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Long-Term Stewardship and the Nuclear Weapons Complex: The Challenge Ahead
by Katherine N. Probst Michael H. McGovernDecades of U.S. nuclear weapons production have exacted a heavy environmental toll. The Department of Energy estimates that cleaning up waste and contamination resulting from production activities will cost over $150 billion. Yet even once that money is spent, these sites will need long-term attention to assure protection of human health and the environment. In the authors' words, stewardship refers to 'institutions, information, and strategies needed to ensure protection of people and the environment, both in the short and the long term.' Probst and McGovern make a compelling case for establishing a formal program of long-term stewardship for contaminated sites. Their report details the requirements of a successful stewardship program and discusses the daunting technical and political challenges facing such efforts, including the designation of an institutional home for key stewardship functions. The legacy of environmental damage is considerable; hazardous waste disposal, radioactive waste, and contaminated facilities are among the problems that will remain after DOE cleanup efforts are complete. Stewardship planning, according to Probst and McGovern, must start now.
Long-Term Strength of Materials: Reliability Assessment and Lifetime Prediction of Engineering Structures
by Alexander Chudnovsky Kalyan SehanobishThe physics of fracture processes, which includes Fracture mechanics, is crucial for understanding the longevity and reliability of any structure, from fracture initiation to propagation and final catastrophic failure. This textbook introduces the thermodynamics of irreversible processes along with entropy to address the time dependency of fracture. Working from observations of structural failure, the book identifies the principal failure types such as brittle fracture, with considerations of solo crack initiation and crack propagation associated with collective distributed damage. The other type is ductile fracture, when a crack blunts immediately on the application of stress resulting in large deformation. The book then addresses the life of a structure in a specific environment and load condition, using irreversible thermodynamics and the entropy criterion to address cooperative fracture and novel statistical Fracture mechanics to address solo fracture. Applies well-established concepts from mechanics, absent in contemporary Fracture mechanics Uses novel concepts of mechanics, irreversible thermodynamics, and statistical Fracture mechanics The book is ideal for graduate students and design engineers in civil and materials engineering, as well as mechanical and chemical engineering. Students using the book need no more than basic college-level mechanics, mathematics, and statistics knowledge.
Long-Term Structural Health Monitoring by Remote Sensing and Advanced Machine Learning: A Practical Strategy via Structural Displacements from Synthetic Aperture Radar Images (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Alireza Entezami Bahareh Behkamal Carlo De MicheleThis book offers an in-depth investigation into the complexities of long-term structural health monitoring (SHM) in civil structures, specifically focusing on the challenges posed by small data and environmental and operational changes (EOCs). Traditional contact-based sensor networks in SHM produce large amounts of data, complicating big data management. In contrast, synthetic aperture radar (SAR)-aided SHM often faces challenges with small datasets and limited displacement data. Additionally, EOCs can mimic the structural damage, resulting in false errors that can critically affect economic and safety issues. Addressing these challenges, this book introduces seven advanced unsupervised learning methods for SHM, combining AI, data sampling, and statistical analysis. These include techniques for managing datasets and addressing EOCs. Methods range from nearest neighbor searching and Hamiltonian Monte Carlo sampling to innovative offline and online learning frameworks, focusing on data augmentation and normalization. Key approaches involve deep autoencoders for data processing and novel algorithms for damage detection. Validated using simulated data from the I-40 Bridge, USA, and real-world data from the Tadcaster Bridge, UK, these methods show promise in addressing SAR-aided SHM challenges, offering practical tools for real-world applications. The book, thereby, presents a comprehensive suite of innovative strategies to advance the field of SHM.
Long Wavelength Infrared Detectors
by Manijeh RazeghiThis timely work presents a comprehensive overview of the development of new generations of infrared detectors based on artificially synthesized quantum structures. The growth of quantum wells and superlattices is well documents in this volume, as are the principal new superlattice technologies for long wavelength infrared detection. Featuring insightful contributions from researchers working at the "cutting edge" of this exciting field, this volume is sure to become an essential reference for advanced graduate students and researchers alike.
