This book is intended as a study aid for the finite element method. Based on the free computer algebra system Maxima, we offer routines to symbolically or numerically solve problems from the context of two-dimensional problems. For this rather advanced topic, classical 'hand calculations' are difficult to perform and the incorporation of a computer algebra system is a convenient approach to handle, for example, larger matrix operations. The mechanical theories focus on the classical two-dimensional structural elements, i.e., plane elements, thin or classical plates, and thick or shear deformable plate elements. The use of a computer algebra system and the incorporated functions, e.g., for matrix operations, allows to focus more on the methodology of the finite element method and not on standard procedures. Furthermore, we offer a graphical user interface (GUI) to facilitate the model definition. Thus, the user may enter the required definitions in a source code manner directly in wxMaxima or use the GUI which is able to execute wxMaxime to perform the calculations.

Acetylenic precursors are important reactants for creating carbon-based architectures via linkage reactions. While their capability of forming intermolecular bonds is well investigated in solution, very few systematic studies have been carried out to create alkyne-based nanostructures on metal substrates under ultra-high vacuum conditions. Synthesizing extended and regular carbon scaffolds requires a detailed knowledge of alkyne chemistry in order to control reaction pathways and limit unwanted side reactions. Using the bottom-up approach on metal surfaces, the authors establish protocols to fabricate regular architectures built up by the on-surface formation of selective organometallic and C-C bonds with thoughtfully designed alkyne-functionalized monomers. The structural and functional properties of the resulting organometallic and covalent nanostructures are characterized by means of scanning tunneling microscopy. The results open up new perspectives in the fields of heterogeneous catalysis and the on-surface synthesis of functional interfaces under mild reaction conditions.

This book focuses on the development of novel combustion approaches and burner designs for clean power generation in gas turbines. It shows the reader how to control the release of pollutants to the environment in an effort to reduce global warming. After an introduction to global warming issues and clean power production for gas turbine applications, subsequent chapters address premixed combustion, burner designs for clean power generation, gas turbine performance, and insights on gas turbine operability. Given its scope, the book can be used as a textbook for graduate-level courses on clean combustion, or as a reference book to accompany compact courses for mechanical engineers and young researchers around the world.

The Pigments from Microalgae Handbook presents the current state of knowledge on pigment production using microalgae-based processes, and covers both the scientific fundamentals of this technology and its practical applications. It addresses biology, chemistry, biochemistry, analysis and engineering aspects, as well as applications of natural pigments in photosynthetic organisms. The book also describes the analytical procedures associated with the characterization of pigments and the engineering aspects of microalgal pigment production. It considers the three major classes of pigments(chlorophylls, carotenoids and phycobiliproteins) produced and surveys the main commercial applications of these chemicals. The book offers a valuable source of information for industrial researchers and practitioners in industrial biotechnology, as it covers various engineering aspects of microalgal pigment production, such as bioreactors and bioprocesses, industrial extraction processes, and the bioeconomy of production including life-cycle assessment. The book will also be of interest to undergraduate and graduate students of biochemistry, food chemistry, and industrial microbiology.

This book introduces readers to the fundamental physics and chemistry of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), followed by discussions on recent advances in low platinum electrocatalysis and related catalyst development for PEMFC (the book's primary focus), methods of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) fabrication for low platinum catalysts, and durability issues in connection with MEA. While energy and environmental issues are becoming the two main subjects in global sustainable development, the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), a clean and efficient new energy technology, has attracted more and more attention in recent years The major hurdle for more extensive applications of the PEMFC, especially for the automotive sector, is the high platinum loading requirement. Readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals and methods of low platinum PEMFC. This book is intended for researchers, engineers and graduate students in the fields of new energy technology, the fuel cell vehicle industry and fuel cell design.

