Dynamic Stability of Hydraulic Gates and Engineering for Flood Prevention (Advances in Civil and Industrial Engineering)

Noriaki Ishii is Professor Emeritus, Osaka Electro-Communication University. He graduated from Kannonji-Daiichi High School in 1966 and entered the Department of Engineering Science of Osaka University as a member of their sixth graduating class. At Osaka University, he was well educated in using various methods to solve engineering problems, especially in the use of mathematical techniques. He studied the dynamic performance of centrifugal pumps in his B.S. thesis project and was awarded his B.S. degree in 1969. He then focused on the dynamics and performance optimization of reciprocating refrigerant compressors in collaboration with the Panasonic Company for his M.S. degree in 1971. After entering the doctoral Engineering Science course, he continued to study rotary rolling-piston refrigerant compressors and later scroll compressors. Ishii was not satisfied with studying small-sized engineering compressors, and so began his interest in investigating the dynamics of large hydraulic Tainter gates in 1972. His dissertation was on the failure analysis of Wachi-dam Tainter gate in Japan for which he received his Ph.D. from Osaka University in 1975. Immediately after his graduation, he joined the faculty at OECU. His main areas of research are in refrigerant compressor dynamics and optimization, flow-induced vibrations, and hydraulic gate instabilities. He has authored or co-authored over 97 journal articles and 146 conference papers. He holds Japan, European and United State patents entitled Hybrid Vehicle Driving System, Hybrid Vehicle, and Driving Method.

Keiko Anami is Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Osaka Electro-Communication University. Anami studied mechanical engineering at Osaka Electro-Communication University, receiving a B.S. degree in 1997 and an M.S. degree in 1999. She then received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Osaka Electro-Communication University in 2002. She held positions at Kyoto University (Kyoto) and Ashikaga Institute of Technology (Tochigi prefecture) before returning to Osaka Electro-Communication University. Her main areas of research are flow-induced vibrations, fluid dynamics, compressor optimization, wind energy conversion, and hydraulic gate instabilities. She has authored or co-authored about 30 journal articles and over 50 international conference papers. She is a recipient of The Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in 2013.

Charles W. Knisely is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Bucknell University. Knisely studied mechanical engineering at Bucknell University, receiving a B.S. degree in 1975 and an M.S. degree in 1978. He then received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA in 1980. He subsequently worked in industrial research in Switzerland, and later at a government research laboratory near Bethesda, MD. He held positions at the University of Karlsruhe (Germany) and at Kyoto University in Japan before returning to Bucknell University. During sabbatical leaves and over several summers he held visiting academic positions at the Osaka Electro-Communication University (Japan), the University of Siegen (Germany), and the University of Canterbury (New Zealand). In 2015, he served as a Distinguished Fulbright Chair at the Federal Universities in Uberlândia (UFU) and Goiás (UFG) in Brazil. His main areas of research are flow-induced vibrations, fluid dynamics, compressor optimization, wind energy conversion, and hydraulic gate instabilities. He has authored or co-authored over 100 journal articles and conference papers. He holds seven patents. He and his wife, Karin, authored a book, Engineering Communication, published by Cengage Learning.