This textbook provides an introduction to probabilistic reliability analysis of power systems. It discusses a range of probabilistic methods used in reliability modelling of power system components, small systems and large systems. It also presents the benefits of probabilistic methods for modelling renewable energy sources. The textbook describes real-life studies, discussing practical examples and providing interesting problems, teaching students the methods in a thorough and hands-on way. The textbook has chapters dedicated to reliability models for components (reliability functions, component life cycle, two-state Markov model, stress-strength model), small systems (reliability networks, Markov models, fault/event tree analysis) and large systems (generation adequacy, state enumeration, Monte-Carlo simulation). Moreover, it contains chapters about probabilistic optimal power flow, the reliability of underground cables and cyber-physical power systems. After reading this book, engineering students will be able to apply various methods to model the reliability of power system components, smaller and larger systems. The textbook will be accessible to power engineering students, as well as students from mathematics, computer science, physics, mechanical engineering, policy & management, and will allow them to apply reliability analysis methods to their own areas of expertise.

This book provides an overview of passive and interactive analytical techniques for nuclear materials. The book aims to update readers on new techniques available and provide an introduction for those who are new to the topic or are looking to move into actinides and nuclear materials science. The characterization of actinide species and radioactive materials is vital for understanding how these elements and radioactive isotopes are formed and behave and how these materials can be improved. The analysis of the actinides or radioactive materials goes beyond spent fuel science to the applicable complete fuel cycle and including analysis of reactor materials.

The fundamental motivation of this book is to contribute to the future advancement of Asset Management in the context of industrial plants and infrastructures. The book aims to foster a future perspective that takes advantage of value-based and intelligent asset management in order to make a step forward with respect to the evolution observed nowadays. Indeed, the current understanding of asset management is primarily supported by well-known standards. Nonetheless, asset management is still a young discipline and the knowledge developed by industry and academia is not set in stone yet. Furthermore, current trends in new organizational concepts and technologies lead to an evolutionary path in the field. Therefore, this book aims to discuss this evolutionary path, starting first of all from the consolidated theory, then moving forward to discuss: * The strategic understanding of value-based asset management in a company; * An operational definition of value, as a concept on the background of value-based asset management; * The identification of intelligent asset management, with the aim to frame a set of "tools" recommended to support the asset-related decision-making process over the asset lifecycle; * The emergence of new technologies such as cyber physical systems and digital twins, and the implications of this on asset management.

This book offers a practice-oriented guide to developing an effective cybersecurity culture in organizations. It provides a psychosocial perspective on common cyberthreats affecting organizations, and presents practical solutions for leveraging employees' attitudes and behaviours in order to improve security. Cybersecurity, as well as the solutions used to achieve it, has largely been associated with technologies. In contrast, this book argues that cybersecurity begins with improving the connections between people and digital technologies. By presenting a comprehensive analysis of the current cybersecurity landscape, the author discusses, based on literature and her personal experience, human weaknesses in relation to security and the advantages of pursuing a holistic approach to cybersecurity, and suggests how to develop cybersecurity culture in practice. Organizations can improve their cyber resilience by adequately training their staff. Accordingly, the book also describes a set of training methods and tools. Further, ongoing education programmes and effective communication within organizations are considered, showing that they can become key drivers for successful cybersecurity awareness initiatives. When properly trained and actively involved, human beings can become the true first line of defence for every organization.

