This book reviews and characterises promising single-compound solvents, solvent blends and advanced solvent systems suitable for CO2 capture applications using gas-liquid absorption. Focusing on energy efficient solvents with minimal adverse environmental impact, the contributions included analyse the major technological advantages, as well as research and development challenges of promising solvents and solvent systems in various sustainable CO2 capture applications. It provides a valuable source of information for undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as for chemical engineers and energy specialists.

The trade of global bioenergy commodities, such as ethanol, biodiesel and wood pellets has been growing exponentially in the past decade, and have by 2013 reached true "commodity" volumes, i.e. tens of millions of tonnes traded each year, and billions (both in US$/ ) of annual turnover.

IEA Bioenergy Task 40 was founded in 2004 and is now in its 4th triennium. For the past 9 years, task 40 has monitored the developments in international bioenergy trade, including the organization of about 20 workshops on trade-related topics, and the publication of over 100 studies, country reports, newsletters, etc. The amount of material produced over the years and insights gained in how biomass markets and international trade of biomass and biofuels has developed is impressive. Besides that the group has produced overviews and insights, also a large amount of practical experience has been brought together in what works and what doesn't. Last but not least, based on all this, there are clear(er) views on how to proceed to build working sustainable international biomass markets in the future. This book compiles those lessons and insights into an easily accessible book publication."""

Mathematical inequalities are essential tools in mathematics, natural science and engineering. This book gives an overview on recent advances. Some generalizations and improvements for the classical and well-known inequalities are described. They will be applied and further developed in many fields. Applications of the inequalities to entropy theory and quantum physics are also included.

This book presents the methodology and mathematical models for dual-fuel coal-gas power plants in two basic configurations: systems coupled in parallel and in series. Dual-fuel gas and steam systems, especially parallel systems, have great potential for modernizing existing combined heat and power (CHP) plants. This book presents calculations using a novel methodology applied to systems in continuous time and analyzes the impact of the investment profitability of the EU ETS (European Union Emissions Trading Scheme) derogation mechanism, which encourages enterprises to modernize existing generation units. It also includes a detailed case study of a coal power plant modernized by repowering with a gas turbine. The book is intended for researchers, market analysts, decision makers, power engineers and students.

This book captures selected peer reviewed papers presented at the 5th International Conference on Sustainable Automotive Technologies, ICSAT 2013, held in Ingolstadt, Germany. ICSAT is the state-of-the-art conference in the field of new technologies for transportation.

The book brings together the work of international researchers and practitioners under the following interrelated headings: fuel transportation and storage, material recycling, manufacturing and management costs, engines and emission reduction.

The book provides a very good overview of research and development activities focused on new technologies and approaches capable of meeting the challenges to sustainable mobility.

This book presents nine chapters based on fundamental and applied research of alternative energies. At the present time, the challenge is that technology has to come up with solutions that can provide environmentally friendly energy supply options that are able to cover the current world energy demand. Experts around the world are working on these issues for providing new solutions that will break the existing technological barriers. This book aims to address key pillars in the alternative energy field, such as: biomass energy, hydrogen energy, solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric power, geothermal energy and their environmental implications, with the most updated progress for each pillar. It also includes the life cycle assessment (LCA) and thermoeconomic analysis (TA) as tools for evaluating and optimising environmental and cost subjects. Chapters are organized into fundamental research, applied research and future trends; and written for engineers, academic researches and scientists.

There are many wave and tidal devices under development but as yet very few are actually in revenue earning production. However the engineering problems are gradually being solved and there is an appetite to invest in these renewable generation technologies for harsher environments. To some extent the wave and tidal generation industry is following in the wake of the wind industry, particularly learning from the growing experience of offshore wind farm deployment. This book combines wind industry lessons with wave and tidal field knowledge to explore the main reliability and availability issues facing this growing industry. Topics covered include an overview of wave and tidal development; resource; reliability theory relevant to wave and tidal devices; reliability prediction method for wave and tidal devices; practical wave and tidal device reliability; effects of MEC device taxonomy on reliability; availability and its effect on the cost of marine energy; wave and tidal device layout and grid connection; design and testing for wave and tidal devices; operational experience and lessons learnt; monitoring and its effect on operations and maintenance; and overall conclusions. Wave and Tidal Generation Devices: Reliability and availability is essential reading for wave and tidal engineers and researchers and students of renewable energy.

