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 comprises select proceedings of the National Conference on Recent Advances in Traffic Engineering (RATE 2018) with technical papers on the themes of traffic operation control and management, traffic safety and vulnerable road users, and sustainable transportation. It covers a wide range of topics, including advanced traffic data collection methods, big data analysis, mix-traffic characterization and modelling, travel time reliability, scenario of pedestrian and non-motorised vehicles (NMVs) traffic, regional traffic growth modelling, and applications of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in traffic management. The contents of this book offer up-to-date and practical knowledge on different aspects of traffic engineering, which is useful for students, researchers as well as practitioners.

This book discusses condition based monitoring of rotating machines using intelligent adaptive systems. The book employs computational intelligence and fuzzy control principles to deliver a module that can adaptively monitor and optimize machine health and performance. This book covers design and performance of such systems and provides case studies and data models for fault detection and diagnosis. The contents cover everything from optimal sensor positioning to fault diagnosis. The principles laid out in this book can be applied across rotating machinery such as turbines, compressors, and aircraft engines. The adaptive fault diagnostics systems presented can be used in multiple time and safety critical applications in domains such as aerospace, automotive, deep earth and deep water exploration, and energy.

This book comprises select peer-reviewed contributions from the 6th International Conference on Production and Industrial Engineering (CPIE - 2019). The volume focuses on latest research in the field of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and its allied areas. Articles on variety of topics such as Human Factors Engineering, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Operations Research, Quality Engineering, Measurement and Control, Reliability and Maintenance Engineering, Green Supply Chain Management, Modelling and Simulation, Sustainability, Technology Management, Agile and Flexible Manufacturing, Technology Management and Computer Aided Manufacturing are discussed in this book. Given the range of topics covered, the book will be useful for students, researchers, and professionals interested in different areas of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

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 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.

Practical Approaches to Reliability Theory in Cutting-Edge Applications

"Probabilistic Reliability Models "helps readers understand and properly use statistical methods

and optimal resource allocation to solve engineering problems.

The author supplies engineers with a deeper understanding of mathematical models while also

equipping mathematically oriented readers with a fundamental knowledge of the engineeringrelated

applications at the center of model building. The book showcases the use of probability

theory and mathematical statistics to solve common, real-world reliability problems. Following

an introduction to the topic, subsequent chapters explore key systems and models including:

- Unrecoverable objects and recoverable systems

- Methods of direct enumeration

- Markov models and heuristic models

- Performance effectiveness

- Time redundancy

- System survivability

- Aging units and their related systems

- Multistate systems

Detailed case studies illustrate the relevance of the discussed methods to real-world technical

projects including software failure avalanches, gas pipelines with underground storage, and

intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) control systems. Numerical examples and detailed

explanations accompany each topic, and exercises throughout allow readers to test their

comprehension of the presented material.

"Probabilistic Reliability Models "is an excellent book for statistics, engineering, and operations

research courses on applied probability at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. The

book is also a valuable reference for professionals and researchers working in industry who

would like a mathematical review of reliability models and the relevant applications.

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.

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.

This book provides methods and concepts which enable engineers to design mass and cost efficient products. Therefore, the book introduces background and motivation related to sustainability and lightweight design by looking into those aspects from a durability and quality point of view. Hence this book gives a "top-down" approach: What does an engineer has to do for providing a mass and cost efficient solution? A central part of that approach is the "stress-strength interference model" and how to deal with "stresses" (caused by operational loads) as well as with the "strength" of components (provided by material, design and manufacturing process). The basic concepts of material fatigue are introduced, but the focus of the volume is to develop an understanding of the content and sequence of engineering tasks to be performed which help to build reliable products. This book is therefore aimed specifically at students of mechanical engineering and mechatronics and at engineers in professional practice.

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 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 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 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 introduces state-of-the-art models and methods based on the neuroendocrine-immune-inspired approaches in the field of manufacturing control systems. It develops various bio-inspired intelligent approaches for multiple applications in order to efficiently generate production plans and control solutions and agilely deal with the frequent unexpected disturbances at the shop floor level. It also provides an introduction to bio-inspired manufacturing systems with intelligent control structures and the latest technologies. Further, the book describes recent advances in the bio-inspired methodology for a high-level adaptability in manufacturing systems, including the bio-inspired control architecture and the implementation of intelligent and adaptive control approaches based on neuroendocrine-immune mechanisms and hormone-regulation principles. It offers a valuable resource for graduate students, researchers and engineers in the fields of production management, manufacturing system control and related areas.

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 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 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.