This thesis builds on recent innovations in multi-phase emulsion droplet design to demonstrate that emulsion morphologies enable a useful variety of dynamic optical phenomena. Despite the highly dynamic nature of fluid morphologies and their utility for stimuli-responsive, dynamic optical materials and devices, fluid matter is underrepresented in optical technology. Using bi-phase emulsion droplets as refractive micro-optical components, this thesis realizes micro-scale fluid compound lenses with optical properties that vary in response to changes in chemical concentrations, structured illumination, and thermal gradients. Theoretical considerations of emulsions as optical components are used to explain a previously unrecognized total internal reflection-enabled light interference phenomenon in emulsion droplets that results in rich structural coloration. While this work is focused on the fundamental optics of emulsion droplets, it also facilitates the use of light-emitting emulsion morphologies as chemo-optical transducers for early-stage food-borne pathogen detection. This thesis beautifully demonstrates the virtue of fundamental interdisciplinary exploration of unconventional material systems at the interface of optics, chemistry, and materials science, and the benefits arising from translation of the acquired knowledge into specific application scenarios.

This book highlights the latest advances in bioMEMS for biosensing applications. It comprehensively reviews different detection methods, including colorimetric, fluorescence, luminescence, bioluminescence, chemiluminescence, biochemiluminescence, and electrochemiluminescence, and presents various bioMEMS for each, together with recent examples. The book also offers an overview of the history of BioMEMS and the design and manufacture of the first bioMEMS-based devices.

This book discusses key techniques of protection and fault ride-through in VSC-HVDC grids, including high-speed selective protection, DC fault current limitation, converter restarting, and DCCB reclosing strategies. It investigates how high-speed transient-variable-based protection can be used to improve grids' acting sensitivity, acting reliability, and ability to withstand high transition resistance compared with traditional protection. In addition, it discusses the applicability of the pilot protections, including the current differential protection and travelign-wave based protection, in the dc grid, as well as the improved methods. Furthermore, it proposes several DC FCL topologies, which are suitable for DC grids. Lastly, in the context of overhead line application conditions, it explores converter restarting and DCCB reclosing strategies, which not only identify the fault property, but also limit the secondary damage to the system, improving the system's operation security and reliability. As such, the book offers a comprehensive overview of original and advanced methods and techniques for the protection of VSC-HVDC grids.

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a promising and rapidly emerging technology for a wide range of applications, from daily life to industry. CAP's key advantage is its unique ability to effectively deliver reactive species to subjects including biological materials, liquid media, aerosols, and manufactured surfaces. This book assesses the state-of-art in CAP research and implementation for applications including agriculture, medicine, environment, materials, catalysis, and energy. The mechanisms of generation and transport of the key reactive species in the plasma are introduced and examined in the context of their applications. Opportunities and challenges for novel technologies, fresh ideas/concepts, expanded multidisciplinary study, and new applications are discussed. The authors' vision for the converging trends across diverse disciplines is proposed to stimulate critical discussions, research directions, and collaborations.

The vapor compression cycle (VCC) underpins the vast majority of refrigeration systems throughout the world. Most undergraduate thermodynamics courses cover the VCC, albeit in a cursory fashion. This book is designed to offer an in-depth look at the analysis, design and operation of large-scale industrial ammonia-based refrigeration systems. An important feature of this work is a treatment of computer-aided analysis using CoolProp, an open source resource for evaluating thermodynamic properties. CoolProp can be incorporated into a large number of common computational platforms including Microsfot Excel, Python, and Matlab, all of which are covered in this book.

