This book offers a succinct but comprehensive description of the mechanics of muscle contraction and legged terrestrial locomotion. It describes on the one hand how the fundamental properties of muscle tissue affect the mechanics of locomotion, and on the other, how the mechanics of locomotion modify the mechanism of muscle operation under different conditions. Further, the book reports on the design and results of experiments conducted with two goals. The first was to describe the physiological function of muscle tissue (which may be considered as the "motor") contracting at a constant length, during shortening, during lengthening, and under a condition that occurs most frequently in the back-and-forth movement of the limbs during locomotion, namely the stretch-shortening cycle of the active muscle. The second objective was to analyze the interaction between the motor and the "machine" (the skeletal lever system) during walking and running in different scenarios with respect to speed, step frequency, body mass, gravity, age, and pathological gait. The book will be of considerable interest to physiology, biology and physics students, and provides researchers with stimuli for further experimental and analytical work.

The work of the RILEM Technical Committee (TC -236 BBM) was dedicated to the study of construction materials made from plant particles. It considered the question whether building materials containing as main raw material recyclable and easily available plant particles are renewable. This book includes a state-of-the-art report and an appendix. The state-of-the-art report relates to the description of vegetal aggregates. Then, hygrothermal properties, fire resistance, durability and finally the impact of the variability of the method of production of bio-based concrete are assessed. The appendix is a TC report which presents the experience of a working group. The goal was to define testing methods for the measurement of water absorption, bulk density, particle size distribution, and thermal conductivity of bio aggregates. The work is based on a first round robin test of the TC-BBM where the protocols in use by the different laboratories (labs) are compared. p>

This book offers valuable insights and provides effective tools useful for imagining, creating, and promoting novel and challenging developments in structural mechanics. It addresses a wide range of topics, such as mechanics and geotechnics, vibration and damping, damage and friction, experimental methods, and advanced structural materials. It also discusses analytical, experimental and numerical findings, focusing on theoretical and practical issues and innovations in the field. Collecting some of the latest results from the Lagrange Laboratory, a European scientific research group, mainly consisting of Italian and French engineers, mechanicians and mathematicians, the book presents the most recent example of the long-term scientific cooperation between well-established French and Italian Mechanics, Mathematics and Engineering Schools. It is a valuable resource for postgraduate students, researchers and practitioners dealing with theoretical and practical issues in structural engineering.

Fracture Mechanics covers classical and modern methods and introduce new/unique techniques, making this text an important resource for anyone involved in the study or application of fracture mechanics. Using insights from leading experts in fracture mechanics, it provides new approaches and new applications to advance the understanding of crack initiation and propagation. With a concise and easily understood mathematical treatment of crack tip fields, this book provides the basis for applying fracture mechanics in solving practical problems. It features a unique coverage of bi-material interfacial cracks, with applications to commercially important areas of composite materials, layered structures, and microelectronic packaging. A full chapter is devoted to the cohesive zone model approach, which has been extensively used in recent years to simulate crack propagation. A unified discussion of fracture criteria involving nonlinear/plastic deformations is also provided. The book is an invaluable resource for mechanical, aerospace, civil, and biomedical engineers in the field of mechanics as well as for graduate students and researchers studying mechanics.

This textbook teaches classical mechanics as one of the foundations of physics. It describes the mechanical stability and motion in physical systems ranging from the molecular to the galactic scale. Aside from the standard topics of mechanics in the physics curriculum, this book includes an introduction to the theory of elasticity and its use in selected modern engineering applications, e.g. dynamic mechanical analysis of viscoelastic materials. The text also covers many aspects of numerical mechanics, ranging from the solution of ordinary differential equations, including molecular dynamics simulation of many particle systems, to the finite element method. Attendant Mathematica programs or parts thereof are provided in conjunction with selected examples. Numerous links allow the reader to connect to related subjects and research topics. Among others this includes statistical mechanics (separate chapter), quantum mechanics, space flight, galactic dynamics, friction, and vibration spectroscopy. An introductory chapter compiles all essential mathematical tools, ranging from coordinates to complex numbers. Completely solved problems and examples facilitate a thorough understanding of the material.

