Hydrogen is one of the most promising next-generation fuels. It has the highest energy content per unit weight of any known fuel and in comparison to the other known natural gases it is environmentally safe - in fact, its combustion results only in water vapour and energy. This book provides an overview of worldwide research in the use of hydrogen in energy development, its most innovative methods of production and the various steps necessary for the optimization of this product. Topics covered include structured catalysts for process intensification in hydrogen production by reforming processes; bimetallic supported catalysts for hydrocarbons and alcohols reforming reactions; catalysts for hydrogen production from renewable raw materials, by-products and waste; Ni and Cu-based catalysts for methanol and ethanol reforming; transition metal catalysts for hydrogen production by low temperature steam reforming of methane; supercritical water gasification of biomass to produce hydrogen; biofuel starting materials for hydrogen production; modelling of fixed bed membrane reactors for ultrapure hydrogen production; hydrogen production using micro membrane reactors; perovskite membrane reactors; polymeric membrane materials for hydrogen separation; industrial membranes for hydrogen separation; multifunctional hybrid sorption-enhanced membrane reactors; carbon based membranes; and separation of hydrogen isotopes by cryogenic distillation. Hydrogen Production, Separation and Purification for Energy is essential reading for researchers in academia and industry working in energy engineering.

Shale Gas: Exploration and Environmental and Economic Impacts explores the shale gas exploration and production activities that are increasing globally, also presenting a basic understanding on the geological, geochemical, and geophysical aspects. The book is a key reference that is useful for researchers, the oil and gas industry, and policymakers in gas producing and prospective countries. Users will find chapters on hydraulic fracturing and shale gas drilling, as well as the environmental and economic impacts of these activities. Further chapters include case studies on the shale gas revolution in the United States and other producing countries around the world.

According to Department of Energy (DOE) and industry expectations, in the next few years the United States is expected to change from a net importer of natural gas to a net exporter, with those exports destined for different regions of the world, especially Asia. More than 30 companies have received approval from DOE for large-scale exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) -- natural gas cooled for transportation -- beginning in 2015 or 2016 via specialized LNG carriers. Congress is considering whether to propose legislative language that would require U.S. LNG be exported via U.S.-built-and-flagged carriers with the goal of supporting U.S. shipbuilders and mariners. This book discusses DOE and industry expectations for the market for U.S. LNG exports and how the proposed requirement could affect jobs in the U.S. maritime industry and the broader U.S. economy.

The ongoing discussion about reaching the "peak-oil point" (maximal delivery rate with conventional methods) emphasizes a fundamental change of the frame conditions of oil-based basic products. The alternative with the largest potential is the use of coal. Coal gasification is the production of coal gas (a mixture of mainly hydrogen and carbon monoxide) from coal adding agents like steam/water and oxygen, which can be used in a number of industrial processes (e.g. hydroformulation and Fischer-Tropsch process). Many different kinds of coal do naturally occur, and due to shrinking natural resources, there has been a substantial gain of interest in poor, ash-rich coal. Beside the quality of coal, there is a number of other parameters influencing the efficiency of coal gasification, such as temperature, pressure, and reactor type. Although several books dealing with the subject of gasification have recently been published, few are strictly focussed on coal as feedstock. This monograph provides the reader with the necessary chemical background on coal gasification. Several types of coal (baseline coal and ash-rich coal) are compared systematically, pointing out the technological efforts achieved so far to overcome this challenge. Using a new, innovative order scheme to evaluate the gasification process at a glance (the ternary diagram), the complex network of chemistry, engineering, and economic needs can be overviewed in a highly efficient way. This book is a must-have for Chemical and Process Engineers, Engineering Students, as well as Scientists in the Chemical Industry.

Recent advances in combining two drilling techniques, hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, have allowed access to large deposits of shale resources -- that is, crude oil and natural gas trapped in shale and certain other dense rock formations. As a result, the cost of that "tight oil" and "shale gas" has become competitive with the cost of oil and gas extracted from other sources. Virtually non-existent a decade ago, the development of shale resources has boomed in the United States, producing about 3.5 million barrels of tight oil per day and about 9.5 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of shale gas per year. This book discusses the economic and budgetary effects of producing oil and natural gas from shale. It also examines the production, infrastructure, and market issues in U.S. shale gas development; and potential budgetary effects of immediately opening most federal lands to oil and gas leasing.

The United States has seen resurgence in petroleum production, mainly driven by technology improvements -- especially hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling -- developed for natural gas production from shale formations. Application of these technologies enabled natural gas to be economically produced from shale and other unconventional formations, and contributed to the United States becoming the world's largest natural gas producer in 2009. This book focuses on the growth in U.S. oil and natural gas production driven primarily by tight oil formations and shale gas formations. It reviews selected federal environmental regulatory and research initiatives related to unconventional oil and gas extraction, including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposed hydraulic fracturing rule and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actions. The book also provides a technological assessment of existing and emerging water procurement and management practices in shale energy producing regions of the United States.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed regulations to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from existing power plants. EPA believes that its proposed Clean Power Plan (CPP) will "protect public health, move the United States towards a cleaner environment, and fight climate change while supplying Americans with reliable and affordable power." Burning fossil fuels to produce electricity results in the release of carbon dioxide, and represents the largest source of GHG emissions in the United States. This book discusses the implications for the electric power sector. It also examines the carbon dioxide emission rate goals in EPA's proposed rule for existing power plants; and discusses the Congressional responses and options to the EPA regulation of greenhouse gases.