Longe da Vista, Longe do Coração: O Guia do Escritor para Dominar o Ponto de Vista
by João Romão Ken PelhamDescrição do livro: Como é que você põe de parte o filtro de escritor de ponto de vista e expressa o que uma personagem fictícia vê, ouve, pensa e experiencia? Como é que mantém o ponto de vista consistente? Como é que evita que o leitor deixe de estar sob o feitiço da sua narrativa e fique baralhado, dizendo "O quê? Espera aí..."? Uma das técnicas mais difíceis de compreender é a de saber escrever a partir da perspetiva das personagens fictícias. Longe da Vista, Longe do Coração é uma obra essencial, tanto para escritores de ficção, como de não ficção. Esta ensina, através de exemplos, a como detetar - e, mais importante, a como retificar - erros óbvios e não tão óbvios de ponto de vista narrativo.
The Longest Yawn (Science Solves It!)
by Jennifer DusslingSolve kid-sized dilemmas and mysteries with the Science Solves It! series. These fun books for kids ages 5–8 blend clever stories with real-life science. Why did the dog turn green? Can you control a hiccup? Is that a UFO? Find the answers to these questions and more as kid characters dive into physical, life, and earth sciences. Barry's teacher says that acting is mainly about control. But how can Barry control hiccups and yawns? Will he ever be a real actor? Books in this perfect STEM series will help kids think like scientists and get ahead in the classroom. Activities and experiments are included in every book! (Level Two; Science topic: Involuntary reflexes)
Longevity and Development: Proceedings of the 2nd International Congress Age.Comm, November 11–12, 2021 (Lecture Notes in Bioengineering)
by Maria João Guardado Moreira Lucinda Sofia A. Carvalho Paulo J. Sequeira Gonçalves Vítor Manuel Barreiros PinheiraThis book focuses on the dynamic process of aging and on interventions to support the development of older and integrated societies, from a multidisciplinary point of view. Gathering contributions from researchers and professionals with different backgrounds, including social and health sciences, education, engineering and IT, biology, geography and environmental science, it aims at understanding the phenomenon of population aging, in order to contribute to the development of future functional communities, fostering well-being and autonomy of the elderly, their integration and participation. Based on the proceedings of the 2nd International Congress Age.Comm Longevity and Development, organised online on November 11-12, 2021, from Castelo Branco, Portugal, this book addresses a wide range of specialists dealing with the process of aging, integration and community development in the societies of the future.
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
by Dava SobelBiography of John Harrison, who solved the problem of figuring out what a ship's latitude was, by figuring out how a ship could keep precise time at sea.
Longman Science
by Pearson EducationLongman Science prepares students in grades 6-12 for success in a standards-based science program with a broad overview of life, earth, and physical science. All activities are specifically geared to students in the early stages of English language acquisition, and help build content knowledge, skills, and learning strategies. Special offer: Take advantage of our special offer: get the Longman Science Student Book and Workbook for only$44. 95. That's 25% off the regular price of these two books combined. Click here for details. Features For beginning to high beginning English language learners. "Getting Started" unit introduces concepts of science, safety, and the scientific method. Reading strategies are explicitly taught and modeled throughout the readings. Science skills, such as using and interpreting visuals, charts, and graphs are taught and recycled throughout each lesson. Unit Review provides additional practice, extension projects, further reading, and a Unit Experiment. Vocabulary building activities and glossaries help students access and build mastery of the content.
