Clean Energy

by Dell, Ronald M.; Rand, D. A. J.

• ISBN13: 9780854045464
• ISBN10: 0854045465
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-12-01
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry

Summary

Clean Energy presents a broad survey of the energy problems facing society over the coming decades and the prospects for their solution. The book emphasizes the importance of developing a strategy for the world's future energy supply. The strategy must take into account: the finite supplies of natural gas and petroleum; the increased consumption of fuel by developing economies; the concern over greenhouse gas emissions; the pollution caused by burning coal (especially coal with a high sulphur content); the difficulties and costs of extracting unconventional fossil fuels; and the technical, sociological and cost barriers that restrict the use of renewable forms of energy. Clean Energy sets the various renewable energies (wind, waves, solar etc) in the context of present and projected world production of energy usage in the time-frame until 2020 and looks speculatively beyond that. It looks at the possibilities for reducing pollution from fossil fuels and tackles the serious problem of how to store energy, in order to smooth out fluctuations in supply and demand. Clean Energy is well illustrated with diagrams and photographs and will appeal to anyone with a serious interest in environmental matters and in the interaction between energy usage and the environment.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations, Symbols and Units Used in Text	xviii
Glossary of Terms	xxiii
Energy Production and Use	1	(31)
A Brief History of Energy Technology	1	(10)
Coal	5	(1)
Petroleum	5	(4)
Electricity	9	(1)
Natural Gas	10	(1)
World Energy Supply -- The Present Scene	11	(3)
World Energy Supply -- Projections to 2020	14	(1)
Fossil Fuel Reserves	15	(7)
Oil and Gas	15	(5)
Tar Sands, Asphalts, Oil Shales and Bitumen	20	(2)
Coal	22	(1)
The Overall Energy -- Environment Problem	22	(4)
Prospects for Renewable Energy	26	(4)
References	30	(2)
Clean Fuels	32	(25)
Clean-burning fuels	33	(6)
Natural Gas	33	(4)
Liquefied Petroleum Gas	37	(2)
Developments in Petroleum Technology	39	(4)
Exhaust Catalyst Technology	41	(2)
Clean Coal Technologies	43	(5)
Coal Gasification	44	(2)
Ultra-clean Coal	46	(1)
Coal Liquefaction	47	(1)
Alcohols and Bio-fuels	48	(3)
Methanol	48	(1)
Ethanol	49	(1)
Bio-diesel	50	(1)
Hydrogen -- The Ultimate Fuel	51	(5)
Electricity -- A Clean Secondary Fuel	56	(1)
References	56	(1)
Electricity Generation	57	(33)
Electricity Generation Statistics	57	(2)
Coal-fired Electricity Plant	59	(3)
Oil-fired and Gas-fired Electricity Plant	62	(5)
Combined Heat and Power (Co-generation)	67	(1)
Nuclear Power	68	(10)
Reactor Physics	69	(3)
Reactor Design	72	(1)
Water-cooled Reactors	73	(2)
High-temperature Reactors	75	(1)
Fuel Reprocessing and Fast-breeder Reactors	76	(1)
The Future of Nuclear Energy	77	(1)
Nuclear Fusion	78	(5)
Distributed Generation	83	(2)
Renewables and Energy Storage	85	(2)
De-regulation of Electricity Markets	87	(2)
References	89	(1)
Renewable Energy -- Thermal	90	(35)
Biomass: Agricultural and Forestry Wastes	93	(5)
Straw	94	(1)
Poultry Litter	95	(1)
Forestry Wastes	96	(1)
Wet Agricultural Wastes	97	(1)
Biomass: Energy Crops	98	(3)
Ligno-cellulosic Crops	98	(1)
Wood	98	(2)
Grasses	100	(1)
Sugar and Starch Crops	100	(1)
Oil Crops	100	(1)
Biomass: Municipal Solid Waste	101	(4)
Combustion, Gasification and Pyrolysis	101	(1)
Bio-digestion	102	(2)
Landfill	104	(1)
Solar Heating	105	(12)
Passive Solar Heating	106	(2)
Active Solar Heating and Cooling	108	(5)
Solar High-temperature Processes	113	(4)
Geothermal Energy	117	(7)
