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Books in Physical sciences and engineering

Smart Buildings
Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology to Improve Energy-Efficiency and Environmental Performance
1st Edition
Marco Casini
English
Smart Buildings: Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology to Improve Energy Efficiency and Environmental Performance presents a thorough analysis of the latest advancements in construction materials and building design that are applied to maximize building efficiency in both new and existing buildings. After a brief introduction on the issues concerning the design process in the third millennium, Part One examines the differences between Zero Energy, Green, and Smart Buildings, with particular emphasis placed on the issue of smart buildings and smart housing, mainly the ‘envelope’ and how to make it more adaptive with the new possibilities offered by nanotechnology and smart materials. Part Two focuses on the last generation of solutions for smart thermal insulation. Based on the results of extensive research into more innovative insulation materials, chapters discuss achievements in nanotechnology, bio-ecological, and phase-change materials. The technical characteristics, performance level, and methods of use for each are described in detail, as are the achievements in the field of green walls and their use as a solution for upgrading the energy efficiency and environmental performance of existing buildings. Finally, Part Three reviews current research on smart windows, with the assumption that transparent surfaces represent the most critical element in the energy balance of the building. Chapters provide an extensive review on the technical features of transparent closures that are currently on the market or under development, from so-called dynamic glazing to bio-adaptive and photovoltaic glazing. The aesthetic potential and performance limits are also be discussed.
Rethinking Bhopal
A Definitive Guide to Investigating, Preventing, and Learning from Industrial Disasters
1st Edition
Kenneth Bloch
English
Rethinking Bhopal: A Definitive Guide to Investigating, Preventing, and Learning from Industrial Disasters is the go-to source for anyone seeking to learn how to improve process safety management (PSM) through applying fundamental asset reliability and incident investigation concepts. The seeds that unified PSM on a global scale were planted in Bhopal, India on December 3, 1984. Since then, considerable progress has been made to protect both workers and communities from catastrophic industrial failures. Industry acknowledges its responsibility to create value with accrued operating experience and that using information received from previous failures is a direct way to prevent future incidents. With this principle in mind, Bloch evaluates modern references related to the Bhopal Disaster, using recognized industrial asset reliability and incident investigation concepts. The practice of objective incident investigation offers a compelling insight into specific decisions and actions that resulted in history’s worst industrial disaster. Recording a fully transparent sequence of events promotes a personal sense of accountability for anyone involved in the manufacturing industry. Lessons learned can be immediately implemented by those with direct PSM, management, engineering, and operating responsibilities. Case histories demonstrate how patterns observed in the timeline leading up to the Bhopal Disaster can be detected in modern incidents and by recognizing these patterns in present-day processes avoids counterproductive operating decisions and unprecedented destruction. This text is instrumental in helping existing organizations re-evaluate their own exposures and risks, and would be a valuable read for any member of a process safety management team. Rethinking Bhopal: A Definitive Guide to Investigating, Preventing, and Learning from Industrial Disasters provides an expansion of knowledge and understanding for the novice in PSM while also providing depth and application considerations to challenge more experienced industry professionals. Note: All royalties from this book go to the Process Safety Heritage Trust Scholarship at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, USA.
Theory and Methods of Metallurgical Process Integration
1st Edition
Ruiyu Yin
English
Theory and Methods of Metallurgical Process Integration analyzes the basic elements and characteristics of steel manufacturing processes and operation, also proposing a theory of precise dynamic design and integration of steel plants. Following several case studies, a new generation steel manufacturing process is proposed. Through deep description and analysis of the dynamic operation of the steel manufacturing process, this book can help readers understand that the study of dynamic integration for the "mass-energy-time-sp... during the steel manufacturing process has to be highly emphasized in order to further promote optimization of the steel manufacturing process and plant.
The Geology of the Canary Islands
1st Edition
Valentin R. Troll + 1 more
English
The Geology of the Canary Islands provides a concise overview of the geology and volcanology of the Canary Islands, along with 27 carefully planned day excursions comprising trips on all of the islands. Each stop includes a description on how to approach a site and where to park with GPS locations provided. The book covers all the spectacular features of the islands, including active ocean island volcanoes whose origins are linked to a hot spot or plume causing anomalously hot mantle material to intrude the African plate, submarine volcanic sequences uplifted inside the islands, sub- aerial shield volcanoes, and the remains of giant lateral collapses. Through its clearly written and richly color-illustrated introduction and field guide, this book is essential reading for geologists who visit the Canary Islands, one of the largest and most fascinating active volcanic systems in Europe.