Longwall Mining, 3rd Edition
by Syd S. PengIn the past 13 years since the publication of Longwall Mining, 2nd edition in 2006, although there have been no major changes in longwall mining technology and operations, many incremental developments in the whole system as well as various subsystems of the existing longwall mining operational technologies as detailed in the 2nd edition have been added to this edition. Major developments are automation, and health and safety technology, as well as equipment reliability, thereby greatly increasing productivity and cutting cost. In particular, the longwall system can now run automatically cut by cut forever without operators' intervention provided that the geology allows it. Other health and safety features such as LASC, personal proximity detection, color lighting, automatic shield water sprays and remote shearer control are fully operational. There are more than 7000 sensors installed in current longwall mining systems. The big data obtained and fast communication technology have been fully utilized to improve and solve operational problems in real time. Those features are fully documented in the new edition. In pursuit of high productivity and cutting cost, life cycle management that increases equipment reliability has been implemented by OEM. Automation improvement such as tail-end automatic chain tensioner greatly extends AFC chain's service life. Other incremental improvements including dust and methane controls, entry development, panel design and face move are addressed. Additional operational issues such as extension of panel width and compatibility test are also discussed. Since the last plow longwall mine was closed in 2018, the chapter on plow longwalling has been dropped and in its place Automation of Longwall Components and System is added. Also, a new chapter Longwall Top Coal Caving Mining (LTCC) is added due to its successful application in Australia since 2005. Longwall Mining, 3rd edition will be of interest to professionals and academics in the field of mining engineering specifically, serving both as a reference work and an (under)graduate textbook, but will also interest civil, geomechanical and geological engineers and rock mechanics professionals, as well as coal operators, mining consultants, researchers, equipment manufacturers, and government regulators.
Lonnie Johnson: NASA Scientist and Inventor of the Super Soaker (Little Inventor)
by Lucia RaatmaWhy is Lonnie Johnson important? He invented the Super Soaker! Readers follow his journey from a NASA engineer working on missions to Jupiter and Saturn to becoming the inventor of one of the most popular toys in the United States. This story of hard work is filled with engaging text and colorful images, all reviewed by Smithsonian experts.
Look-Ahead Based Sigma-Delta Modulation
by Erwin Janssen Arthur Van RoermundThe aim of this book is to expand and improve upon the existing knowledge on discrete-time 1-bit look-ahead sigma-delta modulation in general, and to come to a solution for the above mentioned specific issues arising from 1-bit sigma-delta modulation for SA-CD. In order to achieve this objective an analysis is made of the possibilities for improving the performance of digital noise-shaping look-ahead solutions. On the basis of the insights obtained from the analysis, several novel generic 1-bit look-ahead solutions that improve upon the state-of-the-art will be derived and their performance will be evaluated and compared. Finally, all the insights are combined with the knowledge of the SA-CD lossless data compression algorithm to come to a specifically for SA-CD optimized look-ahead design.
Look and Cook Breakfast: A First Book of Recipes in Pictures (Look and Cook)
by Valorie FisherA Good Housekeeping Best Kids&’ Book of 2024! In this companion title to Look and Cook Snacks, these easy-to-follow and engaging visual recipes will have kids ages 4–8 making their favorite breakfast dishes for the whole family to enjoy!Designed for children who can&’t yet read, Look and Cook Breakfast: A First Book of Recipes in Pictures is a must-have introduction to cooking for kids ages 4 to 8. Following the same easy-to-read visual layout of Look and Cook Snacks, this cookbook features delicious sweet and savory breakfast recipes for the whole family to enjoy—homemade granola, zucchini muffins, and more! Key features for kids include:Step-by-step visual instructions: Let kids who can&’t yet read and visual learners guide their own cooking journey.A guide to kitchen basics: Learn skills like mixing and measuring, and proper handling of safe-to-use kitchen equipment.Family-friendly recipes: Delicious, easy, and healthy breakfast dishes for the entire family to enjoy making and eating together!
Look and Cook Snacks: A First Book of Recipes in Pictures
by Valorie FisherThe first of its kind, Look and Cook Snacks is an entirely visual guide to cooking. Designed for children who can&’t yet read, this is a must-have introduction to the joys of cooking for kids ages 4 to 7. From scrumptious fruit smoothies to easy-peasy pizzas, each recipe will let your kid will take charge of their discovery of the kitchen! Key features for kids include: Step-by-step visual instructions— Let kids who can&’t yet read and visual learners guide their own cooking journey. A guide to kitchen basics— Learn skills like mixing and measuring, and proper handling of safe-to-use kitchen equipment. Family-friendly recipes— Delicious, easy, and healthy snacks for the entire family to enjoy making and eating together!