Offshore Risk Assessment was the first book to deal with quantified risk assessment (QRA) as applied specifically to offshore installations and operations. Risk assessment techniques have been used for more than three decades in the offshore oil and gas industry, and their use is set to expand increasingly as the industry moves into new areas and faces new challenges in older regions. This updated and expanded third edition has been informed by a major R&D program on offshore risk assessment in Norway and summarizes research from 2006 to the present day. Rooted with a thorough discussion of risk metrics and risk analysis methodology, subsequent chapters are devoted to analytical approaches to escalation, escape, evacuation and rescue analysis of safety and emergency systems. Separate chapters analyze the main hazards of offshore structures: fire, explosion, collision, and falling objects as well as structural and marine hazards. Risk mitigation and control are discussed, as well as an illustration of how the results from quantitative risk assessment studies should be presented. The third second edition has a stronger focus on the use of risk assessment techniques in the operation of offshore installations. Also decommissioning of installations is covered. Not only does Offshore Risk Assessment describe the state of the art of QRA, it also identifies weaknesses and areas that need further development. This new edition also illustrates applications or quantitative risk analysis methodology to offshore petroleum applications. A comprehensive reference for academics and students of marine/offshore risk assessment and management, the book should also be owned by professionals in the industry, contractors, suppliers, consultants and regulatory authorities.

This book describes how manufacturing enterprises, by reinforcing their existing monitoring and control of manufacturing processes, can successfully face the ever-increasing pressure from internal and external environments to maintain their competitive advantage. Numerous performance measurement systems have been elaborated to satisfy these requirements, stressing the importance of financial and operational metrics. It also highlights the fact that research on generating and linking financial and operational metrics, especially in real-time, has not garnered sufficient attention to date. The book follows an approach that integrates enterprises across different levels and departments. By computing and linking the financial and operational metrics in real-time, the book demonstrates how to provide a comprehensive view of an entire enterprise.

The research papers presented in these proceedings volumes cover the latest developments and findings in the fields of mine health, safety, energy, waste management,reclamation and rehabilitation, mine closure and environmental protection. Authors from over 20 countries with backgrounds in chemistry, engineering, technology and management, and hailing from the government, industry and academia, have contributed to this book. The contents of this book will be of interest to scientists, engineers, consultants and government personnel who are responsible for the development and implementation of innovative approaches, techniques and technologies in the minerals industries. It will also benefit academic researchers, as it addresses the latest advances in fundamental research.

This book discusses recent developments in dynamic reliability in multi-state systems (MSS), addressing such important issues as reliability and availability analysis of aging MSS, the impact of initial conditions on MSS reliability and availability, changing importance of components over time in MSS with aging components, and the determination of age-replacement policies. It also describes modifications of traditional methods, such as Markov processes with rewards, as well as a modern mathematical method based on the extended universal generating function technique, the Lz-transform, presenting various successful applications and demonstrating their use in real-world problems. This book provides theoretical insights, information on practical applications, and real-world case studies that are of interest to engineers and industrial managers as well as researchers. It also serves as a textbook or supporting text for graduate and postgraduate courses in industrial, electrical, and mechanical engineering.

This book summarizes the research being pursued as part of the Erasmus+ CBHE KA2 project entitled "Development of master curricula for natural disasters risk management in Western Balkan countries" (NatRisk), which aims to educate experts on the prevention and management of natural disasters in the Western Balkan region in line with national and EU policies. The project has successfully developed and implemented master curricula and educational training in the field of natural disasters risk management, and a methodology for the identification and prevention of natural disasters. Consisting of 11 chapters, the book analyzes and discusses topics such as risk assessment tools and quality methods, the different approaches for civil-military collaboration, natural disasters risk management in Bosnia and Herzegovina, leadership models for managing crises resulting from natural disasters, natural disasters in industrial areas, natural risk management in geotechnics, flood risk modeling, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference models for flood prediction, collapse prediction of masonry arches, an algorithm for fire truck dispatch in emergency situations, and processing drought data in a GIS environment.

This book presents a comprehensive introduction to the field of structural vibration reduction control, but may also be used as a reference source for more advanced topics. The content is divided into four main parts: the basic principles of structural vibration reduction control, structural vibration reduction devices, structural vibration reduction design methods, and structural vibration reduction engineering practices. As the book strikes a balance between theoretical and practical aspects, it will appeal to researchers and practicing engineers alike, as well as graduate students.

