Traveling The Power Line

In our power-hungry world, all the talk about energy—what’s safe and what’s risky, what’s clean and what’s dirty, what’s cheap and what’s easy—tends to generate more heat than light. What, Julianne Couch wanted to know, is the real story on power production in this country? Approaching the question as a curious consumer, Couch takes us along as she visits nine sites where electrical power is developed from different fuel sources. From a geothermal plant in the Mojave Desert to a nuclear plant in Nebraska, from a Wyoming coal-fired power plant to a Maine tidal-power project, Couch gives us an insider’s look at how power is generated, how it affects neighboring landscapes and the people who live and work there, and how each source comes with its own unique complications. The result is an informed, evenhanded discussion of energy production and consumption on the global, national, regional, local, and—most important—personal level. Knowledge is the real power this book imparts, allowing each of us to think beyond the flip of a switch to the real consequences of our energy use.

The proliferation of electric communication and power networks have drawn wires through American landscapes like vines through untended gardens since 1844. But these wire networks are more than merely the tools and infrastructure required to send electric messages and power between distinct places; the iconic lines themselves send powerful messages. The wiry webs above our heads and the towers rhythmically striding along the horizon symbolize the ambiguous effects of widespread industrialization and the shifting values of electricity and landscape in the American mind. In Power-Lined Daniel L. Wuebben weaves together personal narrative, historical research, cultural analysis, and social science to provide a sweeping investigation of the varied influence of overhead wires on the American landscape and the American mind. Wuebben shows that overhead wires—from Morse’s telegraph to our high-voltage grid—not only carry electricity between American places but also create electrified spaces that signify and complicate notions of technology, nature, progress, and, most recently, renewable energy infrastructure. Power-Lined exposes the subtle influences wrought by the wiring of the nation and shows that, even in this age of wireless devices, perceptions of overhead lines may be key in progressing toward a more sustainable energy future.

Meet Michael Skelly, the man boldly harnessing wind energy that could power America’s future and break its fossil fuel dependence in this “essential, compelling look into the future of the nation’s power grid” (Bryan Burrough, author of The Big Rich). The United States is in the midst of an energy transition. We have fallen out of love with dirty fossil fuels and want to embrace renewable energy sources like wind and solar. A transition from a North American power grid that is powered mostly by fossil fuels to one that is predominantly clean is feasible, but it would require a massive building spree—wind turbines, solar panels, wires, and billions of dollars would be needed. Enter Michael Skelly, an infrastructure builder who began working on wind energy in 2000 when many considered the industry a joke. Eight years later, Skelly helped build the second largest wind power company in the United States—and sold it for $2 billion. Wind energy was no longer funny—it was well on its way to powering more than 6% of electricity in the United States. Award-winning journalist, Russel Gold tells Skelly’s story, which in many ways is the story of our nation’s evolving relationship with renewable energy. Gold illustrates how Skelly’s company, Clean Line Energy, conceived the idea for a new power grid that would allow sunlight where abundant to light up homes in the cloudy states thousands of miles away, and take wind from the Great Plains to keep air conditioners running in Atlanta. Thrilling, provocative, and important, Superpower is a fascinating look at America’s future.

This second edition of Power Line Communications will show some adjustments in content including new material on PLC for home and industry, PLC for multimedia, PLC for smart grid and PLC for vehicles. Additional chapters include coverage of Channel Characterization, Electromagnetic Compatibility, Coupling, and Digital Transmission Techniques. This book will provide the reader with a wide coverage of the major developments within the field. With contributions from some of the most active researchers on PLC, the book brings together a wealth of international experts on specific PLC topics.

In our power-hungry world, all the talk about energy-what's safe and what's risky, what's clean and what's dirty, what's cheap and what's easy-tends to generate more heat than light. What, Julianne Couch wanted to know, is the real story on power production in this country? Approaching the question as a curious consumer, Couch takes us along as she visits nine sites where electrical power is developed from different fuel sources. From a geothermal plant in the Mojave Desert to a nuclear plant in Nebraska, from a Wyoming coal-fired power plant to a Maine tidal-power project, Couch gives us as she visits nine sites where electrical power is developed from different fuel sources. From a geothermal plant in the Mojave Desert to a nuclear plant in Nebraska, from a Wyoming coal-fired power plant to a Maine tidal-power project, Couch gives us an insider's look at how power is generated, how it affects neighboring landscapes and the people who live and work there, and how each source comes with its own unique complications.

Introduction and Survey of the Electromagnetic Spectrum; Fundamentals of Electric Fields; Fundamentals of Magnetic Fields; Electrodynamics; Radiation; Relativity and Quantum Physics; The Hidden Schematic; Transmission Lines; Waveguides and Shields; Circuits as Guides for Waves and S-Parameters; Antennas: How to Make Circuits That Radiate; EMC (Part I: Basics, Part II: PCB Techniques, Part III: Cabling); Lenses, Dishes, and Antenna Arrays; Diffraction; Frequency Dependence of Materials, Thermal Radiation, and Noise; Electrical Engineering Book Recommendations; Index.

Optical communications technology is growing increasingly in importance, with a rapid pace of development. Innovative optical devices have emerged from the integration of semiconductor laser diodes, amplifiers and filters with optical waveguide technology. This well-researched volume traces the evolution of semiconductor laser amplifiers (SLAs) from these technologies. Focusing on the principle applications of SLAs, the author illustrates the growing importance of these functional components in the future of optical communications systems.This book will provide engineering and science students with a basic understanding of laser diode and optical amplification through the analysis of the performance characteristics of these devices both in theory and application. Practising device engineers wishing to consolidate their knowledge in lightwave technology will also find this book an invaluable reference./a