Look I'm an Engineer (Look! I'm Learning)
by DKThis playful preschool activity ebook for kids will unleash your child's curiosity and creativity as they play their way through 15 super fun STEM projects.Every project features bright photography and charming illustrations, which support the easy-to-follow instructions. Perfect for ages 3-6, this children's book will excite little ones by revealing the everyday ways they can be an engineer. Children are born with everything they need to be great engineers - inquisitive minds, unlimited imagination, and super senses. With this educational ebook in hand, little readers are encouraged to use their senses to investigate and discover the world of science and math while having fun.This kids book is ridiculously cool and filled with fun experiments you and your kids can do together. They'll learn how to make the strongest paper bridges, how to power a tugboat with an elastic band, which materials make the best parachutes, and much more. These ingenious hands-on activities align with subjects taught at school, including science, math, and technology.Children have the opportunity to do what they do best with this awesome kids' activity ebook - imagine, create, learn, problem-solve, and above all, play their way to engineering discovery.Get Your Engineering Hat Ready!You were born with everything you need to be an engineer - a brilliant brain and spectacular senses! Get ready to touch, smell, see, hear, and taste your way to engineering excellence. Find out how to make a floating rescue raft, what makes a bridge super strong, why paper planes glide and much, much more!Full of amazing engineering creations for kids to make like: - A magical woodland den- A sweet, sweet pyramid- The coolest paper bridge - A totally artistic painting pendulum (we're learning gravity here)- And much more!Prepare to have all the FUN!DK's Look! I'm Learning series of exciting and educational STEM ebooks focus on the sensory experience of practical learning and play and finds the science in everyday activities. Hands-on learning experiences tap straight into kids' insatiable curiosity and sense of wonder. These ebooks for children are perfect for ages 3–6 as they are formatted with a padded cover and toddler-tough pages. The series encourages children to develop independence and improves their critical thinking, investigation skills, and motor skills. Try the other titles in the series next, including Look I'm A Scientist, Look I'm A Mathematician, and Look I'm A Cook.
Look It Up!: What Patients, Doctors, Nurses, and Pharmacists Need to Know about the Internet and Primary Health Care
by Julie Barlow Pierre Pluye Roland GradDoctors Pierre Pluye and Roland Grad, internationally recognized experts in the fields of knowledge translation and health information studies, along with bestselling author and journalist Julie Barlow, take readers behind the scenes to show how online information is affecting self-care and primary health care in medicine, nursing, and pharmacy. Based on fifteen years of in-depth interviews and research, Look It Up! provides essential tips for patients and clinicians to administer and receive the best possible primary health care, while avoiding the perils of unguided self-diagnosis. This book shows how, by dint of an inquiring mind and a smartphone, rapid and accurate acquisition of knowledge keeps primary care clinicians up to date. It also shows how people can determine whether a test is more beneficial than harmful, and how information helps resolve disagreements and improve collaboration with patients and families, and among doctors, pharmacists, and nurses. In the age of easily accessible online information, clinicians have to think differently about how they work. Organized around numerous real clinical stories, Look It Up! is an illuminating and lively guide to improving patient care.
Looking Ahead: Human Factors Challenges in A Changing World
by Raymond S. NickersonThis volume aims to review some of the recent developments and trends that seem especially relevant to any attempt to understand near-term-future possibilities; to consider what a variety of knowledgeable people are saying about changes and developments that could occur; and to relate the possibilities to needs and opportunities for human factors research. Human factors, in this case, includes not only the implications of human capabilities and limitations for the design of equipment and machines intended for human use, but also applied psychology in a more general sense. In particular, it is taken to involve social systems as well as physical ones, the interaction of people with the environment as well as with machines, the facilitation of communication between people as well as between people and computers, and the design of policies and procedures as well as the design of equipment. The author's intention is to focus on anticipated problems -- including opportunities as well as difficulties -- and ask how human factors research might contribute to solutions. It is assumed that there are ways in which such research could be useful in addressing societal problems that the profession has not yet realized and that these are more likely to be recognized in the future if the community is actively seeking to identify them.
