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Books in Renewable energy and alternative technologies

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    • Materials for Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort in Buildings

      • 1st Edition
      • April 21, 2010
      • Matthew R Hall
      • English
      • Hardback
        9 7 8 1 8 4 5 6 9 5 2 6 2
      • Paperback
        9 7 8 0 0 8 1 0 1 4 8 8 2
      • eBook
        9 7 8 1 8 4 5 6 9 9 2 7 7
      Almost half of the total energy produced in the developed world is inefficiently used to heat, cool, ventilate and control humidity in buildings, to meet the increasingly high thermal comfort levels demanded by occupants. The utilisation of advanced materials and passive technologies in buildings would substantially reduce the energy demand and improve the environmental impact and carbon footprint of building stock worldwide.Materials for energy efficiency and thermal comfort in buildings critically reviews the advanced building materials applicable for improving the built environment. Part one reviews both fundamental building physics and occupant comfort in buildings, from heat and mass transport, hygrothermal behaviour, and ventilation, on to thermal comfort and health and safety requirements.Part two details the development of advanced materials and sustainable technologies for application in buildings, beginning with a review of lifecycle assessment and environmental profiling of materials. The section moves on to review thermal insulation materials, materials for heat and moisture control, and heat energy storage and passive cooling technologies. Part two concludes with coverage of modern methods of construction, roofing design and technology, and benchmarking of façades for optimised building thermal performance.Finally, Part three reviews the application of advanced materials, design and technologies in a range of existing and new building types, including domestic, commercial and high-performance buildings, and buildings in hot and tropical climates.This book is of particular use to, mechanical, electrical and HVAC engineers, architects and low-energy building practitioners worldwide, as well as to academics and researchers in the fields of building physics, civil and building engineering, and materials science.

    • Biodiesel Science and Technology

      • 1st Edition
      • February 19, 2010
      • Jan C.J. Bart + 2 more
      • English
      • Hardback
        9 7 8 1 8 4 5 6 9 5 9 1 0
      • Paperback
        9 7 8 0 0 8 1 0 1 4 5 0 9
      • eBook
        9 7 8 1 8 4 5 6 9 7 7 6 1
      Biodiesel production is a rapidly advancing field worldwide, with biodiesel fuel increasingly being used in compression ignition (diesel) engines. Biodiesel has been extensively studied and utilised in developed countries, and it is increasingly being introduced in developing countries, especially in regions with high potential for sustainable biodiesel production.Initial sections systematically review feedstock resources and vegetable oil formulations, including the economics of vegetable oil conversion to diesel fuel, with additional coverage of emerging energy crops for biodiesel production. Further sections review the transesterification process, including chemical (catalysis) and biochemical (biocatalysis) processes, with extended coverage of industrial process technology and control methods, and standards for biodiesel fuel quality assurance. Final chapters cover the sustainability, performance and environmental issues of biodiesel production, as well as routes to improve glycerol by-product usage and the development of next-generation products.Biodiesel science and technology: From soil to oil provides a comprehensive reference to fuel engineers, researchers and academics on the technological developments involved in improving biodiesel quality and production capacity that are crucial to the future of the industry.

    • Solar Cell Device Physics

      • 2nd Edition
      • November 23, 2009
      • Stephen J. Fonash
      • English
      • Hardback
        9 7 8 0 1 2 3 7 4 7 7 4 7
      • Paperback
        9 7 8 1 4 9 3 3 0 1 1 3 3
      • eBook
        9 7 8 0 0 8 0 9 1 2 2 7 1
      There has been an enormous infusion of new ideas in the field of solar cells over the last 15 years; discourse on energy transfer has gotten much richer, and nanostructures and nanomaterials have revolutionized the possibilities for new technological developments. However, solar energy cannot become ubiquitous in the world's power markets unless it can become economically competitive with legacy generation methods such as fossil fuels. The new edition of Dr. Stephen Fonash's definitive text points the way toward greater efficiency and cheaper production by adding coverage of cutting-edge topics in plasmonics, multi-exiton generation processes, nanostructures and nanomaterials such as quantum dots. The book's new structure improves readability by shifting many detailed equations to appendices, and balances the first edition's semiconductor coverage with an emphasis on thin-films. Further, it now demonstrates physical principles with simulations in the well-known AMPS computer code developed by the author.

    • Renewable Energy Systems

      • 1st Edition
      • September 15, 2009
      • Henrik Lund
      • English
      • eBook
        9 7 8 0 0 8 0 9 6 2 9 9 3
      How can society quickly convert to renewable energy? Can worldwide energy needs ever be met through 100% renewable sources? The answers to these questions rest largely on the perception of choice in the energy arena. It is of pivotal importance that engineers, researchers and policymakers understand what choices are available, and reasonable, when considering the design and deployment of new energy systems. The mission of this new book, written by one of the world's foremost experts in renewable power, is to arm these professionals with the tools and methodologies necessary to make smart choices when implementing renewable energy systems.

    • Solar Energy Engineering

      • 1st Edition
      • June 23, 2009
      • Soteris A Kalogirou
      • English
      • eBook
        9 7 8 0 0 8 0 9 2 2 8 7 4
      As perhaps the most promising of all the renewable energy sources available today, solar energy is becoming increasingly important in the drive to achieve energy independence and climate balance. This new book is the masterwork from world-renowned expert Dr. Soteris Kalogirou, who has championed solar energy for decades. The book includes all areas of solar energy engineering, from the fundamentals to the highest level of current research. The author includes pivotal subjects such as solar collectors, solar water heating, solar space heating and cooling, industrial process heat, solar desalination, photovoltaics, solar thermal power systems, and modeling of solar systems, including the use of artificial intelligence systems in solar energy systems, modeling and performance prediction.

