Book Reviews
Unlike most authors who have devoted POWER
their investigations to self-excited
vibrations of fairly simple systems
and have confined their treatment first
of all to the determination of conditions
under which self-excited vibrations are
apt to arise, Dr. Tondl solves complex
systems and establishes not only the con-
ditions of initiation but also the kind of
steady-state self-excited vibrations which
are likely to be quite diverse in character
in systems with several degrees of free-
dom. Such systems can vibrate in the
first, in the second or simultaneously in
both modes of vibration.
The author also studies the behaviour
of systems passing from one stable cycle
to another, this transition being condi-
tioned by a sudden change in some of the
system parameters.
The results of the theoretical analysis
are amply supplemented by calculation
of concrete cases and by analogue
computer solutions. This combination
makes it possible to follow the develop-
ment of self-excited vibrations from the
equilibrium position, and to examine the
transition from one limit cycle to another.
The analogue computer solution is also
used for finding the separatrix surfaces
which bound the domains of initial con-
ditions leading to various kinds of motion.
Another subject discussed in the mono-
graph is the application of viscous
dampers and dry-friction dampers to the
task of damping various types of self-
excited vibrations.
The study brings a wealth of informa-
tion that is of special interest for research
scientists, and a number of novel findings
undoubtedly very useful for practicing
designers.
Note: Those interested in this mono-
graph will likewise be interested in
Tondl’s earlier books: “On the Analysis
of Nonlinear Systems Two-degrees of
Freedom” (in Czech, with English sum-
mary), 82 pages, 1964, about $2.00 and
“Some Problems of Rotor Dynamics” (in
English), 434 pages, about $12.00, both
published by Academia, Praha.
LADISLAV PRIST
Institute of Thermomechanics
Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences
Praha, Czechoslovakia
Vol.293,No.4,April1972
SYSTEM OPERATION, by R. H.
Miller. 179 pages, diagrams, illustr.,
6 x 9 in. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1970.
Price, $9.00.
The author has written this book
specifically for power system dispatchers,
although it can also serve as a text in an
undergraduate course on “Power System
Operations”. (A leading Power School in
the U.S.A. is, in fact, already using it for
that purpose.)
It is on a very elementary level and
consists of 11 chapters. Appendices
covering the essentials of trigonometry
and phasors are included for those who
have not been previously exposed to this
material. Problems are included at the
end of each chapter.
In Chap. 1, “Basic Principles”, the
author defines resistance, inductance,
capacitance, reactance, impedance, and
real and reactive power. “Transfer of
Energy in Power Systems” is treated
next.
The emphasis is on the physical paral-
leling of units and systems, with a very
brief mention of stability. “Var flows”,
losses due to vars, var compensation and
various var sources are briefly described.
“Economic Operation of Power Systems”
is covered in Chap. 4. Heat rate charac-
teristics of thermal units are described,
the equal incremented loading criterion,
with Nuclear and Hydro Generation, just
briefly mentioned. Losses and their con-
sideration by means of penalty factors
are also briefly noted, “Economic Inter-
change” is well covered, with “System
Security”, unfortunately, only mentioned
in the chapter summary.
“Power System Control” is covered in
Chap. 5 where frequency control, flat
frequency, flat tie line and the common
tie line with frequency bias are described.
Chapter 6 describes measurements of
energy, energy accounting and inadver-
tent energy. Telemetering methods, both
analogue and digital, are covered in Chap.
7.
“System Reliability Factors” are de-
scribed well. Various factors that affect
the reliability of a system are discussed,
such as spinning reserve, automatic load
shedding, opening tie lines, restarting
301
Book Revitiws
generation equipment, interconnections,
etc. Protective relaying is covered next.
Basic relaying principles and the uses of a
variety of relays such as inverse time
relays, directional relays, power relays
and distance relays are described.
‘(Power System Stability” is just
briefly reviewed in Chap. 10. The three
modes of stability, steady state, transient
and dynamic stability are briefly defined.
A variety of subjects are covered in the
last chapter such as bundled conductors,
line reactance compensation with series
and shunt reactors, rectification and inver-
sion, the advantages and disadvantages of
d.c. transmission and parallel operation
of a.c. and d.c.
The book contains four appendices.
The first contains an introduction to
trigonometry; the second describes the
302
use of vectors in electric power engineer-
ing, the third describes the revolving
field, and the fourth, the control of
power flow with phase-shifting trans-
formers. It would have been more appro-
priate had the material contained in the
last two appendices been worked into the
text material.
Suggestions for further study which
appear at the end of the book are insuf-
ficient and poorly chosen; they consist of
eight sources, some of which are difficult
to obtain, with the classical texts of the
field not included.
The book nevertheless serves its pur-
pose well.
H. H. HAPP
Public Utility Engineering Department
General Electric Corporation
Schenectady, New York
Journal of The Franklin Institute