This e-book is a short history of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) of inorganic materials and substances. The author considers distinct features of the research work of the most active groups along with their important scientific and practical achievements. The main result of these efforts is the appearance a new field of knowledge on the boundary between combustion science and materials science. The book is written in an original manner which combines the description of the scientific results with interesting stories about various episodes accompanying development of significant fields of science. The book should be of interest to for SHS specialists and representative students and researchers of allied sciences (physical and inorganic chemistry, macroscopic kinetics, materials science and technology of inorganic materials, metallurgy, etc.).

Microalgae could play an important role in the achievement of sustainability goals related to the generation of renewable energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These photosynthetic microorganisms are able to capture CO2 and, therefore, can be used to produce biofuels such as ethanol, methane and green diesel. Other factors, such as their high growth rate, ability to use wastewater as a culture medium and the ability to grow on non-arable land makes them a potentially economical source of biofuel production on a large scale. This monograph introduces the reader to the basic and applied science of microalgal biofuel production. Chapters in the volume give information about bioethanol and biogas production from microalgal sources, the fermentation process, optimization of culture parameters and industrial applications of biomass projects. The book is a useful reference for biotechnology and environmental science graduates and professionals interested in biofuel production.

This book presents information about the application of various flexible AC transmission system devices to wind energy conversion systems. Devices such as unified power flow controllers, superconducting magnetic energy storage and static synchronous compensators are covered in this book. Chapters detail features of the topology and basic control systems of each device. Additionally, case studies are presented where necessary to demonstrate practical applications. This book is a reference for students and technicians studying wind power and AC transmission systems in advanced engineering courses.

Researchers, politicians and lay persons around the world agree that renewable energy technologies will play an increasingly important role in strengthening national economies in the future. The renewable energy industry has the potential to significantly increase power capacity of several countries and subsequently create many jobs. This book examines recent advances in specific renewable energy systems. Readers will learn about theoretical and applied perspectives which are key to addressing the major issues associated with such systems. Chapters cover solar energy systems, thermal energy storage, bioenergy, hydrogen production, geothermal energy and measurement techniques for these energy systems. Students in engineering programs, and engineers working in academia and the renewable energy sector will be able to broaden their understanding of complex renewable energy projects through the comprehensive overview of both the fundamental concepts and the technical issues covered in the text.

Solar Chimney Power Plants: Numerical Investigations and Experimental Validation summarizes the effect of the geometrical parameters of a solar chimney on the airflow behavior inside a solar chimney power plant. Chapters in this experimental handbook are presented in two parts with the goal of equipping readers with the information necessary to study and determine key factors which affect the performance of the solar chimney power plant. In the first part, the authors present a simulation developed by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling software ANSYS Fluent to model the airflow. The adopted CFD models include k-ɛ turbulence model, the DO radiation model and the convection heat flux transfer model. These models have been validated with anterior experimental results. In the second part, the simulated models are then tested with alternate geometric configurations of the solar chimney power plant. The numerical studies allow readers to consider ways to expand on the design optimizing of the solar chimney when constructing a prototype. Geometrical parameters include the height, the diameter of the chimney and the dimensions of the solar collector and their effect on the temperature and air pressure is documented to validate models used for experimental simulations. The handbook also includes a study of an experimental prototype, constructed at ENIS. The researchers have gathered data on the environmental temperature, distribution of the temperature, air velocity and the power output generated by the turbine, the solar radiation and the gap of temperature in the collector of the prototype.

