This book will cover the most recent progress on the use of low-cost nanomaterials and development of low-cost/large scale processing techniques for greener and more efficient energy related applications, including but not limited to solar cells, energy storage, fuel cells, hydrogen generation, biofuels, etc. Leading researchers will be invited to author chapters in the field with their expertise. Each chapter will provide general introduction to a specific topic, current status of research and development, research challenges and outlook for future direction of research. This book aims to benefit a broad readership, from undergraduate/graduate students to researchers working on renewable energy.

Natural Gas Hydrates, Fourth Edition, provides a critical reference for engineers who are new to the field. Covering the fundamental properties, thermodynamics and behavior of hydrates in multiphase systems, this reference explains the basics before advancing to more practical applications, the latest developments and models. Updated sections include a new hydrate toolbox, updated correlations and computer methods. Rounding out with new case study examples, this new edition gives engineers an important tool to continue to control and mitigate hydrates in a safe and effective manner.

This book includes 19 chapters contributed by the world's leading experts on pretreatment methods for biomass. It extensively covers the different types of biomass (e.g. molasses, sugar beet pulp, cheese whey, sugarcane residues, palm waste, vegetable oil, straws, stalks and wood), various pretreatment approaches (e.g. physical, thermal, chemical, physicochemical and biological) and methods that show the subsequent production of biofuels and chemicals such as sugars, ethanol, extracellular polysaccharides, biodiesel, gas and oil. In addition to traditional methods such as steam, hot-water, hydrothermal, diluted-acid, organosolv, ozonolysis, sulfite, milling, fungal and bacterial, microwave, ultrasonic, plasma, torrefaction, pelletization, gasification (including biogas) and liquefaction pretreatments, it also introduces and discusses novel techniques such as nano and solid catalysts, organic electrolyte solutions and ionic liquids. This book offers a review of state-of-the-art research and provides guidance for the future paths of developing pretreatment techniques of biomass for biofuels, especially in the fields of biotechnology, microbiology, chemistry, materials science and engineering. It intends to provide a systematic introduction of pretreatment techniques. It is an accessible reference work for students, researchers, academicians and industrialists in biorefineries. Zhen Fang is a Professor of Bioenergy and the leader and founder of the biomass group at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also an adjunct full Professor of Life Sciences at the University of Science and Technology of China.

This book provides insights into the development and usage of coal in chemical engineering. The reactivity of coal in processes such as pyrolysis, gasification, liquefaction, combustion and swelling is related to its structural properties. Using experimental findings and theoretical analysis, the book comprehensively answers three crucial issues that are fundamental to the optimization of coal chemical conversions: What is the structure of coal? How does the underlying structure determine the reactivity of different types of coal? How does the structure of coal alter during coal conversion? This book will be of interest to both individual readers and institutions involved in teaching and research into chemical engineering and energy conversion technologies. It is aimed at advanced- level undergraduate students. The text is suitable for readers with a basic knowledge of chemistry, such as first-year undergraduate general science students. Higher-level students with an in-depth understanding of the chemistry of coal will also benefit from the book. It will provide a useful reference resource for students and university-level teachers, as well as practicing engineers.

This book covers the major physical and mechanical processes that unfold during cementing and subsequent well service, and which can affect the well integrity. Focusing on the underlying physics, it concisely presents the central concepts of well cementing. The authors discuss the displacement of different fluids in the annulus, the mechanical stability of cement subject to varying downhole temperature, pressure and in-situ stresses, and the impact of defects on cement integrity under different mechanical and thermal loads over the course of the well's lifetime. The book identifies knowledge gaps and unresolved issues, and proposes new directions for future research and development. The book is a valuable resource for practising engineers in the oil and gas industry, academic and industrial researchers involved in oil and gas engineering, and to graduate students within this same sector.

Liberating Energy from Carbon analyzes energy options in a carbon-constrained world. Major strategies and pathways to decarbonizing the carbon-intensive economy are laid out with a special emphasis on the prospects of achieving low-risk atmospheric CO2 levels. The opportunities and challenges in developing and bringing to market novel low and zero-carbon technologies are highlighted from technical, economic and environmental viewpoints. This book takes a unique approach by treating carbon in a holistic manner-tracking its complete transformation chain from fossil fuel sources to the unique properties of the CO2 molecule, to carbon capture and storage and finally, to CO2 industrial utilization and its conversion to value-added products and fuels. This concise but comprehensive sourcebook guides readers through recent scientific and technological developments as well as commercial projects that aim for the decarbonization of the fossil fuel-based economy and CO2 utilization that will play an increasingly important role in the near- and mid-term future. This book is intended for researchers, engineers, and students working and studying in practically all areas of energy technology and alternative energy sources and fuels.

This Brief examines the sustainability of energy use in global food production and processing. The nexus between food, water, and energy are explored against a background of climate change. Current efforts to reduce the energy intensity of food and increase sustainability are explored. Food waste and its impact on energy is covered, including regional variations and nutrient recycling methods. Energy Use in Global Food Production uses case studies to illustrate how food production and processing is a significant contributor to anthropogenic climate change. Modern industrial agriculture uses fossil fuel to grow crops and produce fertilizers, pesticides and farm machinery. Additional energy is used to transport and process food at a primary and secondary level. With the median forecast for global population at more than 9 billion by 2030, a 30% increase over the current population, energy efficient food processing will be of increasing importance. This Brief provides an overview of current energy efficient food processing methods looks at the way forward as demands continue to increase.

The project CLEAN (CO2 Large-Scale Enhanced Gas Recovery in the Altmark Natural Gas Field) provides site specific knowledge for a potential future pilot project. This contributed volume gives an overview and final results of the entire project which is finalized to the end of 2012.

Enabling Environment is as real as it gets. The global commons are jointly owned and their inhabitants are jointly obligated to ensure their preservation. In the face of protracted negotiations, convoluted documentation, discord, and incessant bickering among scientists, activists, pressure groups of various hues, politicians and negotiators, very often the people on the ground are ignored or taken for granted. In the meantime, life meanders along. It is these 'everyday individuals' who make consumption-related choices on their lifestyles, travel or on preferring certain products or services over others. Enabling Environment puts the individual front and center. Ecosystem services need to be recognized, appropriately priced and the costs allocated to the agents concerned. Enabling Environment is about defining economic and non-economic incentive structures and utilizing them to arrive at pro-environmental outcomes. This collection of articles illustrates the use of existing social, economic and regulatory structures, and the financial architecture and instruments, suitably modified or extended, to help internalize the environmental externality.

In experiments on a prototypical combustor, Richard Steinert identifies new insights on the impact of noise on the phenomenon known as thermoacoustic instability. The phenomenon is a concerning issue which creates a technical limit on the efficiency and environmental impact of fossil fuels combustion in industrial combustors. It poses a threat to the structural integrity of practical systems such as gas turbine combustors and rocket engines. The experiments demonstrate that thermoacoustic systems feature an interesting noise-induced behaviour known as coherence resonance - a coherent response of dynamical systems close to their stability boundary that is induced by stochastic excitation. The work contained in this publication is an example illustrating the importance of fundamental considerations in solving perplexing engineering issues.

The word sustainability shares its root with sustenance. In the context of modern society, sustenance is inextricably linked to the use of energy. Fossil Energy provides an authoritative reference on all aspects of this key resource, which currently represents nearly 85% of global energy consumption. Gathering 16 peer-reviewed entries from the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, the chapters provide comprehensive, yet concise coverage of fundamentals and current areas of research. Written by recognized authorities in the field, this volume represents an essential resource for scientists and engineers working on the development of energy resources, fossil or alternative, and reflects the essential role of energy supplies in supporting a sustainable future.

The assessment of greenhouse gases emitted to and removed from the atmosphere is high on the international political and scientific agendas. Growing international concern and cooperation regarding the climate change problem have increased the need for policy-oriented solutions to the issue of uncertainty in, and related to, inventories of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The approaches to addressing uncertainty discussed here reflect attempts to improve national inventories, not only for their own sake but also from a wider, systems analytical perspective - a perspective that seeks to strengthen the usefulness of national inventories under a compliance and/or global monitoring and reporting framework. These approaches demonstrate the benefits of including inventory uncertainty in policy analyses. The authors of the contributed papers show that considering uncertainty helps avoid situations that can, for example, create a false sense of certainty or lead to invalid views of subsystems. This may eventually prevent related errors from showing up in analyses. However, considering uncertainty does not come for free. Proper treatment of uncertainty is costly and demanding because it forces us to make the step from "simple to complex" and only then to discuss potential simplifications. Finally, comprehensive treatment of uncertainty does not offer policymakers quick and easy solutions.

