This book presents the latest research in the fields of reliability theory and its applications, providing a comprehensive overview of reliability engineering and discussing various tools, techniques, strategies and methods within these areas. Reliability analysis is one of the most multidimensional topics in the field of systems reliability engineering, and while its rapid development creates opportunities for industrialists and academics, it is also means that it is hard to keep up to date with the research taking place. By gathering findings from institutions around the globe, the book offers insights into the international developments in the field. As well as discussing the current areas of research, it also identifies knowledge gaps in reliability theory and its applications and highlights fruitful avenues for future research. Covering topics from life cycle sustainability to performance analysis of cloud computing, this book is ideal for upper undergraduate and postgraduate researchers studying reliability engineering.

This proceedings book discusses state-of-the-art research on uncertainty quantification in mechanical engineering, including statistical data concerning the entries and parameters of a system to produce statistical data on the outputs of the system. It is based on papers presented at Uncertainties 2020, a workshop organized on behalf of the Scientific Committee on Uncertainty in Mechanics (Mecanique et Incertain) of the AFM (French Society of Mechanical Sciences), the Scientific Committee on Stochastic Modeling and Uncertainty Quantification of the ABCM (Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences) and the SBMAC (Brazilian Society of Applied Mathematics).

This book talks about the dynamics of the surface water-groundwater contaminant interactions under different environmental conditions across the world. The contents of the book highlight trends of monitoring, prediction, awareness, learning, policy, and mitigation success. The book provides a description of the background processes and factors controlling resilience, risk, and response of water systems, contributing to the development of more efficient, sustainable technologies and management options. It integrates methodologies and techniques such as data science and engineering, remote sensing, modelling, analytics, synthesis and indices, disruptive innovations and their utilization in water management, policy making, and mitigation strategies. The book is intended to be a comprehensive reference for students, professionals, and researchers working on various aspects of science and technology development. It will also prove a useful resource for policy makers and implementation specialists.

This book comprises the proceedings of the Conference and Exhibition on Non Destructive Evaluation, (NDE 2019). The contents of the book encompass a vast spectrum from Conventional to Advanced NDE including novel methods, instrumentation, sensors, procedures and data analytics as applied to all industry segments for quality control, periodic maintenance, life estimation, structural integrity and related areas. This book will be a useful reference for students, researchers and practitioners.

This book presents the selected peer-reviewed proceedings of the International Conference on Thermal Engineering and Management Advances (ICTEMA 2020). The contents discuss latest research in the areas of thermal engineering, manufacturing engineering, and production management. Some of the topics covered include multiphase fluid flow, turbulent flows, reactive flows, atmospheric flows, combustion and propulsion, computational methods for thermo-fluid arena, micro and nanofluidics, renewable energy and environment sustainability, non-conventional energy resources, energy principles and management, machine dynamics and manufacturing, casting and forming, green manufacturing, production planning and management, quality control and management, and traditional and non-traditional manufacturing. The contents of this book will be useful for students, researchers as well as professionals working in the area of mechanical engineering and allied fields.

These proceedings present the latest information on software reliability, industrial safety, cyber security, physical protection, testing and verification for nuclear power plants. The papers were selected from more than 80 submissions and presented at the First International Symposium on Software Reliability, Industrial Safety, Cyber Security and Physical Protection for Nuclear Power Plants, held in Yinchuan, China on May 30 - June 1, 2016. The primary aim of this symposium was to provide a platform to facilitate the discussion for comprehension, application and management of digital instrumentation, control systems and technologies in nuclear power plants. The book reflects not only the state of the art and latest trends in nuclear instrumentation and control system technologies, but also China's increasing influence in this area. It is a valuable resource for both practitioners and academics working in the field of nuclear instrumentation, control systems and other safety-critical systems, as well as nuclear power plant managers, public officials and regulatory authorities.

Probabilistic risk analysis aims to quantify the risk caused by high technology installations in situations where classical statistical analysis is difficult or impossible. This book discusses the fundamental notion of uncertainty, its relationship with probability, and the limits to the quantification of uncertainty. Drawing on extensive experience in the theory and applications of risk analysis, the authors focus on the conceptual and mathematical foundations underlying the quantification, interpretation and management of risk. They cover standard topics as well as important new subjects such as the use of expert judgment and uncertainty propagation.

This book consists of two parts, the first of which focuses on combustible solids, and the second on the industrial position concerning these materials. It includes practical data and information on all biomass sources, from woodchips to sewage sludge, as well as mixtures. Biomass materials are rapidly becoming a fundamental energy source, and their consumption will surpass that of fossil fuels in the near future. The risk of explosion of biomass dust materials can lead to massive economic and human losses worldwide, and applies to every facility that produces, processes or handles these materials. A better understanding of the risk could help reduce the number of accidents; until now, however, no book has been published on the subject. This book is the first to gather the latest information, both from the authors and from other researchers, while also providing explanations and clarifications of how to correctly determine the most relevant parameters and use them to ensure safer environments. It was written in clear, straightforward language to make it accessible for a broad range of readers, from students to senior researchers.

