Book excerpt: AC Power Conditioners: Design and Applications provides some insight into the various types of power line disturbances, problems that occur daily, and their corresponding solutions. This book is organized into four parts encompassing 14 chapters; each part deals with a different form of power protection. Part I introduces the various types of power-line problems encountered that can be harmful to electronic equipment or the data it contains. Parts II and III are devoted to noise and surge reduction, as well as power line regulation. These parts describe the use of thyristor regulator, constant-voltage transformer, and linear and switching power-line regulators. Part IV focuses on blackout protection, with particular emphasis on the use of switching converter, thermal management, filters, and inverter control circuitry. This book is intended primarily to students and researchers.