This book presents a general and comprehensive framework for the assurance of quality in measurements. Written by a foremost expert in the field, the text reflects an on-going international effort to extend traditional quality assured measurement, rooted in fundamental physics and the SI, to include non-physical areas such as person-centred care and the social sciences more generally. Chapter by chapter, the book follows the measurement quality assurance loop, based on Deming's work. The author enhances this quality assurance cycle with insights from recent research, including work on the politics and philosophy of metrology, the new SI, quantitative and qualitative scales and entropy, decision risks and uncertainty when addressing human challenges, Man as a Measurement Instrument, and Psychometry and Person-centred care. Quality Assured Measurement: Unification across Social and Physical Sciences provides students and researchers in physics, chemistry, engineering, medicine and the social sciences with practical guidance on designing, implementing and applying a quality-assured measurement while engaging readers in the most novel and expansive areas of contemporary measurement research.

The book provides background information about technical solutions, processes and methodology to develop future automated mobility solutions. Beginning from the legal requirements as the minimum tolerable risk level of the society, the book provides state-of-the-art risk-management methodologies. The system engineering approach based on todays engineering best practices enhanced by principles derived from cybernetics. The approach derived from the typical behaviour of a human driver in public road traffic to a cybernetical based system engineering approach. Beyond the system engineering approach, a common behaviour model for the operational domain will show aspects how to extend the system engineering model with principles of cybernetics. The role and the human factors of road traffic participants and drivers of motor vehicles are identified and several viewpoints for different observers show how such mixed traffic scenarios could be assessed and optimised. The influence of the changing mobility demands of the society and the resulting changes to the origination of producer, owner, driver and supplier show aspects for future liability and risk share option for new supply chains. Examples from various industries provide some well-proven engineering principles how to adapt those for the future mobility for the benefit of the users. The aim of the book is to raise awareness that the safety provided by a product, a means of transport or a system up to an entire traffic system depends on the capabilities of the various actors. In addition to the driver and passengers, there are also other road users, maintenance personnel and service providers, who must have certain abilities to act safely in traffic. These are also the capabilities of the organisation, not only the organisation that develops or brings the product to market, but also the organisation that is responsible for the operation and the whole lifecycle of the products. The book is for people who want to get involved in the mobility of the future. People, that have ideas to become a player who want to help shape the future mobility of society and who want to bring responsible solutions for users into the market.

This book addresses the shelf life of foods, a key factor in determining how food is distributed and consequently where and when different food products are available for consumption. Shelf life is determined by several factors, including microbiological, chemical, physical, and organoleptic deterioration. Often these factors are interrelated and interdependent. The editors of this volume focus specifically on the microbial factors related to shelf life of perishable foods and food commodities. This allows for more detailed coverage of foodborne bacterial pathogens and spoilage microorganisms of concern. The initial part of the book covers the why and how of shelf life determination as well as the specific microbial pathogens and spoilage microorganisms of concern for perishable foods. Contributors address topics such as the techniques utilized for determination of shelf life, the frequency of shelf life testing for different products, the interpretation of data to make shelf life determinations, and management of shelf life of food products from the perspective of the food producer, distributor, retailer, and regulator. Three key areas impacting shelf life are addressed in detail: sanitation, processing, and packaging. The sanitation chapter explains the necessary components of cleaning and sanitizing to assure a hygienic processing environment and why that is critical to shelf life control. Traditional processing procedures are reviewed and advanced processing technologies are explored. Materials used in food packaging and the utilization of traditional and activated food packaging by product type are covered in detail. The latter two chapters of the book delve into newer techniques of analysis and explore the microbiome of food products. Implications of microbial ecology and microbial quantification in food products are discussed in chapters on genomics and in the changing dogma of meat shelf life. The primary audience for this work includes food industry quality and food safety technicians, managers, directors, and executives responsible for shelf life. Academicians and governmental researchers involved in research and teaching about food safety and quality will also find the material relevant and useful.

