This book covers modern subjects of mechanical engineering such as nanomechanics and nanotechnology, mechatronics and robotics, computational mechanics, biomechanics, alternative energies, sustainability as well as all aspects related with mechanical engineering education. The chapters help enhance the understanding of both the fundamentals of mechanical engineering and its application to the solution of problems in modern industry.

This book is suitable for students, both in final undergraduate mechanical engineering courses or at the graduate level. It also serves as a useful reference for academics, mechanical engineering researchers, mechanical, materials and manufacturing engineers, professionals in related with mechanical engineering.

The fascinating rainbow colors we see in soap film not only delight us; they also help us understand the physical essence of nature. In this dissertation, the author presents his studies on the interactions between flexible bodies and ambient fluids, a topic reflected in nature, in everyday life and in various industrial applications. By investigating this topic, he reveals the mechanism of flow-induced vibration of flexible bodies, the process of energy exchange between flexible bodies and fluids and the way flexible bodies interact with each other in flowing fluids. These studies not only allow us to understand nature better, but can also help us invent new machines and improve existing devices to glean more energy from nature.

This book describes new methods developed for modelling dynamics of machines commonly used in the offshore industry. These methods are based both on the rigid finite element method, used for the description of link deformations, and on homogeneous transformations and joint coordinates, which is applied to the modelling of multibody system dynamics. In this monograph, the bases of the rigid finite element method and homogeneous transformations are introduced. Selected models for modelling dynamics of offshore devices are then verified both by using commercial software, based on the finite element method, as well as by using additional methods. Examples of mathematical models of offshore machines, such as a gantry crane for Blowout-Preventer (BOP) valve block transportation, a pedestal crane with shock absorber, and pipe laying machinery are presented. Selected problems of control in offshore machinery as well as dynamic optimization in device control are also discussed. Additionally, numerical simulations of pipe-laying operations taking active reel drive into account are shown.

The book covers the state-of-the-art treatment in modelling and experimental investigation of the mechanical behaviour of cellular and porous materials. Starting from the continuum mechanical modelling, to the numerical simulation, several important questions related to applications such as the fracture and impact behaviour are covered.

The Finite Element Method, shortly FEM, is a widely used computational tool in structural engineering. For basic design purposes it usually suf ces to apply a linear-elastic analysis. Only for special structures and for forensic investigations the analyst need to apply more advanced features like plasticity and cracking to account for material nonlinearities, or nonlinear relations between strains and displacements for geometrical nonlinearity to account for buckling. Advanced analysis techniques may also be necessary if we have to judge the remaining structural capacity of aging structures. In this book we will abstain from such special cases and focus on everyday jobs. Our goal is the worldwide everyday use of linear-elastic analysis, and dimensioning on basis of these elastic computations. We cover steel and concrete structures, though attention to structural concrete prevails. Structural engineers have access to powerful FEM packages and apply them intensively. Experience makes clear that often they do not understand the software that they are using. This book aims to be a bridge between the software world and structural engineering. Many problems are related to the correct input data and the proper interpretation and handling of output. The book is neither a text on the Finite Element Method, nor a user manual for the software packages. Rather it aims to be a guide to understanding and handling the results gained by such software. We purposely restrict ourselves to structure types which frequently occur in practise.

This book covers the essential topics for a second-level course in strength of materials or mechanics of materials, with an emphasis on techniques that are useful for mechanical design. Design typically involves an initial conceptual stage during which many options are considered. At this stage, quick approximate analytical methods are crucial in determining which of the initial proposals are feasible. The ideal would be to get within 30% with a few lines of calculation. The designer also needs to develop experience as to the kinds of features in the geometry or the loading that are most likely to lead to critical conditions.

With this in mind, the author tries wherever possible to give a physical and even an intuitive interpretation to the problems under investigation. For example, students are encouraged to estimate the location of weak and strong bending axes and the resulting neutral axis of bending before performing calculations, and the author discusses ways of getting good accuracy with a simple one degree of freedom Rayleigh-Ritz approximation. Students are also encouraged to develop a feeling for structural deformation by performing simple experiments in their outside environment, such as estimating the radius to which an initially straight bar can be bent without producing permanent deformation, or convincing themselves of the dramatic difference between torsional and bending stiffness for a thin-walled open beam section by trying to bend and then twist a structural steel beam by hand-applied loads at one end.