Extensive descriptions of a wide range of key or world-class mineral deposits of China are presented in the context of the country's general geology, tectonic units and mineral systems and their geodynamic evolution within the tectonic framework of the Asian continent. This comprehensive overview, incorporating the latest geological concepts, is the first such coverage written in English by a western expert, and will be of benefit to mineral explorers and miners, as well as to research scientists and students in institutions of higher education. In his compilation of this compendium of Chinese geology and mineral systems, Franco Pirajno draws on first-hand knowledge of China's geology and mineral deposits gained in numerous field visits and research projects with Chinese colleagues from various academic institutions over the past 18 years. First time that a western-based book on China's geology and mineral deposits is published Appropriate for use by the mineral exploration industry Modern English-language geological and mineral deposits information on China Most useful to Western (and Chinese) geoscientists

The International Conference on the State of the Art on Biogas Technology, Transfer and Diffusion was held in Cairo, Egypt, from 17 to 24 November 1984. The Conference was organized by the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASR T), the Egyptian National Research Centre (NRC), the Bioenergy Systems and Technology project (BST) of the US Agency for International Development (US/AID) Office of Energy, and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). A number of international organizations and agencies co-sponsored the Conference. More than 100 participants from 40 countries attended. The purpose of the Conference was to assess the viability of biogas technology (BGT) and propose future courses of action for exploiting BGT prospects to the fullest extent. The Conference emphasized a balanced coverage of technical, environ mental, social, economic and organizational aspects relevant to biogas systems design, operation and diffusion. It was organized to incorporate experiences that are pertinent, for the most part, to developing countries. In addition to the wide spectrum of presentations and country programs, structured and non-structured discussions among the participants were strongly encouraged in thematic sessions at round-table discussions, and through personal contacts during poster sessions and field trips. It was clear from the enthusiastic response of most participants that the Conference, in large measure, succeeded in fulfilling its mission. Although draft papers were distributed to all participants, it was felt that the results obtained were worthy of organized and refined documentation. And this is precisely what this book intends to do.

This book examines the concept and purpose of joint development agreements of offshore hydrocarbon deposits from the perspective of public international law and the law of the sea, taking into consideration and extensively reviewing State practice concerning seabed activities in disputed maritime areas and when hydrocarbon deposits extend across maritime boundaries. It distinguishes between agreements signed before and after the delimitation of maritime boundaries and analyzes the relevance of natural resources or unitization clauses included in maritime delimitation agreements. It also takes into consideration the relation between these resources and maritime delimitation and analyzes all the relevant international jurisprudence. Another innovative aspect of this book is that it examines the possibility of joint development of resources that lay between the continental shelf and the Area, considering both theoretical and practical problems. As such, the book is a useful tool for scholars and experts on public international law and the law of the sea, but also for national authorities and practitioners of international disputes resolution, as well as public and private entities working in the oil and gas industry.

Advanced Nanomaterials for Inexpensive Gas Microsensors: Synthesis, Integration and Applications presents full coverage in the area of gas sensing nanomaterials, from materials, transducers and applications, to the latest results and future direction. Experts present work on metal oxides, carbon-based and hybrid materials, fabrication and application. The book brings together three major themes, including synthesis, functionalization and the characterization of advanced nanomaterials, all emphasizing synthesis techniques that ease the integration of nanomaterials in transducers. Chapters encompass a wide spectrum of sensing technologies, including advanced nanomaterials (metal oxides, carbon materials and graphene) and organic molecular materials and atomic layers (MoS2). The book's authors examine the coupling of sensitive nanomaterials to different types of transducer elements and their applications, including direct growth and additive fabrication techniques as a way to obtain inexpensive gas microsensors, principal transduction schemes, and advanced operating methods.

