Current Themes in Engineering Science 2007

All papers were peer-reviewed. This volume contains selected articles contributed by the participants of the World Congress on Engineering (WCE) that was organized by the International Association of Engineers (IAEng) and took place in London, UK on 2-4 July, 2007. Modern engineering science covers a vast expanse of research activities that underpin and support the development of technology, characterization and selection of materials and structures, system optimization and design, and safe exploitation throughout life cycles of components and assemblies serving the society s needs for manufacturing, transport, energy, food, health, security, and virtually every other aspect of public life. Modern engineering science is highly interdisciplinary, actively exploiting interfaces with applied mathematics and statistics, physics, chemistry, materials science, biological sciences and medicine, computing, and many other subjects. Almost every topic of research pursued in natural sciences and mathematics can be found to have an engineering dimension to it, provided the results find an application in practical and widespread use. No conference or symposium, nor even a World Congress may possibly provide a full reflection of the variety and richness of research activities in engineering sciences. Under the auspices of WCE 2007, fifteen subject conferences took place on the topics ranging from systems biology to financial engineering. Proceedings of individual conferences published by IAEng contain all papers presented at the conference. The purpose of the present volume, however, is different: it aims to identify and bring together under the same cover articles on some of the most interesting current themes in engineering science, contributed by the participants of various conferences that together constituted WCE 2007. Although the choice of topics that emerged was therefore necessarily subjective, it is hoped, nevertheless, that it provides a glimpse of the vast range of interests pursued by the modern engineering science.