This book presents and applies a novel efficient meta-heuristic optimization algorithm called Colliding Bodies Optimization (CBO) for various optimization problems. The first part of the book introduces the concepts and methods involved, while the second is devoted to the applications. Though optimal design of structures is the main topic, two chapters on optimal analysis and applications in constructional management are also included. This algorithm is based on one-dimensional collisions between bodies, with each agent solution being considered as an object or body with mass. After a collision of two moving bodies with specified masses and velocities, these bodies again separate, with new velocities. This collision causes the agents to move toward better positions in the search space. The main algorithm (CBO) is internally parameter independent, setting it apart from previously developed meta-heuristics. This algorithm is enhanced (ECBO) for more efficient applications in the optimal design of structures. The algorithms are implemented in standard computer programming languages (MATLAB and C++) and two main codes are provided for ease of use.

This book contains applications of micromechanisms and microactuators in several very modern technical fields such as mechatronics, biomechanics, machines, micromachines, robotics and apparatuses. In connection with its topic, the work combines the theoretical results with experimental tests on micromechanisms and microactuators. The book presents the most recent research advances in Machine and Mechanisms Science. It includes the accepted reviewed papers of researchers specialized in the topics of the conference: microactuators and micro-assembly, micro sensors involving movable solids, micro-opto-mechanical devices, mechanical tools for cell and tissue studies, micromanipulation and micro-stages, micro-scale flight and swimming, micro-robotics and surgical tools, micron-scale power generation, miniature manufacturing machines, micromechatronics and micro-mechanisms, biomechanics micro and nano scales and control issues in microsystems. The presented applications of micromechanisms and microactuators in many technical fields will interest industrial companies and encourage scientifical knowledge and cooperation between academia and industry.

Now in its fourth edition, this respected text delivers a comprehensive introduction to the principles and practice of refrigeration. Clear and straightforward, it is designed for students (NVQ/vocational level) and professional HVAC engineers, including those on short or CPD courses. Inexperienced readers are provided with a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of the technology. With its concise style yet broad sweep the book covers most of the applications professionals will encounter, enabling them to understand, specify, commission, use and maintain these systems. Many readers will appreciate the clarity with which the book covers the subject without swamping them with detailed technical or product specific information.
New material in this edition includes the latest developments in refrigerants and lubricants, together with updated information on compressors, heat exchangers, liquid chillers, electronic expansion valves, controls and cold storage. Topics also covered include efficiency, environmental impact, split systems, retail refrigeration (supermarket systems and cold rooms), industrial systems, fans, air infiltration and noise.
Author Information
Guy Hundy studied Mechanical Engineering at Leeds University, UK. He started his career in the refrigeration industry with J & E Hall Ltd, Dartford. In 1985 he joined Copeland Europe and in 1998 he was appointed Director, Application Engineering, Copeland Europe. He has authored and co-authored papers and articles on compressors, applications and refrigerant changeover topics. Guy Hundy is a Chartered Engineer and works as a Technical Consultant. He is past - President of the Institute of Refrigeration.
* Covers principles, methods and application of refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps in a concise volume, without the encumbrance of handbook information found in other volumes
* Ideal for students, and professionals in other disciplines, not too theoretical but with sufficient depth to give an understanding of the issues, this book takes the reader from the fundamentals, through to system design, applications, contract specifications and maintenance
* Full revision by Guy Hundy with new diagrams and illustrations

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.

The latest state of simulation techniques to model plasticity and fracture in crystalline materials on the nano- and microscale is presented. Discrete dislocation mechanics and the neighbouring fields molecular dynamics and crystal plasticity are central parts. The physical phenomena, the theoretical basics, their mathematical description and the simulation techniques are introduced and important problems from the formation of dislocation structures to fatigue and fracture from the nano- to microscale as well as it 's impact on the macro behaviour are considered.