Looking Beyond the Runway: Airlines Innovating with Best Practices while Facing Realities
by Nawal K. TanejaThe global airline industry, facing significant changes and discontinuity is prompted and forced to deal with a "new normal." Who would have imagined a few years ago that: - a significant percentage of consumers in the US now prefer to fly low-cost airlines instead of full-service airlines because they perceive the product to be better, - airlines would generate up to a third of their total income from non-ticket revenue, - many low-cost airlines would add complexity to their original simple business models through the development of code-share agreements, the use of global distribution systems, and travel agents to distribute their seats, - Jetstar, a low-cost subsidiary of Qantas, would grow faster and be more profitable than its parent, - a survey carried out by Ryanair would show that 42 percent of passengers would be willing to stand on short (one hour) flights if they could pay 50 percent less than seated passengers, - passengers could pay as little as US$2,000 for a transatlantic Business Class ticket on top-brand airlines, - Lufthansa would have ownership in airlines based in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK, and the US, and that it would continue to pursue equity ownership in airlines based in Poland and Scandinavia, or - the Japanese and Canadian governments would struggle to find different ways to bail out their heretofore flag carriers? To deal with this upcoming "new normal", airlines have to go beyond their short-term circumstantial strategies - they need strategic renewal of their ageing business model. In this candidly-written book, Nawal Taneja explains what will separate the winners from the losers. He maintains the leaders will be the airlines that: (1) exploit this crisis-driven change to their best advantage, (2) learn to work around the airline-inherent constraints that prevent them from running their businesses just like other businesses, (3) learn from successes and failures of other global enterprises, (4) sharpen their business intelligence, analytics, and strategic agility, and (5) proactively explore the "pockets of growth" in this emerging-markets century. To help airline executives become informed of new competitive games, the author analyzes numerous business sectors such as auto, hospitality, retail, technology, and entertainment. For example, relevant lessons can be learned from the strategic mistakes made by the US automakers. Likewise, emergent and compelling insights can be gained in superior customer experience from Ritz Carlton and Zappos, and in value-creating innovation from Cirque du Soleil and Zipcar. The book also features a multitiude of forewords from airlines and related businesses to provide readers with multiple perspectives on the changing landscape in the global airline industry. Nawal Taneja is a career analyst of the global airline industry with wide-ranging experience in the aviation industry, academia, and public policy. Encouraged by industry executives, he has written five other books for practitioners in the global airline industry, including FASTEN YOUR SEATBELT: The Passenger is Flying the Plane and Flying Ahead of the Airplane.
Looking for Insight, Transformation, and Learning in Online Talk
by Trena M. Paulus Alyssa Friend WiseLooking for Insight, Transformation, and Learning in Online Talk is a comprehensive guide to analyzing digital interaction in formal and informal online spaces. The book establishes a new research framework for addressing major challenges that have arisen as social exchanges, meaning-making, and knowledge-building increasingly take place in social media, discussion forums, and online communities. With a focus on methodological alignment to support valid and trustworthy knowledge claims, the authors present a series of design decisions to help researchers: frame their object of interest and unpack underlying assumptions understand key differences between researcher-influenced and pre-existing online talk ethically extract and organize data for analysis apply rigorous qualitative, quantitative, and computational methods to answer their research questions Written for scholars in education, business, communication, media studies, health sciences, political sciences, and beyond, this is a thorough approach to the research methods and concerns essential to the study of talk in online contexts.
