Welcome to the world of thermionic valves!
Thermionic valves (also known as vacuum tubes) have fulfilled important functions throughout the 20th century, yet many people would not be able to recognise let alone appreciate their significant contributions to science and society. As this device becomes increasingly less visible in our day to day lives, it seems the time to review its heritage is upon us.
As six second year Imperial College EEE students, we felt compelled to undertake this project, considering how significant the valve was in early electronics. Aside from investigating its past & present, we attempted to ascertain as to whether they will continue to be used in the future.
How to use this website:
This website is intended to complement our main report (which can be downloaded from the top navigation bar), by allowing the reader to view different sections quickly and efficiently in addition to providing direct links to external material where possible. Furthermore, it allows a higher degree of interactivity which obviously cannot be implemented on a paper report.
Like the report, the website is split into three main sections: the past, present and future. These sections have been further sub-divided and may be accessed by use of drop down menu. There is also an 'About Us' section and flash animation for your enjoyment. Feel free to browse through the website, we hope you are able to gain a greater appreciation for this fascinating device that many people still feel is irreplacable.
About the website itself:
This website is constructed from CSS where ever possible. This was done in an effort to streamline the coding and keep page rendering times to a minimum. The website is designed to fit a horizontal resolution of 1024 pixels or higher and should be viewable across all common browsers.