Top Control Engineering articles, July 2011

Most visited articles at www.controleng.com during July 2011 included videos on improving plant performance and cyber security, salary survey, direct-drive wind turbines, and advancing instrumentation, CNC faceoff, cyber health checkup, high-efficiency gas turbines, a process instrumentation case study, award-winning products. Descriptions and links to those most-visited articles follow. [Editor’s note: Happy Birthday – Control Engineering online marks 15 years in August 2011.]

July 2011 most popular Control Engineering online articles

2011 Engineers’ Choice Awards – Spotlight on Innovation – Cover story: Best automation, control, and instrumentation products in 30 categories. (Application deadline for 2012 is Oct. 14.) 

Video: Making your plant performance reporting more interactive – What will tomorrow’s “morning meeting” look like? ABB gives a preview of what’s going on in the lab and what your future HMI may look like.

2011 EE Salary Survey – Career Update: Electrical Engineer Career Assessment – Take our online career assessment and salary survey for electrical engineers. Link to other career-help resources.

Control Engineering Leaders Under 40 is a recognition program designed to identify and give recognition to young engineers who have made significant contributions toward the control engineering profession. Watch the October issue for the 2011 winners.

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. See photos, diagram, links. 

Video: IT students explore the world of industrial networks and cyber security – DePaul University expands its IT offerings with a new class on security for industrial control networks.

Beyond the PV: Advancing instrumentation – How sophisticated signal processing and advanced applications are expanding the measurement palette.

Computer Numerical Control: CNC Faceoff – When choosing computer numerical control (CNC) technologies for new or retrofit machinery, use this checklist to help compare capabilities. Look for faster program processing, easier integration and use, and customization capabilities. See checklist, related article links. Engineering interaction: Leave your advice. 

Cover story: Giving your plant a cyber health checkup – Creating a strong cyber security health regimen so you can defend against threats, external and internal.

High-Efficiency gas turbines add new flexibility – Gas turbine are breaking 60% net thermal efficiency barrier in combined-cycle (CC) operation with design and control advances in CC power plant applications. Hybrid CC plants incorporate renewable energy.

Inside process: Instrumentation challenges of walnut processing – Walnut meat kernels have to be dried to optimum moisture content quickly and efficiently. How do you measure that? 

Among popular Control Engineering pages are:

Digital Edition 

Search  Control Engineering

User login  Control Engineering

Register Form Subscribe/resubscribe Control Engineering

Online Training Center – Control Engineering

Magazine Archives 

Contact Us 

eGuides 

New Products

PLCs and PACs

Engineering Education Center 

Motors and Drives

Also see:

Integrator Guide – Search the online Automation Integrator Guide by selecting from the categories below. Selecting multiple criteria will narrow your search results. Integrators wishing to apply for their own listing can do so. 

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