Author Description

This book is concerned with electromechanical systems, particularly the interaction between and the control of the electrical (electronic) and mechanical components. As electronics is becoming increasingly important in controlling machines, the problems of mechanical engineering can be less and less separated from those of electronic engineering and control engineering. This graduate-level text fills a gap in the literature by considering these problems from a unified perspective; it requires only a background in undergraduate mechanical engineering as a prerequisite. The first part of the book deals with electromechanical sensors and actuators, beginning with a review of mechanics and electrodynamics. These fundamentals are then applied to simple devices such as stepper motors, DC motors, and piezoelectric devices. Part two focuses on issues involving control, and begins with a review of classical control theory. Subsequent chapters discuss computer-controlled electromechanical systems, residual vibration, and active damping.