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Books in Physical sciences and engineering

  • Thermal-Hydraulics of Water Cooled Nuclear Reactors

    • 1st Edition
    • Francesco D'Auria
    • English
    Thermal Hydraulics of Water-Cooled Nuclear Reactors reviews flow and heat transfer phenomena in nuclear systems and examines the critical contribution of this analysis to nuclear technology development. With a strong focus on system thermal hydraulics (SYS TH), the book provides a detailed, yet approachable, presentation of current approaches to reactor thermal hydraulic analysis, also considering the importance of this discipline for the design and operation of safe and efficient water-cooled and moderated reactors. Part One presents the background to nuclear thermal hydraulics, starting with a historical perspective, defining key terms, and considering thermal hydraulics requirements in nuclear technology. Part Two addresses the principles of thermodynamics and relevant target phenomena in nuclear systems. Next, the book focuses on nuclear thermal hydraulics modeling, covering the key areas of heat transfer and pressure drops, then moving on to an introduction to SYS TH and computational fluid dynamics codes. The final part of the book reviews the application of thermal hydraulics in nuclear technology, with chapters on V&V and uncertainty in SYS TH codes, the BEPU approach, and applications to new reactor design, plant lifetime extension, and accident analysis. This book is a valuable resource for academics, graduate students, and professionals studying the thermal hydraulic analysis of nuclear power plants and using SYS TH to demonstrate their safety and acceptability.
  • Complementarity and Variational Inequalities in Electronics

    • 1st Edition
    • Daniel Goeleven
    • English
    Complementarity and Variational Inequalities in Electronics evaluates the main mathematical models relevant to the study of electrical network problems involving devices. The book focuses on complementarity problems, variational inequalities and non-regular dynamical systems which are well-known for their applications in mechanics and economics, but rarely target electrical applications. The book uses these tools to review the qualitative properties of devices, including slicers, amplitude selectors, sampling gates, operational amplifiers, and four-diode bridge full-wave rectifiers. Users will find demonstrations on how to compute optimized output signal relevant to potentially superior applications. In addition, the book describes how to determine the stationary points of dynamical circuits and to determine the corresponding Lyapunov stability and attractivity properties, topics of major importance for further dynamical analysis and control. Hemivariational inequalities are also covered in some depth relevant to application in thyristor devices.
  • Discovery and Development of Neuroprotective Agents from Natural Products

    • 1st Edition
    • Goutam Brahmachari
    • English
    Discovery and Development of Neuroprotective Agents from Natural Products draws together global research on medicinal agents from natural sources as starting points for the design of neuroprotective drugs. From the prediction of promising leads and identification of active agents to the extraction of complex molecules, the book explores a range of important topics to support the development of safer, more economical therapeutics for these increasingly prevalent diseases. Beginning with an overview of current developments in the field, the book goes on to explore the identification, extraction and phytochemistry of such neuroprotective agents as antioxidants, biophenols and naturally occurring anti-inflammatory steroid analogues. Specific natural sources of bioactive agents are reviewed, and the development of these agents into therapeutics for a number of specific neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and ischemic brain stroke, are discussed. Combining the expertise of specialists from around the world, this in the Natural Products Drug Discovery series aims to support and encourage researchers in the investigation of natural sources as starting points for the development of standardized, safe and effective neuroprotective drugs.
  • Advances in Asymmetric Autocatalysis and Related Topics

    • 1st Edition
    • Gyula Palyi + 2 more
    • English
    Advances in Asymmetric Autocatalysis and Related Topics provides various viewpoints on the important developments in asymmetric autocatalysis that have occurred in the past few years, also including brand new information in the field. Asymmetric autocatalysis is a chemical reaction which leads from achiral starting materials to chiral products, and in which the product accelerates its own formation reaction (conventional catalysis) and promotes the prevalence of its own chiral configuration (asymmetric induction). The combination of these two effects in the same reaction was unprecedented before 1995 when it was first described by Kenso SOAI at the Tokyo University of Science. Since then, several new combinations of this effect have been found, most intriguingly the possibility of absolute asymmetric synthesis, which is the spontaneous formation of the excess of one of the enantiomers of the product, a dream of organic chemists for more than a century. The book contains expert-contributed chapters that describe the most exciting recent developments in the field of the Soai reaction and in related topics, ranging from mechanistic studies and theoretical research, to very practical problems in chiral syntheses and products.
  • New Zealand Landscape

    Behind the Scene
    • 1st Edition
    • Paul Williams
    • English
    New Zealand Landscape: Behind the Scene tells the story of New Zealand through the subject of geomorphology, a branch of earth science at the interface of geology and geography. Geomorphology is informally described as the ‘science of scenery’, and as with every science, ideas evolve as the research frontier advances. Users will find an early 21st century interpretation of the New Zealand landscape, an interpretation that rests on, and draws from, a rich foundation of ideas bequeathed by predecessors who have had the privilege of exploring, researching, and enjoying this corner of the Pacific.
  • Liner Ship Fleet Planning

