This book outlines the scope of sustainability and green practice in supply chain operations, which has continued to grow with a rapid speed. The book includes core aspects of sustainability and green supply chain management philosophy and practice, covering general concepts, principles, strategies and best practices, which not only protect socio-environmental sustainability, but spur economic growth. The book will aid practitioners in using sustainable supply chains to reduce cost and improve service, as well as keep up-to-date with different features of green supply chains and logistics in a global market. The book will also be a valuable resource for candidates undertaking certification examinations and students studying for degrees in related fields of sustainability and green supply chain management.

This book examines the physical and economic characteristics of the global oil resource to explain why peak oil has been so poorly understood. The author draws on information held in oil industry datasets that are not widely available outside of the specialist literature, and describes a number of methods that have been successfully used to predict oil peaks. In contrast to the widely-held view that 'all oil forecasts are wrong', these methods correctly predicted the current peak in global conventional oil production. Current oil forecasts are then compared to evaluate the expected dates for regional and global oil peaks for conventional oil, all-oils, and all-liquids. The dates of global peaks in the production of all-oil and all-liquids appear to be reasonably soon, while the oil price that is needed to support these global production levels continues to rise. The world faces serious constraints in its oil supply, which accounts for about one-third of total world energy use, and over 90% of the fuel used for transportation. Readers of this book will gain a thorough understanding of the critical, but poorly understood, phenomenon of peak oil that has already had significant impacts on society in terms of high oil prices, and which will place increasing constraints on mankind's supply of energy and economic well-being in the coming years.

Meeting today's energy and climate challenges require not only technological advancement but also a good understanding of stakeholders' perceptions, political sensitivity, well-informed policy analyses and innovative interdisciplinary solutions. This book will fill this gap. This is an interdisciplinary informative book to provide a holistic and integrated understanding of the technology-stakeholder-policy interactions of smart grid technologies. The unique features of the book include the following: (a) interdisciplinary approach - by bringing in the policy dimensions to smart grid technologies; (b) global and Asian perspective and (c) learning from national case studies. This book is organised into five sections. Part 1 discusses the historical and conceptual aspects of smart grids. Part 2 introduces the technological aspects and showcase the state of the art of the technologies. Part 3 explores the policy and governance dimensions by bringing in a stakeholder perspective. Part 4 presents a collection of national case studies. Part 5 shares insights and lesson learnt and provide policy recommendations. This book showcases the state-of-the-art R&D developments and policy experiences. This book contributes to a better understanding of governance institution and policy challenges and helps formulate policy recommendations for successful smart grid deployment.

This book contains the papers presented at the 20th anniversary edition of the AMAA conference held in Brussels, Belgium in 2016. The theme of the conference was "Smart Systems for the Automobile of the Future". The automobile is currently being reshaped at unprecedented pace. Automation and electrification are the two dominant megatrends which dramatically change the choice and design of components, systems, vehicular architectures and ultimately the way we use cars in the coming decades. Novel E/E architectures, vehicular connectivity and cloud services will be key to extending the perception and decision-making horizons of automated vehicles, to enable cooperative functions and a seamless digital user experience. The AMAA's ongoing mission to detect novel trends in automotive ICT, electronics and smart systems and to discuss the technological implications is once again reflected in this volume. The book will be a valuable read for research experts and professionals in the automotive and smart systems industry but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

This book gathers papers presented at the Logistik-Management-Konferenz 2013, which was organized by the VHB Wissenschaftliche Kommission Logistik and held in Bremen, Germany. The papers reflect the current state-of-the-art in logistics and supply chain management, focusing on environmental sustainability in logistics and supply chain network dynamics and control. The target audience primarily consists of researchers and practitioners in the field, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

The world is witnessing a rapid growth in wind and other renewable based electricity generation due to environmental concerns associated with electricity generation from the conventional sources. Wind power behaves quite differently than conventional electric power generating units due to its intermittent and diffuse nature. System planners and operators face the variability and uncertainty of wind power availability, and therefore, encounter considerable challenges in making decisions to maintain the adequacy and security of wind integrated power systems. This volume intends to bring out the original research work of researchers from academia and industry in understanding, quantifying and managing the risks associated with the uncertainty in wind variability in order to plan and operate a modern power system integrated with a significant proportion of wind power generation with an acceptable level of reliability. Accurate modeling of wind power variability and proper incorporation of the models in reliability and risk evaluation is very important for the planning and operation of electric power systems, and will play a crucial role in defining the requirement of various types of resources and services, such as storage and ancillary services in power systems."

