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Summary
Summary
Do renewable energy sources really provide a realistic alternative to fossil fuels? How does wind power compare to nuclear power, in terms of the energy it can generate? How do we get energy from the tides, and is it really a useful source of power? Energy Science: Principles, Technologies, and Impacts integrates the science behind the key energy sources that are at our disposal today with the socioeconomic issues which surround their use to give a balanced, objective overview of the range of energy sources available to us today. Covering both traditional and renewable energy sources, the book encourages the reader to evaluate different energy sources on the basis of sound quantitative understanding. It also explores the fundamentals of energy generation, storage and transmission, to build a complete picture of energy supply, from wind turbine, nuclear reactor, or hydroelectric dam, to our homes. Different energy sources have different social and economic impacts; the book uses examples and case studies throughout to help the reader critically assess the information to hand and reach a well-rounded, informed view of the relative merits and drawbacks of the energy sources available. Problems with current and future energy use and supply extend globally; Energy Science: Principles, Technologies, and Impacts introduces the potential solutions that science can offer, within a framework that encourages the critical assessment of the pros and cons of each. Online resource centre: The Online Resource Centre features: For lecturers: Figures from the book available to download, to facilitate lecture preparation Solutions to end of chapter questions, to aid marking and assessment For students: Library of web links, giving students quick access to an extensive range of additional resources
Author Notes
Dr John Andrews is currently a Visiting Fellow at Bristol University where he lectures in physics and applied mathematics; until recently he also lectured at Nottingham and Oxford Universities. His main research interest is in mathematical modelling of industrial process. Before returning to the academic world, he spent 30 years in the electricity supply industry, where he was involved in research activities related to conventional, nuclear and alternative energy technologies. He has lectured on Energy Studies at Bristol and Oxford Universities.Nick Jelley is a Professor at the University of Oxford and Fellow of Lincoln College, where he has taught physics and carried out research in nuclear and particle physics for the last 25 years. His current research is on solar neutrinos with the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) in Ontario, Canada, for which he is UK co-spokesperson. He has written a textbook on Nuclear Physics and is presently lecturing on Energy Studies.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgement of sources | p. xiv |
1 Introduction | p. 1 |
1.1 A brief history of energy technology | p. 1 |
1.2 Global energy trends | p. 8 |
1.3 Global warming and the greenhouse effect | p. 10 |
1.4 Units and dimensional analysis | p. 13 |
Summary | p. 15 |
Further Reading | p. 15 |
Web Links | p. 15 |
Exercises | p. 16 |
2 Thermal energy | p. 18 |
2.1 Heat and temperature | p. 18 |
2.2 Heat transfer | p. 19 |
2.3 First law of thermodynamics and the efficiency of a thermal power plant | p. 24 |
2.4 Closed cycle for a steam power plant | p. 24 |
2.5 Useful thermodynamic quantities | p. 27 |
2.6 Thermal properties of water and steam | p. 29 |
2.7 Disadvantages of a Carnot cycle for a steam power plant | p. 32 |
2.8 Rankine cycle for steam power plants | p. 33 |
2.9 Gas turbines and the Brayton (or Joule) cycle | p. 36 |
2.10 Combined cycle gas turbine | p. 38 |
2.11 Fossil fuels and combustion | p. 39 |
2.12 Fluidized beds | p. 41 |
2.13 Carbon sequestration | p. 41 |
2.14 Geothermal energy | p. 42 |
Summary | p. 47 |
Further Reading | p. 49 |
Web Links | p. 49 |
List of Main Symbols | p. 49 |
Exercises | p. 50 |
3 Essential fluid mechanics for energy conversion | p. 53 |
3.1 Basic physical properties of fluids | p. 53 |
3.2 Streamlines and stream-tubes | p. 54 |
3.3 Mass continuity | p. 54 |
3.4 Energy conservation in an ideal fluid: Bernoulli's equation | p. 55 |
3.5 Dynamics of a viscous fluid | p. 58 |
3.6 Lift and circulation | p. 62 |
3.7 Euler's turbine equation | p. 65 |
Summary | p. 66 |
Further Reading | p. 67 |
List of Main Symbols | p. 68 |
Exercises | p. 68 |
4 Hydropower, tidal power, and wave power | p. 70 |
4.1 Hydropower | p. 71 |
4.2 Power output from a dam | p. 72 |
4.3 Measurement of volume flow rate using a weir | p. 73 |
4.4 Water turbines | p. 74 |