Theory and Methods of Statistics
1st Edition
P.K. Bhattacharya + 1 more
English
Theory and Methods of Statistics covers essential topics for advanced graduate students and professional research statisticians. This comprehensive resource covers many important areas in one manageable volume, including core subjects such as probability theory, mathematical statistics, and linear models, and various special topics, including nonparametrics, curve estimation, multivariate analysis, time series, and resampling. The book presents subjects such as "maximum likelihood and sufficiency," and is written with an intuitive, heuristic approach to build reader comprehension. It also includes many probability inequalities that are not only useful in the context of this text, but also as a resource for investigating convergence of statistical procedures.
Advances in Organometallic Chemistry
1st Edition
Volume 65
English
Advances in Organometallic Chemistry contains authoritative review articles of world-wide known researchers on the field of organometallic chemistry, covering topics in organometallic synthesis, reactions, mechanisms, homogeneous catalysis, and more. The book will benefit a wide range of researchers involved in organometallic chemistry, including synthetic protocols, mechanistic studies, and practical applications.
Advances in Solar Heating and Cooling
1st Edition
Ruzhu Wang + 1 more
English
Advances in Solar Heating and Cooling presents new information on the growing concerns about climate change, the security of energy supplies, and the ongoing interest in replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. The amount of energy used for heating and cooling is very significant, estimated, for example, as half of final energy consumption in Europe. Solar thermal installations have the potential to meet a large proportion of the heating and cooling needs of both buildings and industry and the number of solar thermal installations is increasing rapidly. This book provides an authoritative review of the latest research in solar heating and cooling technologies and applications.
Geothermal Power Generation
Developments and Innovation
1st Edition
Ronald DiPippo
English
Geothermal Power Generation: Developments and Innovation provides an update to the advanced energy technologies that are urgently required to meet the challenges of economic development, climate change mitigation, and energy security. As geothermal resources are considered renewable and can be used to generate baseload electricity while producing very low levels of greenhouse gas emissions, they can play a key role in future energy needs. This book, edited by a highly respected expert, provides a comprehensive overview of the major aspects of geothermal power production. The chapters, contributed by specialists in their respective areas, cover resource discovery, resource characterization, energy conversion systems, and design and economic considerations. The final section provides a range of fascinating case studies from across the world, ranging from Larderello to Indonesia. Users will find this to be an essential text for research and development professionals and engineers in the geothermal energy industry, as well as postgraduate researchers in academia who are working on geothermal energy.
Computer-Oriented Mathematical Physics
1st Edition
Donald Greenspan
English
Computer-Oriented Mathematical Physics describes some mathematical models of classical physical phenomena, particularly the mechanics of particles. This book is composed of 12 chapters, and begins with an introduction to the link between mathematics and physics. The subsequent chapters deal with the concept of gravity, the theoretical foundations f classical physics as a mathematical science, and the principles of pendulum and other oscillators. These topics are followed by discussions of waves, vectors, gravitation, the body-problem, and discrete fluid models. The final chapters examine the phenomena of spinning tops and skaters, as well as the Galilean principle of relativity. This book is of value as an introductory textbook for math and physics university and advanced high school students.
Propagation of Transient Elastic Waves in Stratified Anisotropic Media
1st Edition
Volume 32
J.H.M.T. van der Hijden
English
Seismic waves are one of the standard diagnostic tools used to determine the mechanical parameters (volume density of mass, compressibility, elastic stiffness) in the interior of the earth and the geometry of subsurface structures. There is increasing evidence that in the interpretation of seismic data - especially shear-wave data - the influence of anisotropy must be taken into account.This volume presents a method to compute the seismic waves that are generated by an impulsive source in a stratified anisotropic medium. Although written with the seismic applications in mind, the method that is developed is not limited to solid-earth geophysics. In fact, the methods discussed in this monograph are applicable wherever waves propagate in stratified, anisotropic media. The standard approach to this problem is to employ Fourier transformations with respect to time and with respect to the horizontal spatial coordinates. To obtain numerical results, the relevant inverse transformations then have to be evaluated numerically. In this monograph the problem is, in contrast to the standard approach, solved by applying the Cagniard-de Hoop method and by representing the wave field as a sum of generalized rays. With this method, the computational results can be obtained relatively easily with any degree of accuracy, and with considerably less computation time. For completeness, analysis of acoustic waves in stratified isotropic media is included. Furthermore, for large horizontal or vertical source-receiver separations very efficient approximations are derived. Several examples and applications are given.

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