Automatic Control Systems Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I had to use this book for my last semester in electrical engineering. It is really interesting, well explained and complete for a concise introduction about control engineering and design of controllers.
All you need to follow the text are basic notions in engineer's mathematics (a bit of calculus and algebra). A few chapters offer reviews of important notions (transfert functions, state variable modeling, differential equations, ...) Then, you get to the essential, control theory.
The book is well divided. First chapters cover mathematical notions you have to master in order to succeed in the next part (signal flow diagrams, block diagrams, a bit of mechanic). Then, a few chapters introduce control loops, poles and zeros interpretation (explained very well with a lot of graphs examples). A single chapter covers root loci drawing. Great explanations about controllers are complete and easy to understand. The last chapter is kept for design only with A LOT of examples for PID, phase-lag, filters, etc.
Emphasis is made on computer design with examples all along the book. The CD included offers a few useful tools to use for design with Matlab.
The author knows his subject more than anyone else. He has good experience in design and the text is well written. A must for anyone studying the subject.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Automatic Control Systems

Automatic Control Systems provides engineers with a fresh new controls book that places special emphasis on mechatronics. It follows a revolutionary approach by actually including a physical lab. In addition, readers will find authoritative coverage of modern design tools and examples. Current mechatronics applications build motivation to learn the material. Extensive use of virtual lab software is also integrated throughout the chapters. Engineers will gain a strong understand of control systems with the help of modern examples and exercises.

Click here for more information about Automatic Control Systems

Read More...

System Dynamics for Engineering Students: Concepts and Applications Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Nicolae Lobontiu, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, brings his years of experience teaching classes in system dynamics, as well as the knowledge gleaned from writing four related previous texts -- Dynamics of Microelectomechanical Systems; Mechanical Design of Microresonators; Mechanics of Microelectromechanical Systems; and, Compliant Mechanism: Design of Flexure Hinges -- to produce this solid text for students entering this emerging field.
The discipline of system dynamics focuses on teaching students "how to create and analyze mathematical models of dynamic, mechanical, electrical/electromagnetic, thermal, and fluid/pneumatic systems" for the purpose of designing and then testing systems before they are actually built. While the author retains a classical approach, Lobontiu also introduces examples from compliant mechanisms and microscale devices and machines.
Consideration is given to mechanical engineering problems for junior and senior-level undergraduate students in support of mechanical, aerospace, electrical, biomedical and civil engineering courses and explores mechanism and movement in springs and joints present in "micro-machined, lithographic based devices to traditional models of microscale, fluidic, and electromechanical systems." Offers a "foundation and framework for the development of controllers applied to these dynamical systems." Includes examples and problems at the end of each chapter to familiarize readers with the modeling and dynamical systems engineers are likely to encounter in the future.
Publisher touts the text as "the first system dynamics textbook to include extensive examples from the relatively new application areas of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and compliant (flexible) mechanical devices," and to offer "more ancillary instructor support than any other system dynamics text."
Text is divided into eleven chapters and four appendices:
Ch. 1 Introduction; Ch 2. Mechanical Systems I; Ch. 3 Mechanical Systems II; Ch. 4 Electrical Systems; Ch. 5 Fluid and Thermal Systems; Ch. 6 The Laplace Transform; Ch. 7 Transfer Function Approach; Ch. 8 State-Space Approach; Ch. 9 Frequency Domain Approach; Ch. 10 Coupled-Field Systems; Ch. 11 Introduction to Modeling and Design of Feedback Control System.
Appendix A Solution to Linear Ordinary Homogeneous Differential Equations with Constant Coefficients; Appendix B Review of Matrix Algebra; Appendix C Essentials of MATLAB and System Dynamics-Related Toolboxes; and, Appendix D Deformations, Strains and Stresses of Flexible Mechanical Components.
Recommended for use by instructors teaching a one-semester text for engineering students; by scientists and practicing engineers wanting to better understand the fundamentals of dynamic systems, engineering modeling, vibrations, and system dynamics; and, inclusion in college and university library collections supporting mechanical, aerospace, electrical, biomedical and civil engineering courses.
R. Neil Scott
Middle Tennessee State University


Click Here to see more reviews about: System Dynamics for Engineering Students: Concepts and Applications

Get 13% OFF

Click here for more information about System Dynamics for Engineering Students: Concepts and Applications

Read More...