This book investigates Reliability-based Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (RBMDO) theory and its application in the design of deep manned submersibles (DMSs). Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) is an effective design method for large engineering systems like aircraft, warships, and satellites, which require designers and engineers from various disciplines to cooperate with each other. MDO can be used to handle the conflicts that arise between these disciplines, and focuses on the optimal design of the system as a whole. However, it can also push designs to the brink of failure. In order to keep the system balanced, Reliability-based Design (RBD) must be incorporated into MDO. Consequently, new algorithms and methods have to be developed for RBMDO theory. This book provides an essential overview of MDO, RBD, and RBMDO and subsequently introduces key algorithms and methods by means of case analyses. In closing, it introduces readers to the design of DMSs and applies RBMDO methods to the design of the manned hull and the general concept design. The book is intended for all students and researchers who are interested in system design theory, and for engineers working on large, complex engineering systems.

This book contains the proceedings of the Additive Manufacturing in Product Development Conference. The content focus on how to support real-world value chains by developing additive manufactured series products.

Optimal Reliability Design is a detailed introduction to systems reliability and reliability optimization. State-of-the-art techniques for maximizing system reliability are described, focusing on component reliability enhancement and redundancy arrangement. The authors present several case studies and show how optimization techniques are applied in practice. They also pay particular attention to finding methods that give the optimal trade-off between reliability and cost. Chapters cover optimization tools such as heuristics, discrete optimization, nonlinear programming, mixed integer programming, optimal arrangement, and metaheuristic algorithms, and their computational implementation. Many numerical examples are included, as well as over 180 homework exercises. The book is suitable as a text for graduate-level courses in reliability engineering and operations research and as a valuable reference for practicing engineers.

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 systematically examines and quantifies industrial problems by assessing the complexity and safety of large systems. It includes chapters on system performance management, software reliability assessment, testing, quality management, analysis using soft computing techniques, management analytics, and business analytics, with a clear focus on exploring real-world business issues. Through contributions from researchers working in the area of performance, management, and business analytics, it explores the development of new methods and approaches to improve business by gaining knowledge from bulk data. With system performance analytics, companies are now able to drive performance and provide actionable insights for each level and for every role using key indicators, generate mobile-enabled scorecards, time series-based analysis using charts, and dashboards. In the current dynamic environment, a viable tool known as multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is increasingly being adopted to deal with complex business decisions. MCDA is an important decision support tool for analyzing goals and providing optimal solutions and alternatives. It comprises several distinct techniques, which are implemented by specialized decision-making packages. This book addresses a number of important MCDA methods, such as DEMATEL, TOPSIS, AHP, MAUT, and Intuitionistic Fuzzy MCDM, which make it possible to derive maximum utility in the area of analytics. As such, it is a valuable resource for researchers and academicians, as well as practitioners and business experts.

This book helps professionals to turn their own Six Sigma projects into reality. Using a sample project, the book guides readers through all aspects of Six Sigma, from identifying and defining a suitable project topic, to sustainably managing its success in the control phase. By demonstrating all the necessary steps supported by a DMAIC software guide, it makes the application of the sequentially linked DMAIC tools easy to understand and directly transferable to typical Six Sigma business projects. Further, each chapter provides numerous questions and answers, tasks and the framework for an environmental standard project. This book is an essential part of the author's teaching material on the topic, which also includes the software 'sigmaGuide', a template for project documentation and several hours of video content featuring course materials on edX Learning Community.

This book presents the latest developments in both qualitative and quantitative computational methods for reliability and statistics, as well as their applications. Consisting of contributions from active researchers and experienced practitioners in the field, it fills the gap between theory and practice and explores new research challenges in reliability and statistical computing. The book consists of 18 chapters. It covers (1) modeling in and methods for reliability computing, with chapters dedicated to predicted reliability modeling, optimal maintenance models, and mechanical reliability and safety analysis; (2) statistical computing methods, including machine learning techniques and deep learning approaches for sentiment analysis and recommendation systems; and (3) applications and case studies, such as modeling innovation paths of European firms, aircraft components, bus safety analysis, performance prediction in textile finishing processes, and movie recommendation systems. Given its scope, the book will appeal to postgraduates, researchers, professors, scientists, and practitioners in a range of fields, including reliability engineering and management, maintenance engineering, quality management, statistics, computer science and engineering, mechanical engineering, business analytics, and data science.

This book discusses a major issue in the food contact materials industry: non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), and their impact on PET-bottled water. NIAS are chemical compounds that are present in food contact materials but have not been added for technical reasons during the production process, and consumers are usually unaware of their presence. NIAS can include decomposition or degradation products, impurities in the raw materials, unwanted by-products or contaminants from recycling processes, and they pose a challenge for packaging manufacturers. In Europe, the EU Regulations No. 1935/2004 and 10/2011 set out, respectively, the general principles of safety and inertness for all packaging materials, and rules on the composition of plastic food-contact materials. Among the plastics commonly used for bottled water and other non-alcoholic refreshment beverages, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most favoured thanks to its chemical and physical stability, its transparency, low weight and good recyclability. Further, very few additives are used for its manufacture. Nonetheless, due to the complex formulations of polymers, processes and storage, NIAS can also be found in PET-bottled water, with potential cancerogenic or toxic effects. This book provides an overview of the European regulation of NIAS in plastic packaging materials, offering insights into their chemical composition in PET-bottled water. Lastly, it provides a useful discussion on NIAS and their toxicity.

