The Sustainable Renovation of Buildings and Neighborhoods is a collection of papers presented at the International Congress of Sustainable Construction and Eco‐efficient Solutions. This event has established itself as a forum for meeting academics from around the word, researchers and professionals of the construction sector, in which environmental information is shared with a multidisciplinary context, and which involves participants from different areas of the construction process. The congress brings together development proposals through a shared vision of environmental sustainability and presents alternative solutions to problems through technical presentations and trainings, in order to minimize the environmental impact caused by the construction sector. This monograph celebrates the event’s second international edition and its fourth national edition. The volume contains selected articles written by the participants. Readers will find information about interesting, new developments and concepts on • Energy retrofitting in older buildings • Tools to determine and measure environmental impact and sustainability indicators • Economic / cost based revaluation of buildings through the viability of eco‐efficient solutions • Reduction of the consumption of material and energy resources and in CO2 emissions • Sustainability research based on the renovation of urban areas. The studies in this book provide real examples from different countries (Argentina and Spain, for example). The Sustainable Renovation of Buildings and Neighborhoods is a useful reference for researchers and professional architects involved in sustainable development, environmental rehabilitation and the construction industry.

Considerable effort and money are devoted to developing alternative energy sources, such as wind power, solar power, cellulosic ethanol, and biofuels. This ebook is a collection of research papers on alternative energy sources presented at the Economics of Alternative Energy Sources and Globalization: The Road Ahead Conference that was held in November 2009 in Orlando, Florida. Thirty-three papers were presented by leading experts in the field, with about half being published in the e-book. Several of the papers explored the economics of biofuels produced from corn, sugarcane, and/or forestry materials. Two of the papers addressed the link between biofuel production and U.S. agricultural policy, and how biofuels could reduce U.S. Treasury costs even though biofuels increase food prices. International subsidies promote alternative fuel production (e.g., Brazil). This ebook should be a very useful resource for readers interested in alternative energy research and related economic policy.

I joined NEC in 1968 and was assigned to the circuit development department of the computer division. My first work was the circuit design of the switching mode power supply (SMPS) for the mainframe of the computer system. My job area was expanded to development of the design rule and to standardization of all over the electric and electronics parts for the non-logic circuit. Non-logic circuit was categorized to except the gate-array which forms the logic circuit of the mainframe. The experiment of SMPS was considered to be dangerousness and no one wanted to design. Therefore, my development of the power supply system (PSS) including the circuit design of SMPS was continued. The electric current of the mainframe and the supercomputer was reached to several thousand amperes. The critical problem of PSS was the heat dissipation and the electromagnetic interference (EMI) against the logic circuit. In 1992, the full-scale R&D of EMC became necessary hastily. I was nominated and transferred to the chief managing researcher of the established EMC engineering center in NEC Laboratories. I had believed that the switching mode circuit (SMC) including the digital circuit and SMPS circuit will be improved greatly if the EMC problem is solved. However the deep R&D was difficult because the actual fruits in every year were required strongly. Therefore, his knowledge of the science concerning EMC was not deepened enough. However I could understand the actual status of technologies of the electronics and electrics widely and the basic knowledge about how to approach the science as well as R&D could be learned. During this time, I completed PhD course and received the PhD. degree from Kyushu University, lectured in Kyushu University and Tohoku University for one year each, and executed several national projects by the cooperation of his colleague in NEC and of the supporters in the industrial society and academia. These are considered to be my best harvest in NEC Laboratories. I had decided to continue R&D for solving EMC problem of SMC after his retirement and to try the commercialization of the fruit of R&D. I established ICAST which is the abbreviation of the innovative circuit and system technologies in 2005. The solitary electromagnetic (SEMW) theory was advocated and the novel technologies including the low impedance lossy line (LILL) and the matched impedance lossy line (MILL) were invented based on the SEMW theory.

Two purposes exist in this eBook. The first is to be validated the SEMW theory by the academia and the industrial society. The second is the contribution to the growth of the industry in the world by the technologies of LILL and MILL.