Processing of polymer nanocomposites usually requires special attention since the resultant structure-micro- and nano-level, is directly influenced by among other factors, polymer/nano-additive chemistry and the processing strategy. This book consolidates knowledge, from fundamental to product development, on polymer nanocomposites processing with special emphasis on the processing-structure-property-performance relationships in a wide range of polymer nanocomposites. Furthermore, this book focuses on emerging processing technologies such as electrospinning, which has very exciting applications ranging from medical to filtration. Additionally, the important role played by the nanoparticles in polymer blends structures has been illustrated in the current book, with special focus on fundamental aspects and properties of nanoparticles migration and interface crossing in immiscible polymer blend nanocomposites. This book focuses heavily on the processing technologies and strategies and extensively addresses the processing-structure-property-performance relationships in a wide range of polymer nanocomposites, such as commodity polymers (chapter 1), engineering polymers (chapter 2), elastomers (chapter 3), thermosets (chapter 4), biopolymers (chapter 5), polymer blends (chapter 6), and electrospun polymer (chapter 7). The important role played by nanoparticles in polymer blends structures in particular is illustrated. The book is useful to undergraduate and postgraduate students (polymer engineering, materials science & engineering, chemical & process engineering), as well as research & development personnel, engineers, and material scientists.

This current book comprises state-of-the-art research results in the field of mechatronics and reliable systems engineering, gathering papers from almost all continents. Since the chapters represent contributions of research scholars who work in both governmental financed institutions and in the business environment, one could infer that they certainly reflect a clear picture of the developments in these cutting-edge sciences. Moreover, the contributions are not limited to mechatronics, as nowadays it has grown to embed all smart technical sciences. Medical applications based on nano-technologies - seemingly the most promising of all newly developed branches - could not be left out of this work. It is our belief that the book is useful to both students, who want to learn from the best scholars (as most of the authors hold a Ph.D. degree and are well-known professors), and to researchers in all areas of smart engineering, who will definitely find here hot topics meant to inspire them in their line of work.

This book presents nanomaterials as predicted by computational modelling and numerical simulation tools, and confirmed by modern experimental techniques. It begins by summarizing basic theoretical methods, then giving both a theoretical and experimental treatment of how alkali metal clusters develop into nanostructures, as influenced by the cluster's "magic number" of atoms. The book continues with a discussion of atomic clusters and nanostructures, focusing primarily on boron and carbon, exploring, in detail, the one-, two-, and three-dimensional structures of boron and carbon, and describing their myriad potential applications in nanotechnology, from nanocoating and nanosensing to nanobatteries with high borophene capacity. The broad discussion of computational modelling as well as the specific applications to boron and carbon, make this book an essential reference resource for materials scientists in this field of research.

This book presents a range of low-dimensional superlattice thermoelectric materials based on physical vapor deposition (PVD) methods and explores various material types, thicknesses, and processing conditions. With the advances made in the performance of semiconductor thermoelectric materials and the efficiency of thermoelectric devices in recent years, thermoelectric power generation systems are likely to replace traditional mechanical heat engines, offering an environmentally friendlier alternative. The use of low-dimensional, nanostructured materials can significantly increase the density of states near the Fermi level and greatly improve the thermoelectric properties of materials. In addition, the book demonstrates that it is possible to influence thermoelectric performance, establish more accurate mathematical models through the regulation of relevant parameters, and ultimately improve the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT).

This book explores the development of nanopesticides and tests of their biological activity against target organisms. It also covers the effects of nanopesticides in the aquatic and terrestrial environments, along with related subjects including fate, behaviour, mechanisms of action and toxicity. Moreover, the book discusses the potential risks of nanopesticides for non-target organisms, as well as regulatory issues and future perspectives.

