Letcher Future Energy

Improved, Sustainable and Clean Options for our Planet
1. Auflage 2008
ISBN: 978-0-08-056487-6
Verlag: Elsevier Science & Techn.
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 400 Seiten, Web PDF

Future Energy will allow us to make reasonable, logical and correct decisions on our future energy as a result of two of the most serious problems that the civilized world has to face; the looming shortage of oil (which supplies most of our transport fuel) and the alarming rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past 50 years (resulting from the burning of oil, gas and coal and the loss of forests) that threatens to change the world's climate through global warming.
Future Energy focuses on all the types of energy available to us, taking into account a future involving a reduction in oil and gas production and the rapidly increasing amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. It is unique in the genre of books of similar title in that each chapter has been written by a scientist or engineer who is an expert in his or her field.
The book is divided into four sections:
• Traditional Fossil Fuel and Nuclear Energy
• Renewable Energy
• Potentially Important New Types of Energy
• New Aspects to Future Energy Usage
Each chapter highlights the basic theory and implementation, scope, problems and costs associated with a particular type of energy. The traditional fuels are included because they will be with us for decades to come - but, we hope, in a cleaner form. The renewable energy types includes wind power, wave power, tidal energy, two forms of solar energy, bio-mass, hydroelectricity, geothermal and the hydrogen economy. Potentially important new types of energy include: pebble bed nuclear reactors, nuclear fusion, methane hydrates and recent developments in fuel cells and batteries.
- Written by experts in the key future energy disciplines from around the globe
- Details of all possible forms of energy that are and will be available globally in the next two decades
- Puts each type of available energy into perspective with realistic, future options

Autoren/Hrsg.

Letcher, Trevor

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Front Cover;1
2;Future Energy: Improved, Sustainable and Clean Options for our Planet;4
3;Copyright Page;5
4;Contents;6
5;Foreword;12
6;Preface;14
7;Introduction;16
8;List of Contributors;20
9;Part I: Fossil Fuel and Nuclear Energy;24
9.1;Chapter 1 The Future of Oil and Gas Fossil Fuels;26
9.1.1;1. Introduction;26
9.1.2;2. Hydrocarbon Reservoirs;27
9.1.3;3. Hydrocarbon Recovery, Reserves, Production and Consumption;34
9.1.4;4. Global Warming, Alternative Energy and CO[sub(2)] Sequestration;40
9.1.5;5. Conclusion;42
9.1.6;References;42
9.2;Chapter 2 The Future of Clean Coal;48
9.2.1;1. Introduction;48
9.2.2;2. Coal and Environmental Problems;51
9.2.3;3. Clean Coal Technologies;53
9.2.4;4. Costs and Plant Characteristics for Coal-fired Power Plants with Capture of CO[sub(2)];59
9.2.5;5. Conclusion;59
9.2.6;References;60
9.3;Chapter 3 Nuclear Power (Fission);64
9.3.1;1. Introduction;64
9.3.2;2. Cost–Benefit Analysis for 2007 Energy White Paper;64
9.3.3;3. Other Recent Studies on Nuclear Generation Costs;70
9.3.4;4. Global Prospects for Nuclear Power;77
9.3.5;5. Conclusions;79
9.3.6;References;79
9.4;Chapter 4 The Alberta Oil Sands: Reserves and Supply Outlook;82
9.4.1;1. Introduction;82
9.4.2;2. Bitumen Reserves in Alberta;84
9.4.3;3. Reserves Under Active Development;86
9.4.4;4. Bitumen Recovery Techniques;88
9.4.5;5. Short-term Bitumen Supply in Alberta;90
9.4.6;6. Long-term Bitumen Supply in Alberta;93
9.4.7;7. Supply Costs of Bitumen Production in Alberta;95
9.4.8;8. Conclusion;97
9.4.9;References;98
9.5;Chapter 5 The Future of Methane and Coal to Petrol and Diesel Technologies;100
9.5.1;1. Brief Description of the Methane and Coal to Petrol and Diesel Technologies;100
9.5.2;2. Factors that will Influence the Future Demand for CTL and GTL Technologies;107
9.5.3;3. Environmental Factors that will Influence the Application of CTL and GTL Technologies;111
9.5.4;4. Future Developments to Reduce the Capital and Operating Costs of CTL and GTL Plants;112
9.5.5;5. Conclusions;112
9.5.6;References;113
10;Part II: Renewable Energy;116
10.1;Chapter 6 Wind Energy;118
10.1.1;1. History and Present Status;118
10.1.2;2. Technical Issues;120
10.1.3;3. Commercial Issues;127
10.1.4;4. Environmental Issues;129
10.1.5;5. Conclusions;133
10.1.6;References;133
10.1.7;Recommended Websites;133
10.2;Chapter 7 Tidal Current Energy: Origins and Challenges;134
10.2.1;1. Introduction;134
10.2.2;2. Tidal Current Drivers;135
10.2.3;3. Devices;143
10.2.4;4. Anchors and Fixings;145
10.2.5;5. Biofouling;149
10.2.6;6. Conclusion;150
10.2.7;References;150
10.2.8;Further Reading;151
10.3;Chapter 8 Wave Energy;152
10.3.1;1. Background, Context and Drivers of Wave Energy;152
10.3.2;2. What is Ocean Wave Energy?;153
10.3.3;3. The Energy Resource and How it is Measured;156
10.3.4;4. Forecasting and Prediction;158
10.3.5;5. Challenges and Benefits;159
10.3.6;6. Converter Types;160
10.3.7;7. Device Rating;163
10.3.8;8. Modern Devices;165
10.3.9;9. Economics of Wave Energy;166
10.3.10;10. Alternative Output;170
10.3.11;11. The Future;171
10.3.12;References;172
10.4;Chapter 9 Biomass;174
10.4.1;1. Introduction;174
10.4.2;2. Biomass Resources;177
10.4.3;3. Bioenergy and Biofuels;181
10.4.4;4. Biomass to Energy Conversion Processes;183
10.4.5;5. Bioeconomics;189
10.4.6;6. Limitations and Knowledge Gaps;191
10.4.7;References;192
10.5;Chapter 10 Concentrating Solar Power;194
10.5.1;1. Introduction – Concept and Basic Characteristics;194
10.5.2;2. State of the Art;198
10.5.3;3. Cost Reduction Potential;207
10.5.4;4. Potential Impact of CSP Until 2050;209
10.5.5;5. Further Options;214
10.5.6;References;214
10.6;Chapter 11 Hydroelectric Power;216
10.6.1;1. History and Development;217
10.6.2;2. Technology;220
10.6.3;3. Hydropower and Sustainability;223
10.6.4;4. Economics of Hydropower;226
10.6.5;5. Hydropower in Liberalized Electricity Markets;229
10.6.6;References;231
10.7;Chapter 12 Geothermal Energy;234
10.7.1;1. Heat Flow and Subsurface Temperatures;234
10.7.2;2. Tectonic Controls;235
10.7.3;3. Types of Geothermal System;238
10.7.4;4. Worldwide Geothermal Potential;239
10.7.5;5. Worldwide Geothermal Development;240
10.7.6;6. Methods for Electrical Generation;241
10.7.7;7. Direct Use of Geothermal Energy;243
10.7.8;8. Environmental Constraints;243
10.7.9;9. The Future;244
10.7.10;10. Sources of Additional Information;245
10.7.11;References;245
10.8;Chapter 13 Solar Energy: Photovoltaics;248
10.8.1;1. Background;248
10.8.2;2. The Solar Resource;248
10.8.3;3. Outline of the Conversion Process;251
10.8.4;4. Manufacturing Processes;255
10.8.5;5. Applications;258
10.8.6;6. Brief Summary of Research Challenges;260
10.8.7;Acknowledgements;261
10.8.8;References;261
11;Part III: Potentially Important New Types of Energy;262
11.1;Chapter 14 The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor;264
11.1.1;1. Historical Preface;265
11.1.2;2. Reactor Unit;266
11.1.3;3. Nuclear Safety;271
11.1.4;4. Technological Applications;275
11.1.5;5. Project Status;278
11.1.6;References;279
11.2;Chapter 15 Fuel Cells and Batteries;282
11.2.1;1. Fuel Cells;282
11.2.2;2. Batteries;288
11.2.3;3. Concluding Remarks;298
11.2.4;References;298
11.3;Chapter 16 Methane Hydrates;300
11.3.1;1. Background;301
11.3.2;2. Detection and Quantification;304
11.3.3;3. Production Technology;306
11.3.4;4. Economics;311
11.3.5;5. Time Scale for Development;311
11.3.6;References;312
11.4;Chapter 17 Nuclear Fusion;314
11.4.1;1. What is Nuclear Fusion?;314
11.4.2;2. Desirable Characteristics of Fusion Power;316
11.4.3;3. Why Fusion Power is Challenging;318
11.4.4;4. Approaches to Fusion Reactors;319
11.4.5;5. Economics of Fusion Energy;322
11.4.6;6. Prospects for Fusion Energy;323
11.4.7;References;324
12;Part IV: New Aspects to Future Energy;326
12.1;Chapter 18 Carbon Capture and Storage for Greenhouse Effect Mitigation;328
12.1.1;1. Introductory Aspects;328
12.1.2;2. Capture Techniques;333
12.1.3;3. Geological Storage of CO[sub(2)];346
12.1.4;4. Costs;351
12.1.5;5. Conclusion;352
12.1.6;References;353
12.2;Chapter 19 Smart Energy Houses of the Future – Self-supporting in Energy and Zero Emission;356
12.2.1;1. Design and Construction of Energy-efficient Buildings;357
12.2.2;2. Design of Very-low- or Zero-energy Housing;360
12.2.3;3. Future Technical Developments and Demonstration Projects;364
12.2.4;4. Guidelines for Future Energy-efficient Housing;368
12.2.5;References;368
12.3;Chapter 20 The Prospects for Electricity and Transport Fuels to 2050;370
12.3.1;1. Introduction;370
12.3.2;2. Future Energy Scenarios;372
12.3.3;3. Primary Energy Policy Drivers;379
12.3.4;4. Future Energy Fuel Options and Supply Structures for Transport;382
12.3.5;5. Future Energy Supply Structures for Electricity;388
12.3.6;6. Conclusions;391
12.3.7;Acknowledgements;392
12.3.8;References;392
13;Index;394
13.1;A;394
13.2;B;394
13.3;C;395
13.4;D;395
13.5;E;395
13.6;F;396
13.7;G;396
13.8;H;396
13.9;I;397
13.10;L;397
13.11;M;397
13.12;N;397
13.13;O;397
13.14;P;398
13.15;R;398
13.16;S;398
13.17;T;398
13.18;V;399
13.19;W;399
13.20;Z;399
14;Color Plates;400