Propulsion And Power

Power converters are at the heart of modern power electronics. From automotive power systems to propulsion for large ships, their use permeates through industrial, commercial, military, and aerospace applications of various scales. Having reached a point of saturation where we are unlikely to see many new and revolutionary technologies, industry now seeks to optimize and standardize the performance of these devices.

This book examines how the expansion of a steam-powered Royal Navy from the second half of the nineteenth century had wider ramifications across the British Empire. In particular, it considers how steam propulsion made vessels utterly dependent on a particular resource – coal – and its distribution around the world.