The urgency of exploring alternative energy sources, especially in regions so detrimentally affected by current energy practices on environmental, humanitarian and political levels warrants a crucial effort in raising awareness and activism about renewable energy and sustainable development. Sustainable Solar Energy Systems is a primer on the application of solar energy technology for sustainable development. This handbook starts with an introduction to basic concepts of solar energy, describes the mechanisms and benefits of related technologies, and presents a case study in an Arabian poultry farm. The book also includes details on how to conduct economic feasibility studies of solar power projects. The book is a suitable reference for general readers or students undertaking environmental science or engineering courses with specific modules on solar energy projects. Readers will be able to understand the benefits of solar energy systems in the context of an increasing concern about the use of renewable energy under conditions of global warming and declining fossil fuel reserves.

Energy is vital to global prosperity, yet dependence on fossil fuels as our primary energy source contributes to global climate change, environmental degradation, and health problems. Hydrogen offers tremendous potential as a clean, renewable energy currency. It has the highest gravimetric energy density of any known fuel and is compatible with electrochemical and combustion processes for energy conversion without the carbon emissions. This e-book summarizes the current state of the art and progress in biohydrogen production. Biohydrogen has significant economical since biological processes are much less energy intensive compared with electrolysis and thermo-chemical processes. Topics covered in this reference include progress in hydrogen production by light-driven processes, dark fermentation, hydrogen production from waste materials, the role of molecular engineering for enhanced hydrogen production, and post-production processing such as hydrogen purification and storage.

Soft robotics is a subfield of robotics that encompasses the design and fabrication of robots with soft and compliant materials. Soft robots represent components like human prosthetics or biomimicking systems. Soft robotics relies on technically astute designs based on the correct choice of materials to enable a level of dexterity not possible with rigid components alone. The basic prime movers (actuators) and perception (sensors) require control systems capable of accommodating imprecise feedback data and often unpredictable reaction times. Mobility in such robots is more akin to entomological or marine systems than conventional guided vehicles. This reference is a guide to materials and systems used in soft robotics. If features 6 chapters contributed by robotics experts that review fundamental and applied topics that are important for understanding the requirements of soft robotics design projects and the physics of the polymers involved. Chapters are organized for easy reading and include references. The topics include: - Aspects of materials processing and engineering for the development of soft robotic devices - A review on biological gripping principles and their application to robotics - Information about self-sensing electroadhesive polymer grippers with magnetically controllable surface geometry - Theoretical and experimental investigations of magnetic hybrid materials - Modeling and dynamic analysis of a novel rotary soft robotic arm by transfer matrix method - Design and control of a portable continuum robot for pipe inspection assisted by a rigid manipulator This book is a suitable reference for scholars and engineers who are seeking knowledge about materials and design principles in soft robotics with its practical applications.

This book is a guide to the application of ionic liquids (ILs) in the oil industry. It includes ten chapters that review basic and advanced topics. Starting with a general introduction to IL structure and properties, the book comprehensively explains the use of ILs in key petroleum extraction processes such as pollutant removal, demulsification, crude oil transport and oil recovery. Additional applications that are important for the sustainability management of petrochemical operations such as deepwell hydrate inhibition, CO2 capture, corrosion engineering, catalysis, hydrocarbon separation, bitumen extraction and stabilization are also included. Each chapter also provides bibliographic references for further reading. The wide range of topics makes this an informative reference to students and professionals in petroleum engineering, chemical engineering programs and any other training course that requires reading material for an understanding of the oil industry. General readers and researchers interested in the fascinating chemistry of ionic liquids will also enjoy this book.

This e-book focuses on the application of artificial intelligence resources in fields related to Control and Automation Engineering. Techniques such as neural networks, fuzzy logic and expert systems are a key tool for researchers and engineers requiring powerful solutions to a wide range of problems. The e-book should be a useful guide for these engineers and presents practical examples of real cases where these techniques have been successfully applied.

Risk management is a process through which an organization methodically analyses risks inherent in all of its operational activities with the aim of minimizing damage to physical assets or occupational health hazards. Risk Management, therefore, should be a central element in the management strategy of any organization as it plays a crucial role in giving the organization a sustainable operational advantage. Safety Science: Methods to Prevent Incidents and Worker Health Damage at the Workplace is a handbook for management students and working professionals (safety professionals, human resource managers, insurance officers etc.) interested in the science of risk management and methods to implements safety standards at the workplace. The book introduces readers to the concept of occupational risk and occupational health management. It explains the concepts relevant to these topics such as safety economy valuation and asset integrity management. Assessment tools related to qualitative and quantitative risk management, incident and vulnerability analysis are also provided. Additionally, readers will find information on the human factors and methods to improve human engagement in risk management as well as information about current safety standards and systems in organizations around the world.