Looking for Longleaf
by Lawrence S. EarleyCovering 92 million acres from Virginia to Texas, the longleaf pine ecosystem was, in its prime, one of the most extensive and biologically diverse ecosystems in North America. Today these magnificent forests have declined to a fraction of their original extent, threatening such species as the gopher tortoise, the red-cockaded woodpecker, and the Venus fly-trap. Conservationists have proclaimed longleaf restoration a major goal, but has it come too late?In Looking for Longleaf, Lawrence S. Earley explores the history of these forests and the astonishing biodiversity of the longleaf ecosystem, drawing on extensive research and telling the story through first-person travel accounts and interviews with foresters, ecologists, biologists, botanists, and landowners. For centuries, these vast grass-covered forests provided pasture for large cattle herds, in addition to serving as the world's greatest source of naval stores. They sustained the exploitative turpentine and lumber industries until nearly all of the virgin longleaf had vanished. Looking for Longleaf demonstrates how, in the twentieth century, forest managers and ecologists struggled to understand the special demands of longleaf and to halt its overall decline. The compelling story Earley tells here offers hope that with continued human commitment, the longleaf pine might not just survive, but once again thrive.Covering 92 million acres from Virginia to Texas, the longleaf pine ecosystem was, in its prime, one of the most extensive and biologically diverse ecosystems in North America. Today these magnificent forests have declined to a fraction of their original extent, threatening such species as the gopher tortoise, the red-cockaded woodpecker, and the Venus fly-trap. Lawrence S. Earley explores the history of these forests and the astonishing biodiversity within them, drawing on extensive research and telling the story through first-person travel accounts and interviews with foresters, ecologists, biologists, botanists, and landowners. The compelling story Earley tells here offers hope that with continued human commitment, the longleaf pine might not just survive, but once again thrive.-->
Looking Forward: Prediction and Uncertainty in Modern America
by Jamie L. PietruskaIn the decades after the Civil War, the world experienced monumental changes in industry, trade, and governance. As Americans faced this uncertain future, public debate sprang up over the accuracy and value of predictions, asking whether it was possible to look into the future with any degree of certainty. In Looking Forward, Jamie L. Pietruska uncovers a culture of prediction in the modern era, where forecasts became commonplace as crop forecasters, “weather prophets,” business forecasters, utopian novelists, and fortune-tellers produced and sold their visions of the future. Private and government forecasters competed for authority—as well as for an audience—and a single prediction could make or break a forecaster’s reputation. Pietruska argues that this late nineteenth-century quest for future certainty had an especially ironic consequence: it led Americans to accept uncertainty as an inescapable part of both forecasting and twentieth-century economic and cultural life. Drawing together histories of science, technology, capitalism, environment, and culture, Looking Forward explores how forecasts functioned as new forms of knowledge and risk management tools that sometimes mitigated, but at other times exacerbated, the very uncertainties they were designed to conquer. Ultimately Pietruska shows how Americans came to understand the future itself as predictable, yet still uncertain.
Looking Up: The True Adventures of a Storm-Chasing Weather Nerd
by Matthew CappucciAn energetic and electrifying narrative about all things weather—by one of today's rising meteorological stars.Get in—we&’re going storm-chasing! Imagine a very cool weather nerd has just pulled up to you and yelled this out the window of his custom-built armored storm-chasing truck. The wind is whipping around, he&’s munching on Wawa, it&’s all very chaotic—yet as you look into his grinning face, you feel the greatest surge of adrenaline you have ever felt in your life. Hallelujah: your cavalry is here! Welcome to the brilliance of Looking Up, the lively new book from rising meterology star Matthew Cappucci. He&’s a meteorologist for The Washington Post, and you might think of him as Doogie Howser meets Bill Paxton from Twister, with a dash of Leonardo DiCaprio from Catch Me If You Can. A self-proclaimed weather nerd, at the age of fourteen he talked his way into delivering a presentation on waterspouts at the American Meteorological Society's annual broadcast conference by fudging his age on the application and created his own major on weather science while an undergrad at Harvard. Combining reportage and accessible science with personal storytelling and infectious enthusiasm, Looking Up is a riveting ride through the state of our weather and a touching story about parents and mentors helping a budding scientist achieve his improbable dreams. Throughout, readers get a tutorial on the basics of weather science and the impact of the climate. As our country&’s leaders sound the alarm on climate change, few people have as close a view to how serious the situation actually is than those whose job is to follow the weather, which is the daily dose of climate we interact with and experience every day. The weather affects every aspect of our lives (even our art) as well as our future. The way we think about it requires a whole-life overhaul. Rain or shine, tropical storm or twister, Cappucci is here to help us begin the process. So get in his storm-chasing truck already, will ya?