This book addresses the experimental calibration of best-estimate numerical simulation models. The results of measurements and computations are never exact. Therefore, knowing only the nominal values of experimentally measured or computed quantities is insufficient for applications, particularly since the respective experimental and computed nominal values seldom coincide. In the author's view, the objective of predictive modeling is to extract "best estimate" values for model parameters and predicted results, together with "best estimate" uncertainties for these parameters and results. To achieve this goal, predictive modeling combines imprecisely known experimental and computational data, which calls for reasoning on the basis of incomplete, error-rich, and occasionally discrepant information. The customary methods used for data assimilation combine experimental and computational information by minimizing an a priori, user-chosen, "cost functional" (usually a quadratic functional that represents the weighted errors between measured and computed responses). In contrast to these user-influenced methods, the BERRU (Best Estimate Results with Reduced Uncertainties) Predictive Modeling methodology developed by the author relies on the thermodynamics-based maximum entropy principle to eliminate the need for relying on minimizing user-chosen functionals, thus generalizing the "data adjustment" and/or the "4D-VAR" data assimilation procedures used in the geophysical sciences. The BERRU predictive modeling methodology also provides a "model validation metric" which quantifies the consistency (agreement/disagreement) between measurements and computations. This "model validation metric" (or "consistency indicator") is constructed from parameter covariance matrices, response covariance matrices (measured and computed), and response sensitivities to model parameters. Traditional methods for computing response sensitivities are hampered by the "curse of dimensionality," which makes them impractical for applications to large-scale systems that involve many imprecisely known parameters. Reducing the computational effort required for precisely calculating the response sensitivities is paramount, and the comprehensive adjoint sensitivity analysis methodology developed by the author shows great promise in this regard, as shown in this book. After discarding inconsistent data (if any) using the consistency indicator, the BERRU predictive modeling methodology provides best-estimate values for predicted parameters and responses along with best-estimate reduced uncertainties (i.e., smaller predicted standard deviations) for the predicted quantities. Applying the BERRU methodology yields optimal, experimentally validated, "best estimate" predictive modeling tools for designing new technologies and facilities, while also improving on existing ones.

This peer-reviewed book explores the technologies driving broadband internet connectivity in the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0). It particularly focuses on potential solutions to introduce these technologies in emerging markets and rural areas, regions that typically form part of the digital divide and often have under-developed telecommunications infrastructures, a lack of skilled workers, and geographical restrictions that limit broadband connectivity. Research shows that ubiquitous internet access boosts socio-economic growth through innovations in science and technology, with the common goal of bringing positive change to the lives of individuals. Fifth-generation (5G) networks based on millimeter-wave (mm-wave) frequency information transfer have the potential to provide future-proof, affordable and sustainable broadband connectivity in areas where previous-generation mobile networks were unable to do so. This book discusses the principles of various technologies that enable electronic circuits to operate at mm-wave frequencies. It examines the importance of identifying, describing, and analyzing technology from a purely technological standpoint, but also acknowledges and investigates the challenges and limitations of introducing such technologies in emerging markets. Presenting recent research, the book spearheads participation in Industry 4.0 in these areas.

The Phase Field Crystal (PFC) model incorporates microscopic structural details into a mesoscopic continuum theory. Methods for fast propagation of PFC interfaces are discussed in this book. They can handle a wide range of thermal gradients, supersaturations and supercoolings, including applications such as selective laser melting. The reader will find theoretical treatment in the first half, while the latter half discusses numerical models.

Industrial Catalytic Processes for Fine and Specialty Chemicals provides a comprehensive methodology and state-of-the art toolbox for industrial catalysis. The book begins by introducing the reader to the interesting, challenging, and important field of catalysis and catalytic processes. The fundamentals of catalysis and catalytic processes are fully covered before delving into the important industrial applications of catalysis and catalytic processes, with an emphasis on green and sustainable technologies. Several case studies illustrate new and sustainable ways of designing catalysts and catalytic processes. The intended audience of the book includes researchers in academia and industry, as well as chemical engineers, process development chemists, and technologists working in chemical industries and industrial research laboratories.

This book comprises state-of-the-art advances in energy, combustion, power, propulsion, environment, focusing on the production and utilization of fossil fuels, alternative fuels and biofuels. It is written by internationally renowned experts who provide the latest fundamental and applied research innovations on cleaner energy production as well as utilization for a wide range of devices extending from micro scale energy conversion to hypersonic propulsion using hydrocarbon fuels. The tailored technical tracks and contributions are portrayed in the respective field to highlight different but complementary views on fuels, combustion, power and propulsion and air toxins with special focus on current and future R&D needs and activities. This book will serve as a useful reference for practicing engineers, research engineers and managers in industry and research labs, academic institutions, graduate students, and final year undergraduate students in mechanical, chemical, aerospace, energy, and environmental engineering.

