Xin Yang Livres

This timely review book summarizes the state-of-the-art developments in nature-inspired optimization algorithms and their applications in engineering. Algorithms and topics include the overview and history of nature-inspired algorithms, discrete firefly algorithm, discrete cuckoo search, plant propagation algorithm, parameter-free bat algorithm, gravitational search, biogeography-based algorithm, differential evolution, particle swarm optimization and others. Applications include vehicle routing, swarming robots, discrete and combinatorial optimization, clustering of wireless sensor networks, cell formation, economic load dispatch, metamodeling, surrogated-assisted cooperative co-evolution, data fitting and reverse engineering as well as other case studies in engineering. This book will be an ideal reference for researchers, lecturers, graduates and engineers who are interested in nature-inspired computation, artificial intelligence and computational intelligence. It can also serve as a reference for relevant courses in computer science, artificial intelligence and machine learning, natural computation, engineering optimization and data mining.

Focusing on energy-efficient management, the book explores operations research and uncertain optimization methods in urban rail transit systems. It offers innovative modeling concepts aimed at reducing tractive energy consumption and enhancing regenerative energy use. Targeted at researchers, engineers, and students in transport management, it serves as a valuable reference for advancing knowledge in sustainable transit solutions.

This current dissertation is focused on the investigation of the diffusion and permeation properties of low molecule volatile organic substance through elastomer and its micro- and nano- composites. The tert-butyl-benzene (t-BuPh) was used as model substance in the study. In order to carry out the investigation quantitatively, two test methods were applied. An in-house developed and self-constructed two-chamber permeation apparatus was used mainly for the diffusion and permeation measurements. The ATR-FT-IR spectroscopy was utilized as a reference method to examine and correlate the twochamber permeation method. Several different kinds of neat elastomers containing varying molecular structures and chemical properties – BR, SBR, EPDM, NBR, and HNBR – were investigated as first. The influence of the polymer constitution, the “free-volume”, the polarity, the chain flexibility, and the elastomer cross linking density on the diffusion and permeation behavior of t-BuPh was studied and evaluated systematically.