Our Energy Future: Resources, Alternatives and the Environment

Presents an overview on the different aspects of the energy value chain and discusses the issues that future energy is facing This book covers energy and the energy policy choices which face society. The book presents easy–to–grasp information and analysis, and includes statistical data for energy production, consumption and simple formulas. Among the aspects considered are: science, technology, economics and the impact on health and the environment. In this new edition two new chapters have been added: The first new chapter deals with unconventional fossil fuels, a resource which has become very important from the economical point of view, especially in the United States. The second new chapter presents the applications of nanotechnology in the energy domain. Provides a global vision of available and potential energy sources Discusses advantages and drawbacks to help prepare current and future generations to use energy differently Includes new chapters covering unconventional fossil fuels and nanotechnology as new energy Our Energy Future: Resources, Alternatives and the Environment, Second Edition, is written for professionals, students, teachers, decision–makers and politicians involved in the energy domain and interested in environmental issues. INDICE: Preface .1. We Need Energy .1.1. Generalities .1.1.1. Primary and Secondary Energy .1.1.2. Energy Units .1.1.3. Power .1.1.4. Energy and First Law of Thermodynamics .1.1.5. Entropy and Second Law of Thermodynamics .1.1.6. Exergy .1.1.7. Going Back to the Past .1.1.8. Humans and Energy .1.2. Always More! .1.2.1. Why Do We Need More Energy? .1.2.2. Energy Sources We Use .1.2.3. Security of Supply .1.2.4. Environmental Concerns .2. Oil and Natural Gas .2.1. Genesis of Oil and Natural Gas .2.2. Recovering Oil and Gas .2.3. Peak Oil .2.4. Reserves .2.4.1. Crude Oil Reserves .2.4.2. Natural Gas Reserves .2.5. Properties of Hydrocarbons .2.6. Oil Fields .2.7. Prices .2.8. Consumption .2.9. Electricity Generation .2.10. Impact on Environment .2.11. Unconventional Oil and Gas Resources .2.11.1. Oil Shale .2.11.2. Tar Sands .2.11.3. Coal Bed Methane .2.11.4. Methane Hydrates .2.12. Conclusion .3. Unconventional Oil and Gas Resources .3.1 Hydrocarbon formation .3.2 Offshore hydrocarbons .3.3 Unconventional hydrocarbons .3.4 Unconventional oils .3.4.1 Unconventional oils contained in reservoirs .3.4.2 Unconventional oils contained in source rock .3.5 Unconventional gases .3.5.1 Unconventional gases contained in reservoirs .3.5.2 Unconventional gases contained in source rocks .3.6 Methane hydrates .3.7 Conclusion .4. Coal: Fossil Fuel of the Future .4.1. Genesis of Coal .4.2. Rank of Coals .4.3. Classification of Coals .4.4. Peat .4.5. Use of Coal .4.6. Coal Reserves .4.7. Production and Consumption .4.8. Electricity Production .4.9. Coal Combustion for Power Generation .4.9.1. Advanced Pulverized Coal Combustion .4.9.2. Fluidized–Bed Combustion at Atmospheric Pressure .4.9.3. Pressurized Fluidized–Bed Combustion .4.10. Combined Heat and Power Generation .4.11. Integrated Gasification Combined–Cycle Power Plants .4.12. Coal–to–Liquid Technologies .4.13. Direct Coal Liquefaction .4.14. Indirect Coal Liquefaction .4.15. Direct or Indirect CTL Technology? .4.16. Carbon Capture and Sequestration .4.16.1. Capture .4.16.2. Transport .4.16.3. Sequestration .4.16.4. Cost .4.17. Coal Pit Accidents .4.18. Environmental Impacts .4.19. Conclusion .5. Fossil Fuels and Greenhouse Effect .5.1. Greenhouse Effect .5.2. Greenhouse Gases .5.3. Weather and Climate .5.4. Natural Change of Climate .5.5. Anthropogenic Emissions .5.6. Water and Aerosols .5.7. Global Warming Potentials .5.8. Increase of Average Temperature .5.9. Model Predictions .5.10. Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions .5.11. Consequences .5.12. Other Impacts on Ocean .5.13. Factor 4 .5.14. Kyoto Protocol .5.15. Conclusion .6. Energy from Water .6.1. Hydropower .6.1.1. Hydropower: Important Source of Electricity .6.1.2. Dams and Diversions .6.1.3. Head and Flow .6.1.4. Turbines .6.1.5. Small–Scale Hydropower .6.1.6. Environmental Concerns .6.1.7. Costs .6.2. Energy from the Ocean .6.2.1. Offshore Wind Energy .6.2.2. Wave Energy .6.2.3. Tidal Energy .6.2.4. Marine Current Energy .6.2.5. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion .6.2.6. Osmotic Energy .7. Biomass .7.1. Producing Biomass .7.2. An Old Energy Resource .7.3. Electricity Production .7.4. Technologies .7.4.1. Direct–Combustion Technologies .7.4.2. Cofiring Technologies .7.4.3. Biomass Gasification .7.4.4. Anaerobic Digestion .7.4.5. Pyrolysis .7.5. Heat Production .7.6. Biomass for Cooking .7.7. Environmental Impact .7.8. Market Share .7.9. Biofuels .7.9.1. First–Generation Biofuels .7.9.1.1. Biofuels for Gasoline Engines .7.9.1.2. Biofuels for Diesel Engines .7.9.2. Second–Generation Biofuels .7.9.3. Third–Generation Biofuels .7.10. From Well to Wheels .7.11. Conclusion .8. Solar Energy .8.1. Solar Energy: A Huge Potential .8.2. Thermal Solar Energy .8.2.1. Producing Hot Water for Domestic Purposes .8.2.2. Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation Using Solar Energy .8.2.3. The Solar Cooker .8.3. Concentrated Solar Power Plants .8.3.1. Parabolic Troughs .8.3.2. Power Towers .8.3.3. Parabolic Dish Collectors .8.4. Solar Chimneys or Towers .8.5. Photovoltaic Systems .8.5.1. Market Dominated by Silicon .8.5.2. Other Photovoltaic Technologies .8.5.3. Applications .8.6. Electricity Storage .8.7. Economy and Environment .8.8. Conclusion .9. Geothermal Energy .9.1. Available in Many Places .9.2. Different Uses .9.3. Technologies .9.4. Geothermal Energy in the World .9.5. Conclusion .10. Wind Energy .10.1. Already a Long History .10.2. From Theory to Practice .10.3. Development of Wind Power .10.4. Off–Shore Wind Turbines .10.5. Conclusion .11. Nuclear Energy .11.1. Basics of Nuclear Energy .11.1.1. Atoms and Nuclei .11.1.2. Radioactivity .11.1.3. Energy and Mass .11.1.4. Fission .11.1.5. Fissile and Fertile .11.1.6. Chain Reaction .11.1.7. Critical Mass .11.1.8. Nuclear Reactors .11.1.9. Natural Nuclear Reactors: Oklo .11.1.10. Conclusion .11.2. Uses of Nuclear Energy .11.2.1. Different Technologies .11.2.2. Selection Process .11.2.3. Why Nuclear Energy? .11.2.4. Uranium Resources .11.2.5. Fuel Cycles .11.2.6. Safety .11.2.7. Nuclear Waste .11.2.8. Conclusion .11.3. Thermonuclear Fusion .11.3.1. Nuclei: Concentrated Sources of Energy .11.3.2. The Sun .11.3.3. Fusion of Light Nuclei .11.3.4. Difficulties .11.3.5. A Bit of History .11.3.6. Thermonuclear Fusion in Tokamaks .11.3.7. ITER: New Step Towards Mastering