Besides the induction coil and workpiece, the induction generator (source of ac power) is probably the most important component of an overall induction heating system. Such equipment is typically rated in terms of its frequency and maximum output power (in kilowatts). This chapter addresses the selection of power supplies in terms of these two factors as well as the operational features of different types of sources. The six different types of power supplies for induction heating applications covered in this chapter are line-frequency supplies, frequency multipliers, motor-generators, solid-state (static) inverters, spark-gap converters, and radio-frequency power supplies. The chapter discusses the design and characteristics of each of the various types of power supplies.

Coal-based thermal power plants play a major role in the welfare of many nations and the overall global economy. This chapter describes the basic equipment requirements and operating principles of thermal power plants, particularly subcritical, supercritical, and ultra-supercritical types.

Semiconductor memories are superb drivers for process yield and reliability improvement because of their highly structured architecture and use of aggressive layout rules. This combination provides outstanding failure signature analysis possibilities for the entire design, manufacturing, and test process. This article discusses five key disciplines of the signature analysis process that need to be orchestrated within the organization: design for test practices, test floor data collection methodology, post-test data analysis tools, root cause theorization, and physical failure analysis strategies.

This chapter focuses on high-pressure cold spray applications pertaining to repair and refurbishment in the aerospace, oil and gas, and power-generation industries, the last specifically involving repair of gas turbine components. Advantages of cold spray coating in the repair and refurbishment of structural engineering components are also discussed.

A generating system in a hydroelectric power plant was shut down to investigate an abnormal sound coming from one of the turbines. A piece of metal that had broken off one of the vanes on the runner was found in the tail race and was subsequently examined along with the runner. Based on the fracture characteristics, as described in the report, the vane failed in fatigue due to a crack that initiated in an area of stress concentration.

This report describes the failure of a gas turbine in a combined-cycle power plant and the examination and tests that were conducted to determine the cause. Based on microstructural analysis, hardness measurements, and tensile tests, the failure was attributed to inadequate clearances in the seal land region between two stages in the compressor section of the rotor. The report also recommends changes to remediate the problem.

An architectural shift to buried power rails (BPRs) with backside power delivery (BPD) is on the horizon as CMOS technology approaches the 2 nm node. The obstruction created by the presence of BPD networks obsoletes many of the electrical fault isolation (EFI) techniques that have been used for the past few decades and severely degrades the performance of others. This chapter provides an overview of EFI methods that are still applicable to ICs with BPD networks, including e-beam and atomic force probing, x-ray and magnetic field imaging, and lock-in thermography. It assesses the technical challenges of each method as well as the potential for improvement.