Bücher veröffentlicht von Witpress

The future of energy production, operation and management in a changing world was the focus of the 5th International Conference on Energy Production and Management. Papers presented at the meeting form this volume.A focus is placed on the comparison of conventional energy sources, particularly hydrocarbons, with a number of other ways of producing energy, emphasising new technological developments, based on renewable resources such as solar, hydro, wind and geothermal.Key to sustainability is the need to convert new sustainable sources of energy into useful forms (electricity, heat, fuel), while finding efficient ways of storage and distribution. In many cases, the challenges lie as much with the production of such renewable energy at an acceptable cost, including damage to the environment, as with the integration of those resources into the existing infrastructure.The changes required to progress from an economy based mainly on hydrocarbons to one taking advantage of sustainable energy resources are massive and require considerable scientific research as well as the development of advanced engineering systems. Such progress demands close collaboration between different disciplines in order to arrive at optimum solutions.Also discussed is the energy use of industrial processes, including the embedded energy contents of materials, such as those in the built environment. Energy production, operation, distribution and usage, result in environmental risks which need to be better understood. They are part of energy economics and relate to human environmental health as well as ecosystems behaviour.An emphasis is placed on the ways in which more efficient use can be made of conventional as well as new energy sources. This relates to savings in energy consumption, reduction of energy losses, as well as the implementation of smart devices and the design of intelligent distribution networks.

A continuous requirement for better urban transport systems and the need for a healthier environment has resulted in an increasing demand for new solutions. Innovative systems, new approaches and original ideas need to be thoroughly tested and critically evaluated before they can be implemented in practice. Moreover, there is a growing need for integration with telecommunications systems and IT applications in order to improve safety, security and efficiency. This volume also addresses the need to solve important pollution problems associated with urban transport in order to achieve a healthier environment. The variety of topics covered by the included research works, which were presented at the 26th International Conference on Urban Transport and the Environment, reflect the complex interaction of urban transport systems with their environment and the need to establish integrated strategies. The goal is to arrive at optimal socio-economic solutions while reducing the negative environmental impacts of current transportation systems.

Most high performance structures require the development of a generation of new materials, which can more easily resist a range of external stimuli or react in a non-conventional manner. Formed of research works presented at the 10th International Conference on High Performance and Optimum Design of Structures and Materials, the included papers cover issues involving advanced types of structures, particularly those based on new concepts or new materials and their system design. Contributions highlight the latest developments in design, optimisation, manufacturing and experimentation. There is also a focus on the search for higher performance sustainable materials. Particular emphasis is placed on intelligent structures and materials as well as the application of computational methods for their modelling, control and management. Optimisation problems are also covered, including those related to the size, shape and topology of structures and materials. Optimisation techniques have much to offer to those involved in the design of new industrial products. The development of new algorithms and the appearance of powerful commercial computer codes with easy to use graphical interfaces has created a fertile field for the incorporation of optimisation in the design process in all engineering disciplines.

The field of fluid mechanics is vast and has numerous and diverse applications. As such, it covers a wide range of topics including basic formulations and their computer modelling as well as the relationship between experimental and analytical results. The 13th International Conference on Advances in Fluid Mechanics, from which this volume originates, had an emphasis on new applications and research currently in progress. The papers included cover such topics as Boundary elements and other mesh reduction methods; Fluid structure interaction; Multiphase heat transfer; Environmental fluid dynamics; Energy harvesting; Nano and micro fluids; Complex flows; Jets; Droplet and spray dynamics; Bubble dynamics; Multiphase fluid flow; Pumping and fluid transportation; Complex and non-Newtonian fluids; Chemical reaction flow; Hydroelectromagnetic flow; hypersonic flows; Wave theory; Acoustics of noise propagation; Nanotechnology applications in fluids and heat transfer; Bluff body aerodynamics; Aerodynamic shape optimization.

Research presented at the 7th International Conference on Disaster Management and Human Health: Reducing Risk, Improving Outcomes is contained in this volume. These contributions from academics and experts focus on public health, security and disaster management with the goal to assess the potential risk from various types of disaster and highlight ways to prevent or alleviate any damage.There is a need for academia and practitioners to exchange knowledge and experience on the way to handle the increasing risk of natural and human-made disasters. Recent major earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods and other natural phenomena have resulted in huge losses in terms of human life and property destruction. A new range of human-made disasters have afflicted humanity in modern times; terrorist activities have been added to more classical disasters such as those due to the failure of industrial installations for instance.It is important to understand the nature of these global risks to be able to develop strategies to prepare for these events and plan effective responses in terms of disaster management and the associated human health impacts.The papers included in this volume cover such topics as Disaster analysis; Disaster monitoring and mitigation; Emergency preparedness; Risk mitigation; Security decision making; Community recovery and resilience; Socio-economic issues; Public health risk; Disaster psychology; Human factors; Multi-hazard risk assessment; Crisis and communication; Learning from disasters; Terrorism and man-made disasters; Business and service continuity; Disaster risk reduction (DRR); New technologies and tools for disaster evaluation; Disaster governance policies; Environmental issues; Recovery and restoration; Disaster modelling; Surveillance and remote sensing; Disaster response.

Formed of papers originating from the 9th International Conference on Safety and Security Engineering, this book highlights research and industrial developments in the theoretical and practical aspects of safety and security engineering.Safety and Security Engineering, due to its special nature, is an interdisciplinary area of research and application that brings together, in a systematic way, many disciplines of engineering from the traditional to the most technologically advanced. This volume covers topics such as crisis management, security engineering, natural disasters and emergencies, terrorism, IT security, man-made hazards, risk management, control, protection and mitigation issues.The meeting aims to attract papers in all related fields, in addition to those listed under the Conference Topics, as well as case studies describing practical experiences. Due to the multitude and variety of topics included, the list is only indicative of the themes of the expected papers. Authors are encouraged to submit abstracts in all areas of Safety and Security, with particular attention to integrated and interdisciplinary aspects.Specific themes include: Risk analysis and assessment; Safety engineering; Accident monitoring and management; Information and communication security; Protection of personal information; Fire safety; Disaster and emergency management; Critical infrastructure; Counter-terrorism; Occupational health; Transportation safety and security; Earthquakes and natural hazards; Surveillance systems; Safety standards and regulations; Cybersecurity / e-security; Safety and security culture; Border security; Disaster recovery.