The proceedings collect the latest research trends, methods and experimental results in the field of electrical and information technologies for rail transportation. The topics cover intelligent computing, information processing, communication technology, automatic control, and their applications in rail transportation etc. The proceedings can be a valuable reference work for researchers and graduate students working in rail transportation, electrical engineering and information technologies.

This thesis presents the fundamental research and latest findings on novel flexible/wearable photovoltaic technology, and comprehensively summarizes the rapid developments in flexible photovoltaics, from traditional planar solar cells to fiber solar cells. It discusses the rational design of fiber solar cell materials, electrodes and devices, as well as critical factors including cost, efficiency, flexibility and stability . Furthermore, it addresses fundamental theoretical principles and novel fabrication technologies and their potential applications. The book provides practical information for university researchers and graduate students interested in flexible fiber photovoltaics, and inspires them to design other novel flexible/wearable electronics and textiles.

Wood Pole Overhead Lines provides comprehensive coverage of medium voltage wood pole overhead lines. It includes guidance on the planning and mechanical design of overhead lines, as well as details of statutory requirements and the latest UK and European standards affecting UK design of wood pole networks, Sag/tension calculations are explained, and details of the latest work on safe design tension limits to avoid conductor fatigue from vibration are included. The basic characteristics of bare and covered conductors are discussed as well as upgrading possibilities, condition assessment and the latest work on 'health indices' for overhead lines. Other topics include wood pole decay and mitigation methods, maintenance schedules, live line working and basic lightning protection.

This book captures selected peer reviewed papers presented at the 5th International Conference on Sustainable Automotive Technologies, ICSAT 2013, held in Ingolstadt, Germany. ICSAT is the state-of-the-art conference in the field of new technologies for transportation.

The book brings together the work of international researchers and practitioners under the following interrelated headings: fuel transportation and storage, material recycling, manufacturing and management costs, engines and emission reduction.

The book provides a very good overview of research and development activities focused on new technologies and approaches capable of meeting the challenges to sustainable mobility.

Integrated Resource Strategic Planning and Power Demand-Side Management elaborates two important methods - Integrated Resource Strategic Planning (IRSP) and Demand Side Management (DSM) - in terms of methodology modeling, case studies and lessons learned. This book introduces a prospective and realistic theory of the IRSP method and includes typical best practices of DSM for energy conservation and emission reduction in different countries. It can help energy providers and governmental decision-makers formulate policies and make plans for energy conservation and emission reduction, and can help power consumers reduce costs and participate in DSM projects. Zhaoguang Hu is the vice president and chief energy specialist at the State Grid Energy Research Institute, and the head of the Power Supply and Demand Research Laboratory in China.

The trade of global bioenergy commodities, such as ethanol, biodiesel and wood pellets has been growing exponentially in the past decade, and have by 2013 reached true "commodity" volumes, i.e. tens of millions of tonnes traded each year, and billions (both in US$/ ) of annual turnover.

IEA Bioenergy Task 40 was founded in 2004 and is now in its 4th triennium. For the past 9 years, task 40 has monitored the developments in international bioenergy trade, including the organization of about 20 workshops on trade-related topics, and the publication of over 100 studies, country reports, newsletters, etc. The amount of material produced over the years and insights gained in how biomass markets and international trade of biomass and biofuels has developed is impressive. Besides that the group has produced overviews and insights, also a large amount of practical experience has been brought together in what works and what doesn't. Last but not least, based on all this, there are clear(er) views on how to proceed to build working sustainable international biomass markets in the future. This book compiles those lessons and insights into an easily accessible book publication."""