    Models and Algorithms
    • 1st Edition
    • Tingsong Wang + 2 more
    • English
    Liner Ship Fleet Planning: Models and Algorithms systematically introduces the latest research on modeling and optimization for liner ship fleet planning with demand uncertainty. Container shipping companies have struggled since the financial crisis of 2007-2008, making it critical for them to make informed decisions about their fleet planning and development. Current and future shipping professionals require systematic approaches for investigating and solving their fleet planning problems, as well as methodologies for addressing their other shipping responsibilities. Liner Ship Fleet Planning addresses these needs, providing the most recent quantitative research of liner shipping in maritime transportation. The research and methods provided assist those tasked with optimizing shipping efficiency and fleet deployment in the face of uncertain demand. Suitable for those with any level of quantitative background, the book serves as a valuable resource for both maritime academics, and shipping professionals involved in planning and scheduling departments.
  • Integrated System Health Management

    Perspectives on Systems Engineering Techniques
    • 1st Edition
    • Jiuping Xu + 1 more
    • English
    ISHM is an innovative combination of technologies and methods that offers solutions to the reliability problems caused by increased complexities in design, manufacture, use conditions, and maintenance. Its key strength is in the successful integration of reliability (quantitative estimation of successful operation or failure), "diagnosibility" (ability to determine the fault source), and maintainability (how to maintain the performance of a system in operation). It draws on engineering issues such as advanced sensor monitoring, redundancy management, probabilistic reliability theory, artificial intelligence for diagnostics and prognostics, and formal validation methods, but also "quasi-technical" techniques and disciplines such as quality assurance, systems architecture and engineering, knowledge capture, information fusion, testability and maintainability, and human factors. This groundbreaking book defines and explains this new discipline, providing frameworks and methodologies for implementation and further research. Each chapter includes experiments, numerical examples, simulations and case studies. It is the ideal guide to this crucial topic for professionals or researchers in aerospace systems, systems engineering, production engineering, and reliability engineering.
  • Transition Metal Oxide Thin Film-Based Chromogenics and Devices

    • 1st Edition
    • Pandurang Ashrit
    • English
    The phase transition and the reversible optical and electrical switching that occur in chromogenic materials under the influence of external forces such as heat, light, and electric field are topics of enormous scientific interest. Transition Metal Oxide Thin Film–Based Chromogenics and Devices discusses experimental and theoretical developments in the field of chromogenics based on the transition metal oxide (TMO) thin films. Understanding the relationship between the switching properties of TMO materials and their nanostructure is of paramount importance in developing efficient chromogenic devices. The tailoring of these switching behaviors is afforded detailed coverage in this book, alongside in-depth discussion of a range of chromogenic materials and devices, including photochromics, thermochromics, and electrochromics. Transition Metal Oxide Thin Film–Based Chromogenics and Devices covers both the theoretical aspects of TMO thin film–based chromogenics and their engineering applications in device construction. Academics and professionals in the fields of materials science and optics will find this book to be a key resource, whether their focus is low-dimension materials, light-materials interactions, or device development.
  • Comprehensive Biomaterials II

    • 2nd Edition
    • Paul Ducheyne + 4 more
    • English
    Comprehensive Biomaterials II, Second Edition, Seven Volume Set brings together the myriad facets of biomaterials into one expertly-written series of edited volumes. Articles address the current status of nearly all biomaterials in the field, their strengths and weaknesses, their future prospects, appropriate analytical methods and testing, device applications and performance, emerging candidate materials as competitors and disruptive technologies, research and development, regulatory management, commercial aspects, and applications, including medical applications. Detailed coverage is given to both new and emerging areas and the latest research in more traditional areas of the field. Particular attention is given to those areas in which major recent developments have taken place. This new edition, with 75% new or updated articles, will provide biomedical scientists in industry, government, academia, and research organizations with an accurate perspective on the field in a manner that is both accessible and thorough.
  • Electricity Generation and the Environment

    • 1st Edition
    • Paul Breeze
    • English
    Electricity Generation and the Environment is a very concise, up-to-date, and accessible guide to the evolution of environmental awareness, what that environmental awareness has taught the industry, and how technologies can be used to test and improve power performance. There is a strong emphasis on the related social impacts and economic factors involved in the various methods of generating electricity which Breeze explores, making this a valuable and insightful read for those involved in the planning and delivery of energy, such as energy engineers, power generation planners, policy makers, managers, and academics.