An eye-opening history of the technology that harnessed electricity and powered the greatest scientific and technological advances of our time.

What begin as a long-running dispute in biology, involving a dead frog's twitching leg, a scalpel, and a metal plate, would become an invention that transformed the history of the world: the battery. Science journalist Henry Schlesinger traces the history of this essential power source and demonstrates its impact on our lives, from Alessandro Volta's first copper-and-zinc model in 1800 to twenty-first-century technological breakthroughs. Schlesinger introduces the charlatans and geniuses, the paupers and magnates, who were attracted to the power of the battery.

This book presents studies and discussions on anionic redox, which can be used to boost the capacities of cathode electrodes by providing extra electron transfer. This theoretically and practically significant book facilitates the implementation of anionic redox in electrodes for real-world use and accelerates the development of high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries, as energy storage systems, are playing a more and more important role in powering modern society. However, their energy density is still limited by the low specific capacity of the cathode electrodes. Based on a profound understanding of band theory, the author has achieved considerable advances in tuning the redox process of lithium-rich electrodes to obtain enhanced electrochemical performance, identifying both the stability mechanism of anionic redox in lithium-rich cathode materials, and its activation mechanism in these electrode systems.

Wood Pole Overhead Lines provides comprehensive coverage of medium voltage wood pole overhead lines. It includes guidance on the planning and mechanical design of overhead lines, as well as details of statutory requirements and the latest UK and European standards affecting UK design of wood pole networks, Sag/tension calculations are explained, and details of the latest work on safe design tension limits to avoid conductor fatigue from vibration are included. The basic characteristics of bare and covered conductors are discussed as well as upgrading possibilities, condition assessment and the latest work on 'health indices' for overhead lines. Other topics include wood pole decay and mitigation methods, maintenance schedules, live line working and basic lightning protection.

This book reports the latest findings on intelligent energy management of Internet data centers in smart-grid environments. The book gathers novel research ideas in Internet data center energy management, especially scenarios with cyber-related vulnerabilities, power outages and carbon emission constraints. The book will be of interest to university researchers, R&D engineers and graduate students in communication and networking areas who wish to learn the core principles, methods, algorithms, and applications of energy management of Internet data centers in smart grids.

The expected end of the "oil age" will lead to increasing focus and reliance on alternative energy conversion devices, among which fuel cells have the potential to play an important role. Not only can phosphoric acid and solid oxide fuel cells already efficiently convert today's fossil fuels, including methane, into electricity, but other types of fuel cells, such as polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, have the potential to become the cornerstones of a possible future hydrogen economy. Featuring 21 peer-reviewed entries from the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Fuel Cells offers concise yet comprehensive coverage of the current state of research and identifies key areas for future investigation. Internationally renowned specialists provide authoritative introductions to a wide variety of fuel cell types, and discuss materials, components, and systems for these technologies. The entries also cover sustainability and marketing considerations, including comparisons of fuel cells with alternative technologies.

Integrated Resource Strategic Planning and Power Demand-Side Management elaborates two important methods - Integrated Resource Strategic Planning (IRSP) and Demand Side Management (DSM) - in terms of methodology modeling, case studies and lessons learned. This book introduces a prospective and realistic theory of the IRSP method and includes typical best practices of DSM for energy conservation and emission reduction in different countries. It can help energy providers and governmental decision-makers formulate policies and make plans for energy conservation and emission reduction, and can help power consumers reduce costs and participate in DSM projects. Zhaoguang Hu is the vice president and chief energy specialist at the State Grid Energy Research Institute, and the head of the Power Supply and Demand Research Laboratory in China.

The proceedings collect the latest research trends, methods and experimental results in the field of electrical and information technologies for rail transportation. The topics cover intelligent computing, information processing, communication technology, automatic control, and their applications in rail transportation etc. The proceedings can be a valuable reference work for researchers and graduate students working in rail transportation, electrical engineering and information technologies.

