Waste to Energy deals with the very topical subject of converting the calorific content of waste material into useful forms of energy. It complements and, to a certain degree, overlaps with its companion volume, "Biomass to Biofuels", since a significant proportion of biomass converted to energy nowadays originates from various types of waste. The material in the first, more substantial part of the volume has been arranged according to the type of process for energy conversion. Biochemical processes are described in six articles. These relate to the production of methane by anaerobic digestion; reactor conversion efficiencies; investigations on ethanol production from biodegradable municipal solid waste through hydrolysis and fermentation; hydrogen production from glucose through a hybrid anaerobic and photosynthetic process; biodiesel production from used cooking oil through base-catalyzed transesterification. Conversions by thermochemical processes are discussed in the subsequent eleven articles of the volume.These cover combustion, the direct use of heat energy; using the heat produced in thermal power stations for steam and, ultimately, electricity generation; municipal solid waste and refuse-derived fuel. In another article, computational fluid dynamics modelling is applied to assess the influence of process parameters and to perform optimization studies. A group of articles deal with more complex thermochemical processes involving combustion combined with pyrolysis and gasification. Two articles focus on biofuels as feed for fuel cells. In the last six articles, the emphasis is on management and policy rather than technical issues.

Polycrystalline thin-film solar cells have reached a levelized cost of energy that is competitive with all other sources of electricity. The technology has significantly improved in recent years, with laboratory cell efficiencies for cadmium telluride (CdTe), perovskites, and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) each exceeding 22 percent. Both CdTe and CIGS solar panels are now produced at the gigawatt scale. However, there are ongoing challenges, including the continued need to improve performance and stability while reducing cost. Advancing polycrystalline solar cell technology demands an in-depth understanding of efficiency, scaling, and degradation mechanisms, which requires sophisticated characterization methods. These methods will enable researchers and manufacturers to improve future solar modules and systems. This work provides researchers with a concise overview of the status of thin-film solar cell technology and characterization. Chapters describe material systems and their properties and then provide an in-depth look at relevant characterization methods and the learning facilitated by each of these. Following an introductory chapter, the book provides systematic and thorough coverage of the following topics: trends to improve CdTe solar cell performance; C (In,Ga)Se2 and related materials; perovskite solar cells; photovoltaic device modelling; luminescence and thermal imaging of thin-film photovoltaic materials, devices, and modules; application of spatially resolved spectroscopy characterization techniques on Cu2ZnSnSe4 solar cells; time-resolved photoluminescence characterization of polycrystalline thin-film solar cells; fundamentals of electrical material and device spectroscopies applied to thin-film polycrystalline chalcogenide solar cells; nanometer-scale characterization of thin-film solar cells by atomic force microscopy-based electrical probes; scanning transmission electron microscopy characterization of solar cells; photoelectron spectroscopy methods in solar cell research; time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry and atom probe tomography; and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance characterization for photovoltaic applications. The final chapter provides an overview and describes future prospects.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field. The chapters "Ionic Liquid-Liquid Chromatography: A New General Purpose Separation Methodology", "Proteins in Ionic Liquids: Current Status of Experiments and Simulations", "Lewis Acidic Ionic Liquids" and "Quantum Chemical Modeling of Hydrogen Bonding in Ionic Liquids" are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Nanowires for Energy Applications, Volume 98, covers the latest breakthrough research and exciting developments in nanowires for energy applications. This volume focuses on various aspects of Nanowires for Energy Applications, presenting interesting sections on Electrospun semiconductor metal oxide nanowires for energy and sensing applications, Integration into flexible and functional materials, Nanowire Based Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells, Semiconductor Nanowires for Thermoelectric Generation, Energy Scavenging: Mechanical, Thermoelectric, and Nanowire synthesis/growth methods, and more.

This book provides a concise introduction to the physical foundations of the electro-discharge technology and applies it to the drilling of wells, the demolition of reinforced concrete objects, and the cutting of cracks in rocks and concrete. The electro-physical basis of this technology and the technical implementation of using spark discharge as a "working tool" in the above-mentioned contexts are also briefly considered. The book is intended for all scientists and experts working in the field of resource exploration and extraction, those engaged in building new objects, and in reconstructing or demolishing old ones. It can also be used as a textbook by students and postgraduates, deepening their knowledge of these innovative technologies.

Like electricity and water, data and computing power are necessary commodities in the modern-day economy. A model for the effective regulation and provisioning of computational services will follow a similar paradigm as the existent model for traditional utilities. Emerging Research Surrounding Power Consumption and Performance Issues in Utility Computing explores methods of treating computing resources and materials as a standard utility, charging customers based on their usage and promoting competition among service providers. Including both benefits and hindrances, as well as theoretical concepts and practical considerations, this book provides an in-depth discussion of the utility computing paradigm for computer engineers, service providers, consumers, and academics in the field of computer science. This book includes emerging research on subjects including, but not limited to, Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) architectures, green computing, VMware, and device manufacturing techniques.