This book presents nine chapters based on fundamental and applied research of alternative energies. At the present time, the challenge is that technology has to come up with solutions that can provide environmentally friendly energy supply options that are able to cover the current world energy demand. Experts around the world are working on these issues for providing new solutions that will break the existing technological barriers. This book aims to address key pillars in the alternative energy field, such as: biomass energy, hydrogen energy, solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric power, geothermal energy and their environmental implications, with the most updated progress for each pillar. It also includes the life cycle assessment (LCA) and thermoeconomic analysis (TA) as tools for evaluating and optimising environmental and cost subjects. Chapters are organized into fundamental research, applied research and future trends; and written for engineers, academic researches and scientists.

The proceedings collect the latest research trends, methods and experimental results in the field of electrical and information technologies for rail transportation. The topics cover intelligent computing, information processing, communication technology, automatic control, and their applications in rail transportation etc. The proceedings can be a valuable reference work for researchers and graduate students working in rail transportation, electrical engineering and information technologies.

This book presents selected papers from the 4th Conference of the Transportation Research Group of India. It provides a comprehensive analysis of themes spanning the field of transportation encompassing economics, financial management, social equity, green technologies, operations research, big data analysis, econometrics and structural mechanics. This volume will be of interest to researchers, educators, practitioners, managers, and policy-makers world-wide.

This is the first book to offer a complete spectrum of the role that operations research has played and can play in the improvement of North American freight railroads. It explores how decisions are made at railroads, contains examples of the mathematical programming formulations to the complex problems, and provides insights into real-world applications. The handbook is divided into eleven chapters, covering topics including scheduling problems, empty railcar distribution, and intermodal rail. These topics have been specifically selected to offer a thorough examination of the application of operations research at freight railroads. The chapters are written by recognized award-winning scholars and practitioners with a deep knowledge and understanding of their specific topics. The Handbook of Operations Research Applications at Railroads is an ideal resource for academics, experienced researchers, and consultants in the field.

This book describes current, competitive coating technologies for vehicles. The authors detail how these technologies impact energy efficiency in engines and with increased use of lightweight materials and by varying coatings applications can resolve wear problems, resulting in the increased lifecycle of dies and other vehicle components.

This book compares the cross-border integration of infrastructures in Europe such as post, telecommunication and transportation in the 19th century and the period following the Second World War. In addition to providing a unique perspective on the development of cross-border infrastructures and the international regimes regulating them, it offers the first systematic comparison of a variety of infrastructure sectors, identifies general developmental trends and supplies theoretical explanations. In this regard, integration is defined as international standardization, network building and the establishment of international organizations to regulate cross-border infrastructures.

"Applications, 2nd Edition" focuses on moving object management, from the location management perspective to determining how constantly changing locations affect the traditional database and data mining technology. The book specifically describes the topics of moving objects modeling and location tracking, indexing and querying, clustering, location uncertainty, traffic-aware navigation and privacy issues, as well as the application to intelligent transportation systems. Through the book, the readers will be made familiar with the cutting-edge technologies in moving object management that can be effectively applied in LBS and transportation contexts. The second edition of this book significantly expands the coverage of the latest research on location privacy, traffic-aware navigation and uncertainty. The book has also been reorganized, with nearly all chapters rewritten, and several new chapters have been added to address the latest topics on moving objects management.

Xiaofeng Meng is a professor at the School of Information, Renmin University of China; Zhiming Ding is a professor at the Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISCAS); Jiajie Xu is an assistant professor at the ISCAS.

With the development of societies fossil energy is no longer the only energy resource, and increasing attention had been paid to alternative energy. Biomass is considered to be one of the alternatives due to efficiency and low cost. This book presents biomass pyrolysis behavior for three main components: Cellulose, Hemicellulose and Lignin, and discusses the influence of mineral salts , zeolite catalysts and metal oxide on their pyrolysis.