In choosing dimensions for mechanical components, designers will expect to be guided by criteria of minimum weight, which with elementary calculations, generally leads to a thin-walled structure as an optimal solution. This consideration motivates the emphasis on thin-walled structures, but also demands that students be introduced to the limits imposed by structural instability. Emphasis is also placed on the effect of manufacturing errors on such highly-designed structures - for example, the effect of load misalignment on a beam with a large ratio between principal stiffness and the large magnification of initial alignment or loading errors in a strut below, but not too far below the buckling load.

Additional material can be found on http: //extras.springer.com/.
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This book provides recent information on nanocomposites tribology. Chapter 1 provides information on tribology of bulk polymer nanocomposites and nanocomposite coatings. Chapter 2 is dedicated to nano and micro PTFE for surface lubrication of carbon fabric reinforced polyethersulphone composites. Chapter 3 describes Tribology of MoS2 -based nanocomposites. Chapter 4 contains information on friction and wear of Al2O2 -based composites with dispersed and agglomerated nanoparticles. Finally, chapter 5 is dedicated to wear of multi-scale phase reinforced composites. It is a useful reference for academics, materials and physics researchers, materials, mechanical and manufacturing engineers, both as final undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is a useful reference for academics, materials and physics researchers, materials, mechanical and manufacturing engineers, both as final undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

In-situ scattering and diffraction measurements using synchrotron and neutron beam lines have become a viable tool to look at the non-equilibrium processing of advanced materials. This volume presents the subject from the theoretical and experimental standpoint, in order to provide a closer insight into the different synchrotron and neutron diffraction techniques as well as innovative microscopy techniques.

It addresses the following items:

- Phase detection and quantification

- In-situ welding experiments

- Stress/strain build-up

- Model development and Simulation

- Analysis tools and programming

This book focuses on the use of nanotechnology in several fields of engineering. Among others, the reader will find valuable information as to how nanotechnology can aid in extending the life of component materials exposed to corrosive atmospheres, in thermal fluid energy conversion processes, anti-reflection coatings on photovoltaic cells to yield enhanced output from solar cells, in connection with friction and wear reduction in automobiles, and buoyancy suppression in free convective heat transfer. Moreover, this unique resource presents the latest research on nanoscale transport phenomena and concludes with a look at likely future trends.

This volume deals with topics such as mechanism and machine design, biomechanics and medical engineering, gears, mechanical transmissions, mechatronics, computational and experimental methods, dynamics of mechanisms and machines, micromechanisms and microactuators, and history of mechanisms and transmissions. Following MeTrApp 2011 and 2013, held under the auspices of the IFToMM, these proceedings of the 3rd Conference on Mechanisms, Transmissions and Applications offer a platform for original research presentations for researchers, scientists, industry experts and students in the fields of mechanisms and transmissions with special emphasis on industrial applications in order to stimulate the exchange of new and innovative ideas.

Tribology is a multidisciplinary science that encompasses mechanical engineering, materials science, surface engineering, lubricants, and additives chemistry with tremendous applications. The development of high performance in different material pairs such as metal-metal, ceramic-ceramic, ceramic-polymer and metal-polymer composites is essential to enhancing tribology behaviour. Tribology, Lubrication, and Surface Engineering: Research and Applications, Two-Volume Set provides a systematic and comprehensive account of recent developments and applications in this area. Reviews emerging technologies, industrial tribology, and characterization of surface engineering and coatings Discusses how tribology works for machine elements and manufacturing processes Describes the mechanism that drives micro- and nanotribology Covers tribochemistry, tribocorrosion, green tribology, and biotribology Highlights applications and future perspectives Written for researchers and advanced students, this book encompasses a wide-ranging view of the latest in tribology, lubrication, and surface engineering for a variety of cross-disciplinary applications.

Compiling the expertise of nine pioneers of the field, Magnetic Bearings - Theory, Design, and Application to Rotating Machinery offers an encyclopedic study of this rapidly emerging field with a balanced blend of commercial and academic perspectives. Every element of the technology is examined in detail, beginning at the component level and proceeding through a thorough exposition of the design and performance of these systems.

