An electromechanical device for rapid schedule harmonic analysis of complex waves

IMPROVEMENT in an art requires perfection of detail. Investigation of the details is often delayed, even though the procedure may be well understood, by the large amount of labor involved in handling cumbersome formulas or mathematical processes. The fundamentals of alternating-current theory are based upon a pure sine wave. More careful analysis considers waves formed of many multiple frequencies, which are found to exist in most practical applications. Thus not only the fundamental sine, but its higher harmonics, must be dealt with. The process of splitting up any known wave into its various components is well understood, but is slow and laborious if more than one or two harmonics are required. In present methods of analysis, it is at once striking how many combinations must be made to obtain the result. In mathematical methods this involves the calculation of a host of sums and products, elementary in form, but laborious in procedure. Methods of selected ordinates require many readings of ordinates from the curve, different sets being required for each harmonic. Graphical methods require a large amount of constructional detail. Machines involve changes of gears or pulleys, and many tracings of the curve.