Bifurcations and Chaos in Piecewise-Smooth Dynamical Systems: Applications to Power Converters, Relay and Pulse-Width Modulated Control Systems, and Human ... Series on Nonlinear Science, Series a)

Book Description

Technical problems often lead to differential equations with piecewise-smooth right-hand sides. Problems in mechanical engineering, for instance, violate the requirements of smoothness if they involve collisions, finite clearances, or stick-slip phenomena. Systems of this type can display a large variety of complicated bifurcation scenarios that still lack a detailed description. This book presents some of the fascinating new phenomena that one can observe in piecewise-smooth dynamical systems. The practical significance of these phenomena is demonstrated through a series of well-documented and realistic applications to switching power converters, relay systems, and different types of pulse-width modulated control systems. Other examples are derived from mechanical engineering, digital electronics, and economic business-cycle theory.

The topics considered in the book include abrupt transitions associated with modified period-doubling, saddle-node and Hopf bifurcations, the interplay between classical bifurcations and border-collision bifurcations, truncated bifurcation scenarios, period-tripling and -quadrupling bifurcations, multiple-choice bifurcations, new types of direct transitions to chaos, and torus destruction in nonsmooth systems.

Book Description

Nonlinear Control Systems and Power System Dynamics presents a comprehensive description of nonlinear control of electric power systems using nonlinear control theory, which is developed by the differential geometric approach and nonlinear robust control method. This book explains in detail the concepts, theorems and algorithms in nonlinear control theory, illustrated by step-by-step examples. In addition, all the mathematical formulation involved in deriving the nonlinear control laws of power systems are sufficiently presented. Considerations and cautions involved in applying nonlinear control theory to practical engineering control designs are discussed and special attention is given to the implementation of nonlinear control laws using microprocessors.
Nonlinear Control Systems and Power System Dynamics serves as a text for advanced level courses and is an excellent reference for engineers and researchers who are interested in the application of modern nonlinear control theory to practical engineering control designs.

Customer Reviews:

very good book.......2007-02-14

This is a very good textbook about the nonlinear control of power systems. The first part is about general nonlinear control with emphasis on some control methods. Thease are mainly zero dynamics and feedback linearization with main reference on the textbook of Alberto Isidori.
The other part of the textbook is about the power system control.
Other advanced nonlinear control methods are missing in this book - such as backstepping control, sliding mode, etc. However, these can be found in other souces (e.g. Khalil, Krstic, Utkin) but with limited application to power system control. Hence, the main value of this textbook is in power system models developed for the control and applied using some advanced nonlinear control methods.

1997 1st International Conference Control of Oscillations & Chaos

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1997 1st International Conference Control of Oscillations & Chaos
Russia) International Conference "Control of Oscillations and Chaos" (1st : 1997 : Saint Petersburg
Manufacturer: Institute of Electrical & Electronics Enginee
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Power Systems | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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Systems Analysis & Design | Computer Science | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 078034247X

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Marvelous book, but could have better production

A wonderful first step on the path

Canoe technique - from the best

Excelent book on the basics and love of canoeing.

best of the how-to books

Path of the Paddle: An Illustrated Guide to the Art of Canoeing
Bill Mason , and Paul Mason
Manufacturer: Firefly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Song of the Paddle: An Illustrated Guide to Wilderness Camping

Introduction to Paddling: Canoeing Basics for Lakes and Rivers

Paddle Your Own Canoe

Basic Essentials Solo Canoeing, 2nd (Basic Essentials Series)

The Canoe Handbook: Techniques for Mastering the Sport of Canoeing

ASIN: 155209328X

Book Description

Excerpted from the Introduction

The land

Canoeing in North America has expanded in recent years to include practically every part of the map. In the United States people of all ages are taking to the rivers in ever-increasing numbers. Rivers that once were considered too dangerous are now canoed regularly as whitewater skills grow. In each state -- southern, prairie, mountain, or coastal -- canoeing has become a means of journeying into wilderness areas and providing the adventure that people are seeking.

In Canada, you can put a canoe into the water at any major city and paddle to the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Arctic, or the Gulf of Mexico. The land is laced with a complex network of waterways; some are large, some are small, but most are navigable by canoe. When you look at the face of Canada and study the geography carefully, you come away with the feeling that God could have designed the canoe first and then set about to conceive a land in which it could flourish.