Chip-integrated power management solutions are a must for ultra-low power systems. This enables not only the optimization of innovative sensor applications. It is also essential for integration and miniaturization of energy harvesting supply strategies of portable and autonomous monitoring systems. The book particularly addresses interfaces for energy harvesting, which are the key element to connect micro transducers to energy storage elements. Main features of the book are: - A comprehensive technology and application review, basics on transducer mechanics, fundamental circuit and control design, prototyping and testing, up to sensor system supply and applications. - Novel interfacing concepts - including active rectifiers, MPPT methods for efficient tracking of DC as well as AC sources, and a fully-integrated charge pump for efficient maximum AC power tracking at sub-100W ultra-low power levels. The chips achieve one of widest presented operational voltage range in standard CMOS technology: 0.44V to over 4.1V. - Two special chapters on analog circuit design - it studies benefits and obstacles on implemented chip prototypes with three goals: ultra- low power, wide supply voltage range, and integration with standard technologies. Alternative design approaches are pursued using bulk-input transistor stages in forward-bias operation for amplifiers, modulators, and references. - Comprehensive Appendix - with additional fundamental analysis, design and scaling guidelines, circuit implementation tables and dimensions, schematics, source code listings, bill of material, etc. The discussed prototypes and given design guidelines are tested with real vibration transducer devices. The intended readership is graduate students in advanced courses, academics and lecturers, R&D engineers.

This book analyzes the influence of electric vehicles on microclimate and the indirect influence on power load from a unique perspective. It discusses different aspects of Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, including large and small-scale charging infrastructures, and describes the effect on electricity price, voltage, frequency and other key V2G technologies. It introduces various aspects of the influence of electric vehicles on the power grids and the control strategies for achieving economic, safe and steady grid operation using V2G technologies. This book is suitable for senior undergraduates and postgraduates majoring in electrical, transportation, or environmental engineering, as well as other related professionals.

The importance of power system reliability is demonstrated when our electricity supply is disrupted, whether it decreases the comfort of our free time at home or causes the shutdown of our companies and results in huge economic deficits. The objective of Assessment of Power System Reliability is to contribute to the improvement of power system reliability. It consists of six parts divided into twenty chapters. The first part introduces the important background issues that affect power system reliability. The second part presents the reliability methods that are used for analyses of technical systems and processes. The third part discusses power flow analysis methods, because the dynamic aspect of a power system is an important part of related reliability assessments. The fourth part explores various aspects of the reliability assessment of power systems and their parts. The fifth part covers optimization methods. The sixth part looks at the application of reliability and optimization methods. Assessment of Power System Reliability has been written in straightforward language that continues into the mathematical representation of the methods. Power engineers and developers will appreciate the emphasis on practical usage, while researchers and advanced students will benefit from the simple examples that can facilitate their understanding of the theory behind power system reliability and that outline the procedure for application of the presented methods.

Energy is one of the worlds most challenging problems, and power systems are an important aspect of energy-related issues. The Handbook of Power Systems contains state-of-the-art contributions on power systems modeling. In particular, it covers topics like operation planning, expansion planning, transmission and distribution modeling, computing technologies in energy systems, energy auctions, risk management, market regulation, stochastic programming in energy, and forecasting in energy. The book is separated into nine sections, which cover the most important areas of energy systems. The contributions are authored by recognized specialists in their fields and consist in either state-of-the-art reviews or examinations of state-of-the-art developments. The articles are not purely theoretical, but instead also discuss specific applications in power systems.

This book explores the part that electric vehicles can play in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Further, it explains the impact of public support, technological advances, lower costs and better battery performance in making electric vehicles a viable alternative. The book begins by analyzing the international context of electric vehicles and how they are being developed in different countries, and by offering a forecast of the electricity demand they may create. It then discusses technological innovations in electric vehicle recharging systems. The book is concerned not only with the economic potential of electric vehicles, but also with environmental aspects; consequently, it examines the raw materials supply chain and performs a lifecycle assessment. The book concludes with a chapter on alternative energies in transport, which may also help to facilitate the energy transition. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable resource for researchers, graduate students, policymakers and industry professionals interested in the energy transition and transport.