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Elsevier

Books in General engineering

Our General Engineering collection provides a broad foundation across multiple engineering disciplines, including fundamentals, design principles, and interdisciplinary innovations. It supports researchers, students, and professionals with essential tools and insights to tackle complex engineering challenges, foster innovation, and integrate emerging technologies such as AI, sustainability practices, and smart manufacturing.

  • Detonation and Two-Phase Flow

    • 1st Edition
    • S Penner
    • English
    Progress in Astronautics and Rocketry, Volume 6: Detonation and Two-Phase Flow compiles technical papers presented at the ARS Propellants, Combustion, and Liquid Rockets Conference held in Palm Beach, Florida on April 26-28, 1961. This book provides an excellent illustration of research and development on a selected group of problems relating to detonations, two-phase nozzle flow, and combustion in liquid fuel rocket engines. This volume is divided into two parts. Part 1 covers the entire range of physical conditions under which detonation may be initiated or sustained, such as high explosives, solid propellants, liquid sprays, and gases. Experimental and theoretical studies are also discussed, including the significant progress of the basic phenomena involved in transition from deflagration to detonation, and nature of stable detonations in dilute sprays and other systems. The perennial problems associated with high frequency instabilities in liquid fuel rocket engines are considered in Part 2. This publication is valuable to students and investigators working in the field of propulsion research and development.

  • Reasoning About Actions & Plans

    • 1st Edition
    • Michael P. Georgeff
    • English
    Reasoning About Actions and Plans discusses approaches to a number of the more challenging problems in reasoning about the future and forming plans of action to achieve their goals. Reasoning about actions and plans can be seen as fundamental to the development of intelligent machines that are capable of dealing effectively with real-world problems. This book comprises 17 chapters, with the first delving into the semantics of STRIPS. The following chapters then discuss a theory of plans; formulating multiagent, dynamic-world problems in the classical planning framework; and a representation of parallel activity based on events, structure, and causality. Other chapters cover branching regular expressions and multi-agent plans; a representation of action and belief for automatic planning systems; possible worlds planning; and intractability and time-dependent planning. The remaining chapters discuss goal structure, holding periods and "clouds"; a model of plan inference that distinguishes between the beliefs of actors and observers; persistence, intention, and commitment; the context-sensitivity of belief and desire; the doxastic theory of intention; an architecture for intelligent reactive systems; and abstract reasoning as emergent from concrete activity. This book will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of cognition and artificial intelligence.

  • Input Devices

    • 1st Edition
    • Sol Sherr
    • English
    Input Devices, Volume 1, Computer Graphics: Technology and Applications focuses on the technologies used in equipment and systems for computer graphics and discusses the applications for which computer graphics is intended. This book explores the combinations of software and hardware that make up the operating systems. Comprised of seven chapters, this volume starts with an overview of the popular examples of input devices that are used in computer graphics systems, including typewriter keyboard, the mouse and voice input, data input panels, digitzers, and touch input panels. This book then proceeds with a discussion of the general requirements for input devices. Other chapters consider the various panel input devices that are popular means of allowing the user to interface with the computer graphics system. The final chapter deals with voice input systems, which is a technique that has not fully achieved its potential. This book is a valuable resource for designers and users of computer graphics equipment and systems.

  • Three-Dimensional Imaging Techniques

    • 1st Edition
    • Takanori Okoshi
    • English
    Three-Dimensional Imaging Techniques provides an overview of the development and practical applications of three-dimensional imaging techniques. This text deals with holographic and nonholographic techniques, with a focus on efficiency, speckle noise, resolution, white-light reconstruction, white-light recording, and color holography. This book is comprised of nine chapters, wherein Chapter 1 provides a brief history of information media in human society. Chapter 2 presents the history of depth perception and the principle of the Wheatstone stereoscope, and Chapter 3 examines the construction of human eyes as the most important source of depth perception. Chapter 4 focuses on the optimum design of lens-sheet pictures, whereas Chapters 5 and 6 examine the technical drawbacks that limit the versatility in three-dimensional imaging technology. The features of holographic techniques, such as holographic stereoscreens and computer-generated holograms, are discussed in Chapters 7 and 8. Finally, Chapter 9 discusses the possible classifications based on applications, including microscopy, television, X-ray imaging, movies, and acoustical imaging. This book is intended for electronic engineers, researchers, and readers who are interested in the field of three-dimensional imaging.

  • Control and Dynamic Systems V17

    Advances in Theory and Applications
    • 1st Edition
    • C.T. Leonides
    • English
    Control and Dynamic Systems: Advances in Theory and Application, Volume 17 deals with the theory of differential games and its applications. It provides a unique presentation of the differential game theory as well as the use of algorithms for solving this complex class problems. This book discusses fundamental concepts and system problem formulation for differential game systems. It also considers pursuit-evasion games and on-line real time computer control techniques. This book will serve as a useful reference for those interested in effective computations for differential games.

  • Feedback Systems: Input-output Properties

    • 1st Edition
    • C.A. Desoer
    • English
    Feedback Systems: Input-output Properties deals with the basic input-output properties of feedback systems. Emphasis is placed on multiinput-multioutp... feedback systems made of distributed subsystems, particularly continuous-time systems. Topics range from memoryless nonlinearities to linear systems, the small gain theorem, and passivity. Norms and general theorems are also considered. This book is comprised of six chapters and begins with an overview of a few simple facts about feedback systems and simple examples of nonlinear systems that illustrate the important distinction between the questions of existence, uniqueness, continuous dependence, and boundedness with respect to bounded input and output. The next chapter describes a number of useful properties of norms and induced norms and of normed spaces. Several theorems are then presented, along with the main results concerning linear systems. These results are used to illustrate the applications of the small gain theorem to different classes of systems. The final chapter outlines the framework necessary to discuss passivity and demonstrate the applications of the passivity theorem. This monograph will be a useful resource for mathematically inclined engineers interested in feedback systems, as well as undergraduate engineering students.