Providing a comprehensive analysis of CO2 compression, transportation processes and safety issues for post combustion CO2 capture applications for a 900 MW pulverized hard coal-fired power plant, this book assesses techniques for boosting the pressure of CO2 to pipeline pressure values with a minimal amount of energy. Four different types of compressors are examined in detail: a conventional multistage centrifugal compressor, integrally geared centrifugal compressor, supersonic shock wave compressor, and pump machines. The study demonstrates that the total compression power is closely related to the thermodynamic process and is not determined by compressor efficiency alone. Another problem addressed is that of CO2 pipeline transport from the compressor outlet site to a disposal site under heat transfer conditions. The book also features an analysis of simulations and models that are used to determine the maximum safe pipeline distance to subsequent booster stations as a function of inlet pressure, ambient temperature, thickness of the thermal insulation and ground-level heat flux conditions. This book focuses on compression as well as transportation processes with particular emphasis on the safety risks related to the transport of CO2. The most important problem in terms of environmental protection is ensuring precise and reliable hazard identification. As hazards can only be managed effectively if they are properly identified, problems involving the discharge and atmospheric dispersion of CO2 are also discussed.

This volume, The Science of Algal Fuels (volume 25 of COLE), contains 26 chapters dealing with biofuels contributed by experts from numerous countries and covers several aspects of algal products, one being "oilgae from algae," mainly oils and fuels for engines. Among the prominent algal groups that participate in this process are the diatoms and green algae (Chlorophyceae). Their metabolism and breeding play an important role in biomass and extraction of crude oil and algal fuel. There is a strong relation between solar energy influencing algal culture and the photobiology of lipid metabolism. Currently, many international meetings and conferences on biofuel are taking place in many countries, and several new books and proceedings of conferences have appeared on this topic. All this indicates that this field is "hot" and in the forefront of applied bioscience.

This book analyses the deep interaction between the world's environmental crises, energy production, conversion and use, and global regulation policies. Bringing together experts from a wide range of scientific fields, it offers the reader a broad scope of knowledge on such topics as: climate change and exhaustion of resources the relationship between basic science and the development of sustainable energy technologies the relationship between global and local environmental policies the possible competition between foodstuff production and that of agro-fuels urban adaptation negotiations at the international level financial rules This book invites the reader to consider the multidisciplinary aspects of these urgent energy/environmental issues.

I remember that the idea of this book emerged ?rst in Toulouse, during the Third Conference on Energy Markets - 3 years ago now. Anna Cret` ? gave a talk on a model dealing with seasonal gas storage in the USA, and Christian Von Hirschausen was her discussant. Both of them were devoting their efforts to understand the natural gas market in Europe and the relevant liberalization process. I found their interest in storage rather original, so I encouraged Anna to collect the most original cont- butions on this topic. Back in Milan with this idea in mind, she organized a working group at IEFE- Bocconi University, where she works. Then, during the following year, she - changed ideas and organized several meetings with the book's contributors. She regularly invited the most important Italian gas sector representatives to these me- ings, to make sure that the economic models were well suited to tackle the issues at stake in the European gas industry.

Existing views on geodynamics (recharge, migration, discharge) of uids at deep layers of petroliferous basins are summarized. The in ltration and elision th- ries explaining development of uid pressures in deep formations are called into question based on quantitative estimates available for some artesian (petroliferous) basins. Using the West Siberian, Pechora, Terek-Kuma, Bukhara-Karshi, and other petroliferous basins as examples, the stratum-block structure of deep formations is substantiated for strati ed systems of platform in inter- and intramontane depr- sions. It is shown that petroliferous reservoirs at great depths are characterized, regardless of lithology, by largely ssure-related capacity and permeability (clayey rocks included) changeable in space and through geological time. Much attention is paid to development of abnormally high formation pressures. Peculiarities in heat and mass transfer at deep levels are considered for different regions. The energetic formation model substantiated for deep uids explains different anomalies (baric, thermal, hydrogeochemical, mineralogical, and others) at deep levels of platforms. Based on hydrogeodynamic considerations, the theory of oil origin and formation of hydrocarbon elds is proposed. The book is of interest for oilmen, hydrogeo- gists, geologists, and specialists dealing with prospecting of petroliferous deposits as well as industrial, mineral, and thermal waters in deep formations of strati ed sedimentary basins. vii Contents 1 Existing Views on Fluidodynamics in Petroliferous Formations . . 1 References ...11 2 Investigation Methods of Deep Fluidodynamics ...15 2. 1 Methods of Formation Pressure Reducing ...16 2. 2 Assessment of Directions of Density-Variable Fluid Flows by the "Filtration Force" Method ...

