Introduction to The Industrial Electronics Guide
The field of industrial electronics covers a plethora of problems that must be solved in industrial practice. Electronic systems control many processes that begin with the control of relatively simple devices like electric motors, through more complicated devices such as robots, to the control of entire fabrication processes. An industrial electronics engineer deals with many physical phenomena as well as the sensors that are used to measure them. Thus, the knowledge required by this type of engineer is not only traditional electronics but also specialized electronics , for example, that required for high-power applications. The importance of electronic circuits extends well beyond their use as a final product in that they are also important building blocks in large systems, and thus the industrial electronics engineer must also possess a knowledge of the areas of control and mechatronics. Since most fabrication processes are relatively complex, there is an inherent requirement for the use of communication systems that not only link the various elements of the industrial process but are tailor-made for the specific industrial environment. Finally, the efficient control and supervision of factories requires the application of intelligent systems in a hierarchical structure to address the needs of all components employed in the production process. This need is accomplished through the use of intelligent systems such as neural networks, fuzzy systems, and evolutionary methods. The Industrial Electronics Guide addresses all these issues and does so in five guides outlined as follows:
1. Fundamentals of Industrial Electronics
2. Power Electronics and Motor Drives
3. Control and Mechatronics
4. Industrial Communication Systems
5. Intelligent Systems
Our editors have gone to great lengths to ensure that this guide is as current and up to date as possible. Thus, this guide closely follows the current research and trends in applications that can be found in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. This journal is not only one of the largest engineering publications of its type in the world, but also one of the most respected. In all technical categories in which this journal is evaluated, its worldwide ranking is either number 1 or number 2. As a result, we believe that this handbook, which is written by the world's leading researchers in the field, presents the global trends in the ubiquitous area commonly known as industrial electronics Universities throughout the world typically provide an excellent education on the various aspects of electronics; however, they normally focus on traditional low-power electronics. In contrast, in the industrial environment there is a need for high-power electronics that is used to control electromechanical systems in addition to the low-power electronics typically employed for analog and digital systems.
In order to address this need, Part I focuses on special high-power semiconductor devices. The most common interface between an electronic system and a moving mechanical system is an electric motor.
Motors come in many types and sizes and, therefore, in order to efficiently drive them, engineers must have a comprehensive understanding of the object to be controlled. Therefore, Part II not only describes the various types of electric motors and their principles of operation, but covers their limitations as well. Since electrical power can be delivered in either ac or dc, there is a need for high-efficiency devices that perform the necessary conversion between these different types of powers. These aspects are covered in Part III. It’s believed that electric motors represent the soul of the industry and as such play a fundamental role in our daily lives. This preeminent position they occupy is a direct result of the fact that the majority of electric energy is consumed by electric motors. Therefore, it’s important that these motors be efficient converters of electrical power into mechanical power, and the drive mechanisms be efficient as well. Part IV is dedicated to a presentation of very specialized electronic circuits for the efficient control of electric motors. In addition to its use in electric motors, power electronics has many other applications, such as lighting, renewable energy conversion, and automotive electronics, and these topics are covered in Part V. The last part, Part VI, deals with the power electronics that is employed in very-high-power electrical systems for the
transmission of energy.(The Industrial Electronics Guide).
Industrial Electronics
