Technical Articles

Digital control in power conversion continues to develop, thanks to the latest improvements in both the analog and digital domainsTom Spohrer, Microchip Technology ... more

A look at how a virtual controller can be set up to save cost and CPU time when rendering graphicsOne of the popular ways of creating graphical embedded applications is to add an internal or external graphics controller. The problem is that this adds cost and can make designs unnecessarily complex, and in most cases for a simple graphical user interface such controllers are not needed. ... more

In early October, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Romanian Ministry of Energy organized a workshop for South East European governments, utilities, regulatory authorities, and other regional energy stakeholders to share their best practices in renewable energy deployment. The event hosted in Bucharest enabled participants to share views on renewable energy target setting, support schemes and the socio-economic benefits of active renewable energies in the region. ... more

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Hitachi will help Bosnia and Herzegovina in the reduction of gas emissions and meeting EU norms. The country’s 300 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant Ugljevik has signed a EUR 79 million euro deal with the consortium Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems. The project itself will be financed by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). ... more

Fionn SheerinMicrochip Technology Inc.New vehicle designs contain more lighting than ever before: dome lights, display backlights, turn signals, low & high beams, fog lights, cornering lights, tail lights, accent lights and even infrared lighting for automated driving assistance. Inside the cabin, LED lighting has been replacing incandescent bulbs, primarily due to size, cost, efficiency and longevity. ... more

A look at how to design buck and boost converters with full analogue control for output regulationMihnea Rosu ... more

The European Commission (EC) has approved the Host Government Agreement between the Trans Adriatic Pipeline and Greek authorities, concluding that it is in line with EU state aid rules. ... more

Siemens has been awarded an order for the Kinik onshore wind power plant in the Turkish province of Kinik, located 80 kilometers north of the city of Izmir. ... more

Joseph Julicher, Microchip TechnologyThere are few applications addressed by integrated electronics that don’t require some modest form of power regulation, be that a simple current/voltage supply or a more sophisticated and optimised solution. However, with an increased focus on efficiency at every level it is becoming common to extend the simple to include some form of intelligence. ... more

Nexans has announced that the company’s high temperature conductor cables and accessories will transmit energy to the grid at EnergoBit S.A.’s 30MW Babadag II Wind Farm in Romania. The 140 km worth of conductor cables will be used to increase wind power potential in Romania, since the existing Babadag-Tulcea Vest 110 kv transmission line doesn’t have enough capacity to carry power from EnergoBit S.A.’s new wind farm. ... more

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is promoting bigger efficiency in Turkey’s steel industry with a EUR 75 million loan to the steelmakers Erdemir and Isdemir, each a part of Erdemir group, the biggest steel producer within the country.The loan will finance a comprehensive investment programme that may help the companies make the most effective use of resources in manufacturing processes at their 2 plants in Eregli on the Black Sea coast and Iskenderun on the eastern ... more

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) will launch a programme aimed at supporting the exploratory drilling investments related to Turkey’s paramount geothermal energy potential. The partners announced this decision during the 35th Energy Efficiency Forum in Istanbul, which took place on the 14th of January this year. ... more

Two Bulgarian energy projects will receive financing under EU’s Connecting Europe Facility funding programme for infrastructure. On the 19th of January this year, the EU member states acceded on a proposal of the European Commission to invest EUR 217 million in fifteen key trans-European energy infrastructure projects mainly in Central and Eastern Europe. Nine of the projects are in the gas sector and will receive financial aid worth EUR 207 million, while the other six which are in the ... more

Brian Tompson, Stephen AllenGraphic artists want to create accurate colour matches to capture their artistic work and reinforce branding consistency. But accurate presentation of colour on different equipment and media still remains a challenge. ... more

A biomass power plant will be constructed in Krusevac, Central Serbia. That was announced by Building Energy, multinational company operating as Global Integrated IPP in the Renewable Energy Industry, and the city of Krusevac, Serbia. The facility will be the first one in the country combining electric and thermal energy and will have an installed capacity of respectively 4.8 MWe and 20 MWt. The plant will generate 38.4 GWh of electric power and 86 GWh of thermal power per ... more