The Loop (The Loop #1)
by Ben Oliver"A script-ready story with blockbuster potential." -- Kirkus (Starred Review)Life inside The Loop--the futuristic death row for teens under eighteen--is one long repetitive purgatory. But when news of the encroaching chaos in the outside world reaches the inmates and disorder begins to strike, the prison becomes the least of their worries. Perfect for fans of The Maze Runner and The Fifth Wave.It's Luka Kane's 16th birthday and he's been inside The Loop for over two years. Every inmate is serving a death sentence with the option to push back their execution date by six months if they opt into "Delays," scientific and medical experiments for the benefit of the elite in the outside world.But rumors of a war on the outside are spreading amongst the inmates, and before they know it, their tortuous routine becomes disrupted. The government-issued rain stops falling. Strange things are happening to the guards. And it's not long until the inmates are left alone inside the prison.Were the chains that shackled Luka to his cell the only instruments left to keep him safe? In a thrilling shift, he must overcome fellow prisoners hell-bent on killing him, the warden losing her mind, the rabid rats in the train tunnels, and a population turned into murderous monsters to try and break out of The Loop, save his family, and discover who is responsible for the chaos that has been inflicted upon the world.
Loop-shaping Robust Control (Wiley-iste Ser.)
by Philippe FeyelThe loop-shaping approach consists of obtaining a specification in relation to the open loop of the control from specifications regarding various closed loop transfers, because it is easier to work on a single transfer (in addition to the open loop) than on a multitude of transfers (various loopings such as set point/error, disturbance/error, disturbance/control, etc.). The simplicity and flexibility of the approach make it very well adapted to the industrial context. This book presents the loop-shaping approach in its entirety, starting with the declension of high-level specifications into a loop-shaping specification. It then shows how it is possible to fully integrate this approach for the calculation of robust and efficient correctors with the help of existing techniques, which have already been industrially tried and tested, such as H-infinity synthesis. The concept of a gap metric (or distance between models) is also presented along with its connection with the prime factors of a set of systems shaping a ball of models, as well as its connections with robust synthesis by loop-shaping, in order to calculate efficient and robust correctors. As H-infinity loop-shaping is often demanding in terms of the order of correctors, the author also looks at loop-shaping synthesis under an ordering constraint. Two further promising lines of research are presented, one using stochastic optimization, and the other non-smooth optimization. Finally, the book introduces the concept of correction with two degrees of freedom via the formalism of prime factorization. Avenues for future work are also opened up by the author as he discusses the main drawbacks to loop-shaping synthesis, and how these issues can be solved using modern optimization techniques in an increasingly competitive industrial context, in accordance with ever more complex sets of functional specifications, associated with increasingly broad conditions of usage. Contents Introduction 1. The Loop-shaping Approach 2. Loop-shaping H-infinity Synthesis 3. Two Degrees-of-Freedom Controllers 4. Extensions and Optimizations Appendix 1. Demonstrative Elements on the Optimization of Robust Stabilization with Order Constraint Appendix 2. Establishment of Real LMIs for the Quasi-Convex Problem of Optimization of the Weighting Functions About the Authors Philippe Feyel is an R&D Engineer for the high-tech company Sagem Défense Sécurité, part of the defence and security business of the SAFRAN group, in Paris, France.
Loose Boundary Hydraulics (Civil Engineering Monographs)
by Arved J. RaudkiviThis text looks at sediment transport, two-phase flow and loose boundary hydraulics which are some of the names used to identify problems of interaction between fluid flow (water or air) and its boundaries that may be non-cohesive (alluvial) or cohesive.