This book addresses a range of solutions and effective control techniques for Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs), intended as a response to the increased energy consumption and wastewater production stemming from globalization. It describes the fundamentals of MFCs and control-oriented mathematical models, and provides detailed information on uncertain parameters. Various control techniques like robust control with LMI, adaptive backstepping control, and exact linearization control are developed for different mathematical models. In turn, the book elaborates on the basics of adaptive control, presenting several methods in detail. It also demonstrates how MFCs can be developed at the laboratory level, equipping readers to develop their own MFCs for experimental purposes. In closing, it develops a transfer function model for MFCs by combining a system identification technique and model reference adaptive control techniques. By addressing one of the most promising sources of clean and renewable energy, this book provides a viable solution for meeting the world’s increasing energy demands.

This book presents the proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Soft Computing Applications, SOFA 2018, held on 13–15 September 2018 in Arad, Romania. The workshop was organized by Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, in conjunction with the Institute of Computer Science, Iasi Branch of the Romanian Academy, IEEE Romanian Section, Romanian Society of Control Engineering and Technical Informatics – Arad Section, General Association of Engineers in Romania – Arad Section and BTM Resources Arad. The papers included in these proceedings, published post-conference, cover the research including Knowledge-Based Technologies for Web Applications, Cloud Computing, Security Algorithms and Computer Networks, Business Process Management, Computational Intelligence in Education and Modelling and Applications in Textiles and many other areas related to the Soft Computing. The book is directed to professors, researchers, and graduate students in area of soft computing techniques and applications.

This book at hand is an appropriate addition to the field of fractional calculus applied to control systems. If an engineer or a researcher wishes to delve into fractional-order systems, then this book has many collections of such systems to work upon, and this book also tells the reader about how one can convert an integer-order system into an appropriate fractional-order one through an efficient and simple algorithm. If the reader further wants to explore the controller design for the fractional-order systems, then for them, this book provides a variety of controller design strategies. The use of fractional-order derivatives and integrals in control theory leads to better results than integer-order approaches and hence provides solid motivation for further development of control theory. Fractional-order models are more useful than the integer-order models when accuracy is of paramount importance. Real-time experimental validation of controller design strategies for the fractional-order plants is available. This book is beneficial to the academic institutes for postgraduate and advanced research-level that need a specific textbook on fractional control and its applications in srobotic manipulators. The book is also a valuable teaching and learning resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

This book provides a basic understanding of adaptive control and its applications in Flight control. It discusses the designing of an adaptive feedback control system and analyzes this for flight control of linear and nonlinear aircraft models using synthetic jet actuators. It also discusses control methodologies and the application of control techniques which will help practicing flight control and active flow control researchers. It also covers modelling and control designs which will also benefit researchers from the background of fluid mechanics and health management of actuation systems. The unique feature of this book is characterization of synthetic jet actuator nonlinearities over a wide range of angles of attack, an adaptive compensation scheme for such nonlinearities, and a systematic framework for feedback control of aircraft dynamics with synthetic jet actuators.

Intelligent Buildings and Infrastructure with Sustainable and Social Values, Third edition is a comprehensive guide to the latest knowledge on the design, management, operation and technology of intelligent buildings and cities for sustainable developments that meet the needs of users now and in the future.

Even before the deep learning revolution, the landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) was already changing drastically in the 90s. Embodied intelligence, it was proposed, must play a crucial role in the design of intelligent machines. This new wave was inspired by what is today known as Embodied and Enactive Cognitive Science or E-Cognition, which considers that cognitive activity does not reduce to the intellectual capacities of agents being able to represent their environments. E-cognition set AI and robotics in a new direction, in which intelligent machines are required to interact with the environment, and where this interaction does not reduce to explicit representations or prespecified algorithms. These ideas revolutionized the way we think about intelligent machines and cognition, but these theoretical advances are only partially reflected in modern approaches to AI and machine learning (ML). Despite deeply impressive achievements, AI/ML still struggles to recapitulate the kinds of intelligence we find in natural systems, whether we are considering individual insects (e.g. simultaneous localization and mapping), or swarm behaviour (e.g. forum sensing and ensemble inferences), and especially the kinds of flexibility and high-level reasoning characteristic of human cognition.

This book (i) identifies a range of market and social forces driving the private sector toward more responsible environmental stewardship; (ii) shows the need for governments, the private sector, and communities to adjust their relations; (iii) and argues for enhanced enforcement of environmental regulations by governments even as they reach out to the private sector for stronger collaboration in environmental protection.

Control Engineering and Information Systems contains the papers presented at the 2014 International Conference on Control Engineering and Information Systems (ICCEIS 2014, Yueyang, Hunan, China, 20-22 June 2014). All major aspects of the theory and applications of control engineering and information systems are addressed, including: Intelligent s

Advances in Lignocellulosic Biofuel Production Systems focuses on general topics such as novel pretreatment strategies, lignocellulosic biomass as a suitable feedstock for biofuels, lifecycle assessment and integrated biorefineries. Furthermore, the book focuses on more advanced topics such as genetically engineered feedstocks, metabolically engineered microbes, bioreactor design and configuration, cell immobilization strategies, artificial intelligence applications and nanotechnology. This book will guide readers through all aspects of lignocellulosic biofuel production rather than simply covering a single topic. - Provides information on the most advanced and innovative technologies for biomass valorization, including the design and configuration of bioreactors - Identifies research gaps in the application of artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, cell immobilization, metabolic engineering, kinetic assessment and genetically engineered feedstocks for enhancing lignocellulosic bioprocessing and biofuel yield - Presents a global overview of the supply chain for biofuels production from lignocellulosic biomass - Includes techno-economic analysis, along with environmental and socioeconomic impact assessments of various technologies

This book encompasses the most updated and recent account of research and implementation of Microbial Electrochemical Technologies (METs) from pioneers and experienced researchers in the field who have been working on the interface between electrochemistry and microbiology/biotechnology for many years. It provides a holistic view of the METs, detailing the functional mechanisms, operational configurations, influencing factors governing the reaction process and integration strategies. The book not only provides historical perspectives of the technology and its evolution over the years but also the most recent examples of up-scaling and near future commercialization, making it a must-read for researchers, students, industry practitioners and science enthusiasts. Key Features: Introduces novel technologies that can impact the future infrastructure at the water-energy nexus. Outlines methodologies development and application of microbial electrochemical technologies and details out the illustrations of microbial and electrochemical concepts. Reviews applications across a wide variety of scales, from power generation in the laboratory to approaches. Discusses techniques such as molecular biology and mathematical modeling; the future development of this promising technology; and the role of the system components for the implementation of bioelectrochemical technologies for practical utility. Explores key challenges for implementing these systems and compares them to similar renewable energy technologies, including their efficiency, scalability, system lifetimes, and reliability.