This book provides methods and concepts which enable engineers to design mass and cost efficient products. Therefore, the book introduces background and motivation related to sustainability and lightweight design by looking into those aspects from a durability and quality point of view. Hence this book gives a "top-down" approach: What does an engineer has to do for providing a mass and cost efficient solution? A central part of that approach is the "stress-strength interference model" and how to deal with "stresses" (caused by operational loads) as well as with the "strength" of components (provided by material, design and manufacturing process). The basic concepts of material fatigue are introduced, but the focus of the volume is to develop an understanding of the content and sequence of engineering tasks to be performed which help to build reliable products. This book is therefore aimed specifically at students of mechanical engineering and mechatronics and at engineers in professional practice.

This book presents the proceedings of the 30th International Conference on Robotics in Alpe-Adria-Danube Region, RAAD 2021, held in Poitiers, France, 21-23 June 2021. It gathers contributions by researchers from several countries on all major areas of robotic research, development and innovation, as well as new applications and current trends. The topics covered include: novel designs and applications of robotic systems, intelligent cooperating and service robots, advanced robot control, human-robot interfaces, robot vision systems, mobile robots, humanoid and walking robots, bio-inspired and swarm robotic systems, aerial, underwater and spatial robots, robots for ambient assisted living, medical robots and bionic prostheses, cognitive robots, cloud robotics, ethical and social issues in robotics, etc. Given its scope, the book offers a source of information and inspiration for researchers seeking to improve their work and gather new ideas for future developments.

In today's global context, there has been extensive research conducted in reducing harmful emissions to conserve and protect our environment. In the automobile and power generation industries, diesel engines are being utilized due to their high level of performance and fuel economy. However, these engines are producing harmful pollutants that contribute to several global threats including greenhouse gases and ozone layer depletion. Professionals have begun developing techniques to improve the performance and reduce emissions of diesel engines, but significant research is lacking in this area. Recent Technologies for Enhancing Performance and Reducing Emissions in Diesel Engines is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on technical and environmental enhancements to the emission and combustion characteristics of diesel engines. While highlighting topics such as biodiesel emulsions, nanoparticle additives, and mathematical modeling, this publication explores the potential additives that have been incorporated into the performance of diesel engines in order to positively affect the environment. This book is ideally designed for chemical and electrical engineers, developers, researchers, power generation professionals, mechanical practitioners, scholars, ecologists, scientists, graduate students, and academicians seeking current research on modern innovations in fuel processing and environmental pollution control.

This book develops innovative techniques from operational research and management science for the design and implementation of a reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS), and subsequently analyzes and assesses their performance. A reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) is a paradigm that can address many of the challenges posed by the modern market. Accordingly, substantial research is now being conducted on RMS, focusing on various levels of decision-making (strategic, tactical and operational). However, as a relatively new research area, there are still only very few books and articles available on reconfigurable manufacturing system design and management. In addition to filling that gap, this book provides a forum for investigating, exchanging ideas on, and disseminating the latest advances in the broad area of RMS applications in today's industry. Gathering contributions by experts from academia, industry and policy-making, it represents an essential contribution to the existing literature on manufacturing and logistics in general and industry 4.0 in particular.

This book addresses the concepts of unstable flow solutions, convective instability and absolute instability, with reference to simple (or toy) mathematical models, which are mathematically simple despite their purely abstract character. Within this paradigm, the book introduces the basic mathematical tools, Fourier transform, normal modes, wavepackets and their dynamics, before reviewing the fundamental ideas behind the mathematical modelling of fluid flow and heat transfer in porous media. The author goes on to discuss the fundamentals of the Rayleigh-Benard instability and other thermal instabilities of convective flows in porous media, and then analyses various examples of transition from convective to absolute instability in detail, with an emphasis on the formulation, deduction of the dispersion relation and study of the numerical data regarding the threshold of absolute instability. The clear descriptions of the analytical and numerical methods needed to obtain these parametric threshold data enable readers to apply them in different or more general cases. This book is of interest to postgraduates and researchers in mechanical and thermal engineering, civil engineering, geophysics, applied mathematics, fluid mechanics, and energy technology.