< div="" style=""> This book comprises select proceedings of the 46th National Conference on Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Power (FMFP 2019). The contents of this book focus on aerodynamics and flow control, computational fluid dynamics, fluid structure interaction, noise and aero-acoustics, unsteady and pulsating flows, vortex dynamics, nuclear thermal hydraulics, heat transfer in nanofluids, etc. This book serves as a useful reference beneficial to researchers, academicians and students interested in the broad field of mechanics. ^

This extensive and singular work focuses on current applications of nanotechnology in food systems. The functionality and applicability of food-related nanotechnology is covered in depth, presenting a view on the food processing, packaging,storage and safety assessment of nanotechnology in the food industry. Multiple nanostructures are covered, each with their specific ingredient choice, production strategy, functionality and application in food engineering. Individual chapters focus on current processing methods and applications of nanotechnology in foods. Nano-food Engineering Volume One brings together panels of highly accomplished experts in the field of composites, nanotechnology and chemical engineering and food technology. The work encompasses basic studies and addresses novel issues, covering all engineering aspects, opportunities and challenges and solutions of nano-foods.

This book covers the performance aspects of nanocomposite supercapacitor materials based on transition metal oxides, activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, graphene and conducting polymers. It compares the performance of simple electrode materials versus binary and ternary composites, while highlighting the advantages and challenges of different supercapacitor electrode materials. This book is part of the Handbook of Nanocomposite Supercapacitor Materials. Supercapacitors have emerged as promising devices for electrochemical energy storage, playing an important role in energy harvesting for meeting the current demands of increasing global energy consumption. The handbook covers the materials science and engineering of nanocomposite supercapacitors, ranging from their general characteristics and performance to materials selection, design and construction. Covering both fundamentals and recent developments, this handbook serves a readership encompassing students, professionals and researchers throughout academia and industry, particularly in the fields of materials chemistry, electrochemistry, and energy storage and conversion. It is ideal as a reference work and primary resource for any introductory senior-level undergraduate or beginning graduate course covering supercapacitors.

This substantially updated and augmented second edition adds over 200 pages of text covering and an array of newer developments in nanoscale thermal transport. In Nano/Microscale Heat Transfer, 2nd edition, Dr. Zhang expands his classroom-proven text to incorporate thermal conductivity spectroscopy, time-domain and frequency-domain thermoreflectance techniques, quantum size effect on specific heat, coherent phonon, minimum thermal conductivity, interface thermal conductance, thermal interface materials, 2D sheet materials and their unique thermal properties, soft materials, first-principles simulation, hyperbolic metamaterials, magnetic polaritons, and new near-field radiation experiments and numerical simulations. Informed by over 12 years use, the author's research experience, and feedback from teaching faculty, the book has been reorganized in many sections and enriched with more examples and homework problems. Solutions for selected problems are also available to qualified faculty via a password-protected website.* Substantially updates and augments the widely adopted original edition, adding over 200 pages and many new illustrations;* Incorporates student and faculty feedback from a decade of classroom use;* Elucidates concepts explained with many examples and illustrations;* Supports student application of theory with 300 homework problems;* Maximizes reader understanding of micro/nanoscale thermophysical properties and processes and how to apply them to thermal science and engineering;* Features MATLAB codes for working with size and temperature effects on thermal conductivity, specific heat of nanostructures, thin-film optics, RCWA, and near-field radiation.

This book presents selected peer-reviewed contributions from the 2019 International Conference on "Physics and Mechanics of New Materials and Their Applications", PHENMA 2019 (Hanoi, Vietnam, 7-10 November, 2019), divided into four scientific themes: processing techniques, physics, mechanics, and applications of advanced materials. The book describes a broad spectrum of promising nanostructures, crystals, materials and composites with special properties. It presents nanotechnology approaches, modern environmentally friendly techniques and physical-chemical and mechanical studies of the structural-sensitive and physical-mechanical properties of materials. The obtained results are based on new achievements in material sciences and computational approaches, methods and algorithms (in particular, finite-element and finite-difference modeling) applied to the solution of different technological, mechanical and physical problems. The obtained results have a significant interest for theory, modeling and test of advanced materials. Other results are devoted to promising devices demonstrating high accuracy, longevity and new opportunities to work effectively under critical temperatures and high pressures, in aggressive media, etc. These devices demonstrate improved comparative characteristics, caused by developed materials and composites, allowing investigation of physio-mechanical processes and phenomena based on scientific and technological progress.