The first volume in a new Springer Series on Shipping and Transport Logistics, Oil Transport Management provides a full historical account of the evolution of the oil transport industry since the 1800's. In this comprehensive guide, the authors investigate the industry and describe the shipping market and its structure, as well as forecasting, location plan and the transportation chain. They dedicate a separate chapter to each topic to cover various concepts, including: an introduction to the tanker shipping market, including how the freight, new vessel building, second hand and demolition markets influence one another, the economic structure and organization of the tanker industry in both the past and present, and forecasting the need for oil-based sea transportation. Further chapters present case studies and simulations to illustrate the importance of factory location decisions and the need for oil infrastructure investments. Chapter One also includes a regression equation to predict the fleet size in tanker shipping. Oil Transport Management is a key reference, which can be practically applied to wider global research and practices. Ideal for both industry practitioners, and researchers and students of shipping studies, Oil Transport Management provides a concise yet comprehensive coverage of the oil transport industry's history and a guide for its future development.

The International Workshop on Turbulent Combustion was held September 14-15, 2000, at the Nagoya Institute of Technology, to review the present status of turbu lent combustion studies. Reviews were presented by Prof. F. A. Williams of the Uni versity of California, San Diego; Prof. Ken Bray of the University of Cambridge; and Prof. Jay Gore of Purdue University. Dr. Howard Baum of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Dr. Jim McDonough of the University of Ken tucky participated in the discussion. Some ten papers, describing the latest findings of Japanese studies in this field, were given at the meeting. About half of these studies are supported by a national project, the Open and Integrated Research Pro gram, Creation of New Functionalized Thermo-Fluid Systems by Turbulence Con trol, that started only recently under the sponsorship of the Science and Technology Agency of Japan. The meeting was a great success and gave impetus and a sense of perspective to young Japanese researchers through the excellent reviews and valu able comments their work received. I believe that this kind of open discussion is indispensable for any project to produce a good outcome, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all who participated in the meeting. Finally, I would like to express my special thanks to Prof. Tatsuya Hasegawa of the Nagoya Institute of Technology, Prof. Akira Yoshida of Tokyo Denki University, Prof."

The National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF), announced in the Government of India s Budget 2010-11, is seen as a major step in India's quest for energy security and reducing the carbon intensity of energy. Funding research and innovative projects in clean energy technologies, and harnessing renewable energy sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels constitute the objectives of the NCEF. The NCEF s utilization of funds is considered to be rather low and disbursements poorly aligned with the fund s stated objectives, thus posing a potential risk of diluting the focus of NCEF with adverse implications for the much-needed research and innovation in the clean energy sector in India.
The book provides a detailed framework for promoting effective utilization and administration of NCEF. To this effect, it identifies the most promising avenues for utilization of NCEF resources for catalytic opportunities and deployment of new technologies. It also identifies and prioritizes the specific energy sub-sectors towards which the NCEF resources are directed. It also makes suggestions for designing a smart monitoring and evaluation framework for the NCEF.
This work provides significant information for the government so that appropriate mid-course corrections may be made in a timely manner. This will also be useful in honing the strategic thinking on a suitable energy-technology policy and an assessment of technology needs and other barriers to the clean energy sector in India."

This brief covers novel techniques for clean hydrogen production which primarily involve sodium hydroxide as an essential ingredient to the existing major hydrogen production technologies. Interestingly, sodium hydroxide plays different roles and can act as a catalyst, reactant, promoter or even a precursor. The inclusion of sodium hydroxide makes these processes both kinetically and thermodynamically favorable. In addition possibilities to produce cleaner hydrogen, in terms of carbon emissions, are described. Through modifications of steam methane reformation methods and coal-gasification processes, from fossil as well as non-fossil energy sources, the carbon dioxide emissions of these established ways to produce hydrogen can significantly be reduced. This brief is aimed at those who are interested in expanding their knowledge on novel techniques and materials to produce clean hydrogen and capture carbon dioxide at a large-scale. The detailed thermodynamic analysis, experimental findings and critical analysis of such techniques are well discussed in this brief. Therefore, this book will be of great interest and use to students, engineers and researchers involved in developing the hydrogen economy as well as mitigating carbon dioxide emissions at a large-scale.