Vibration problems dealing with advanced Mathematical and Numerical Techniques have extensive application in a wide class of problems in ae- nautics, aerodynamics, space science and technology, off-shore engineering and in the design of different structural components of high speed space crafts and nuclear reactors. Different classes of vibration problems dealing with complex geometries and non-linear behaviour require careful attention of scientists and engineers in pursuit of their research activities. Almost all fields of Engineering, Science and Technology, ranging from small domestic building subjected to earthquake and cyclone to the space craft venturing towards different planets, from giant ship to human skeleton, encounter problems of vibration and dynamic loading. This being truly an interdisciplinary field, where the mathematicians, phy- cists and engineers could interface their innovative ideas and creative thoughts to arrive at an appropriate solution, Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur, India, a premier institution for education and research in engineering, science and technology felt it appropriate to organize 8th International C- ference on "Vibration Problems (ICOVP-2007)" as a part of its sesquicentenary celebration. The conference created a platform and all aspects of vibration phenomenon with the focus on the state-of-the art in theoretical, experimental and applied research areas were addressed and the scientific interaction, p- ticipated by a large gathering including eminent personalities and young research workers, generated many research areas and innovative ideas.

This book discusses the main issues of fabrication and design, and applications of micromachined resonant devices, including techniques commonly used for processing the output signal of resonant micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Concepts of resonance are introduced, with an overview of fabrication techniques for micromachined devices - important to understand as design options will depend on how the device will be fabricated. Also explained: excitation and signal detection methods; an analytic model of device behavior (a valuable design tool); numerical simulation techniques; issues of damping and noise for resonant MEMS; electronic interfacing; packaging issues; and numerous examples of resonant MEMS from academia and industry.
* Offers numerous academic and industrial examples of resonant MEMS
* Provides an analytic model of device behavior
* Explains two-port systems in detail
* Devotes ample space to excitation and signal detection methods
* Covers issues of damping and noise for resonant MEMS, two topics of particular importance for high-Q devices

This book includes a selection of the best contributions to the Forum on Specification and Design Languages held in 2005 (FDL'05). It provides detailed insights into recent works dealing with a large spectrum of issues in system-on-chip design. All the chapters have been carefully revised and extended to offer up-to-date information. They also provide seeds for further researches and developments in the field of heterogeneous systems-on-chip design.

This book concerns the numerical simulation of dynamical systems whose trajec- ries may not be differentiable everywhere. They are named nonsmooth dynamical systems. They make an important class of systems, rst because of the many app- cations in which nonsmooth models are useful, secondly because they give rise to new problems in various elds of science. Usually nonsmooth dynamical systems are represented as differential inclusions, complementarity systems, evolution va- ational inequalities, each of these classes itself being split into several subclasses. The book is divided into four parts, the rst three parts being sketched in Fig. 0. 1. The aim of the rst part is to present the main tools from mechanics and applied mathematics which are necessary to understand how nonsmooth dynamical systems may be numerically simulated in a reliable way. Many examples illustrate the th- retical results, and an emphasis is put on mechanical systems, as well as on electrical circuits (the so-called Filippov's systems are also examined in some detail, due to their importance in control applications). The second and third parts are dedicated to a detailed presentation of the numerical schemes. A fourth part is devoted to the presentation of the software platform Siconos. This book is not a textbook on - merical analysis of nonsmooth systems, in the sense that despite the main results of numerical analysis (convergence, order of consistency, etc. ) being presented, their proofs are not provided.

This book contains the presentations given during the 9th International Workshop on Railway Noise (IWRN9) which took place in Munich/Feldafing, Germany, on 4th to 8th September 2007. This workshop was organised by the Acoustics and Vibration Department of DB Systemtechnik, the technical engineering office of Deutsche Bahn AG. More than 120 participants from 17 countries followed the invitation to the wo- shop. This great response showed the continuing interest in an important topic of railway technology and offered the opportunity to present the recent results of intense worldwide activities to the international community of railway noise and vibration experts and to share knowledge as well as experience. Because an efficient transportation network is indispensable to handle the general mobility increase and road networks have reached their socio-ecological limits, the railway network is to be strengthened. For example the European Commission has given distinct political signals to get more passengers onto the railways. This policy represents a clear challenge for the next few decades not only for European railway companies: the considerable increase in mobility will lead to a doubling of the railway traffic volume within the next 10 to 20 years. To reduce the environmental impact, the Directive on the Assessment and M- agement of Environmental Noise has been put into force in Europe, aiming at avo- ing, preventing or reducing harmful effects of environmental noise on human health.