This handbook is a guide to numerical and experimental processes that are used to analyze and improve the efficiency of vertical axis rotors. Chapters present information that is required to optimize the geometrical parameters of rotors or understand how to augment upstream water velocity. <p> The authors of this volume present a numerical model to characterize the water flow around the vertical axis rotors using commercial CFD code in Ansys Fluent®. The software has been used to select adequate parameters and perform computational simulations of spiral Darrieus turbines. The contents of the volume explain the experimental procedure carried out to evaluate the performance of the spiral Darrieus turbine, how to characterize the water flow in the vicinity of the tested turbine, and the method to assess the spiral angle influence on the turbine performance parameters. Results for different spiral angles (ranging from 10° to 40°) are presented. <p> This volume is a useful handbook for engineers involved in power plant design and renewable energy sectors who are studying the computational fluid dynamics of vertical axis turbines (such as Darrieus turbines) that are used in hydropower projects. <p> Key features: <p> - 4 chapters that cover the numerical and experimental analysis of vertical axis rotors and hydrokinetic turbines <p> - Simple structured layout for easy reading (methodology, models and results) <p> - Bibliographic study to introduce the reader to the subject <p> - A wide range of parameters included in experiments <p> - A comprehensive appendix of tables for mechanical parameters, statistical models, rotor parameters and geometric details.

This book encapsulates current information about the science behind solar energy and the solar thermal systems available to meet domestic needs. Several scholars have contributed to the chapters in the text in an effort to distill research-oriented topics for learners. The book starts with an explainer on the fundamentals of thermodynamics, heat transfer and solar energy in the first 2 chapters. The basics of some solar thermal devices along with their thermal modeling are covered in the next few chapters, along with solar distillation systems. This is followed by information about the design, development and applications of solar cookers along with their thermal modeling. Thermal modeling of semi-transparent PVT systems and their applications are discussed in Chapter 9. Chapter 10 covers the development in solar photovoltaic technology. Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 discusses thermal modeling of greenhouse solar dryers and presents a case study on a hybrid active greenhouse solar dryer. Chapter 13 covers the thermal analysis of photovoltaic thermal (PVT) air heaters employing thermoelectric modules (TEM). The applications of various solar systems in building sectors and the development in this field are covered in Chapter 14. Chapter 15 deals with energy and environ- economics analysis of bio-gas integrated semi-transparent photo-voltaic thermal (Bi-iSPVT) systems for Indian climates. The book has a broad scope and is intended as a resource for students, researchers and teachers in universities, industries, and national and commercial laboratories to help learn the fundamentals and in-depth knowledge of thermal modeling and recent developments in solar heating systems.

This reference distills information about emerging technologies and applications for smart city design and sustainable urban planning. Chapters present technology use-cases that have radical novelty and high scalability with a prominent impact on community living standards. These technologies prepare urban and rural dwellings for the transformation to the smart world. Applications and techniques highlighted in the book use a combination of artificial intelligence and IoT technologies in areas like transportation, energy, healthcare, education, governance, and manufacturing, to name a few. The book serves as a learning resource for smart city design and sustainable infrastructure planning. Scholars and professionals who are interested in understanding ways for transforming communities into smart communities can also benefit from the cases presented in the book.

This book is a review of recent artificial intelligence approaches, initiatives and applications in engineering and science fields. It features contributions that highlight the use of techniques such as machine learning, mining engineering, modeling and simulation, and fuzzy logic methods in the fields of communication, networking and information engineering. The collection of chapters should inspire scholars involved in theoretical and applied sciences to contribute to research using computational intelligence principles and methods in their respective research communities. Professionals working on systems engineering, communications, innovative computing systems and adaptive technologies for sustainable growth, will also be able to benefit from the information provided in the book.

Rapid Solidification Processing of molten metals and alloys has proved to be a reliable route for producing new and advanced materials. The Chill-Block Melt Spin (CBMS) technique is important because its simplicity, flexibility and perfection. High quality materials can be produced with lower costs, as compared to other routes, by refining the microstructure and trapping the nucleated (new) metastable phases. Melt-spun ribbons subsequently produced can then be consolidated to produce billets and sheets that can be used in many industries especially high-tech industries such as aerospace and racing automobiles. This book contains several perspectives about CBMS technology and should be a useful review for undergraduate and post-graduate metallurgy students.