The waterways are navigable because the canoe can be portaged easily around the difficult stretches of water. Even the portages over the height of land between watersheds are no longer than those around most rapids and falls. In one place the waters flowing to the Atlantic and the waters flowing to the Arctic are separated by no more than a beaver dam.

It was the canoe that made it possible for the Indian to move around before and for several hundred years after the arrival of the white man. As the white man took over their land, the native people would regret the generosity with which they shared their amazing mode of travel. The more I study the birchbark canoe and what it can do, the greater is my admiration for these people who were here long before we arrived.

The birchbark canoe is made entirely from materials found in the forest: birch bark, cedar, spruce roots, ash, and pine gum. When it is damaged, it can be repaired easily from the materials at hand. When it has served its purpose, it returns to the land, part of a never-ending cycle. Once you understand this cycle of growth, manufacture, use, and return to the land you begin to understand why our modern culture is in such trouble. The noncycle of growth, manufacture, use, and garbage is a dead end. This is not to discredit the marvelous things that modern technology brings us; but we need to be more aware of where we are headed and from whence we came. An appreciation of the canoe and acquisition of the necessary skills to utilize it as a way to journey back to what's left of the natural world is a great way to begin this voyage of discovery.

The shrinking land

There was a time when traveling a distance of 5,000 miles (8000 km) in North America would have been regarded as a very long way. Before the railroad. covering that kind of distance meant extreme hardships any way you chose to make the trip. Improving methods of transportation has been a high priority of human beings as far back into recorded history as you care to go. With each improvement the world has grown smaller.

Today you can cover 5,000 miles in about eight hours. All you have to do is go to the airport (which is usually the hardest part), buy a ticket, and select a seat in the smoking or nonsmoking section of the aircraft. About the greatest discomfort you might expect to endure is to end up in the smoking section if you are a nonsmoker or vice versa.

When the choice of travel was limited to horse, canoe. wagon, ox cart, or on foot, this 5,000 miles could have taken a couple of years. Today, the earth is indeed getting very small. However, trying to convince the world of business and commerce that there are places on this earth where distances should remain undiminished is not an easy task.

Such an idea is very difficult to defend in monetary terms. Perhaps the best way to make a case for primitive methods of travel is in the form of a parable. Let's say you are hiking and come upon a beautiful, pristine lake nestled among high hills. You estimate to be a bout ten miles (16 Km) long and with great anticipation look forward to several days of a difficult but exciting journey of discovery around the shoreline. Before long a canoeist comes along and invites you to come aboard to make the journey easier. You gladly accept because the going is tough. Now you can get a better perspective on the shoreline and yet the pace is slow enough so that you do not miss anything. You are aware, however, that in accepting the ride the lake has diminished somewhat in size. You estimate that while hiking would have taken you at least four days, you will now be able to do it in an easy two. After a couple of miles, a motorboat comes along side and you a re offered a ride around the shoreline. The canoeist accepts, and while you are less than enthusiastic, you don't have much choice. As the 100 horsepower (74 600 W) engine roars into action, you slowly become aware that the lake is beginning to feel very small. As the trees and cliffs race by, you realize that what you had hoped to discover in four days is now going to be revealed in a couple of hours. The miles are eaten away as you speed through each bay and inlet and race by most of the islands. When the journey is over and you are dropped off at the point where you first came upon the lake, the mystery is gone. You've seen it all; yet you've seen nothing. The motorboat driver meant well, but he has only succeeded in diminishing the size of the lake.

You set up camp and watch the lengthening shadows. As you look far down the lake, you wish that you did not already Know what lay around that point. You regret that your first view into the hidden bay will not be the reward of a difficult hike tomorrow.

For many people, the case I have just attempted to make would seem pointless. To them scenery is scenery, any way you get to see it. To others, it makes a lot of sense. It's all a matter of perspective. What encourages me to write about the concept of keeping things undiminished by means of primitive travel is the fact that people do change their minds. I enjoy writing for the already converted, but the possibility that other people might awaken to this subtle concept of keeping what's left of the natural world big is why I write this book. There is no shortage of road builders and people who make their living by shrinking distance. They will succeed too well if there are not enough of us around to present a case for the preservation of the natural environment. Some of it is a I ready overcrowded to the detriment of the plants, animals and native people who lived there long before we arrived. They all have a right to exist because all, like us, were created. In our modern, man-made world we tend to forget this. A journey by canoe a long ancient waterways is a good way to rediscover our lost relationship with the natural world and the Creator who put it all together so long ago.

The path of the paddle can be a means of getting things back into their original perspective.