Geothermal Aquifers	119	(2)
Hot Dry Rocks	121	(1)
Geothermal Heat Pumps	122	(1)
Brines and Magma	123	(1)
References	124	(1)
Renewable Energy -- Electrical	125	(36)
Hydroelectricity	125	(5)
Wind Energy	130	(7)
On-shore Wind Generation	131	(5)
Off-shore Wind Generation	136	(1)
Tidal Energy	137	(6)
Tidal Barrages	137	(3)
Marine Currents	140	(3)
Wave Energy	143	(3)
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion	146	(1)
Solar Energy	146	(14)
Principles and Construction of Solar (Photovoltatic) Cells, Modules and Arrays	146	(5)
Performance of Solar (Photovoltaic) Cells, Modules and Arrays	151	(3)
Applications of Solar (Photovoltaic) Cells, Modules and Arrays	154	(2)
Organic Photovoltaic Devices	156	(1)
Dye-sensitized Solar Cells	157	(3)
References	160	(1)
Why Store Electricity?	161	(18)
Candidate Energy-storage Systems	161	(1)
Energy Storage for Electricity Supply Networks	162	(10)
Applications of Energy Storage within the Network	162	(2)
Electricity Demand Profile	164	(2)
Storage Options and their Limitations	166	(2)
Experience with Battery Energy-storage Systems	168	(4)
Uninterruptible Power Supplies	172	(1)
Storage of Distributed Electricity	173	(1)
Storage of Renewable Electricity	174	(4)
References	178	(1)
Physical Techniques for Storing Energy	179	(19)
Thermal Energy Storage	179	(4)
Sensible Heat Storage	179	(3)
Phase-change Storage	182	(1)
Thermochemical Storage	183	(1)
Potential Energy Storage	183	(4)
Pumped Hydro	183	(2)
Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES)	185	(2)
Kinetic Energy Storage in Flywheels	187	(4)
Superconducting Electromagnetic Energy Storage (SMES)	191	(2)
Electrostatic Energy Storage (ESES)	193	(5)
Hydrogen Energy	198	(44)
Hydrogen Production	202	(9)
Hydrogen Distribution and Storage	211	(13)
Gaseous Hydrogen	211	(3)
Liquid Hydrogen	214	(2)
Metal Hydrides	216	(4)
Chemical and Related Storage	220	(2)
Hydrogen Storage on Road Vehicles	222	(2)
Fuel Cells to Generate Electricity	224	(14)
Stationary Power	230	(5)
Portable Power	235	(2)
Power for Road Transportation	237	(1)
Prospects for Hydrogen	238	(4)
Battery Storage	242	(26)
Lead--Acid Batteries	244	(8)
Traditional Flat-plate Batteries	246	(1)
Low-maintenance Flat-plate Batteries	247	(1)
Tubular-plate Batteries	248	(1)
Valve-regulated Batteries	248	(4)
Alkaline Batteries	252	(3)
Nickel--Cadmium Batteries	252	(1)
Nickel--Metal-hydride Batteries	253	(1)
Nickel--Zinc Batteries	254	(1)
Zinc--Air Batteries	254	(1)
Flow Batteries	255	(4)
Zinc--Bromine Batteries	256	(1)
Redox Batteries	257	(2)
Sodium Batteries	259	(2)
Sodium--Sulfur Batteries	259	(1)
Sodium--Nickel-chloride Batteries	260	(1)
Lithium Batteries	261	(5)
Lithium--ion Batteries	262	(2)
Lithium--Polymer Batteries	264	(2)
Prospects for Batteries	266	(2)
References	268	(1)
Electric Propulsion	268	(25)
Traditional Vehicles	269	(3)
Tramcars and Trolleybuses	269	(1)
Railways and Metros	270	(1)
Marine Craft	271	(1)
Off-road Vehicles	272	(1)
Battery Electric Road Vehicles	272	(6)
Delivery Vans	273	(1)
Buses	274	(1)
Cars	275	(3)
Novel Electric Vehicles	278	(2)
Electric Racing Cars	278	(1)
Solar-powered Cars	279	(1)
Hybrid Electric Vehicles	280	(5)
Classification of Hybrid Electric Vehicles	281	(3)
Practical Hybrid Electric Vehicles	284	(1)
Fuel--Cell Vehicles	285	(7)
References	292	(1)
Towards 2020	293	(20)
Greenhouse Gases and the Koyoto Protocol	295	(2)
Energy Conservation	297	(4)
Space Heating of Buildings	298	(1)
Lighting	298	(1)
Transportation	299	(2)
Fossil Fuels	301	(3)
Petroleum	301	(2)
Natural Gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas	303	(1)
Electricity Generation	304	(2)
Renewable Energy	306	(2)
Energy Storage	308	(2)
Concluding Remarks	310	(3)
Appendix Conversion Factors	313	(2)
Subject Index	315