Essentials of Energy Technology Sources, Transport, Storage, Conservation

An in-depth understanding of energy technology, sources, conversion, storage, transport and conservation is crucial for developing a sustainable and economically viable energy infrastructure. This need, for example, is addressed in university courses with a special focus on the energy mix of renewable and depletable energy resources.

Energy makes our lives comfortable, and the existence of amenities such as heaters, cars, warm water, household appliances and electrical light is characteristic for a developed economy. Supplying the industrial or individual energy consumer with energy 24 hours a day is a non-trivial challenge, especially in times where the energy is coming from very diverse resources such as oil, gas, nuclear fuels, wind, sun, or waves.

This book gives physics, chemistry, engineering, and materials science students insights in the basics of energy and energy technology. It was developed along a successful course for advanced bachelor or graduate students and is written in a didactic style. The problems and solutions at the end of each chapter are ideal for exams and make self-study easy. Topics covered include energy from fossil and nuclear fuels, renewable sources, energy transport, storage, and conservation.

Jochen Fricke is scientific consultant at the Center for Applied Energy Research (CAE) in W?rzburg, Germany, and member of the advisory board of va-Q-tec AG, a company specialized on energy efficient vacuum isolation panels. His research interests started in nuclear energy and went on to renewables. He received his PhD at the Technical University of Munich, followed by post-doc research in Munich and Pittsburgh. In 1975 he became professor at the University of W?rzburg, where he is still giving lectures on energy. He was appointed as founding director of the CAE in 1991 and in 2006 he was appointed as spokesperson for the Bavarian Energy Technology Cluster. Jochen Fricke was honoured with several prizes, among them the 'Medal for Scientific Publication' by the German Physical Society.

Walter Borst is physics professor at the Texas Tech University in Lubbock since 1984. He received his PhD in Berkeley and stayed for a post-doc research at the University of Pittsburgh. Before he went to Lubbock, he became Assistant and later on Associate Professor in Carbondale. His research interests range from atomic and molecular collisions, time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy, organic dye scintillators, coal and oil shale fluorescence, long-term solar heat storage to solar heat collectors.

INTRODUCTION
Global Energy Flow
Natural and Anthropogenic Greenhouse Effect
Limit to Atmospheric CO2-Concentration
Potential Remedies

ENERGY CONSERVATION VIA THERMAL INSULATION
Opaque Insulations
Transparent and Translucent Insulations

THERMODYNAMIC ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Carnot?s Law
Stirling Engine
Irreversibilties
Exergy and Anergy
Compression Heat Pumps and Air-Conditioning Systems
Absorption Heat Transformers
Exergy Efficiency

FOSSIL FIRED ENERGY CONVERTERS
Power Plants
Internal Combustion Engines
Thermoelectric Converters (TECs)
Exotic Energy Converters
Absorption Cycles

NUCLEAR ENERGY AND NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
Binding Energy and Mass Defect
Fission
The Multiplication Factor
Reactor Control
Neutron Flux
Reactivity Changes During Power Plant Operation
Fuel Conversion and Breeding
Nuclear Reactor Types
The Fuel Question
U235 Enrichment
Spent Fuel
Reactor Safety and Accidents

HYDROELECTRICITY
Water Runoff from Mountains
Laminar and Turbulent Flow in Pipes
Running Water from Oceans
Ocean Tides
Ocean Waves
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)
Energy from Osmotic Pressure

WIND TURBINES
Wind Velocity
Using the Drag
Using the Lift
Technical Questions
Electricity from Wind on Demand
Small-Scale Wind Energy Conversion
Alternative Wind Energy Converters
Wind Energy Concentration

PHOTOVOLTAICS
Diodes and Solar Cells
Transport Phenomena, Isc and Uoc
Temperature Effects
Equivalent Circuit
Absorption Processes and Transitions
Advanced Solar Cells
Si-Production and Energetic Amortization
Other Solar Materials
From Solar Cells to Modules
Future Prospects

SOLAR THERMAL: HEAT
Solar Radiation
Flat Plate Collectors
Solar Thermal Heating Systems
Evacuated Thermal Collectors
ELECTRICITY FROM SOLAR HEAT
Concentration of Solar Radiation
Solar Troughs
Solar Dish and Solar Tower
Compound Parabolic Concentrator
Solar Thermic Power Plants

BIOMASS
Growth of Biomass
Direct Use of Solid Biomass
Biogas
Biofuel
Hydrothermal Carbonization of Biomass

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
The Origin of Geothermal Energy
Geothermal Anomalies
Geothermal Power Plants
Hot Dry Rock

ENERGY STORAGE
Mechanical Energy Storage
Electric Energy Storage
Electrochemical Energy Storage
Chemical Energy Storage
Thermal Energy Storage

ENERGY TRANSPORT
Mechanical Energy Transport
Electricity Transport
Transport of Heat

FUEL CELLS
General Considerations
Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC)
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC)
Other Fuel Cells

FUSION
The Fuel Question
Break Even and Lawson Criterion
Magnetic Confinement Fusion (MCF)
Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF)