Authored by a team of acknowledged experts, this book presents a multidisciplinary view of the state of the art in the field of actuators. The goal of the book is to provide a comprehensive overview of the properties, applications, and potential applications of traditional and unconventional actuators, together with their corresponding power electronics. Special attention is paid to the objective assessment of competing actuator principles. The book is written primarily for designers and engineers in research and development, but will also be valuable as a textbook for students of automation engineering, mechatronics and adaptronics.

Industries that use pumps, seals and pipes will also use valves and actuators in their systems. This key reference provides anyone who designs, uses, specifies or maintains valves and valve systems with all of the critical design, specification, performance and operational information they need for the job in hand. Brian Nesbitt is a well-known consultant with a considerable publishing record. A lifetime of experience backs up the huge amount of practical detail in this volume.* Valves and actuators are widely used across industry and this dedicated reference provides all the information plant designers, specifiers or those involved with maintenance require* Practical approach backed up with technical detail and engineering know-how makes this the ideal single volume reference* Compares and contracts valve and actuator types to ensure the right equipment is chosen for the right application and properly maintained

This book is the second edition of Soft Actuators, originally published in 2014, with 12 chapters added to the first edition. The subject of this new edition is current comprehensive research and development of soft actuators, covering interdisciplinary study of materials science, mechanics, electronics, robotics, and bioscience. The book includes contemporary research of actuators based on biomaterials for their potential in future artificial muscle technology. Readers will find detailed and useful information about materials, methods of synthesis, fabrication, and measurements to study soft actuators. Additionally, the topics of materials, modeling, and applications not only promote the further research and development of soft actuators, but bring benefits for utilization and industrialization. This volume makes generous use of color figures, diagrams, and photographs that provide easy-to-understand descriptions of the mechanisms, apparatus, and motions of soft actuators. Also, in this second edition the chapters on modeling, materials design, and device design have been given a wider scope and made easier to comprehend, which will be helpful in practical applications of soft actuators. Readers of this work can acquire the newest technology and information about basic science and practical applications of flexible, lightweight, and noiseless soft actuators, which differ from conventional mechanical engines and electric motors. This new edition of Soft Actuators will inspire readers with fresh ideas and encourage their research and development, thus opening up a new field of applications for the utilization and industrialization of soft actuators.

This practical text features computer-aided engineering methods for the design and application of magnetic actuators and sensors, using the latest software tools. John Brauer highlights the use of the electromagnetic finite element software package Maxwell? SV and introduces readers to applications using SPICE, MATLAB?, and Simplorer?. A free download of Maxwell? SV is available at the Ansoft site, and the software files for the examples are available at ftp://ftp.wiley.com/public/sci_tech_med/magnetic_actuators. The text is divided into four parts: * Part One, Magnetics, offers an introduction to magnetic actuators and sensors as well as basic electromagnetics, followed by an examination of the reluctance method, the finite element method, magnetic force, and other magnetic performance parameters * Part Two, Actuators, explores DC actuators, AC actuators, and magnetic actuator transient operation * Part Three, Sensors, details Hall effect and magnetoresistance as they apply to sensing position. Readers are introduced to many other types of magnetic sensors * Part Four, Systems, covers aspects of systems common to both magnetic actuators and sensors, including coil design and temperature calculations, electromagnetic compatibility, electromechanical finite elements, and electromechanical analysis using system models. The final chapter sets forth the advantages of electrohydraulic systems that incorporate magnetic actuators and/or sensors A major thrust of this book is teaching by example. In addition to solved examples provided by the author, problems at the end of each chapter help readers to confirm their understanding of new skills and techniques. References, provided in each chapter, help readers explore particular topics in greater depth. With its emphasis on problem solving and applications, this is an ideal textbook for electrical and mechanical engineers enrolled in upper-level undergraduate and graduate classes in electromechanical engineering.

"Design Rules for Actuators in Active Mechanical Systems" deals with the formulation of model-based design rules to be used in the conception of optimized mechatronic and adaptronic systems. The book addresses the comparison of different actuator classes for given applications and offers answers to the following questions: What is the relationship between actuator geometry and primary output quantities? How scalable are actuators based on the same principle? How are energetic output quantities (work and power) related to mechanical load and geometry? How should actuators be designed and sized to obtain the best performance for the chosen actuator kind, and for a given application? "Design Rules for Actuators in Active Mechanical Systems" will be of use to industry professionals, such as actuator and machine designers, as well as to researchers and students of mechanical engineering, mechatronics, and electrical engineering.

Linear electric actuators (LEAs) and linear electric generators (LEGs) are widely used electromagnetic devices. This book deals with LEAs that convert electric energy into controlled mechanical motion of limited travel and LEGs that transform mechanical energy into electric energy. Examples range from loudspeakers and microphones to magnetically levitated material transfer in ultraclean rooms. Much of the literature on linear actuators and generators covers the principles of operation and performance calculations of these devices. Little has been published on their control or on detailed design methodologies. This book presents the first unified treatment of the subject, including the construction, operation, control and design of LEAs and LEGs. Chapters describe linear induction, permanent-magnet, linear reluctance, switched reluctance, and linear stepper actuators, as well as various types of linear electric generators. The text is amply illustrated with numerous design examples.

This book introduces physical effects and fundamentals of piezoelectric sensors and actuators. It gives a comprehensive overview of piezoelectric materials such as quartz crystals and polycrystalline ceramic materials. Different modeling approaches and methods to precisely predict the behavior of piezoelectric devices are described. Furthermore, a simulation-based approach is detailed which enables the reliable characterization of sensor and actuator materials. One focus of the book lies on piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers. An optical approach is presented that allows the quantitative determination of the resulting sound fields. The book also deals with various applications of piezoelectric sensors and actuators. In particular, the studied application areas are · process measurement technology, · ultrasonic imaging, · piezoelectric positioning systems and · piezoelectric motors. The book addresses students, academic as well as industrial reseachers and development engineers who are concerned with piezoelectric sensors and actuators.