This book presents essential methods of deformation compatibility control, and explicitly addresses the implied conditions on the methods' deformation compatibility. Consequently, these conditions can be considered in engineering structure design, while the conditions on stable equilibrium can be taken into account in the design method. Thus, the designed deformation and the actual deformation of the respective structure are approximately identical, guaranteeing both the flexibility of the construction material in force transmission and the equilibrium of force in the structure. Though equilibrium theory in engineering structures has been extensively studied, there has been comparatively little research on compatibility. In the limited researches available, the topics are primarily the theories and assumptions on the deformation compatibility, while few systematic works focus on the mechanical theoretical principles and methods of deformation compatibility control. As such, the flexibility of the construction material in force transmission and the stable equilibrium of the structure as a whole cannot be guaranteed based on these research results. Successfully addressing this important gap in the literature, the book is intended for researchers and postgraduates in engineering mechanics, civil engineering and related areas.

This book presents papers surrounding the extensive discussions that took place from the 'Variational Analysis and Aerospace Engineering' workshop held at the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture in 2015. Contributions to this volume focus on advanced mathematical methods in aerospace engineering and industrial engineering such as computational fluid dynamics methods, optimization methods in aerodynamics, optimum controls, dynamic systems, the theory of structures, space missions, flight mechanics, control theory, algebraic geometry for CAD applications, and variational methods and applications. Advanced graduate students, researchers, and professionals in mathematics and engineering will find this volume useful as it illustrates current collaborative research projects in applied mathematics and aerospace engineering.

By establishing an alternative foundation of control theory, this thesis represents a significant advance in the theory of control systems, of interest to a broad range of scientists and engineers. While common control strategies for dynamical systems center on the system state as the object to be controlled, the approach developed here focuses on the state trajectory. The concept of precisely realizable trajectories identifies those trajectories that can be accurately achieved by applying appropriate control signals. The resulting simple expressions for the control signal lend themselves to immediate application in science and technology. The approach permits the generalization of many well-known results from the control theory of linear systems, e.g. the Kalman rank condition to nonlinear systems. The relationship between controllability, optimal control and trajectory tracking are clarified. Furthermore, the existence of linear structures underlying nonlinear optimal control is revealed, enabling the derivation of exact analytical solutions to an entire class of nonlinear optimal trajectory tracking problems. The clear and self-contained presentation focuses on a general and mathematically rigorous analysis of controlled dynamical systems. The concepts developed are visualized with the help of particular dynamical systems motivated by physics and chemistry.

This book is a collection of problems that are intended to aid students in graduate and undergraduate courses in Classical and Quantum Physics. It is also intended to be a study aid for students that are preparing for the PhD qualifying exam. Many of the included problems are of a type that could be on a qualifying exam. Others are meant to elucidate important concepts. Unlike other compilations of problems, the detailed solutions are often accompanied by discussions that reach beyond the specific problem.The solution of the problem is only the beginning of the learning process--it is by manipulation of the solution and changing of the parameters that a great deal of insight can be gleaned. The authors refer to this technique as "massaging the problem," and it is an approach that the authors feel increases the pedagogical value of any problem.

This book focuses on the theory and design of special space orbits. Offering a systematic and detailed introduction to the hovering orbit, spiral cruising orbit, multi-target rendezvous orbit, initiative approaching orbit, responsive orbit and earth pole-sitter orbit, it also discusses the concept, theory, design methods and application of special space orbits, particularly the design and control method based on kinematics and astrodynamics. In addition the book presents the latest research and its application in space missions. It is intended for researchers, engineers and postgraduates, especially those working in the fields of orbit design and control, as well as space-mission planning and research.

This book presents the proceedings of the International Conference on Durability of Critical Infrastructure. Monitoring and Testing held in Satov, Czech Republic from 6 to 9 December 2016. It discusses the developments in the theoretical and practical aspects in the fields of Safety, Sustainability and Durability of the Critical Infrastructure. The contributions are dealing with monitoring and testing of structural and composite materials with a new methods for their using for protection and prevention of the selected objects.

This book focuses on mathematical theory and numerical simulation related to various aspects of continuum mechanics, such as fracture mechanics, elasticity, plasticity, pattern dynamics, inverse problems, optimal shape design, material design, and disaster estimation related to earthquakes. Because these problems have become more important in engineering and industry, further development of mathematical study of them is required for future applications. Leading researchers with profound knowledge of mathematical analysis from the fields of applied mathematics, physics, seismology, engineering, and industry provide the contents of this book. They help readers to understand that mathematical theory can be applied not only to different types of industry, but also to a broad range of industrial problems including materials, processes, and products.