In November of 1891, at the age of twenty-five, John MacDonald Blackstock Hawley arrived in Fort Worth, Texas. A civil engineer from Minnesota, Hawley "hung out his shingle" in 1894 and began a tradition of engineering in Texas that his successors in the firm of Freese and Nichols have continued for one hundred years.
This history of Freese and Nichols focuses on the firm's contributions, design innovations, and "firsts" in water supply, water treatment, and wastewater engineering; transportation design for roads, bridges, and airports; city and regional planning; environmental science; and general civil and environmental engineering. A personal as well as professional account, A Century in the Works offers anecdotes about John Hawley's battle-ax punch and eccentric scientific experiments, Simon Freese's penchant for practical jokes, and Marvin Nichols's "water fights" and genealogical shakeups of his family tree.
The Freese and Nichols story will interest urban and environmental historians, professional engineers, and those working in related fields of hydraulic engineering, municipal and industrial water and sanitary systems, water quality, dam safety, waste management, transportation systems, and urban development.
The student of Texas history will find much of interest here as well. In many ways, the history of Freese and Nichols parallels that of the state for the past one hundred years.
The firm has had a pivotal role in developing Texas water resources since Hawley arrived in the state. And it will be the rare Texas reader who has never gone boating or picnicking at one of the over a hundred Texas lakes engineered by the firm in the intervening century.

A complete solution for problems of vibration control in structures that may be subject to a broadband primary vibration field, this book addresses the following steps: experimental identification of the dynamic model of the structure; optimal placement of sensors and actuators; formulation of control constraints in terms of controller frequency response shape; controller design and simulation; and controller implementation and rapid prototyping. The identification procedure is a gray-box approach tailored to the estimation of modal parameters of large-scale flexible structures. The actuator/sensor placement algorithm maximizes a modal controllability index improving the effectiveness of the control. Considering limitations of sensors and actuators, the controller is chosen as a stable, band-pass MIMO system resulting from the closed-form solution of a robust control problem. Experimental results on an aeronautical stiffened skin panel are presented using rapid-prototyping hardware.

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 addresses applications of earthquake engineering for both offshore and land-based structures. It is self-contained as a reference work and covers a wide range of topics, including topics related to engineering seismology, geotechnical earthquake engineering, structural engineering, as well as special contents dedicated to design philosophy, determination of ground motions, shock waves, tsunamis, earthquake damage, seismic response of offshore and arctic structures, spatial varied ground motions, simplified and advanced seismic analysis methods, sudden subsidence of offshore platforms, tank liquid impacts during earthquakes, seismic resistance of non-structural elements, and various types of mitigation measures, etc. The target readership includes professionals in offshore and civil engineering, officials and regulators, as well as researchers and students in this field.

The safety of vehicle traffic depends on how well automotive lighting supports the visual perception of the driver. This book explains the fundamentals of visual perception, like e.g. physiology of eye and brain, as well as those of automotive lighting technology, like e.g. design of headlamps and signal lights. It is an interdisciplinary approach to a rapidly evolving field of science and technology written by a team of authors who are experts in their fields.

Any researchers in the field of meshless methods who want to keep up to date with the latest work in the field will find this an essential text.In recent years meshless/meshfree methods have gained considerable attention in engineering and applied mathematics.The variety of problems that are now being addressed by these techniques continues to expand and the quality of the results obtained demonstrates the effectiveness of many of the methods currently available.This means that engineers in general, applied mathematicians, physicists, and those active in computational mechanics will all find this book a useful reference tool as well. The book collects extended original contributions presented at the first ECCOMAS Conference on Meshless Methods held in 2005 in Lisbon.

