UDM Libraries Book of the Week

Rumiko Hanada

Architects have long operated based on the assumption that a building is ‘complete’ once construction has finished. Striving to create a perfect building, they wish for it to stay in its original state indefinitely, viewing any subsequent alterations as unintended effects or the results of degeneration. The ideal is for a piece of architecture to remain permanently perfect and complete. This contrasts sharply with reality where changes take place as people move in, requirements change, events happen, and building materials are subject to wear and tear.

Rumiko Handa argues it is time to correct this imbalance. Using examples ranging from the Roman Coliseum to Japanese tea rooms, she draws attention to an area that is usually ignored: the allure of incomplete, imperfect and impermanent architecture. By focusing on what happens to buildings after they are ‘complete’, she shows that the ‘afterlife’ is in fact the very ‘life’ of a building.

However, the book goes beyond theoretical debate. Addressing professionals as well as architecture students and educators, it persuades architects of the necessity to anticipate possible future changes and to incorporate these into their original designs.

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Zongxuan Sun

Better Understand the Relationship between Powertrain System Design and Its Control Integration

While powertrain system design and its control integration are traditionally divided into two different functional groups, a growing trend introduces the integration of more electronics (sensors, actuators, and controls) into the powertrain system. This has impacted the dynamics of the system, changing the traditional mechanical powertrain into a mechatronic powertrain, and creating new opportunities for improved efficiency. Design and Control of Automotive Propulsion Systems focuses on the ICE-based automotive powertrain system (while presenting the alternative powertrain systems where appropriate). Factoring in the multidisciplinary nature of the automotive propulsion system, this text does two things—adopts a holistic approach to the subject, especially focusing on the relationship between propulsion system design and its dynamics and electronic control, and covers all major propulsion system components, from internal combustion engines to transmissions and hybrid powertrains.

The book introduces the design, modeling, and control of the current automotive propulsion system, and addresses all three major subsystems: system level optimization over engines, transmissions, and hybrids (necessary for improving propulsion system efficiency and performance). It provides examples for developing control-oriented models for the engine, transmission, and hybrid. It presents the design principles for the powertrain and its key subsystems. It also includes tools for developing control systems and examples on integrating sensors, actuators, and electronic control to improve powertrain efficiency and performance. In addition, it presents analytical and experimental methods, explores recent achievements, and discusses future trends.

Comprised of five chapters containing the fundamentals as well as new research, this text:

Examines the design, modeling, and control of the internal combustion engine and its key subsystems: the valve actuation system, the fuel system, and the ignition system Expounds on the operating principles of the transmission system, the design of the clutch actuation system, and transmission dynamics and control Explores the hybrid powertrain, including the hybrid architecture analysis, the hybrid powertrain model, and the energy management strategies Explains the electronic control unit and its functionalities—the software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop techniques for developing and validating control systems

Design and Control of Automotive Propulsion Systems provides the background of the automotive propulsion system, highlights its challenges and opportunities, and shows the detailed procedures for calculating vehicle power demand and the associated powertrain operating conditions.

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James Mahaffey

A gripping narrative of nuclear mishaps and meltdowns around the globe, all of which have proven pivotal to the advancement of nuclear science.

From the moment radiation was discovered in the late nineteenth century, nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative scientific exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters.

Mahaffey, a long-time advocate of continued nuclear research and nuclear energy, looks at each incident in turn and analyzes what happened and why, often discovering where scientists went wrong when analyzing past meltdowns.

Every incident has lead to new facets in understanding about the mighty atom―and Mahaffey puts forth what the future should be for this final frontier of science that still holds so much promise.

16 pages of color and B&W images, charts and graphs throughout

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Carl S. Young

Scientists with little or no background in security and security professionals with little or no background in science and technology often have difficulty communicating in order to implement the best counterterrorism strategies. The Science and Technology of Counterterrorism offers the necessary theoretical foundation to address real-world terrorism scenarios, effectively bridging the gap. It provides a powerful security assessment methodology, coupled with counterterrorism strategies that are applicable to all terrorism attack vectors. These include biological, chemical, radiological, electromagnetic, explosive, and electronic or cyber attacks. In addition to rigorous estimates of threat vulnerabilities and the effectiveness of risk mitigation, it provides meaningful terrorism risk metrics.

The Science and Technology of Counterterrorism teaches the reader how to think about terrorism risk, and evaluates terrorism scenarios and counterterrorism technologies with sophistication punctuated by humor. Both students and security professionals will significantly benefit from the risk assessment methodologies and guidance on appropriate counterterrorism measures contained within this book.

• Offers a simple but effective analytic framework to assess counterterrorism risk and realistic measures to address threats

• Provides the essential scientific principles and tools required for this analysis

• Explores the increasingly important relationship between physical and electronic risk in meaningful technical detail

• Evaluates technical security systems to illustrate specific risks using concrete examples

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