This book focuses on the calculus of variations, including fundamental theories and applications. This textbook is intended for graduate and higher-level college and university students, introducing them to the basic concepts and calculation methods used in the calculus of variations. It covers the preliminaries, variational problems with fixed boundaries, sufficient conditions of extrema of functionals, problems with undetermined boundaries, variational problems of conditional extrema, variational problems in parametric forms, variational principles, direct methods for variational problems, variational principles in mechanics and their applications, and variational problems of functionals with vector, tensor and Hamiltonian operators. Many of the contributions are based on the authors' research, addressing topics such as the extension of the connotation of the Hilbert adjoint operator, definitions of the other three kinds of adjoint operators, the extremum function theorem of the complete functional, unified Euler equations in variational methods, variational theories of functionals with vectors, modulus of vectors, arbitrary order tensors, Hamiltonian operators and Hamiltonian operator strings, reconciling the Euler equations and the natural boundary conditions, and the application range of variational methods. The book is also a valuable reference resource for teachers as well as science and technology professionals.

Frontiers in Civil and Hydraulic Engineering focuses on the research of architecture and hydraulic engineering in civil engineering. The proceedings feature the most cutting-edge research directions and achievements related to civil and hydraulic engineering. Subjects in the proceedings including: * Engineering Structure * Intelligent Building * Structural Seismic Resistance * Monitoring and Testing * Hydraulic Engineering * Engineering Facility The works of this proceedings can promote development of civil and hydraulic engineering, resource sharing, flexibility and high efficiency. Thereby, promote scientific information interchange between scholars from the top universities, research centers and high-tech enterprises working all around the world.

This book focuses on theoretical aspects of dynamical systems in the broadest sense. It highlights novel and relevant results on mathematical and numerical problems that can be found in the fields of applied mathematics, physics, mechanics, engineering and the life sciences. The book consists of contributed research chapters addressing a diverse range of problems. The issues discussed include (among others): numerical-analytical algorithms for nonlinear optimal control problems on a large time interval; gravity waves in a reservoir with an uneven bottom; value distribution and growth of solutions for certain Painleve equations; optimal control of hybrid systems with sliding modes; a mathematical model of the two types of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia; non-conservative instability of cantilevered nanotubes using the Cell Discretization Method; dynamic analysis of a compliant tensegrity structure for use in a gripper application; and Jeffcott rotor bifurcation behavior using various models of hydrodynamic bearings.

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.

As a result of the increased focus on modern compact machinery in industry, wear in lubricated contacts and the problems of running in, and scuffing has become the most important form of wear.Despite this trend, until now information on lubricated wear has been scattered across a wide number of journals, emphasizing only one aspect of the wear process. This new book is a unique resource, consolidating all the available information into one place. In doing this Sethuramiah, contributes significantly to the development of knowledge in the field, by highlighting knowledge gaps for future research. More immediate improvements in practice have been clearly identified with well-argued methodologies with which the present level of knowledge can be improved. This book will therefore prove an essential resource for all engineers and scientists with an interest in lubricated wear.

This book investigates the time-dependent behavior of fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) at elevated temperatures. The author combines the time-dependent damage mechanisms of interface and fiber oxidation and fracture with the micromechanical approach to establish the relationships between the first matrix cracking stress, matrix multiple cracking evolution, tensile strength, tensile stress-strain curves and tensile fatigue of fiber-reinforced CMCs and time. Then, using damage models of energy balance, the fracture mechanics approach, critical matrix strain energy criterion, Global Load Sharing criterion, and hysteresis loops he determines the first matrix cracking stress, interface debonded length, matrix cracking density, fibers failure probability, tensile strength, tensile stress-strain curves and fatigue hysteresis loops. Lastly, he predicts the time-dependent mechanical behavior of different fiber-reinforced CMCs, i.e., C/SiC and SiC/SiC, using the developed approaches, in order to reduce the failure risk during the operation of aero engines. The book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in the mechanical behavior of CMCs, researchers investigating the damage evolution of CMCs at elevated temperatures, and designers responsible for hot-section CMC components in aero engines.

This book gathers the proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Mechanical Engineering and Applied Composite Materials (MEACM), held in Beijing, China on October 24-25, 2020. The conference brought together researchers from several countries and covered all major areas of mechanical engineering and applied composite materials, new applications and current trends. The topics covered include: structure and design, mechanical manufacturing and automation, robotics and mechatronics, mechanical behavior of nanomaterials, nanocomposites, and composite mechanics. 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.

This book introduces readers to gas flows and heat transfer in pebble bed reactor cores. It addresses fundamental issues regarding experimental and modeling methods for complex multiphase systems, as well as relevant applications and recent research advances. The numerical methods and experimental measurements/techniques used to solve pebble flows, as well as the content on radiation modeling for high-temperature pebble beds, will be of particular interest. This book is intended for a broad readership, including researchers and practitioners, and is sure to become a key reference resource for students and professionals alike.

The book investigates fundamental issues in flexible manipulator systems, including distributed parameter modeling and boundary controller design. It presents theoretical explorations of several fundamental problems concerning the dynamics and control of these systems. By integrating fresh concepts and results to form a systematic approach to control, it also provides a basic theoretical framework. In turn, the book offers a comprehensive treatment of flexible manipulator systems, addressing topics ranging from related distributed parameter modeling and advanced boundary controller design for these systems with input constraint, to active control with output constraint. In brief, the book addresses dynamical analysis and control design for flexible manipulator systems. Though primarily intended for researchers and engineers in the control system and mechanical engineering community, it can also serve as supplemental reading on the modeling and control of flexible manipulator systems at the postgraduate level.

