Power Generation Technologies (Paperback)

Description:

This book makes intelligible the wide range of electricity generating technologies available today, as well as some closely allied technologies such as energy storage.

The book opens by setting the many power generation technologies in the context of global energy consumption, the development of the electricity generation industry and the economics involved in this sector. A series of chapters are each devoted to assessing the environmental and economic impact of a single technology, including conventional technologies, nuclear and renewable (such as solar, wind and hydropower). The technologies are presented in an easily digestible form.

Different power generation technologies have different greenhouse gas emissions and the link between greenhouse gases and global warming is a highly topical environmental and political issue. With developed nations worldwide looking to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide, it is becoming increasingly important to explore the effectiveness of a mix of energy generation technologies.

Power Generation Technologies gives a clear, unbiased review and comparison of the different types of power generation technologies available. In the light of the Kyoto protocol and OSPAR updates, Power Generation Technologies will provide an invaluable reference text for power generation planners, facility managers, consultants, policy makers and economists, as well as students and lecturers of related Engineering courses.

 

Table of Contents:

Introduction to electricity generation; History of the electricity generation industry; The evolution of electricity generation technologies; The politics of electricity; The size of the industry; Environmental considerations; The evolution of environmental awareness; The environmental effects of power generation; The hydrogen economy; Externalities; Life-cycle assessment; The bottom line; Coal-fired power plants; Types of coal; Traditional coal-burning power plant technology; Emission control for traditional coal-burning plants; Advanced coal-burning power plant technology; Environmental effects of coal combustion; Financial risks associated with coal-fired power generation; The cost of coal-fired electricity generation; Gas turbines and combined cycle power plants; Natural gas; Gas turbine technology; Advanced gas turbine design; Distributed generation; Combined cycle power plants; Micro turbines; Environmental impact of gas turbines; Financial risks associated with gas-turbine-based power projects; The cost of gas turbine power stations; Combined heat and power; History; Applications; CHP technology; Environmental considerations; Energy efficiency; Financial risks; Cost of CHP; Piston-engine-based power plants; Piston engine technology; Co-generation; Combined cycle; Environmental considerations; Financial risks; Costs; Fuel cells; The fuel cell principle; Fuel cell chemistry; Types of fuel cell; Phosphoric acid fuel cell; Proton-exchange membrane fuel cell; Molten carbonate fuel cells; Solid oxide fuel cells; Environmental considerations; Financial risks; Fuel cell costs; Hydropower; The hydropower resource; Hydro sites; Dams and barrages; Turbines; Small hydropower; The environment; Financial risks; The cost of hydropower; Tidal power; Tidal motion; The tidal resource; Tidal technology; Environmental considerations; Financial risks; The cost of tidal power; Storage technologies; Types of energy storage; Pumped storage hydropower; Compressed air energy storage; Large-scale batteries; Superconducting magnetic energy storage; Flywheels; Capacitors; Hydrogen; Environmental considerations; Costs; Wind power; Wind sites; Wind turbines; Offshore wind technology; Constraints on wind capacity; Environmental considerations; Financial risks; The cost of wind power; Geothermal power; The geothermal resource; Geothermal energy conversion technology; Environmental considerations; Financial risks; The cost of geothermal power; Solar power; The solar energy resource; Sites for solar power generation; Solar technology; Solar thermal power generation; Photovoltaic devices; Solar cell deployment; Environmental considerations; Financial risks; The cost of solar power; Ocean power; Ocean energy resource; Ocean thermal energy conversion; Wave energy; Ocean current generation; Biomass-based power generation; Types of biomass; Biomass energy conversion technology; Environmental considerations; Financial risks; The cost of biomass generated power; Power from waste; Landfill waste disposal; Waste sources; Waste composition; Waste collection; Waste power generation technologies; Environmental considerations; Financial risks; The cost of energy from waste; Nuclear power; Fundamentals of nuclear power; Nuclear reactors; Nuclear fusion; Environmental considerations; Financial risks associated with investing in nuclear power; The cost of nuclear power; Index