4.5 Impact, economics, and prospects of hydropower | p. 79 |
4.6 Tides | p. 80 |
4.7 Tidal power | p. 84 |
4.8 Power from a tidal barrage | p. 84 |
4.9 Tidal resonance | p. 85 |
4.10 Kinetic energy of tidal currents | p. 86 |
4.11 Ecological and environmental impact of tidal barrages | p. 87 |
4.12 Economics and prospects for tidal power | p. 87 |
4.13 Wave energy | p. 88 |
4.14 Wave power devices | p. 90 |
4.15 Environmental impact, economics, and prospects of wave power | p. 95 |
Summary | p. 95 |
Further Reading | p. 96 |
Web Links | p. 97 |
List of Main Symbols | p. 97 |
Exercises | p. 97 |
5 Wind power | p. 99 |
5.1 Source of wind energy | p. 99 |
5.2 Global wind patterns | p. 100 |
5.3 Modern wind turbines | p. 103 |
5.4 Kinetic energy of wind | p. 104 |
5.5 Principles of a horizontal-axis wind turbine | p. 105 |
5.6 Wind turbine blade design | p. 107 |
5.7 Dependence of the power coefficient C[subscript p] on the tip-speed ratio [lambda] | p. 111 |
5.8 Design of a modern horizontal-axis wind turbine | p. 114 |
5.9 Turbine control and operation | p. 117 |
5.10 Wind characteristics | p. 118 |
5.11 Power output of a wind turbine | p. 121 |
5.12 Wind farms | p. 122 |
5.13 Environmental impact and public acceptance | p. 122 |
5.14 Economics of wind power | p. 125 |
5.15 Outlook | p. 126 |
5.16 Conclusion | p. 129 |
Summary | p. 129 |
Further Reading | p. 130 |
Web Links | p. 130 |
List of Main Symbols | p. 130 |
Exercises | p. 130 |
6 Solar energy | p. 134 |
6.1 The solar spectrum | p. 135 |
6.2 Semiconductors | p. 136 |
6.3 p-n junction | p. 138 |
6.4 Solar photocells | p. 141 |
6.5 Efficiency of solar cells | p. 143 |
6.6 Commercial solar cells | p. 148 |
6.7 Developing technologies | p. 155 |
6.8 Solar panels | p. 160 |
6.9 Economics of photovoltaics (PV) | p. 161 |
6.10 Environmental impact of photovoltaics | p. 163 |
6.11 Outlook for photovoltaics | p. 164 |
6.12 Solar thermal power plants | p. 164 |
Summary | p. 170 |
Further Reading | p. 171 |
Web Links | p. 171 |
List of Main Symbols | p. 171 |
Exercises | p. 172 |
7 Biomass | p. 175 |
7.1 Photosynthesis and crop yields | p. 175 |
7.2 Biomass potential and use | p. 179 |
7.3 Biomass energy production | p. 180 |
7.4 Environmental impact of biomass | p. 194 |
7.5 Economics and potential of biomass | p. 195 |
7.6 Outlook | p. 197 |
Summary | p. 197 |
Further Reading | p. 198 |
Web Links | p. 198 |
List of Main Symbols | p. 198 |
Exercises | p. 198 |
8 Energy from fission | p. 200 |
8.1 Binding energy and stability of nuclei | p. 201 |
8.2 Fission | p. 205 |
8.3 Thermal reactors | p. 212 |
8.4 Thermal reactor designs | p. 219 |
8.5 Fast reactors | p. 228 |
8.6 Present-day nuclear reactors | p. 230 |
8.7 Safety of nuclear power | p. 233 |
8.8 Economics of nuclear power | p. 234 |
8.9 Environmental impact of nuclear power | p. 235 |
8.10 Public opinion on nuclear power | p. 236 |
8.11 Outlook for nuclear power | p. 237 |
Summary | p. 239 |
Further Reading | p. 240 |
Web Links | p. 240 |
List of Main Symbols | p. 240 |
Exercises | p. 240 |
9 Energy from fusion | p. 244 |
9.1 Magnetic confinement | p. 245 |
9.2 D-T fusion reactor | p. 246 |
9.3 Performance of tokamaks | p. 251 |
9.4 Plasmas | p. 251 |
9.5 Charged particle motion in E and B fields | p. 253 |
9.6 Tokamaks | p. 257 |
9.7 Plasma confinement | p. 258 |
9.8 Divertor tokamaks | p. 264 |
9.9 Outlook for controlled fusion | p. 266 |
Summary | p. 271 |
Further Reading | p. 272 |
Web Links | p. 272 |
List of Main Symbols | p. 272 |
Exercises | p. 272 |
10 Generation and transmission of electricity, energy storage, and fuel cells | p. 274 |
10.1 Generation of electricity | p. 274 |
10.2 High voltage power transmission | p. 278 |
10.3 Transformers | p. 280 |
10.4 High voltage direct current transmission | p. 281 |
10.5 Electricity grids | p. 282 |
10.6 Energy storage | p. 282 |
10.7 Pumped storage | p. 283 |
10.8 Compressed air energy storage | p. 284 |
10.9 Flywheels | p. 285 |
10.10 Superconducting magnetic energy storage | p. 286 |
10.11 Batteries | p. 286 |
10.12 Fuel cells | p. 287 |
10.13 Storage and production of hydrogen | p. 288 |
10.14 Outlook for fuel cells | p. 292 |
Summary | p. 292 |
Web Links | p. 293 |
List of Main Symbols | p. 293 |
Exercises | p. 294 |
11 Energy and society | p. 295 |
11.1 Environmental impact of energy production | p. 295 |
11.2 Economics of energy production | p. 299 |
11.3 Cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment | p. 304 |
11.4 Designing safe systems | p. 306 |
11.5 Carbon abatement policies | p. 308 |
11.6 Stabilization wedges for limiting CO[subscript 2] emissions | p. 309 |
11.7 Conclusions | p. 312 |
Summary | p. 313 |
Further Reading | p. 313 |
Web Links | p. 314 |
Exercises | p. 314 |
Numerical answers to exercises | p. 316 |
Index | p. 319 |