This book presents a generalised computational model for the degradation of resorbable composites, using analytic expressions to represent the interwoven phenomena present during degradation. It then combines this modelling framework with a comprehensive database of quantitative degradation data mined from existing literature and from novel experiments, to provide new insights into the interrelated factors controlling degradation. Resorbable composites made of biodegradable polyesters and calcium-based ceramics have significant therapeutic potential as tissue engineering scaffolds, as temporary implants and as drug-loaded matrices for controlled release. However, their degradation is complex and the rate of resorption depends on multiple connected factors such as the shape and size of the device, polymer chemistry and molecular weight, particle phase, size, volume fraction, distribution and pH-dependent dissolution properties. Understanding and ultimately predicting the degradation of resorbable composites is of central importance if we are to fully unlock the promise of these materials.

This book offers a tutorial on the response of materials to lasers, with an emphasis on simple, intuitive models with analytical and mathematical solutions, using techniques such as Laplace Transformation to solve most complex heat conduction equations. It examines the relationship between existing thermal parameters of simple metals and looks at the characteristics of materials and their properties in order to investigate and perform theoretical analysis from a heat conduction perspective mathematically. Topics discussed include optical reflectivity of metals at infrared (IR) wavelengths, laser-induced heat flow in materials, the effects of melting and vaporization, the impulse generated in materials by pulsed radiation, and the influence of the absorption in the blow-off region in irradiated material. Written for engineers, scientists, and graduate-level engineering and physics students, Thermal Effects of High Power Laser Energy on Materials provides an in-depth look at high energy laser technology and its potential industrial and commercial applications in such areas as precision cutting, LIDAR and LADAR, and communications. The knowledge gained from this allows you to apply spaced-based relay mirror in order to compensate laser beam divergence back to its original coherency by preventing further thermal blooming that takes place during laser beam propagation through the atmosphere. Examines the state-of-the-art in currently available high energy laser technologies; Includes computer codes that deal with the response of materials to laser radiation; Provides detailed mathematical solutions of thermal response to laser radiation.

This book presents the basics and methods of nanoscale analytical techniques for tribology field. It gives guidance to the application of mechanical, microstructural, chemical characterization methods and topography analysis of materials. It provides an overview of the of state-of-the-art for researchers and practitioners in the field of tribology. It shows different examples to the application of mechanical, microstructural, chemical characterization methods and topography analysis of materials. Friction and Wear phenomena are governed by complexe processes at the interface of sliding surfaces. For a detailed understanding of these phenomena many surface sensitive techniques have become available in recent years. The applied methods are atom probe tomography, in situ TEM, SERS, NEXAFS, in situ XPS, nanoindentation and in situ Raman spectroscopy. A survey of new related numerical calculations completes this book. This concerns ab-initio coupling, numerical calculations for mechanical aspects and density functional theory (DFT) to study chemical reactivity.

Volume20 of the "Handbook of Magnetic Materials," as the preceding volumes, has a dual purpose. As a textbook it is intended to help those who wish to be introduced to a given topic in the field of magnetism without the need to read the vast amount of literature published. As a work of reference it is intended for scientists active in magnetism research. To this dual purpose, Volume20 is composed of topical review articles written by leading authorities. In each of these articles an extensive description is given in graphical as well as in tabular form, much emphasis being placed on the discussion of the experimental material in the framework of physics, chemistry and material science. It provides readers with novel trends and achievements in magnetism.
Composed of topical review articles written by leading authoritiesIntended to be of assistance to those who wish to be introduced to a given topic in the field of magnetismAs a work of reference it is intended for scientists active in magnetism researchProvide the readership with novel trends and achievements in magnetism "

Microencapsulations may be found in a number of fields like medicine, drug delivery, biosensing, agriculture, catalysis, intelligent microstructures and in many consumer goods. This new edition of Microencapsulation revises chapters to address the newest innovations in fields and adds three new chapters on the uses of microencapsulations in medicine, agriculture, and consumer products.

This book comprises select proceedings of the 12th Conference on Field and Service Robotics (FSR 2019) focusing on cutting-edge research carried out in different applications of robotics, including agriculture, search and rescue, aerial marine, industrial, and space. It focuses on experiments and demonstrations of robotics applied to complex and dynamic environments and covers diverse applications. The essays are written by leading international experts, making it a valuable resource for researchers and practicing engineers alike.