Wireless is one of the most rapidly developing technologies in our time, with dazzling
new products and services emerging on an almost daily basis. These developments present
enormous challenges for communications engineers, as the demand for increased wireless
capacity grows explosively. Indeed, the discipline of wireless communications presents
many challenges to designers that arise as a result of the demanding nature of the physical
medium and the complexities in the dynamics of the underlying network.
In recent years, the research and developments in the area of RF and microwave
technologies have progressed significantly due to the growing demand for applica-
bility in wireless communication technologies. Starting from 1992, wireless com-
munication technologies have become quite mature. In the modern era of electronic
developments, design of wireless handsets is an example of integration of many di-
verse skill sets. Classical books in the areas of microwave technology provide us
with an in-depth knowledge of electromagnetic fundamentals.
Driven by the desire to boost the quality of service of wireless systems closer to that afforded
by wireline systems, space-time processing for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)
wireless communications research has drawn remarkable interest in recent years. Excit-
ing theoretical advances, complemented by rapid transition of research results to industry
products and services, have created a vibrant and growing area that is already established
by all counts. This offers a good opportunity to reflect on key developments in the area
during the past decade and also outline emerging trends.
Two of the major developments reshaping the telecommunications landscape are
mobile wireless connectivity and the migration of voice telephone services to IP
technology. Those two ideas come together in networks that carry voice services
over a wireless LAN (VoWLAN). The purpose of this text is to provide network
professionals with the technical background and practical guidance needed to
deploy these networks successfully.
The first edition as well as its forerunner of Kuffel and Abdullah published in
1970 and their translations into Japanese and Chinese languages have enjoyed
wide international acceptance as basic textbooks in teaching senior under-
graduate and postgraduate courses in High-Voltage Engineering. Both texts
have also been extensively used by practising engineers engaged in the design
and operation of high-voltage equipment. Over the years the authors have
received numerous comments from the text’s users with helpful suggestions
for improvements. These have been incorporated in the present edition. Major
revisions and expansion of several chapters have been made to update the
continued progress and developments in high-voltage engineering over the
past two decades.
It has been over a decade since the Chinese publication of Line Loss in Electric Power Systems. To keep pace
with technological developments, I started a revision as early as 2002, following the main principles that the
theoretical framework and characteristics of the first edition should be retained, with new contents added
according to new problems after the reform of electric power systems and the new requirements for line loss
management practices and in combination with practical experience.
Commercial energy storage has moved from the margins to the mainstream as it
fosters flexibility in our smarter, increasingly integrated energy systems. The
energy density, availability, and relatively clean fossil profile of natural gas ensure
its critical role as a fuel for heating and electricity generation. As a transportation
fuel, natural gas continues to increase its market penetration; much of this has been
enabled by emerging developments in storage technology.
There have been many developments in the field of power electronics since
the publication of the second edition, almost five years ago. Devices have
become bigger and better - bigger silicon die, and current and voltage
ratings. However, semiconductor devices have also become smaller and
better, integrated circuit devices, that is. And the marriage of low power
integrated circuit tecnology and high power semiconductors has resulted in
benefit to both fields.
Modern day large power systems are essentially dynamic systems with stringent
requirements of high reliability for the continuous availability of electricity.
Reliability is contingent on the power system retaining stable operation during
steady-state operation and also following disturbances. The subject of power sys-
tem stability has been studied for many decades. With new developments, and there
have been many over the past couple of decades, new concerns and problems arise
that need to be studied and analysed. The objective of this book is a step in that
direction though not ignoring the conventional and well-established approaches.
adio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a rapidly developing automatic wireless data-collection
technology with a long history.The first multi-bit functional passive RFID systems,with a range of
several meters, appeared in the early 1970s, and continued to evolve through the 1980s. Recently,
RFID has experienced a tremendous growth,due to developments in integrated circuits and radios,
and due to increased interest from the retail industrial and government.