This book examines how the state of underground structures can be determined with the assistance of force, deformation and energy. It then analyzes mechanized shield methods, the New Austrian tunneling method (NATM) and conventional methods from this new perspective. The book gathers a wealth of cases reflecting the experiences of practitioners and administrators alike. Based on statistical and engineering studies of these cases, as well as lab and field experiments, it develops a stability assessment approach incorporating a stable equilibrium, which enables engineers to keep the structure and surrounding rocks safe as long as the stable equilibrium and deformation compliance are maintained. The book illustrates the implementation of the method in various tunneling contexts, including soil-rock mixed strata, tunneling beneath operating roads, underwater tunnels, and tunnel pit excavation. It offers a valuable guide for researchers, designers and engineers, especially those who are seeking to understand the underlying principles of underground excavation.

This volume contains the Proceedings of the First International Conference of IFToMM Italy (IFIT2016), held at the University of Padova, Vicenza, Italy, on December 1-2, 2016. The book contains contributions on the latest advances on Mechanism and Machine Science. The fifty-nine papers deal with such topics as biomechanical engineering, history of mechanism and machine science, linkages and mechanical controls, multi-body dynamics, reliability, robotics and mechatronics, transportation machinery, tribology, and vibrations.

This thesis transports you to a wonderful and fascinating small-scale world and tells you the origin of several new phenomena. The investigative tool is the improved discrete dislocation-based multi-scale approaches, bridging the continuum modeling and atomistic simulation. Mechanism-based theoretical models are put forward to conveniently predict the mechanical responses and defect evolution. The findings presented in this thesis yield valuable new guidelines for microdevice design, reliability analysis and defect tuning.

This book describes system dynamics with discontinuity caused by system interactions and presents the theory of flow singularity and switchability at the boundary in discontinuous dynamical systems. Based on such a theory, the authors address dynamics and motion mechanism of engineering discontinuous systems due to interaction. Stability and bifurcations of fixed points in nonlinear discrete dynamical systems are presented, and mapping dynamics are developed for analytical predictions of periodic motions in engineering discontinuous dynamical systems. Ultimately, the book provides an alternative way to discuss the periodic and chaotic behaviors in discontinuous dynamical systems.

This book helps the reader to understand the specific properties of piezoelectric ceramic resonators. It provides their theoretical description by immitance and equivalent circuit method. The nummerical modelling described is accompanied by examples of properties measured experimentally. Piezoelectric ceramic transformers are also covered, followed by a series of solved and unsolved problems prepared specially for students.

This book provides a simple and unified approach to the mechanics of discontinuous-fibre reinforced composites, and introduces readers as generally as possible to the key concepts regarding the mechanics of elastic stress transfer, intermediate modes of stress transfer, plastic stress transfer, fibre pull-out, fibre fragmentation and matrix rupture. These concepts are subsequently applied to progressive stages of the loading process, through to the composite fractures. The book offers a valuable guide for advanced undergraduate and graduate students attending lecture courses on fibre composites. It is also intended for beginning researchers who wish to develop deeper insights into how discontinuous fibre provides reinforcement to composites, and for engineers, particularly those who wish to apply the concepts presented here to design and develop discontinuous-fibre reinforced composites.

This successful book gives an introduction to the basics of aerothermodynamics, as applied in particular to winged re-entry vehicles and airbreathing hypersonic cruise and acceleration vehicles. The book gives a review of the issues of transport of momentum, energy and mass, real-gas effects as well as inviscid and viscous flow phenomena. In this second, revised edition the chapters with the classical topics of aerothermodynamics more or less were left untouched. The access to some single topics of practical interest was improved. Auxiliary chapters were put into an appendix. The recent successful flights of the X-43A and the X-51A indicate that the dawn of sustained airbreathing hypersonic flight now has arrived. This proves that the original approach of the book to put emphasis on viscous effects and the aerothermodynamics of radiation-cooled vehicle surfaces was timely. This second, revised edition even more accentuates these topics. A new, additional chapter treats examples of viscous thermal surface effects. Partly only very recently obtained experimental and numerical results show the complexity of such phenomena (dependence of boundary-layer stability, skin friction, boundary-layer thicknesses, and separation on the thermal state of the surface) and their importance for airbreathing hypersonic flight vehicles, but also for any other kind of hypersonic vehicle.