Fusion .11.3.8. About Fuel Reserves .11.3.9. Longer Term Possibilities .11.3.10. Safety and Waste Issues .11.3.11. Conclusion .Appendix .12. Electricity: Smart Use of Energy .12.1. Rapid Development .12.2. Energy Sources for Electricity Production .12.3. No Unique Solution .12.4. From Mechanical Energy to Consumer .12.5. Impact on Environment .12.6. Cost .12.7. Conclusion .13. Energy Storage: Weak Point of Energy Supply Chain .13.1. Electricity Storage .13.1.1. Characteristics of Electricity Storage .13.1.2. Large–Quantity Storage Technologies .13.1.3. Electrochemical Batteries .13.1.3.1. Primary Batteries .13.1.3.2. Rechargeable Batteries .13.1.3.3. Flow Batteries .13.1.4. Supercapacitors .13.1.5. Flywheels .13.2. Thermal Energy Storage .13.2.1. Basic Heat Storage .13.2.2. Sensible Heat Storage .13.2.3. Phase Change Materials .13.2.4. Thermochemical and Thermophysical Energy Storage .13.2.5. Applications of Thermal Energy Storage .13.2.6. Underground Energy Storage .13.2.7. Conclusion .14. Transportation .14.1. Short History of Transportation .14.2. Energy and Transportation .14.3. Road Transportation .14.4. Ship Transportation .14.5. Air Transport .14.6. Car Dynamics .14.7. Fuels for Road Transportation .14.8. CO2 Emissions .14.9. Hybrid Vehicles .14.10. Electric Vehicles .14.11. Conclusion .15. Housing .15.1. Importance of Housing .15.2. Towards More Efficient Housing .15.3. Different Regions, Different Solutions .15.4. Bioclimatic Architecture .15.5. Insulation .15.6. Glazing .15.7. Lighting .15.8. Ventilation .15.9. Water .15.10. Energy Use in a Household .15.11. Heat Pumps .15.12. Impact on Environment .15.13. Conclusion .16. Smart Energy Consumption .16.1. Housing .16.2. Improving the Way We Consume Energy .16.3. Cogeneration .16.4. Standby Consumption .16.5. Lighting .16.6. Transportation .16.6.1. Technology .16.6.2. Individuals .16.7. Conclusion .17. Hydrogen .17.1. From Production to Distribution .17.1.1. Properties .17.1.2. Production .17.1.3. Storage .17.1.4. Hydrogen Transport and Distribution .17.1.5. Conclusion .17.2. Hydrogen: Energetic Applications .17.2.1. Fundamentals of Fuel Cells .17.2.2. Different Types of Fuel Cells .17.2.3. Transportation .17.2.4. Direct Use of Hydrogen .17.2.5. Direct Combined Heat and Power .17.2.6. Hydrogen and Portable Devices .17.2.7. Hydrogen Safety .17.2.8. Conclusion .18. Nanotechnology and Energy .18.1 What is new at the nanoscale? .18.1.1 Surface effects prevail .18.1.2 Quantum effects .18.2 Nanotechnology and energy production .18.2.1 Fossil fuels .18.2.2 Syngas .18.3 New energy technologies .18.3.1 Solar energy .18.3.2 Wind energy .18.3.3 Hydrogen .18.3.4 Fuel cells .18.3.5 Batteries .18.3.6 Thermoelectricity .18.3.7 Electrical distribution .18.4 Nanotechnology and housing .18.4.1 Construction engineering .18.4.2 Insulation .18.4.3 Lighting .18.4.4 Heating, ventilating and air conditioning .18.4.5 Surface Materials .18.5 Nanotechnology and transportation .18.5.1 Bodywork .18.5.2 Interior of the car .18.5.3 Tires .18.5.4 Powertrain .18.5.5 Electronics .18.5.6 Outlook in the automotive sector .18.6 Conclusion .19. Conclusion .Exercises .Solutions .Bibliography .Index

• ISBN: 978-1-119-21336-9
• Editorial: Wiley–Blackwell
• Encuadernacion: Cartoné
• Páginas: 536
• Fecha Publicación: 06/04/2016
• Nº Volúmenes: 1
• Idioma: Inglés