This book collects the theoretical derivation of a recently presented general variational macroscopic continuum theory of multiphase poroelasticity (VMTPM), together with its applications to consolidation and stress partitioning problems of interest in several applicative engineering contexts, such as in geomechanics and biomechanics. The theory is derived based on a purely-variational deduction, rooted in the least-Action principle, by considering a minimal set of kinematic descriptors. The treatment herein considered keeps a specific focus on the derivation of most general medium-independent governing equations. It is shown that VMTPM recovers paradigms of consolidated use in multiphase poroelasticity such as Terzaghi's stress partitioning principle and Biot's equations for wave propagation. In particular, the variational treatment permits the derivation of a general medium-independent stress partitioning law, and the proposed variational theory predicts that the external stress, the fluid pressure, and the stress tensor work-associated with the macroscopic strain of the solid phase are partitioned according to a relation which, from a formal point of view, turns out to be strictly compliant with Terzaghi's law, irrespective of the microstructural and constitutive features of a given medium. Moreover, it is shown that some experimental observations on saturated sandstones, generally considered as proof of deviations from Terzaghi's law, are ordinarily predicted by VMTPM. As a peculiar prediction of VMTPM, the book shows that the phenomenon of compression-induced liquefaction experimentally observed in cohesionless mixtures can be obtained as a natural implication of this theory by a purely rational deduction. A characterization of the phenomenon of crack closure in fractured media is also inferred in terms of macroscopic strain and stress paths. Altogether the results reported in this monograph exemplify the capability of VMTPM to describe and predict a large class of linear and nonlinear mechanical behaviors observed in two-phase saturated materials.

Hydrodynamic lubrication plays an important role in mechanical engineering, although not very many books have been published on the subject. This book was written with graduate students, researchers and designers in view.

The first four chapters are preparations for the following five chapters, where several most important subjects in hydrodynamic lubrication are discussed in detail, based on the author's own researches. Examples are oil whip (stability of rotating shafts), foil bearings in connection with magnetic tape storages, squeeze film between rigid surfaces and visco-elastic surfaces, theoretical and experimental analyses of temperature rise in bearings, those of turbulent lubricating film using the k-epsilon model.

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 focuses on the chemistry and applications of flame retardants for polymers and other materials. It starts with a description and types of flame retardants, as well as their properties and chemical structures, to include chlorine- and bromine-containing flame retardants, phosphorus-based flame retardants, nitrogen-based flame retardants, and silicones. Inorganic materials that serve as flame retardants, such as boron-based additives, graphenes, and others are discussed in detail. In addition, the following subjects are discussed in detail: Flame retardant polymers The mechanisms of flame retardants, such as flame cooling, synergetic effects, degradation of flame retardants, and others Other flame retardant compositions, such as dripping inhibitors and smoke suppressants Testing methods for flame retardants, international standards, human health hazards, such as smoke toxicity and problems with wastes Synthesis and fabrication methods, as well as recycling methods The application of flame retardants to the coating material using 3D printing, reactive coating, and bulk addition methods Non-burning comonomers, foams, nanocomposites and bio-based materials Flame retardants with other textiles, such as wool and electrical applications such as batteries

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.

Design is the essential component of engineering. Design Matters demonstrates the need to understand the context, process and delivery of engineering projects and services by focusing on the nature and practice of engineering design. The book specifically highlights the cultural, economic, political and social parameters and illustrates the importance of their understanding as demonstrated by successful designers.

Unique to Design Matters are case studies that demonstrate the principles described in the book and the importance of using multidisciplinary teams to achieve effective design development. Contributions are included from key professionals involved in several high-profile and innovative civil and industrial engineering projects, including:

• A Diagnostic Analyser, Northern Ireland
• A Foot Prosthesis, UK
• The Channel Tunnel Terminal, UK
• The Channel Tunnel Rail Link, UK
• The London Eye, London
• The Lesotho Hydro-electric Project, Natal
• An Australian Timber Arch Bridge, Melbourne
• The Bahaii Temple, New Delhi, India
• The Hampden Gurney Primary School, London
• The Bridge Academy Secondary School, London
• The Harris-Manchester College, Oxford
• The Angel of the North, Gateshead, UK

Design Matters is an ideal text for graduate students in all branches of engineering looking to gain a practical introduction to the breadth and depth of the design process as well as to practicing engineers who wish to gain further insight into how design engineering worksstrategically.

James Armstrong is an internationally-known consulting engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a past president of the Institution of Structural Engineers. He was responsible for the design and planning of such world-class projects as the Channel Tunnel Terminal works, the Falkland Islands airport and the University of Surrey, UK. In academia he has taught as a visiting professor at universities in the UK, United States, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. He has travelled and lectured widely, in Russia, Romania, Brazil, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Hong Kong.