Modelling, Monitoring and Diagnostic Techniques for Fluid Power Systems covers the background theory of fluid power and indicates the range of concepts needed for a modern approach to condition monitoring and fault diagnosis. The theory is leavened by 15-years-worth of practical measurements by the author, working with major fluid power companies, and real industrial case studies.

Deregulation is a fairly new paradigm in the electric power industry. And just as in the case of other industries where it has been introduced, the goal of deregulation is to enhance competition and bring consumers new choices and economic benefits. The process has, obviously, necessitated reformulation of established models of power system operation and control activities. Similarly, issues such as system reliability, control, security and power quality in this new environment have come in for scrutiny and debate. In this book, we attempt to present a comprehensive overview of the deregulation process that has developed till now, focussing on the operation aspects. As of now, restructured electricity markets have been established in various degrees and forms in many countries.

We are very pleased to be asked to co-author this book for a variety of reasons, one of which was that it gave us further opportunity to work together. The scope proposed was very wide with the only significant proviso being that the book should be in a mongraph-style and not a teaching text. This require­ ment has given us the opportunity to compile a wide range of relevant material relating to present-day knowledge and application in power system reliability. As many readers will be aware, we have collaborated in many ways over a relatively long period and have co-authored two other books on reliability evaluation. Both of these previous books were structured as teaching texts. This present book is not a discourse on "how to do reliability evaluation" but a discussion on "why it should be done and what can be done and achieved" and as such does not replace or conflict with the previous books. The three books are complementary and each enhances the others. The material contained in this book is not specifically original since it is based on information which we have published in other forms either jointly or as co­ authors with various other people, particularly our many research students. We sincerely acknowledge the important contributions made by all these students and colleagues. There are too many to mention individually in this preface but their names appear frequently in the references at the end of each chapter.

Initial material for this book was developed over a period of several years through the introduction in the mid-seventies of a graduate-level course en­ titled, "Control and Operation of Interconnected Power Systems," at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Subsequent involvement with the utility industry and in teaching continuing education courses on modern power sys­ tem control and operation contributed to the complimentary treatment of the dynamic aspects of this overall topic. In effect, we have evolved a textbook that provides a thorough under­ standing of fudamentals as needed by a graduate student with a prior back­ ground in power systems analysis at the undergraduate level, and in system theory concepts normally provided at the beginning of the graduate level in electrical engineering. It is also designed to provide the depth needed both by the serious graduate student and the power industry engineer involved in the activities of energy control centers and short-term operations planning. As explained in Chapter 2, the entire book can be covered in a two­ quarter course sequence. The bulk of the material may be covered in one semester. For a two-semester offering, we recommend that students be in­ volved in some project work to further their depth of understanding. Utility and consulting industry engineers should concentrate on the more advanced concepts and developments usually available at the latter half of each chap­ter.