  • A Guide to Analog ASICs

    • 1st Edition
    • Paul M. Jr. Brown
    • English
    A Guide to Analog ASICs is a working reference for the engineer who regularly uses analog custom technology or plans to use it in a product. The book includes a detailed analysis of analog and digital application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), the vendor selection process, cost trade-offs, and design-options (in-house, design center, use of vendor design resources). After introducing the development of analog ASICs, ASIC vendors, development cycles, and cost considerations, the text reviews basic global semiconductor technology, IC fabrication techniques, and the limitations of linear IC design. The components found inside the chip are integrated resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes, and metal connections. The text explains building block circuits, how these are used to construct complex circuitry, and how the Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) can check for circuit performance. The selection of the chip's package is important and depends on several factors, such as thermal size, physical size, PC board technology, number of pins, die size. When tested, a typical product should have a failure rate that follows a curve composed of a failure rate (X-axis) versus time (Y-axis). The book also provides suggestions on vendor selections including vendor identification, site visitation, and price negotiations. The book is suitable for computer engineers, designers of industrial processes, and researchers involved in electrical, computer, or other devices using integrated circuits.

  • Technology of Lunar Exploration

    • 1st Edition
    • Clifford Cumming
    • English
    Progress in Astronautics and Rocketry, Volume 10: Technology of Lunar Exploration is an overview of the technical base of the lunar exploration problem. This volume is organized into six sections encompassing 35 that follow the various stages of accomplishment of a lunar mission, involving landing on or orbiting the moon and returning to the earth. The first section is devoted to the problem of trying to define the lunar environment, emphasizing the theories of the lunar environment as it relates to the internal structure of the moon. This section also describes some activities to achieve a reasonable theory concerning what might be encountered in some of the previous lunar flight programs. The second section explores the problems associated with the limitations imposed upon lunar missions by the launch vehicles and launching facilities. The third section looks at the spacecraft systems and techniques required for lunar missions, particularly the technology and specific subsystems in relation to the requirements imposed by specific lunar mission objectives. The fourth section deals with the actual landing on the moon and the subsequent surface operations, while the fifth section covers the lunar launch, return, flight re-entry, and subsequent landing on earth. The sixth section reports the status of the projects that represent the United States lunar exploration program, which integrates the technologies developed in the preceding sections into certain discrete projects.

  • Topics in Numerical Analysis II

    • 1st Edition
    • John J.H. Miller
    • English
    Topics in Numerical Analysis II contains in complete form, the papers given by the invited speakers to the Conference on Numerical Analysis held under the auspices of the National Committee for Mathematics of the Royal Irish Academy at University College, Dublin from 29th July to 2nd August, 1974. In addition, the titles of the contributed papers are listed together with the names and addresses of the authors who presented them at the conference. This book is divided into 20 chapters that present the papers in their entirety. They discuss such topics as applications of approximation theory to numerical analysis; interior regularity and local convergence of Galerkin finite element approximations for elliptic equations; and numerical estimates for the error of Gauss-Jacobi quadrature formulae. Some remarks on the unified treatment of elementary functions by microprogramming; application of finite difference methods to exploration seismology; and variable coefficient multistep methods for ordinary differential equations applied to parabolic partial differential equations are also presented. Other chapters cover realistic estimates for generic constants in multivariate pointwise approximation; matching of essential boundary conditions in the finite element method; and collocation, difference equations, and stitched function representations. This book will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of mathematics and computer science.

  • The Gunn-Hilsum Effect

    • 1st Edition
    • Melvin Shaw
    • English
    The Gunn-Hilsum Effect covers the physical principles controlling the operation of transferred electron devices. These devices have been proven quite useful in the generation, amplification, and processing of microwave signals well into tens of gigahertz range. Organized into seven chapters, the book focuses on the analytical and numerical approaches of the two vital aspects of device behavior for a given bulk semiconductor: boundary conditions or contacts and the local circuit environment. The opening chapter of this book discusses the negative differential mobility (NDM) characteristics for a range of electric fields in the velocity-field relation of specific semiconductors and the response of such a sample to a charge fluctuation, leading to the growth of stationary and/or traveling high electric field domains. The next two chapters describe how the boundary conditions and the circuit control the manifestation of current instabilities in such systems and how this control can be understood in a simple manner. Chapters 4 and 5 discuss the numerical and experimental investigations of comparatively long bulk samples, with an emphasis on the essential NDM semiconductor n-GaAs. These chapters also examine the production of different current-voltage relationships and instabilities by cathode contacts and the control of the oscillatory characteristics of an electrically unstable sample by different circuit conditions. Chapter 6 presents both time-independent and time-dependent computations, with the latter focusing on the small-signal impedance and stability aspects. The last chapter of this book addresses the construction and evaluation of typical short devices, describes how their oscillatory characteristics compare with the long samples studied in the first six chapters, and discusses the use of short devices as amplifiers. This book is an ideal source for device engineers and designers wishing to apply transferred electron devices in creative ways.

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