This book focuses on the latest scientific and technological advancements in the field of railway turnout engineering. It offers a holistic approach to the scientific investigation of the factors and mechanisms determining performance degradation of railway switches and crossings (S&Cs), and the consequent development of condition monitoring systems that will enable infrastructure managers to transition towards the implementation of predictive maintenance. The book is divided into three distinct parts. Part I discusses the modelling of railway infrastructure, including switch and crossing systems, while Part II focuses on metallurgical characterization. This includes the microstructure of in-field loaded railway steel and an analysis of rail screw failures. In turn, the third and final part discusses condition monitoring and asset management. Given its scope, the book is of interest to both academics and industrial practitioners, helping them learn about the various challenges characterizing this engineering domain and the latest solutions to properly address them.

During its life cycle, a product produces waste that is over 20 times its weight. As such it is critical to develop products that are sustainable. Currently product development processes lack high quality methods and tools that are empirically validated to support development of sustainable products. This book is a compilation of over forty cutting edge international research papers from the 22nd CIRP International Design Conference, written by eminent researchers from 15 countries, on engineering design process, methods and tools, broadly for supporting sustainable product development.

A variety of new insights into the product development process, as well as a host of methods and tools that are at the cutting edge of design research are discussed and explained covering a range of diverse topics. The areas covered include:

Sustainable design and manufacturing,

Design synthesis and creativity,

Global product development and product life cycle management,

Design for X (safety, reliability, manufacturability, etc.), and

Design taxonomy, ontology and standards.

"CIRP Design 2012: Sustainable Product Development" provides researchers in design, engineering and sustainability access to some of the latest, quality research in this area. Practitioners and educators of engineering design and sustainability will find an empirically validated suite of methods and tools that can be applied and taught to develop their practices."

This book highlights the main features of shipbuilding management which lead to successful completion of shipbuilding projects. A brief review of the market context for the industry, its historical development are given to explain how shipbuilding arrived at its current structure. First pre-production including design, planning, cost estimating, procurement of materials and sub-contracting. Then, the production sequence outlines part preparation, hull assembly and construction, outfitting and painting, testing and completion. The importance of human resources and management organisation are explained. Building a ship is a complex project, so the principles of project management are described, first in general terms and then with specific reference to their application in shipbuilding. Finally managing the progress of a shipbuilding project and achieving completion are emphasised.

This edited book covers recent advances of techniques, methods and tools treating the problem of learning from data streams generated by evolving non-stationary processes. The goal is to discuss and overview the advanced techniques, methods and tools that are dedicated to manage, exploit and interpret data streams in non-stationary environments. The book includes the required notions, definitions, and background to understand the problem of learning from data streams in non-stationary environments and synthesizes the state-of-the-art in the domain, discussing advanced aspects and concepts and presenting open problems and future challenges in this field. Provides multiple examples to facilitate the understanding data streams in non-stationary environments; Presents several application cases to show how the methods solve different real world problems; Discusses the links between methods to help stimulate new research and application directions.

This book describes fresh approaches to compression technology. The authors describe in detail where, why, and how these can be of value to process plants. As such plants have become ever larger and more complex, more technology-intensive solutions have had to be developed for process machinery. The best practices that have emerged to address these requirements are assembled in this book.

This book addresses remaining life prediction and predictive maintenance of equipment. It systematically summarizes the key research findings made by the author and his team and focuses on how to create equipment performance degradation and residual life prediction models based on the performance monitoring data produced by currently used and historical equipment. Some of the theoretical results covered here have been used to make remaining life predictions and maintenance-related decisions for aerospace products such as gyros and platforms. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable reference guide for those pursuing theoretical or applied research in the areas of fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control, remaining life prediction, and maintenance decision-making.

