Abstract :
NOTEWORTHY ADVANCES were made in the electrical engineering field during 1950; they may be divided into five broad categories: communications, power, science and electronics, industry, and general applications. The highlights in communications were the Federal Communications Commission´s decision to authorize the field sequential color television system as standard, extension of television broadcasting, and further growth of microwave networks. The power field saw plans made for the construction of a 300/315-kv line which will be the highest voltage line in the United States. More and more centralized control rooms are being used, and this year saw the installation of the first completely centralized control board for a large steam-generating station. The continued improvement and reliability of electronic components has helped to increase the use of electronic computers in business, research, design, statistics, and military fields. Several new types of radiation detectors, some quite inexpensive, have been put on the market. In industry, electric welding has shown many gains; automatic equipment is being used, and speed and flexibility have been attained. Electrical controllers for many industries have been developed. General applications of electrical engineering have been many. In land transportation the trend from steam to Diesel locomotives has continued unabated, and lightweight traction motors and associated equipment have been put into use. The number of heat pumps in operation has increased to about 750. Some of the 1950 engineering developments are reviewed here by the AIEE technical committees.