The book is organized in a logical fashion, starting with an overview of the technology and a survey of the range of applications. A background chapter then explains the central concepts of active magnetic bearings while avoiding a morass of technical details. From here, the reader continues to a meticulous, state-of-the-art exposition of the component technologies and the manner in which they are assembled to form the AMB/rotor system. These system models and performance objectives are then tied together through extensive discussions of control methods for both rigid and flexible rotors, including consideration of the problem of system dynamics identification. Supporting this, the issues of system reliability and fault management are discussed from several useful and complementary perspectives. At the end of the book, numerous special concepts and systems, including micro-scale bearings, self-bearing motors, and self-sensing bearings, are put forth as promising directions for new research and development.

Newcomers to the field will find the material highly accessible while veteran practitioners will be impressed by the level of technical detail that emerges from a combination of sophisticated analysis and insights gleaned from many collective years of practical experience. An exhaustive, self-contained text on active magnetic bearing technology, this book should be a core reference for anyone seeking to understand or develop systems using magnetic bearings.

The book is targeted at engineers, university lecturers, postgraduates, and final year undergraduate students involved in computational modelling and experimental and theoretical analysis of the high-temperature behavior of engineering structures. It will also be of interest to researchers developing the thermal strength theory as a branch of continuum mechanics. Thermal integrity is a multidisciplinary field combining the expertise of mechanical engineers, material scientists and applied mathematicians, each approaching the problem from their specific viewpoint. This monograph draws on the research of a broad scientific community including the author's contribution. The scope of thermal strength analysis was considerably extended thanks to modern computers and the implementation of FEM codes. However, the author believes that some material models adopted in the advanced high-performance software, are not sufficiently justificated due to lack of easy-to-follow books on the theoretical and experimental aspects of thermal integrity. The author endeavors to provide a thorough yet sufficiently simple presentation of the underlying concepts, making the book compelling to a wide audience.

Nontraditional machining employs processes that remove material by various methods involving thermal, electrical, chemical and mechanical energy or even combinations of these. Nontraditional Machining Processes covers recent research and development in techniques and processes which focus on achieving high accuracies and good surface finishes, parts machined without burrs or residual stresses especially with materials that cannot be machined by conventional methods. With applications to the automotive, aircraft and mould and die industries, Nontraditional Machining Processes explores different aspects and processes through dedicated chapters. The seven chapters explore recent research into a range of topics including laser assisted manufacturing, abrasive water jet milling and hybrid processes. Students and researchers will find the practical examples and new processes useful for both reference and for developing further processes. Industry professionals and materials engineers will also find Nontraditional Machining Processes to be a source of ideas and processes for development and industrial application.

This book presents fractography and failure analysis at a level that is accessible for non-expert readers, without losing scientific rigor. It offers a comprehensive description of fracture surfaces in engineering materials, with an emphasis on metals, and of the methodology for the observation of fracture surfaces. It also discusses in detail the main fracture mechanisms and their corresponding fracture surfaces, including brittle, ductile, fatigue, and environmental fractures. The last chapter is dedicated to the use of fractography in determining of the causes component failure. In modern engineering, the analysis of fractured components is a common practice in many fields, such as integrity management systems, materials science research, and failure investigations. As such this book is useful for engineers, scientists, engineering students, loss adjuster surveyors and any professional dealing with fractured components.

By the dawn of the new millennium, robotics has undergone a major transformation in scope and dimensions. This expansion has been brought about by the maturity of the field and the advances in its related technologies. From a largely dominant industrial focus, robotics has been rapidly expanding into the challenges of the human world. The new generation of robots is expected to safely and dependably co-habitat with humans in homes, workplaces, and communities, providing support in services, entertainment, education, healthcare, manufacturing, and assistance. Beyond its impact on physical robots, the body of knowledge robotics has produced is revealing a much wider range of applications reaching across diverse research areas and scientific disciplines, such as: biomechanics, haptics, neuros- ences, virtual simulation, animation, surgery, and sensor networks among others. In return, the challenges of the new emerging areas are proving an abundant source of stimulation and insights for the field of robotics. It is indeed at the intersection of disciplines that the most striking advances happen. The goal of the series of Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics (STAR) is to bring, in a timely fashion, the latest advances and developments in robotics on the basis of their significance and quality. It is our hope that the wider dissemination of research developments will stimulate more exchanges and collaborations among the research community and contribute to further advancement of this rapidly growing field.