    • Micro Fuel Cells

      • 1st Edition
      • May 7, 2009
      • Tim Zhao
      • English
      • Hardback
        9 7 8 0 1 2 3 7 4 7 1 3 6
      • eBook
        9 7 8 0 0 8 0 8 7 8 8 7 4
      Today's consumers of portable electronics consumers are demanding devices not only deliver more power but also work healthy for the environment. This fact alone has lead major corporations like Intel, BIC, Duracell and Microsoft to believe that Microfuel Cells could be the next-generation power source for electronic products. Compact and readable, Microfuels Principles and Applications, offers engineers and product designers a reference unsurpassed by any other in the market. The book starts with a clear and rigorous exposition of the fundamentals engineering principles governing energy conversion for small electronic devices, followed by self-contained chapters concerning applications. The authors provide original points of view on all types of commercially available micro fuel cells types, including micro proton exchange membrane fuel cells, micro direct methanol fuel cells, micro solid oxide fuel cells and micro bio-fuel cells. The book also contains a detailed introduction to the fabrication of the components and the assembly of the system, making it a valuable reference both in terms of its application to product design and understanding micro engineering principles.

    • Renewable Energy Focus e-Mega Handbook

      • 1st Edition
      • December 29, 2008
      • Bent Sorensen + 15 more
      • English
      • eBook
        9 7 8 0 1 2 3 7 4 7 0 6 8
      A one-stop Desk Reference, for engineers involved in renewable energies; this is a book that will not gather dust on the shelf. It brings together the essential professional reference content from leading international contributors in the field. Material ranges from basic to advanced topics

    • Materials for Fuel Cells

      • 1st Edition
      • October 27, 2008
      • M Gasik
      • English
      • Hardback
        9 7 8 1 8 4 5 6 9 3 3 0 5
      • eBook
        9 7 8 1 8 4 5 6 9 4 8 3 8
      A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts the chemical energy of a reaction (between fuel and oxidant) directly into electricity. Given their efficiency and low emissions, fuel cells provide an important alternative to power produced from fossil fuels. A major challenge in their use is the need for better materials to make fuel cells cost-effective and more durable. This important book reviews developments in materials to fulfil the potential of fuel cells as a major power source.After introductory chapters on the key issues in fuel cell materials research, the book reviews the major types of fuel cell. These include alkaline fuel cells, polymer electrolyte fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells, phosphoric acid fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells and regenerative fuel cells. The book concludes with reviews of novel fuel cell materials, ways of analysing performance and issues affecting recyclability and life cycle assessment.With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Materials for fuel cells is a valuable reference for all those researching, manufacturing and using fuel cells in such areas as automotive engineering.

    • Solid-State Hydrogen Storage

      • 1st Edition
      • September 30, 2008
      • Gavin Walker
      • English
      • Hardback
        9 7 8 1 8 4 5 6 9 2 7 0 4
      • eBook
        9 7 8 1 8 4 5 6 9 4 9 4 4
      Hydrogen fuel cells are emerging as a major alternative energy source in transportation and other applications. Central to the development of the hydrogen economy is safe, efficient and viable storage of hydrogen. Solid-state hydrogen storage: Materials and chemistry reviews the latest developments in solid-state hydrogen storage.Part one discusses hydrogen storage technologies, hydrogen futures, hydrogen containment materials and solid-state hydrogen storage system design. Part two reviews the analysis of hydrogen interactions including structural characterisation of hydride materials, neutron scattering techniques, reliably measuring hydrogen uptake in storage materials and modelling of carbon-based materials for hydrogen storage. Part three analyses physically-bound hydrogen storage with chapters on zeolites, carbon nanostructures and metal-organic framework materials. Part four examines chemically-bound hydrogen storage including intermetallics, magnesium hydride, alanates, borohydrides, imides and amides, multicomponent hydrogen storage systems, organic liquid carriers, indirect hydrogen storage in metal ammines and technological challenges in hydrogen storage.With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Solid-state hydrogen storage: Materials and chemistry is a standard reference for researchers and professionals in the field of renewable energy, hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen storage.

    • Battery Operated Devices and Systems

      • 1st Edition
      • September 24, 2008
      • Gianfranco Pistoia
      • English
      • Hardback
        9 7 8 0 4 4 4 5 3 2 1 4 5
      • Paperback
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      • eBook
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      Battery Operated Devices and Systems provides a comprehensive review of the essentials of batteries and battery applications as well as state-of-the-art technological developments. The book covers the most recent trends, especially for the ubiquitous lithium ion batteries. It lays particular emphasis on the power consumption of battery operated devices and systems and the implications for battery life and runtime. Battery management is also dealt with in detail, particularly as far as the charging methods are concerned, along with the criteria of battery choice. This book describes a variety of portable and industrial applications and the basic characteristics of all primary and secondary batteries used in these applications. Portable applications include mobile phones, notebook computers, cameras, camcorders, personal digital assistants, medical instruments, power tools, and portable GPS. Industrial applications range from aerospace and telecommunications to emergency systems, load levelling, energy storage, toll collection, different meters, data loggers, oil drilling, oceanography, and meteorology. The book also discusses wireless connectivity, i.e. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee, and concludes with some market considerations. Links to further reading are provided through the 275 references. This book will be a valuable information source for researchers interested in devices and systems drawing power from batteries. It will also appeal to graduates working in research institutions; universities and industries dealing with power sources and energy conversion; civil, electrical and transport engineers; and chemists.

Related subjects

Biomass and bioenergy

Energy and architecture

Energy storage

Geothermal energy

Hydro ocean and tidal power

Hydrogen energy and fuel cells

Renewable energy environmental aspects

Solar energy

Wind power