This book covers a variety of topics in the field of mechatronics engineering, with a special focus on innovative control and automation concepts for applications in a wide range of field, including industrial production, medicine and rehabilitation, education and transport. Based on a set of papers presented at the 1st International Conference "Innovation in Engineering", ICIE, held in Guimaraes, Portugal, on June 28-30, 2021, the chapters report on cutting-edge control algorithms for mobile robots and robot manipulators, innovative industrial monitoring strategies for industrial process, improved production systems for smart manufacturing, and discusses important issues related to user experience, training and education, as well as national developments in the field of mechatronics . This volume, which belongs to a three-volume set, provides engineering researchers and professionals with a timely overview and extensive information on trends and technologies behind the future developments of mechatronics systems in the era of Industry 4.0.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-art in oxide nanostructures, carbon nanostructures and 2D materials fabrication. It covers mimicking of sensing mechanisms and applications in gas sensors. It focuses on gas sensors based on functional nanostructured materials, especially related to issues of sensitivity, selectivity, and temperature dependency for sensors. It covers synthesis, properties, and current gas sensing tools and discusses the necessity for miniaturized sensors. This book will be of use to senior undergraduate and graduate students, professionals, and researchers in the field of solid-state physics, materials science, surface science and chemical engineering.

This book summarizes the state of the art in the theoretical modeling of inorganic nanostructures. Extending the first edition, published in 2015, it presents applications to new nanostructured materials and theoretical explanations of recently discovered optical and thermodynamic properties of known nanomaterials. It discusses the developments in theoretical modeling of nanostructures, describing fundamental approaches such as symmetry analysis and applied calculation methods. The book also examines the theoretical aspects of many thermodynamic and the optical properties of nanostructures. The new edition includes additional descriptions of the theoretical modeling of nanostructures in novel materials such as the V2O5 binary oxide, ZnS, CdS, MoSSe and SnS2.

This book presents the select proceedings of 1st International Conference on Future Trends in Materials and Mechanical Engineering (ICFTMME-2020), organised by Mechanical Engineering Department, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (Formerly known as SRM University), Delhi-NCR Campus, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. The book provides a deep insight of future trends in the advancement of materials and mechanical engineering. A broad range of topics and issues in material development and modern mechanical engineering are covered including polymers, nanomaterials, magnetic materials, fiber composites, stress analysis, design of mechanical components, theoretical and applied mechanics, tribology, solar, additive manufacturing and many more. This book will prove its worth to a broad readership of engineering students, researchers, and professionals.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.

Agriculture is considered as a backbone of developing nations as it caters the needs of the people, directly or indirectly. The global agriculture currently faces enormous challenges like land degradation and reduced soil fertility, shrinking of land, low production yield, water accessibility and a dearth of labor due to evacuation of individuals from farming. Besides, the global population increases at an exponential rate and it is predicted that the global population will be 9 billion by 2050 that in turn leads to food crisis in near future. Although, green revolution revolutionizes the agriculture sector by enhancing the yield but it was not considered as a sustainable approach. Exorbitant use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to boost the crop yield is definitely not a convenient approach for agriculture sustainability in the light of the fact that these chemical fertilizers are considered as double-edged sword, which on one hand enhance the crop yield but at the same time possess deleterious effect on the soil microflora and thus declines its fertility. Besides, it cause irreversible damage to the soil texture and disrupts the equilibrium in the food chain across ecosystem, which might in turn lead to genetic mutations in future generations of consumers. Thus, the increased dependence on fabricated agricultural additives during and post green revolution has generated serious issues pertaining to sustainability, environmental impact and health hazards. Therefore, nano-biotechnology has emerged as a promising tool to tackle the above problems especially in the agriculture sector. Nano-agribusiness is an emerged field to enhance crop yield, rejuvenate soil health, provide precision farming and stimulate plant growth. Nano-biotechnology is an essential tool in modern agriculture and is considered as a primary economic driver in near future. It is evaluated that joining of cutting edge nanotechnology in agribusiness would push the worldwide monetary development to approximately US$ 3.4 trillion by 2020 which clearly indicates that how agri-nanobiotechnology plays a pivotal role in the agricultural sector, without any negative impact on the environment and other regulatory issues of biosafety. Agri-nanobiotechnology is an innovative green technology, which provides the solution to global food security, sustainability and climate change. The current book is presenting the role of nano-biotechnology in modern agriculture and how it plays a pivotal role to boost the agri-business.