Erosive wear is characterized by successive loss of material from the surface due to the continuous impact of solid particles. This type of wear affects numerous industries, such as power generation, mining, and the pneumatic transportation of solids. The worst case scenario normally occurs where there is a combination of both erosion and oxidation, especially at high temperatures. In order to minimize damage caused by erosive wear, many authors propose the use of better bulk materials or surface coatings, and generally cermets are suggested. Various researchers have conducted experiments to study the wear mechanisms occurring in this kind of materials, but most of these experiments do not lead to similar results; in fact, there is no accordance among the authors, and moreover, some wear variables are ignored. In this book, studies undertaken in this field by several investigators have been discussed extensively. At the end of it, table reviews are suggested to summarize the most important mechanisms of the erosive wear in bulk and coating cermets.

Rapid prototyping (RP) has revolutionized how prototypes are made and small batch manufacturing is carried out. With rapid prototyping, the strategies used to produce a part change a number of important considerations and limitations previously faced by tool designers and engineers. Now in its third edition, this textbook is still the definitive text on RP. It covers the key RP processes, the available models and specifications, and their principles, materials, advantages and disadvantages. Examples of application areas in design, planning, manufacturing, biomedical engineering, art and architecture are also given. The book includes several related problems so that the reader can test his or her understanding of the topics. New to this edition, the included CD-ROM presents animated illustrations of the working principles of today's key RP processes.

Electromechanical Properties in Composites Based on Ferroelectrics discusses the latest theoretical and experimental results on the effective electromechanical (piezoelectric, dielectric and elastic) properties in piezo-composites based on ferroelectrics. For the last decades, single-crystal, bulk ceramic and thin-film ferroelectrics have found a number of various applications as a result of their remarkable piezoelectric properties. Recent work in the field of smart materials demonstrates that both ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity represent an important link between solid state science and engineering.

Electromechanical Properties in Composites Based on Ferroelectrics investigates the problem of prediction and non-monotonicity of the effective electromechanical properties in different two- and three-component composites based on ferroelectric ceramics and relaxor-ferroelectric single crystals. Central to the book is the analysis of interrelations between the electromechanical constants of the components, and the description of different analytical schemes for averaging the properties of these materials with different connectivity and microgeometrical characteristics. The book not only highlights the advantages of different methods for predicting the electromechanical properties and choosing the optimum components, but also demonstrates the non-trivial behavior of specific composite architectures and their parameters which are valuable for transducer, sensor, actuator, hydroacoustic, and other applications.

Electromechanical Properties in Composites Based on Ferroelectrics is a valuable resource for engineers, researchers, and postgraduate students in the field offerroelectric, piezoelectric and related materials. This book will be of benefit to all specialists looking to understand the detailed behavior and electromechanical response of advanced composite materials.

This book contains selected papers of the 11th OpenFOAM (R) Workshop that was held in Guimaraes, Portugal, June 26 - 30, 2016. The 11th OpenFOAM (R) Workshop had more than 140 technical/scientific presentations and 30 courses, and was attended by circa 300 individuals, representing 180 institutions and 30 countries, from all continents. The OpenFOAM (R) Workshop provided a forum for researchers, industrial users, software developers, consultants and academics working with OpenFOAM (R) technology. The central part of the Workshop was the two-day conference, where presentations and posters on industrial applications and academic research were shown. OpenFOAM (R) (Open Source Field Operation and Manipulation) is a free, open source computational toolbox that has a larger user base across most areas of engineering and science, from both commercial and academic organizations. As a technology, OpenFOAM (R) provides an extensive range of features to solve anything from complex fluid flows involving chemical reactions, turbulence and heat transfer, to solid dynamics and electromagnetics, among several others. Additionally, the OpenFOAM technology offers complete freedom to customize and extend its functionalities.