This updated edition of the industry standard reference on power system frequency control provides practical, systematic and flexible algorithms for regulating load frequency, offering new solutions to the technical challenges introduced by the escalating role of distributed generation and renewable energy sources in smart electric grids. The author emphasizes the physical constraints and practical engineering issues related to frequency in a deregulated environment, while fostering a conceptual understanding of frequency regulation and robust control techniques. The resulting control strategies bridge the gap between advantageous robust controls and traditional power system design, and are supplemented by real-time simulations. The impacts of low inertia and damping effect on system frequency in the presence of increased distributed and renewable penetration are given particular consideration, as the bulk synchronous machines of conventional frequency control are rendered ineffective in emerging grid environments where distributed/variable units with little or no rotating mass become dominant. Frequency stability and control issues relevant to the exciting new field of microgrids are also undertaken in this new edition. As frequency control becomes increasingly significant in the design of ever-more complex power systems, this expert guide ensures engineers are prepared to deploy smart grids with optimal functionality.

This book compares the cross-border integration of infrastructures in Europe such as post, telecommunication and transportation in the 19th century and the period following the Second World War. In addition to providing a unique perspective on the development of cross-border infrastructures and the international regimes regulating them, it offers the first systematic comparison of a variety of infrastructure sectors, identifies general developmental trends and supplies theoretical explanations. In this regard, integration is defined as international standardization, network building and the establishment of international organizations to regulate cross-border infrastructures.

This book provides readers specializing in ultra-low power supply design for self-powered applications an invaluable reference on reconfigurable switched capacitor power converters. Readers will benefit from a comprehensive introduction to the design of robust power supplies for energy harvesting and self-power applications, focusing on the use of reconfigurable switched capacitor based DC-DC converters, which is ideal for such applications. Coverage includes all aspects of switched capacitor power supply designs, from fundamentals, to reconfigurable power stages, and sophisticated controller designs.

Session 2 includes 110 papers selected from 2011 3rd International Asia Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics (CAR 2011), held on December 24-25, 2011, Shenzhen, China. As we all know, the ever growing technology in robotics and automation will help build a better human society. This session will provide a unique opportunity for the academic and industrial communities to address new challenges, share solutions, and discuss research directions for the future. Robotics research emphasizes intelligence and adaptability to cope with unstructured environments. Automation research emphasizes efficiency, productivity, quality, and reliability, focusing on systems that operate autonomously. The main focus of this session is on the autonomous acquisition of semantic information in intelligent robots and systems, as well as the use of semantic knowledge to guide further acquisition of information.

Servo Motors and Industrial Control Theory is the only text focused on the fundamentals of servo motors and control theory. Graphical methods for classical control theory have been augmented with worked examples using MatLab and Mathcad to reflect the reality of the way engineers solve control problems in the field today. State variable feedback control theory is introduced clearly and simply, with practical examples that help students approach what can be seen as complicated problems with confidence. This updated second edition includes expanded discussion of Nyquist and Root Locus stability criteria and the role of sensors, as well as new Mathcad examples. A range of parameters are introduced for each servo control system discussed, making this book a comprehensive learning tool for students and an accessible information resource for control system designers who want to keep their knowledge up-to-date. The author encourages readers with any inquiries regarding the book to contact him at [email protected].

This thesis presents the fundamental research and latest findings on novel flexible/wearable photovoltaic technology, and comprehensively summarizes the rapid developments in flexible photovoltaics, from traditional planar solar cells to fiber solar cells. It discusses the rational design of fiber solar cell materials, electrodes and devices, as well as critical factors including cost, efficiency, flexibility and stability . Furthermore, it addresses fundamental theoretical principles and novel fabrication technologies and their potential applications. The book provides practical information for university researchers and graduate students interested in flexible fiber photovoltaics, and inspires them to design other novel flexible/wearable electronics and textiles.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of thin film structures in energy applications. Each chapter contains both fundamentals principles for each thin film structure as well as the relevant energy application technologies. The authors cover thin films for a variety of energy sectors including inorganic and organic solar cells, DSSCs, solid oxide fuel cells, thermoelectrics, phosphors and cutting tools.