Customer Reviews:

Marvelous book, but could have better production.......2005-06-24

This is an almost perfect book - Bill Mason's love of the craft shines through homey but well-written prose, while his descriptions of canoe technique and rivercraft are generally clear and easy to follow. He obviously writes from a wealth of experience, which translates into solid advice without becoming needlessly dogmatic. As a technique book, I much prefer this to Jacobson's series of canoe texts (although those are reasonable in their own right); I especially appreciated his series of river scenarios and discussions of how to handle them.

I would really liked to have rated this 5-stars. However, the production could have been much improved. The b/w pictures accompanying the text are often poorly reproduced, with insufficient greyscale to allow them to be clearly interpretted. Additionally, a bit more editting might have spotted some inconsistent terms as well as other undefined terms. But all in all, this is one of my favorite canoe books. It certainly should have a place on the shelf of every serious paddler.

A wonderful first step on the path.......2003-07-30

Path of the Paddle provides more than an instructional text, it introduces the reader to the art of canoeing. Mason infuses the practicality of the subject with a respectful dose of philosophic underpinnings that anyone who has ever slid a canoe onto the water's surface and experienced the joyful dance of boat, paddle and water will appreciate. There are many "how to" canoe books, covering the basic stokes and safety concerns, but this book conveys that information in a form that demonstrates the author's love for his craft.
If you want to become a canoeist, not only do I recommend this book, I recommend finding and getting the video of the same title.

Canoe technique - from the best.......1999-07-12

Bill Mason and son Paul really get down to basics in canoe and paddling technique in this revised soft-cover paddling manual. This book is geared to those who want to learn everything there is about flat-water and white-water travelling. It's the most definitive guidebook on the market.

Excelent book on the basics and love of canoeing........1999-04-13

I own both "Path of the Paddle" and "Song of the Paddle". These are the best books I have seen on canoeing, written by one of the best canoeists ever. They cover all facets of the canoe and how to use them properly. The "step-by-step" photos and the diagrams help teach proper techniques and the text is both informative and entertaining without becoming confusing or boring. Bill Mason and his son Paul have done a splendid piece of work and these books are a cherished addition to my personal library.

best of the how-to books.......1997-10-22

Best canoeing book on the market. Not only is it a great how to guide on canoe handling, it is an excellent read for those long winter nights for the canoe enthusiast. The book imparts Bill Mason's love of the canoe. Written by a true legend in canoeing and wilderness film making.

Average customer rating:

Path of the Paddle
Bill Mason
Manufacturer: Key Porter Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KXICMU

Path Of The Paddle. An Illustrated Guide To The Art Of Canoeing

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Path Of The Paddle. An Illustrated Guide To The Art Of Canoeing
BILL MASON
Manufacturer: Van Nostrand Reinhold
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P1HKEI

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Path of the Paddle: An Illustrated Guide to the Art of Canoeing
Bill Mason
Manufacturer: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NSI9X4

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Path Of Ther Paddle
BILL MASON
Manufacturer: Van Nostrand Reinhold
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K6QQ7K

Book Description

Ideal for FCE, CAE, CPE, BEC and IELTS preparation A fully updated edition of the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary and CD-ROM, with new, up-to-date vocabulary (e.g. sex up, speed-dating, whiteboard), new 'mini-collocation' boxes, and new frequency information to highlight the most important words to learn.

Customer Reviews:

The Embodiment of Perfection.......2007-09-03

Even since I started my journey of learning English some twenty years ago, I've used quite a few dictionaries. Two of my favorite dictionaries were The American Heritage Dictionary, 2nd Edition and Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Laguage(a tome for the occasional obsolete and rare words); that is until I tried Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 2nd Edition. As years go by my vocabulary bank expanded as well, thus I almost never have to look up words except when reading classic novels. I don't know how many words there are total in this dictionary, but it has every single word I needed looking up. It's an incredible feeling!

Some software problems with the cd.......2007-08-14

I couldnt make it work under Linux using virtualbox. The only problem I have found because the Cambridge page doesn't have any help for this kind of issues and I couldnt find anything on the net. The soft says in spanish "Un módulo de seguridad requerido no puede ser activado. Este programa no puede ser ejecutado."

great dictionary.......2007-02-12

This Advanced Dictionary is very useful for foreign people who want to improve their English using right words in sentences. In the middle of the dictionary there is a very useful section resuming some particular rules or subjects (such as i.e. part of the human body..).