This is an indespensible guide to both researchers in academia and industry who wish to perform tribological experiments more effectively. With an extensive range of illustrations which communicate the basic concepts in experimental methods tribology more effectively than text alone.
An extensive citation list is also provided at the end of each chapter facilitating a more thorough navigation through a particular subject.
* Contains extensive illustrations
* Highlights limitations of current techniques

This book comprises selected papers from the Fourth International Conference on Materials and Manufacturing Engineering (ICMME 2019). The contents focus on the latest developments in the synthesis and characterization of new materials, and highlights the challenges involved in the manufacturing and machinability of different materials. Advanced and cost-effective manufacturing processes and their applications are also discussed in the book. In addition, it covers topics like robotics, fluid dynamics, design and development, and different optimization techniques. The contents of this book will be beneficial to students, researchers, and industry professionals.

This book provides a concise introduction to the physical foundations of the electro-discharge technology and applies it to the drilling of wells, the demolition of reinforced concrete objects, and the cutting of cracks in rocks and concrete. The electro-physical basis of this technology and the technical implementation of using spark discharge as a "working tool" in the above-mentioned contexts are also briefly considered. The book is intended for all scientists and experts working in the field of resource exploration and extraction, those engaged in building new objects, and in reconstructing or demolishing old ones. It can also be used as a textbook by students and postgraduates, deepening their knowledge of these innovative technologies.

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.

Complete coverage from fundamentals to cutting-edge applications

A solid understanding of tribology is essential for engineers in many fields working to design and ensure the reliability of machine parts and systems. This Introduction to Tribology presents detailed coverage of the mechanisms of friction, material wear, and all major lubrication techniques–liquids, solids, and gases–along with traditional and state-of-the-art applications, as well as the latest material coverage of micro/nanotribology, MEMS, and magnetic surface storage applications.

The underlying theory and current applications of tribology are covered in an integrated treatment taken from a mechanical engineering, mechanics, and materials science point of view. This book’s straightforward presentation begins with the principles of tribology and prepares readers to understand the industrial applications of tribology. The principles of tribology and the emerging field of micro/nanotribology are then explored, and, finally, the author looks at tribological components and applications.

Complete with exercises and problems, Introduction to Tribology is invaluable to mechanical, chemical, and materials engineers in product and process design, as well as students in mechanical, chemical, and materials engineering and physics courses.

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.

For courses in Engineering Design. Engineering By Design introduces students to a broad range of important design topics. The engineering design process provides the skeletal structure for the text, around which is wrapped numerous cases that illustrate both successes and failures in engineering design. The text provides a balance of qualitative presentation of engineering practices that can be understood by students with little technical knowledge and a more quantitative approach in which substantive analytical techniques are used to develop and evaluate proposed engineering solutions. This flexibility means that the text can be used in a wide variety of courses.

Junior or Senior level Vibration courses in Departments of Mechanical Engineering. A thorough treatment of vibration theory and its engineering applications, from simple degree to multi degree-of-freedom system.

The text is designed for undergraduate Mechanical Engineering courses in Kinematics and Dynamics of Machinery. It is a tool for professors who wish to develop the ability of students to formulate and solve problems involving linkages, cams, gears, robotic manipulators and other mechanisms. There is an emphasis on understanding and utilizing the implications of computed results. Students are expected to explore questions like "What do the results mean?" and "How can you improve the design?"

For a senior/graduate-level course in corrosion. Comprehensive in approach, this text explores the scientific principles and methods that underlie the cause, detection, measurement, and prevention of many metal corrosion problems in engineering practice. Most chapters progress from qualitative, descriptive sections (including methods of prevention and testing), to more quantitative sections (involving metallurgy and electrochemistry), and finally to sections on current research developments in the chapter topic.

This book gathers selected papers presented at the 1st International Conference on Industrial Applications of Adhesives 2020 (IAA 2020). It covers a wide range of topics, including adhesive curing for electronic and automotive industries; adhesive testing with a torsion machine for rigorous mechanical properties determination; joint design using innovative techniques such as the meshless method; design methodologies in the automotive industry for joints under impact; temperature effects in joints typically found in civil engineering; and advanced nondestructive techniques such as terahertz spectroscopy to assess the durability of adhesive joints. Providing a review of the state-of the art in industrial applications of adhesives, the book serves as a valuable reference resource for researchers and graduate students interested in adhesive bonding.

The volume includes 30 contributions from the 3rd International Workshop on Advanced Dynamics and Model Based Control of Structures and Machines representing the frontiers in the mechanics of controlled machines and structures. The Workshop, held in Perm, Russia in September 2017 continued a series of international workshops, starting in with the Japan - Austria Joint Workshop on Mechanics and Model Based Control of Smart Materials and Structures, the Russia - Austria Joint Workshop on Advanced Dynamics and Model Based Control of Structures and Machines and the first two editions of the International Workshop on Advanced Dynamics and Model Based Control of Structures and Machines. The previous workshops took place in Linz, Austria in September 2008 and April 2010, in St. Petersburg, Russia in July 2012 and in Vienna, Austria in September 2015. The up-to-date contributions are authored by internationally re-known leading experts in dynamics and control representing a broad spectrum of topics in the field of Advanced Structures and Machines; both, with respect to theoretical aspects as well as applications to contemporary engineering problems.