This book presents select peer-reviewed papers presented at the International Conference on Numerical Optimization in Engineering and Sciences (NOIEAS) 2019. The book covers a wide variety of numerical optimization techniques across all major engineering disciplines like mechanical, manufacturing, civil, electrical, chemical, computer, and electronics engineering. The major focus is on innovative ideas, current methods and latest results involving advanced optimization techniques. The contents provide a good balance between numerical models and analytical results obtained for different engineering problems and challenges. This book will be useful for students, researchers, and professionals interested in engineering optimization techniques.

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 guides readers through the broad field of generic and industry-specific management system standards, as well as through the arsenal of tools that are needed to effectively implement them. It covers a wide spectrum, from the classic standard ISO 9001 for quality management to standards for environmental safety, information security, energy efficiency, business continuity, laboratory management, etc. A dedicated chapter addresses international management standards for compliance, anti-bribery and social responsibility management. In turn, a major portion of the book focuses on relevant tools that students and practitioners need to be familiar with: 8D reports, acceptance sampling, failure tree analysis, FMEA, control charts, correlation analysis, designing experiments, estimating parameters and confidence intervals, event tree analysis, HAZOP, Ishikawa diagrams, Monte Carlo simulation, regression analysis, reliability theory, data sampling and surveys, testing hypotheses, and much more. An overview of the necessary mathematical concepts is also provided to help readers understand the technicalities of the tools discussed. A down-to-earth yet thorough approach is employed throughout the book to help practitioners and management students alike easily grasp the various topics.

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.

This book discusses various challenges and solutions in the fields of operation, control, design, monitoring and protection of microgrids, and facilitates the integration of renewable energy and distribution systems through localization of generation, storage and consumption. It covers five major topics relating to microgrid i.e., operation, control, design, monitoring and protection. The book is primarily intended for electric power and control engineering researchers who are seeking factual information, but also appeals to professionals from other engineering disciplines wanting an overview of the entire field or specific information on one aspect of it. Featuring practical case studies and demonstrating different root causes of large power failures, it helps readers develop new concepts for mitigating blackout issues. This book is a comprehensive reference resource for graduate and postgraduate students, academic researchers, and practicing engineers working in the fields of power system and microgrid.

This book offers meaningful insights into an impending challenge for the energy industry, namely the increasing role of asset management amongst the utilities' core operations. In the aftermath of energy digitalization, power and gas companies will be able to seize asset productivity-through risk-based operation and maintenance-and better balance capital and operational expenditures. By addressing the asset management of both power and gas infrastructures, and by adopting a comprehensive approach-including regulation and business models, as well as a solid technology background-this book offers a unique perspective on the energy utilities' transformation journey and the road to optimal decision-making for both asset portfolio expansion and replacement. The asset management end-to-end mission requires appropriate internal governance-depending on the business framework-and the development of decision aid models (for asset replacement and maintenance), supported on probabilistic risk and reliability indexes. This book advocates systematically digitalizing the power and gas assets, addressing both data governance and infrastructure, alongside real-time equipment condition monitoring. It also provides a meaningful methodology for designing data-centric asset management and predictive operation and maintenance, using artificial intelligence and engineering-based approaches. As such, it provides valuable strategy, methods and models-illustrated by case studies and proofs of concept-for a wide range of stakeholders, including utilities and industry professionals, regulators, policy-makers, researchers and students.

This book surveys reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS) analyses of various engineering systems. It highlights their role throughout the lifecycle of engineering systems and explains how RAMS activities contribute to their efficient and economic design and operation. The book discusses a variety of examples and applications of RAMS analysis, including: * software products; * electrical and electronic engineering systems; * mechanical engineering systems; * nuclear power plants; * chemical and process plants and * railway systems. The wide-ranging nature of the applications discussed highlights the multidisciplinary nature of complex engineering systems. The book provides a quick reference to the latest advances and terminology in various engineering fields, assisting students and researchers in the areas of reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety engineering.

This book presents a compilation of selected papers from the Fourth International Symposium on Software Reliability, Industrial Safety, Cyber Security and Physical Protection of Nuclear Power Plant, held in August 2019 in Guiyang, China. The purpose of the symposium was to discuss inspection, testing, certification and research concerning the software and hardware of instrument and control (I&C) systems used at nuclear power plants (NPP), such as sensors, actuators and control systems. The event provides a venue for exchange among experts, scholars and nuclear power practitioners, as well as a platform for the combination of teaching and research at universities and enterprises to promote the safe development of nuclear power plants. Readers will find a wealth of valuable insights into achieving safer and more efficient instrumentation and control systems.