Control Engineering August 2011 Digital Edition

Did you see the Control Engineering digital edition for August 2011? In addition to the monthly North American print edition, CFE Media offers a digital edition, with...

August 30, 2011

Did you see the Control Engineering digital edition for August 2011? In addition to the monthly North American print edition, CFE Media offers a digital edition, with live links to related articles, ability to zoom in and out, links to the from the cover and table of contents, and links to longer, online versions of many articles. Ads also are shown as they appear in the printed edition. Readers also can browse back issues and search all content.

Feature articles include the following; click on the table of contents image at right to go to the Control Engineering August 2011 digital edition.

An iPhone as your next HMI? – Consumer-grade smartphones and tablet computers are fast becoming commonplace extensions of industrial networks, permitting process monitoring and, even (gasp!) process control.

Direct-drive wind turbines flex muscles – A different drive train design that eliminates the gearbox between a turbine’s rotor and generator is
attracting wind turbine manufacturers in the quest for higher power output, increased offshore reliability, and potential cost savings over the system’s lifetime.

Laser spectroscopy for measuring moisture in natural gas – Spectroscopy avoids sensor degradation possible with direct contact analysis methods resulting from
contaminants in the product stream.

M2M in manufacturing – Machine-to-machine technologies are moving into new markets and making machine processes and network connections more efficient.

High-efficiency gas turbines add new flexibility – Siemens’ H-class gas turbine, the largest machine of its type in production, recently broke the 60% net thermal efficiency barrier in combined-cycle (CC) operation. Other gas turbine makers with efficient machines also are exploiting design and control advances in CC power plant applications—and in evolving hybrid CC plants that incorporate renewable energy.

Inside Machines

Automated measuring system – New control system for an automated measuring system testing improves communications and saves space.

Winding technology in the drive – Winder applications that can be integrated into drive systems by setting parameters, rather than configuring and programming, provide an advantage.

Fly me to the moon – Tiny motion control technology helps with a prototype lunar mechanical tool changer for a robot that could unload moon landers from a spacecraft and then do various science experiments.

How to choose a motion control architecture – Building a controller has never been easier—or more confusing. This tutorial guide can help determine which motion control architecture to use.

Also see departments, news, and products.

Subscribe to the Control Engineering digital edition.

Link to the digital edition and all the articles mentioned above, at:

https://www.controleng.com/magazine/digital-edition.html

– Mark T. Hoske, CFE Media