

• continuation methods

• nonlinear bifurcation analysis.

Engineering Analysis with ANSYS Software, Second Edition, provides a comprehensive introduction to fundamental areas of engineering analysis needed for research or commercial engineering projects. The book introduces the principles of the finite element method, presents an overview of ANSYS technologies, then covers key application areas in detail. This new edition updates the latest version of ANSYS, describes how to use FLUENT for CFD FEA, and includes more worked examples. With detailed step-by-step explanations and sample problems, this book develops the reader's understanding of FEA and their ability to use ANSYS software tools to solve a range of analysis problems.

Advances in Applied Mechanics, Volume 50, draws together recent, significant advances in various topics in applied mechanics. Published since 1948, the book aims to provide authoritative review articles on topics in the mechanical sciences. While the book is ideal for scientists and engineers working in various branches of mechanics, it is also beneficial to professionals who use the results of investigations in mechanics in various applications, such as aerospace, chemical, civil, environmental, mechanical and nuclear engineering.

Fault Diagnosis and Sustainable Control of Wind Turbines: Robust Data-Driven and Model-Based Strategies discusses the development of reliable and robust fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant ('sustainable') control schemes by means of data-driven and model-based approaches. These strategies are able to cope with unknown nonlinear systems and noisy measurements. The book also discusses simpler solutions relying on data-driven and model-based methodologies, which are key when on-line implementations are considered for the proposed schemes. The book targets both professional engineers working in industry and researchers in academic and scientific institutions. In order to improve the safety, reliability and efficiency of wind turbine systems, thus avoiding expensive unplanned maintenance, the accommodation of faults in their early occurrence is fundamental. To highlight the potential of the proposed methods in real applications, hardware-in-the-loop test facilities (representing realistic wind turbine systems) are considered to analyze the digital implementation of the designed solutions. The achieved results show that the developed schemes are able to maintain the desired performances, thus validating their reliability and viability in real-time implementations. Different groups of readers-ranging from industrial engineers wishing to gain insight into the applications' potential of new fault diagnosis and sustainable control methods, to the academic control community looking for new problems to tackle-will find much to learn from this work.

In ten sections this book describes the principles and technology of Micro Mechanical Systems. Section one is a general introduction to the historical background and the parallels to microelectronics, reviewing the motivation for microsystems, and discussing microphysics and design and the evolution from microcomponents to microsystems. Section two covers the areas of photolithographic microfabrication, basic concepts of planar processing, materials, and processes. Section three looks at micromachining by machine tools, its history, basic principles and preparation methods. Section four discusses tribological aspects of microsystems. Section five covers fabrication, performance and examples of silicon microsensors. Section six looks at electric and magnetic micro-actuators for micro-robots. Section seven covers energy source and power supply methods. Section eight covers controlling principles and methods of micro mechanical systems and section nine gives examples of microsystems and micromachines. The final section discusses the future problems and outlook of micro mechanical systems.

Opto-mechanical Fiber Optic Sensors: Research, Technology, and Applications in Mechanical Sensing offers comprehensive coverage of the theoretical aspects of fiber optic sensors (FOS), along with current and emerging applications in the mechanical, petroleum, biomedical, biomechanical, aerospace and automotive industries. Special attention is given to FOS applications in harsh environments. Due to recent technology advances, optical fibers have found uses in many industrial applications. Various sectors are major targets for FOS's capable of measuring mechanical parameters, such as pressure, stress, strain and temperature. Opto-mechanical FOS's offer unique advantages, including immunity to electromagnetic interference, high fidelity and signal-to-noise ratio, low-loss remote sensing and small size.

Introduction to Linear Control Systems is designed as a standard introduction to linear control systems for all those who one way or another deal with control systems. It can be used as a comprehensive up-to-date textbook for a one-semester 3-credit undergraduate course on linear control systems as the first course on this topic at university. This includes the faculties of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, chemical and petroleum engineering, industrial engineering, civil engineering, bio-engineering, economics, mathematics, physics, management and social sciences, etc. The book covers foundations of linear control systems, their raison detre, different types, modelling, representations, computations, stability concepts, tools for time-domain and frequency-domain analysis and synthesis, and fundamental limitations, with an emphasis on frequency-domain methods. Every chapter includes a part on further readings where more advanced topics and pertinent references are introduced for further studies. The presentation is theoretically firm, contemporary, and self-contained. Appendices cover Laplace transform and differential equations, dynamics, MATLAB and SIMULINK, treatise on stability concepts and tools, treatise on Routh-Hurwitz method, random optimization techniques as well as convex and non-convex problems, and sample midterm and endterm exams. The book is divided to the sequel 3 parts plus appendices. PART I: In this part of the book, chapters 1-5, we present foundations of linear control systems. This includes: the introduction to control systems, their raison detre, their different types, modelling of control systems, different methods for their representation and fundamental computations, basic stability concepts and tools for both analysis and design, basic time domain analysis and design details, and the root locus as a stability analysis and synthesis tool. PART II: In this part of the book, Chapters 6-9, we present what is generally referred to as the frequency domain methods. This refers to the experiment of applying a sinusoidal input to the system and studying its output. There are basically three different methods for representation and studying of the data of the aforementioned frequency response experiment: these are the Nyquist plot, the Bode diagram, and the Krohn-Manger-Nichols chart. We study these methods in details. We learn that the output is also a sinusoid with the same frequency but generally with different phase and magnitude. By dividing the output by the input we obtain the so-called sinusoidal or frequency transfer function of the system which is the same as the transfer function when the Laplace variable s is substituted with . Finally we use the Bode diagram for the design process. PART III: In this part, Chapter 10, we introduce some miscellaneous advanced topics under the theme fundamental limitations which should be included in this undergraduate course at least in an introductory level. We make bridges between some seemingly disparate aspects of a control system and theoretically complement the previously studied subjects. Appendices: The book contains seven appendices. Appendix A is on the Laplace transform and differential equations. Appendix B is an introduction to dynamics. Appendix C is an introduction to MATLAB, including SIMULINK. Appendix D is a survey on stability concepts and tools. A glossary and road map of the available stability concepts and tests is provided which is missing even in the research literature. Appendix E is a survey on the Routh-Hurwitz method, also missing in the literature. Appendix F is an introduction to random optimization techniques and convex and non-convex problems. Finally, appendix G presents sample midterm and endterm exams, which are class-tested several times.