Analytical System Dynamics: Modeling and Simulation Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I took this undergraduate course with prof Fabien and found his book to be a great companion to the course.
Pros:
-Lots of detailed, thought out examples
-Excellent topics and structure
-Excellent as both a learning text and a reference for undergraduate studies
Cons:
- Tighter display of derivations needed
- 'Academese' in many sections
- Somewhat wordy and cluttered presentation; hard to identify key points
Good book, would recommend to anyone interested in the topic.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Analytical System Dynamics: Modeling and Simulation

"Analytical System Dynamics: Modeling and Simulation" combines results from analytical mechanics and system dynamics to develop an approach to modeling constrained multidiscipline dynamic systems. This combination yields a modeling technique based on the energy method of Lagrange, which in turn, results in a set of differential-algebraic equations that are suitable for numerical integration. Using the modeling approach presented in this book enables one to model and simulate systems as diverse as a six-link, closed-loop mechanism or a transistor power amplifier.

Get 43% OFF

Click here for more information about Analytical System Dynamics: Modeling and Simulation

Read More...

Lattice Boltzmann Modeling: An Introduction for Geoscientists and Engineers Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I most value this book for its brief and lucid introductions to the physics (e.g. multiphase flows) that can be incorporated into lattice Boltzmann methods.
As far as the lattice Boltzmann method is concerned, I soon found myself relying on papers in literature rather than this book (although it has to be said that this book thoroughly references publications in literature).
My main criticisms arise from following points:
* as a quick start guide, this book falls short in not discussing issues like initialisation and the general streaming-collision framework. I found the latter particularly confusing, since their code snippets suggest that they solve a slightly different equation than the one analytically described in the book. Moreover, the extension from 2D to 3D (which is left to the reader) is not as trivial as the book suggests (e.g. for the boundary conditions).
* the book gives an introduction to phenomenological models for e.g. multiphase flows. If you are an engineer or geoscientist, you might want to use models that are quantitatively more correct.
* The book doesn't go beyond lattice-Boltzmann toy models. If you want to do something "real" with lattice-Boltzmann, you will need to address more advanced issues (like how to deal with curved boundaries, or with higher-order lattices). While one cannot expect from the scope of this book to address those issues directly, it is a pity that the book doesn't prepare in any way for those issues. So probably, you'll have to throw away your code and start all over again if you ever want to model something more.
* Due to ongoing research, this book starts to become outdated. In part because the book introduces lattice-Boltzmann models from lattice-gas cellular automata (as they evolved historically), instead of being directly based on the Boltzmann transport equation (as is more common nowadays).
Overall, I quickly abandoned this book while writing my lattice-Boltzmann code. Nevertheless, you can probably have a lot of fun with the models proposed in the book, as long as you don't want to do anything too useful with it.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Lattice Boltzmann Modeling: An Introduction for Geoscientists and Engineers

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Lattice Boltzmann Modeling: An Introduction for Geoscientists and Engineers

Read More...

Dynamic Modeling and Control of Engineering Systems Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A great introduction to control theory.However, it would help if you know something about differential equations. I read Ogata's book on control (over 900 pages) from cover to cover twice and still could not figure out exactly what state variables are. This book explains things very well but you do need to do the problems at the end of each chapter. The use of "free-body" diagrams is a great idea.Ogata's book is great for explaining a lot of the details but this book explains the important things in a concise but easy to understand manner. I now finally understand how to draw a system diagram by starting from the inputs for each separate system. Everything is brought together -- system diagrams,transfer functions,state variables,the purpose for LaPlace transforms,and input-output models. This is not a book about control theory and it is covered in only the last two chapters but if you are taking, or going to take, a course in control theory,read this book first. It will save you a lot of frustration and bewilderment.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dynamic Modeling and Control of Engineering Systems

Get 22% OFF

Click here for more information about Dynamic Modeling and Control of Engineering Systems

Read More...