This book provides a clear and basic understanding of the concept of reservoir engineering to professionals and students in the oil and gas industry. The content contains detailed explanations of key theoretic and mathematical concepts and provides readers with the logical ability to approach the various challenges encountered in daily reservoir/field operations for effective reservoir management. Chapters are fully illustrated and contain numerous calculations involving the estimation of hydrocarbon volume in-place, current and abandonment reserves, aquifer models and properties for a particular reservoir/field, the type of energy in the system and evaluation of the strength of the aquifer if present. The book is written in oil field units with detailed solved examples and exercises to enhance practical application. It is useful as a professional reference and for students who are taking applied and advanced reservoir engineering courses in reservoir simulation, enhanced oil recovery and well test analysis.

Elements of Oil and Gas Well Tubular Design offers insight into the complexities of oil well casing and tubing design. The book's intent is to be sufficiently detailed on the tubular-oriented application of the principles of solid mechanics while at the same time providing readers with key equations pertintent to design. It addresses the fundamentals of tubular design theory, bridging the gap between theory and field operation. Filled with derivations and detailed solutions to well design examples, Elements of Oil and Gas Well Tubular Design provides the well designer with sound engineering principles applicable to today's oil and gas wells.

This book discusses advanced Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as a way to provide safe, clean, and affordable nuclear power options. The advanced SMRs currently under development in the U.S. represent a variety of sizes, technology options and deployment scenarios. These advanced reactors, envisioned to vary in size from a couple megawatts up to hundreds of megawatts can be used for power generation, process heat, desalination, or other industrial uses. In-depth chapters describe how advanced SMRs offer multiple advantages, such as relatively small size, reduced capital investment, location flexibility, and provisions for incremental power additions. SMRs also offer distinct safeguards, security and nonproliferation advantages. The authors present a thorough examination of the technology and defend methods by which the new generation of nuclear power plants known as GEN-IV can safely be used as an efficient source of renewable energy. Provides a unique and innovative approach to the implementation of Small Modular Reactor as part of GEN-IV technology; Discusses how Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) can deliver a viable alternative to Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs); Presents an argument defending the need for nuclear power plant as a source of energy, its efficiency and cost effectiveness, as well as safety related issues.

Re-exploration Programs for Petroleum-Rich Sags in Rift Basins covers the geological characteristics and potential of oil-rich depressions in a rifted basin. It describes up-to-date research and technology, detailing the current status of exploration. The overall aim of the book is to guide a new round of hydrocarbon exploration of petroleum-rich depressions, contributing to breakthroughs in re-exploration and a substantial increase in reserves. Chapters discuss the reservoir forming theory of oil-rich depressions, characters of hydrocarbon migration and accumulation in a weak structure slope, key elements of reservoir forming of deep buried hills and inner curtains, and more. Other topics covered include complex subtle reservoir recognition techniques, deep layer and buried hill high speed drill technology, recognition of buried hill reservoir and hydrocarbon, high efficiency enhanced oil recovery, and finally, methods of secondary exploration of oil-rich depressions and the development of a workflow to guide research and exploration.

A metaheuristic is a consistent set of ideas, concepts, and operators to design a heuristic optimization algorithm, that can provide a sufficiently good solution to an optimization problem with incomplete or imperfect information. Modern and emerging power systems, with the growing complexity of distributed and intermittent generation, are an important application for such methods. This book describes the principles of solving various problems in power engineering via the application of selected metaheuristic optimization methods including genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, and the gravitational search algorithm. Applications covered include power flow calculation; optimal power flow in transmission networks; optimal reactive power dispatch in transmission networks; combined economic and emission dispatch; optimal power flow in distribution networks; optimal volt/var control in distribution networks; optimal placement and sizing of distributed generation in distribution networks; optimal energy and operation management of microgrids; optimal coordination of directional overcurrent relays; and steady-state analysis of self-excited induction generators.

This is the second revised and enhanced edition of the book Gas Turbine Design, Components and System Integration written by a world-renowned expert with more than forty years of active gas turbine R&D experience. It comprehensively treats the design of gas turbine components and their integration into a complete system. Unlike many currently available gas turbine handbooks that provide the reader with an overview without in-depth treatment of the subject, the current book is concentrated on a detailed aero-thermodynamics, design and off-deign performance aspects of individual components as well as the system integration and its dynamic operation. This new book provides practicing gas turbine designers and young engineers working in the industry with design material that the manufacturers would keep proprietary. The book is also intended to provide instructors of turbomachinery courses around the world with a powerful tool to assign gas turbine components as project and individual modules that are integrated into a complete system. Quoting many statements by the gas turbine industry professionals, the young engineers graduated from the turbomachinery courses offered by the author, had the competency of engineers equivalent to three to four years of industrial experience.

This book investigates the role of the National Petroleum Council (CNP) and especially of Petrobras in the construction and shaping of courses in Geosciences, as part of the historical process of the search for and exploration of oil, which began in Brazil in 1864 and ended in 1968 with the discovery of the first offshore well. The book explores the history of the discovery of oil in Brazil together with the historical development of oil research and geosciences in Brazil. It also elucidates significant events and developments which occurred between 1864 and 1968 such as the foundation of the Ouro Preto Mining School, the foundation of the CNP and Petrobras and other scientific societies and universities and their contributions to the formation and constitution of geosciences in Brazil. This book also discusses the massive investments by CNP and Petrobras in technical and scientific research for oil exploration in the Brazilian territory.This unique book appeals to scientists, students and professionals in geosciences, history and related fields.