This book comprises select papers presented at the International Conference on Construction Materials and Environment (ICCME 2020). The topics discussed revolve around the identification and utilization of novel construction materials primarily in the areas of structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, transportation engineering, and environmental engineering. The volume presents a compilation of thoroughly studied and utilized sustainable construction materials in different areas of civil engineering. Newly developed testing methodologies, physical modelling methods, numerical studies, and other latest techniques discussed in this book can prove to be useful for researchers and practitioners across the globe.

This book introduces the concept of holistic design and development of cyber physical systems to achieve their safe and secure operation. It shows that by following the standards for embedded system's safety and using appropriate hardware and software components inherently safe system's architectures can be devised and certified. While the standards already enable testing and certification of inherently safe and sound hardware, this is still not the case with software. The book demonstrates that Specification PEARL(SPEARL) addresses this issue and proposes appropriate solutions from the viewpoints of software engineering as well as concrete program components. By doing so it reduces the complexity of cyber physical systems design in an innovative way. Three ultimate goals are being followed in the course of defining this new PEARL standard, namely: 1. simplicity over complexity, 2. inherent real-time ability, and 3. conformity to safety integrity and security capability levels.

This book focuses on how to keep blast furnaces running stably and smoothly with low consumption and long operating life spans. Assessing and adjusting blast furnace performance are key to operation. The book describes in detail cases of both successful and failed blast furnace operation. It also demonstrates various phenomena and "symptoms" in the smelting process that have rarely been studied before, e.g. abnormal gas distribution, bending loss of tuyere, slag crust fall-off, blast furnace thickening, and hearth accumulation. As such, it will help readers understand internal phenomena in blast furnaces, providing a basis for developing intelligent control and management systems.

This book proposes new control and protection schemes to improve the overall stability and security of future wide-area power systems. It focuses on the high penetration levels of renewable energy sources and distributed generation, particularly with the trend towards smart grids. The control methods discussed can improve the overall stability in normal and abnormal operation conditions, while the protection methods presented can be used to ensure the secure operation of systems under most severe contingencies. Presenting stability, security, and protection methods for power systems in one concise volume, this book takes the reader on a journey from concepts and fundamentals to the latest and future trends in each topic covered, making it an informative and intriguing read for researchers, graduate students, and practitioners alike.

The rapid development of China's transportation system brings huge challenges to fire safety issues. Fire Protection Engineering Applications for Large Transportation Systems in Chinaanalyzes key fire issues for large transportation systems in rail, airport, tunnels, etc. and offers solutions and best practices for similar projects throughout the world. The first monograph to look at transportation hub fire issues in China looks at architecture features, occupancy and area classification, fire hazard and design difficulties based on local code design. The book then provides case studies to identity the common problems and introduces possible solutions in order to develop a best practice for future design and improvement. The authors worked directly on the case studies provided, which include the Hongqiao airport transportation hub, Beijing and Pudoing airport PBD study, subways in different cities and the high speed train system Cross China. They use their research and investigation to form the theoretical basis for the fire design of urban large transportation hubs and the establishment of corresponding fire codes. The cutting-edge technologies discussed include: Smoke control strategy in complicated multiple function space, assistant evacuation performance based study new technology on fire separation new fire products for smoke detection and intelligent guiding system for evacuation BIM and internet of things used to improve fire management

[FIRST EDITION] This accessible textbook presents an introduction to computer vision algorithms for industrially-relevant applications of X-ray testing. Features: introduces the mathematical background for monocular and multiple view geometry; describes the main techniques for image processing used in X-ray testing; presents a range of different representations for X-ray images, explaining how these enable new features to be extracted from the original image; examines a range of known X-ray image classifiers and classification strategies; discusses some basic concepts for the simulation of X-ray images and presents simple geometric and imaging models that can be used in the simulation; reviews a variety of applications for X-ray testing, from industrial inspection and baggage screening to the quality control of natural products; provides supporting material at an associated website, including a database of X-ray images and a Matlab toolbox for use with the book's many examples.