Electrical Technology (PRT 136/3)

Most of us know--at least we've heard--that Benjamin Franklin conducted some kind of electrical experiment with a kite. What few of us realize--and what this book makes powerfully clear--is that Franklin played a major role in laying the foundations of modern electrical science and technology. This fast-paced book, rich with historical details and anecdotes, brings to life Franklin, the large international network of scientists and inventors in which he played a key role, and their amazing inventions. We learn what these early electrical devices--from lights and motors to musical and medical instruments--looked like, how they worked, and what their utilitarian and symbolic meanings were for those who invented and used them. Against the fascinating panorama of life in the eighteenth century, Michael Brian Schiffer tells the story of the very beginnings of our modern electrical world. The earliest electrical technologies were conceived in the laboratory apparatus of physicists; because of their surprising and diverse effects, however, these technologies rapidly made their way into many other communities and activities. Schiffer conducts us from community to community, showing how these technologies worked as they were put to use in public lectures, revolutionary experiments in chemistry and biology, and medical therapy. This story brings to light the arcane and long-forgotten inventions that made way for many modern technologies--including lightning rods (Franklin's invention), cardiac stimulation, xerography, and the internal combustion engine--and richly conveys the complex relationships among science, technology, and culture.

The Electrical Engineer's Handbook is an invaluable reference source for all practicing electrical engineers and students. Encompassing 79 chapters, this book is intended to enlighten and refresh knowledge of the practicing engineer or to help educate engineering students. This text will most likely be the engineers first choice in looking for a solution; extensive, complete references to other sources are provided throughout. No other book has the breadth and depth of coverage available here. This is a must-have for all practitioners and students! The Electrical Engineer's Handbook provides the most up-to-date information in: Circuits and Networks, Electric Power Systems, Electronics, Computer-Aided Design and Optimization, VLSI Systems, Signal Processing, Digital Systems and Computer Engineering, Digital Communication and Communication Networks, Electromagnetics and Control and Systems. About the Editor-in-Chief Wai-Kai Chen is Professor and Head Emeritus of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has extensive experience in education and industry and is very active professionally in the fields of circuits and systems. He was Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems, Series I and II, President of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society and is the Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Circuits, Systems and Computers. He is the recipient of the Golden Jubilee Medal, the Education Award, and the Meritorious Service Award from the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society, and the Third Millennium Medal from the IEEE. Professor Chen is a fellow of the IEEE and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. * 77 chapters encompass the entire field of electrical engineering. * THOUSANDS of valuable figures, tables, formulas, and definitions. * Extensive bibliographic references.

Various factors affect the performance of electrical contacts, including tribological, mechanical, electrical, and materials aspects. Although these behaviors have been studied for many years, they are not widely used or understood in practice. Combining approaches used across the globe, Electrical Contacts: Fundamentals, Applications, and Technology integrates advances in research and development in the tribological, material, and analytical aspects of electrical contacts with new data on electrical current transfer at the micro- and nanoscales. Taking an application-oriented approach, the authors illustrate how material characteristics, tribological behavior, and loading impact the degradation of contacts, formation of intermetallics, and overall reliability and performance. Coverage is divided broadly into three sections, with the first focused on mechanics, tribology, materials, current and heat transfer, and basic reliability issues of electrical contacts. The next section explores applications, such as power connections, electronic connections, and sliding contacts, while the final section presents the diagnostic and monitoring techniques used to investigate and measure phenomena occurring at electrical contact interfaces. Numerous references to current literature reflect the fact that this book is the most comprehensive survey in the field. Explore an impressive collection of data, theory, and practical applications in Electrical Contacts: Fundamentals, Applications, and Technology, a critical tool for anyone investigating or designing electrical equipment with improved performance and reliability in mind.