This book summarizes the application of linear algebra-based controllers (LABC) for trajectory tracking for practitioners and students across a range of engineering disciplines. It clarifies the necessary steps to apply this straight-forward technique to a non-linear multivariable system, dealing with continuous or discrete time models, and outlines the steps to implement such controllers. In this book, the authors present an approach of the trajectory tracking problem in systems with dead time and in the presence of additive uncertainties and environmental disturbances. Examples of applications of LABC to systems in real operating conditions (mobile robots, marine vessels, quadrotor and pvtol aircraft, chemical reactors and First Order Plus Dead Time systems) illustrate the controller design in such a way that the reader attains an understanding of LABC.

The extended and revised edition of this textbook provides essential information for a comprehensive upper-level graduate course on the crystalline growth of semiconductor heterostructures. Heteroepitaxy is the basis of today's advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices, and it is considered one of the most important fields in materials research and nanotechnology. The book discusses the structural and electronic properties of strained epitaxial layers, the thermodynamics and kinetics of layer growth, and it describes the major growth techniques: metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy, molecular-beam epitaxy, and liquid-phase epitaxy. It also examines in detail cubic and hexagonal semiconductors, strain relaxation by misfit dislocations, strain and confinement effects on electronic states, surface structures, and processes during nucleation and growth. Requiring only minimal knowledge of solid-state physics, it provides natural sciences, materials science and electrical engineering students and their lecturers elementary introductions to the theory and practice of epitaxial growth, supported by references and over 300 detailed illustrations. In this second edition, many topics have been extended and treated in more detail, e.g. in situ growth monitoring, application of surfactants, properties of dislocations and defects in organic crystals, and special growth techniques like vapor-liquid-solid growth of nanowires and selective-area epitaxy.

This book provides a comprehensive reference to major neural interfacing technologies used to transmit signals between the physical world and the nervous system for repairing, restoring and even augmenting body functions. The authors discuss the classic approaches for neural interfacing, the major challenges encountered, and recent, emerging techniques to mitigate these challenges for better chronic performances. Readers will benefit from this book's unprecedented scope and depth of coverage on the technology of neural interfaces, the most critical component in any type of neural prostheses. Provides comprehensive coverage of major neural interfacing technologies; Reviews and discusses both classic and latest, emerging topics; Includes classification of technologies to provide an easy grasp of research and trends in the field.

This book presents the mechanics of piezoelectric semiconductor structures where the main electromechanical coupling of interest is the interaction between mechanical fields and semiconduction. This volume stands as the first full book treatment of this multi-physical subject from the mechanics angle. The analysis of piezoelectric semiconductor structures and devices is an emerging and rapidly growing interdisciplinary area involving materials, electronics, and solid mechanics. It has direct applications in the new area of piezotronics and piezo-phototronics. The book is theoretical, beginning with a phenomenological framework and progressing to include solutions to problems fundamental to the theory and application. Dr. Yang illustrates how in piezoelectric semiconductors, mechanical fields interact with semiconduction through the piezoelectrically produced electric fields by mechanical loads. This provides the foundation of piezotronic and piezo-phototronic devices in which semiconduction is induced, affected, manipulated, or controlled by mechanical fields. Also discussing composite structures of piezoelectric dielectrics and nonpiezoelectric semiconductors as well as thermal effects, the book is an ideal basic reference on the topic for researchers.