Helpful and well-done dictionary.......2007-01-11

I bought this dictionary after my english teacher's suggestion, and I'm very happy of this purchase.
This Dictionary is perfect for people who need to improve their english skills.
There are a lot of examples, a complete list of phrasal verbs and expressions. Differences between british and american english are well highlighted.
The attached CD-ROM is very helpful too. It contains british and american pronounciation tool and a good search engine.
Only a little problem about this software: it requires an old version of QuickTime (included in the CD) and it doesn't work with recent versions.

Very good for non-native speakers.......2005-06-12

The book has sample sentences and the CD has not only US & UK pronounciations, it also has a smart thesaurus with "Verb Endings" for first person, second person, etc., "Extra Examples" sentences, and "Usage note" such as "few or a few" as well as idioms.

You can install the full version of the CD into HD. Very useful reference book for ESL sutdents and people who often have errors in English. This 2nd ed. CD has bigger and clearer layout than the previous version.

There are a few little annoyances about this CALD2, especially the about accompanied Quick Time Player. It cannot be shutted down and always sticked at the task bar. Also, it takes about a minute and half to start this CALD2. CALD1 is much faster to run. Well, these do not affect the definitions.

This is from the CALD2 for a common learner error:

fault or mistake/error?
Use fault when explaining who is responsible for something bad.
It's my fault that the car was stolen. I left the window open.
It's my mistake the car was stolen. I left the window open.

Use mistake or error for talking about something that you did or thought which was wrong. Error is slightly more formal than mistake.
We lost a week's work due to a computer error.
I still make lots of mistakes in my essays.
(((I still make lots of faults in my essays.)))

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, Second Edition

Average customer rating:

VERY GOOD FOR STUDENT! RECOMMENDED!!
Amout of Vocabulary Is Unacceptable
Poor software design

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, Second Edition

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

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ASIN: 0521605008

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

VERY GOOD FOR STUDENT! RECOMMENDED!!.......2006-09-28

This is a very useful English dictionary for me and my two kids. When we checked the work "cringe" using this dictionary and MACMILLAN English dictionary (for advanced learners), I found the difinitions of this dictionary are more clear; but it lacks the difinition of noun. Overall, I like this dictionary and the paper color is extra white that makes me feel comfortable.

Amout of Vocabulary Is Unacceptable.......2006-06-05

Pros:

1. User-friendly interface: the software is easy to install & use.
2. Both UK & US pronunciation are clear and pleasant to hear

Cons:

1. Collection of words is tooo insufficient. I started to doubt about the editors' professionalism when I fail to find the word "Poseidon" in the so-called "advanced learner's" dictionary. (Maybe it's myfault to misunderstand the concept: so the dic is for "advanced learners" and simple words are refused to be collected in here?)

2. Search function is tooo weak. There are a lot of times I can't find words through the "similar spelling search" function provided, while I always get the words in my another Chinese-English dictionary. PS. And you can't even get the word "women" by typing it in the search box.....I am throughly beaten by this dic....

3. Definition may not be trustworthy. Occasionally I found its definition is different from other online dictionaries.

Conclusion:
The dic is easy to use, but sometimes you can find words you want to look up and sometimes you can't; the definitions and sample sentences are easy to understand, but sometimes you can trust them and sometimes you can't.

...I apologize if I sound like a competitor's spy. Swear to God, every word typed in here is based on my personal experience. Actually I'm pretty amused by this dic--it's an amazing experience to not able to pull out words like "women" or "Poseidon" from a dictionary....

Poor software design.......2005-05-07

My comment is about 2nd edition of the CD-ROM, released 2005.

Design of this software is quite bad. The program is based on Netscape Mozilla web browser and this is a big mistake. Mozilla is known to be a big resource hog and so is this program. It is pretty slow on a decent PC system -- startup is slow and also searching could be much better. Being a software developer myself and a fan of optimized and efficient programs, I don't understand why this kind of bloatware is released to the public. Also, occassionally the program starts its main window off the screen. It is possible to make it visible using some tricks, but average user probably do not know how to do this and ends up with unusable program.

I also have Encarta Dictionary that comes with Encarta 2005. It is very simple to use and much quicker than this Cambridge software. It has somewhat less content but generally is pretty good. However, Encarta Dictionary uses non-standard pronunciation key and that is the main reason I have to use Cambridge dictionary.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary South Asia Edition Hardback with CD-ROM

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Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary South Asia Edition Hardback with CD-ROM

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521832004

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