IEE Proceedings A - Physical Science, Measurement and Instrumentation, Management and Education - Reviews

The review covers the two principal classes of technique for working on live, high-voltage power lines, respectively, `hot stick¿¿ and `bare hand¿¿. Developments to meet conditions in the UK are emphasised. The basic principles, to avoid flashover and to prevent the passage of undesirable currents in the workmen's bodies, are illustrated by descriptions of actual operations. The history of live wo... View full abstract»

There have been two major engineering conferences in London which have covered the span of development of postal mechanisation in which the British Post Office has taken a leading part. This review gives the background to the decisions taken which have determined the course of postal mechanisation in the UK. It also comments on the world scene against which these developments have taken place and ... View full abstract»

It has previously been shown that when arcs rotate over a copper cathode the erosion rate of this electrode rises and falls as the arc velocity is increased. In the paper it is shown that it is the magnitude of the transverse magnetic field and not the arc velocity, which determines the successive minima and maxima in the erosion rate. The erosion rates of cathodes of a number of materials are exa... View full abstract»

A description is given of the build up of polarisation charges at the interface of dissimilar media in a dielectric system, resulting from the sudden application of a DC electric field. The process is experimentally investigated by detecting the ponderomotive force acting on a solid dielectric located between the plates of an air-insulated parallel-plate capacitor. Measurements of such force, the ... View full abstract»

With the increasing nonavailability of naphthenic crudes, attention is being turned to the manufacture of transformer oils from mixed-base Middle-East crudes, which incidentally happen to be rich in sulphur, and to present problems in producing oils with satisfactory electrical and oxidation characteristics. The Darius stocks, with relatively low sulphur plus CA (the proportion of aromatic carbon ... View full abstract»

A counter has been used for the estimation of the mobility spectrum of positive large ions in the atmosphere of a laboratory containing high-voltage equipment producing positive corona. The form of the mobility spectrum is changed relative to that under natural conditions. The densities of ions of all mobilities, of the same polarity as the equipment, are increased. In conjunction with a small-ion... View full abstract»

Management of capital projects can be recognised at the levels of techniques, functions and concepts, each of which are dependent on the others. Concepts are very important but all too frequently neglected. In particular, the view of a project as an instrument of change encourages a wider understanding of the environment of a project. From this follows an emphasis on both the objectives and the cr... View full abstract»