This book discuss the recent advances and future trends of nanoscience in solar energy conversion and storage. This second edition revisits and updates all the previous book chapters, adding the latest advances in the field of Nanoenergy. Four new chapters are included on the principles and fundamentals of artificial photosynthesis using metal transition semiconductors, perovskite solar cells, hydrogen storage and neutralization batteries. More fundamental aspects can be found in this book, increasing the comparison between theory-experimental achievements and latest developments in commercial devices.

This book comprising seven parts is organized under two sections. The first section deals with environment containing four parts, whereas the second section, containing three parts, is on energy. The first part deals with some aspects of hydrologic impacts of global warming and anthropogenic changes. Part II is on bio-environment and discusses plants, biomass, and bacterial species. Part III focuses on chemical environment. Section one is concluded with Part IV on social environment. Section two starts out with Part V on solar energy. Hydropower is discussed in Part VI. The concluding Part VII deals with biogas. The book will be of interest to researchers and practitioners in the field of water resources, hydrology, environmental resources, agricultural engineering, watershed management, earth sciences, as well as those engaged in natural resources planning and management. Graduate students and those wishing to conduct further research in water and environment and their development and management may find the book to be of value.

This multi-volume handbook is the most up-to-date and comprehensive reference work in the field of fractional calculus and its numerous applications. This eighth volume collects authoritative chapters covering several applications of fractional calculus in engineering, life and social sciences, including applications in signal and image analysis, and chaos.

This book highlights Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as a viable alternative to the Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), which have been used as desalination plant energy sources. SMRs have lower investment costs, inherent safety features, and increased availability compared to NPPs. The unique and innovative approach to implementation of SMRs as part of Gen-IV technology outlined in this book contributes to the application of nuclear power as a supplementary source to renewable energy. Discusses Gen-IV Power plants, their efficiency, cost effectiveness, safety, and methods to supply renewable energy; Presents Small Modular Reactors as a viable alternative to Nuclear Power Plants; Describes the benefits, uses, safety features, and challenges related to implementation of Small Modular Reactors.

As energy technology has emerged as an essential way to provide efficiency and environmental safety, monitoring these energy sources is a way of measuring the effectiveness of the applications and the fundamentals of each design. Technology and Energy Sources Monitoring: Control, Efficiency, and Optimization provides an overall understanding of the technology and energy processes of renewable energy sources, biomaterials and more. By outlining the primary intent of the applications of energy technology and sustainable energy systems development, this book aims to bring a deeper understanding of the innovations and measures taken towards the monitoring of energy sources.

This book presents an authoritative and comprehensive overview of the production and use of microalgal biomass and bioproducts for energy generation. It also offers extensive information on engineering approaches to energy production, such as process integration and process intensification in harnessing energy from microalgae. Issues related to the environment, food, chemicals and energy supply pose serious threats to nations' success and stability. The challenge to provide for a rapidly growing global population has made it imperative to find new technological routes to increase the production of consumables while also bearing in mind the biosphere's ability to regenerate resources. Microbial biomass is a bioresource that provides effective solutions to these challenges. Divided into eight parts, the book explores microalgal production systems, life cycle assessment and the bio-economy of biofuels from microalgae, process integration and process intensification applied to microalgal biofuels production. In addition, it discusses the main fuel products obtained from microalgae, summarizing a range of useful energy products derived from algae-based systems, and outlines future developments. Given the book's breadth of coverage and extensive bibliography, it offers an essential resource for researchers and industry professionals working in renewable energy.

This book, based on the research experience and outcomes of a group of international contributors, addresses a range of advanced energy efficiency technologies and their applications in solar heating, cooling and power generation, while also providing solutions for tackling recurring low efficiency problems in today's systems. It highlights the latest technologies and methods, which can significantly improve the performance of solar systems, enabling readers to design, construct and apply high-performance solar systems in or for their own projects. The contributors provide a systematic introduction to state-of-the-art energy efficiency technologies that demonstrates how to implement innovative solar systems. These technologies include: * heat pipes and loop heat pipes; * phase change materials (PCMs) and PCM slurries; * micro-channel panels; * desiccant/adsorption cycling; * ejector cooling and heat pumps; and * solar concentration and thermoelectric units. The book shows how innovative solar systems applicable to rural and urban buildings can be analysed and demonstrates the successful implementation of these advanced technologies. It delivers the design principles and associated energy performance assessment methods for a range of selected solar heating, cooling and power generation projects. This book offers a valuable source of information for final-year undergraduate students, as well as graduate students and academic lecturers, as it promotes the widespread deployment of advanced solar heating, cooling and power generation technologies applicable for buildings across the globe. The book is also a good point of reference for design engineers and energy consultants who wish to extend their knowledge of advanced technologies used to achieve energy efficiency.