This concise textbook for students preferably of a postgraduate level, but also for engineers in practice, contains the basic kinematical and kinetic structures of dynamics together with carefully selected applications. The book is a condensed introduction to the fundamental laws of kinematics and kinetics, on the most important principles of mechanics and presents the equations of motion in the form of Lagrange and Newton-Euler. Selected problems of linear and nonlinear dynamics are treated, as well as problems of vibration formation. The presented selection of topics gives a useful basis for stepping into more advanced problems of dynamics. The contents of this book represent the result of a regularly revised course, which has been and still is given for masters students at the Technische Universität München.

Model Validation and Uncertainty Quantification, Volume 3. Proceedings of the 33rd IMAC, A Conference and Exposition on Balancing Simulation and Testing, 2015, the third volume of ten from the Conference brings together contributions to this important area of research and engineering. The collection presents early findings and case studies on fundamental and applied aspects of Structural Dynamics, including papers on: Uncertainty Quantification & Model Validation Uncertainty Propagation in Structural Dynamics Bayesian & Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods Practical Applications of MVUQ Advances in MVUQ & Model Updating

Vehicle dynamics and road dynamics are usually considered to be two largely independent subjects. In vehicle dynamics, road surface roughness is generally regarded as random excitation of the vehicle, while in road dynamics, the vehicle is generally regarded as a moving load acting on the pavement. This book suggests a new research concept to integrate the vehicle and the road system with the help of a tire model, and establishes a cross-subject research framework dubbed vehicle-pavement coupled system dynamics. In this context, the dynamics of the vehicle, road and the vehicle-road coupled system are investigated by means of theoretical analysis, numerical simulations and field tests. This book will be a valuable resource for university professors, graduate students and engineers majoring in automotive design, mechanical engineering, highway engineering and other related areas. Shaopu Yang is a professor and deputy president of Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, China; Liqun Chen is a professor at Shanghai University, Shanghai, China; Shaohua Li is a professor at Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, China.

This book offers a short and concise introduction to the many facets of chaos theory. While the study of chaotic behavior in nonlinear, dynamical systems is a well-established research field with ramifications in all areas of science, there is a lot to be learnt about how chaos can be controlled and, under appropriate conditions, can actually be constructive in the sense of becoming a control parameter for the system under investigation, stochastic resonance being a prime example. The present work stresses the latter aspects and, after recalling the paradigm changes introduced by the concept of chaos, leads the reader skillfully through the basics of chaos control by detailing the relevant algorithms for both Hamiltonian and dissipative systems, among others. The main part of the book is then devoted to the issue of synchronization in chaotic systems, an introduction to stochastic resonance, and a survey of ratchet models. In this second, revised and enlarged edition, two more chapters explore the many interfaces of quantum physics and dynamical systems, examining in turn statistical properties of energy spectra, quantum ratchets, and dynamical tunneling, among others. This text is particularly suitable for non-specialist scientists, engineers, and applied mathematical scientists from related areas, wishing to enter the field quickly and efficiently. From the reviews of the first edition: This book is an excellent introduction to the key concepts and control of chaos in (random) dynamical systems [...] The authors find an outstanding balance between main physical ideas and mathematical terminology to reach their audience in an impressive and lucid manner. This book is ideal for anybody who would like to grasp quickly the main issues related to chaos in discrete and continuous time. Henri Schurz, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1178, 2010.

This book presents essential studies and applications in the context of sliding mode control, highlighting the latest findings from interdisciplinary theoretical studies, ranging from computational algorithm development to representative applications. Readers will learn how to easily tailor the techniques to accommodate their ad hoc applications. To make the content as accessible as possible, the book employs a clear route in each paper, moving from background to motivation, to quantitative development (equations), and lastly to case studies/illustrations/tutorials (simulations, experiences, curves, tables, etc.). Though primarily intended for graduate students, professors and researchers from related fields, the book will also benefit engineers and scientists from industry.

The 3rd edition of this popular textbook covers current topics in all areas of casting solidification. Partial differential equations and numerical analysis are used extensively throughout the text, with numerous calculation examples, to help the reader in achieving a working knowledge of computational solidification modeling. The features of this new edition include: * new chapters on semi-solid and metal matrix composites solidification * a significantly extended treatment of multiscale modeling of solidification and its applications to commercial alloys * a survey of new topics such as solidification of multicomponent alloys and molecular dynamic modeling * new theories, including a theory on oxide bi-films in the treatment of shrinkage problems * an in-depth treatment of the theoretical aspects of the solidification of the most important commercial alloys including steel, cast iron, aluminum-silicon eutectics, and superalloys * updated tables of material constants.