Volcanic gas reservoirs are the new natural gas frontier. Once thought too complex, too harsh on the drilling bit, and too difficult to characterize, reservoir engineers and petroleum geologists alike now manage more advanced seismic and logging tools, making these "impossible" field developments possible. Bridging meaningful information about these complicated provinces and linking various unconventional methods and techniques, "Volcanic Gas Reservoir Characterization" Describes a set of leading-edge integrated volcanic gas reservoir characterization techniques, helping to ensure the effective development of the fieldReveals the grade and relationship of volcanic stratigraphic sequencePresents field identification and prediction methods, and interpretation technology of reservoir parameters, relating these to similar complex fields such as shale

These innovative approaches and creative methods have been successfully applied to actual development of volcanic gas reservoirs. By sharing the methods and techniques used in this region with reservoir engineers and petroleum geologists all over the world, those with better understanding of these unconventional basins will begin to consider volcanic rock like any other reservoir.
Summarizes the research and explains detailed case studies of volcanic gas reservoir developments, showing the latest achievements and lessons learnedSupplies knowledge on volcanic gas reservoir basins to provide meaningful insight into similar complex reservoirs such as shale, coal bed methane, and heavy oil basinsContains extensive methodology, strong practicality and high innovation, making this an ideal book for both the practicing and seasoned reservoir engineer and petroleum geologists working with complex reservoirs

This book provides in-depth information on basic and applied aspects of biohydrogen production. It begins with an introduction to the topic, and follows with the basic scientific aspects of biohydrogen production, such as the enzyme involved in biohydrogen production, the microorganisms and metabolic engineering information. It then provides state-of-art information on various aspects of biohydrogen production methods such as from solid wastes, from industrial effluents, thermo-chemical route for biohydrogen production, etc. It also includes information on engineering aspects such as the design of bioreactors for biohydrogen production and scale-up issues. Finally, it touches on the issues of hydrogen economy and commercialization. The book introduces you to all aspects of biohydrogen research, helping you understand the various issues involved and plan your own research based on recent findings and commercial needs.

Provides information on the most advanced and innovative biohydrogen technologies, including fermentation and metabolic processesProvides examples on large-scale and commercial applications of biohydrogen processes and explains the steps necessary for scaling-upExplains the chemistry/theory of the processes involved and provides information on integration of the various processes and technologies on biohydrogenGuides through the process design, reactors and materials selectionDevotes a whole chapter on the economical aspects of the processes and their commercialization

This book addresses several aspects of the changing context of natural gas in the U.S. electric power sector. Increasingly plentiful and affordable natural gas has catalysed major changes in U.S. power generation and has helped to boost U.S. economic recovery. Increased substitution of natural gas for coal in power generation has also cut U.S. GHG emissions. However, processes to produce natural gas, shale gas in particular, have also elevated environmental and safety concerns in certain regions of the country. The rapid rise of natural gas is also beginning to drive more thought on longer-term energy policy issues such as the appropriate level of generation diversity (given the history of volatile prices for natural gas), and trajectories of natural gas use that will still allow GHG mitigation sufficient to address the climate challenge. This book is intended to help inform these energy policy and investment discussions, and outlines the current dynamics of natural gas in the power sector and the selected challenges and opportunities in the use of natural gas to generate electricity.

This book presents and discusses research in the study of natural gas systems. Topics discussed include flammability and individual risk assessment for natural gas pipelines; guidelines for developing gas fields associated with edge-water drive; fuzzy estimation and stabilisation in gas life wells based on a new stability map and human health risks assessment due to natural gas pipelines explosions.

Natural gas is considered a potential bridge fuel to a low carbon economy because it is cleaner burning than its hydrocarbon rivals coal and oil. Natural gas combustion emits about two-thirds less carbon dioxide than coal and one-quarter less than oil when consumed in a typical electric power plant. Additionally, improved methods to extract natural gas from certain shale formations has significantly increased the resource profile of the United States, which has spurred other countries to try to develop shale gas. If the United States and other countries can bring large new volumes of natural gas to market, then natural gas could play a larger role in the world's economy. This book examines key aspects of global natural gas markets, including supply and demand, as well as major U.S. developments.

This study was to analyze the future role of natural gas in the energy mix of countries of South East Europe. The study further identifies regional, cross-border and country-specific gas infrastructure projects that are economically, financially and technically sound. The study also analyses, and makes proposals for, the institutional and policy issues relating to funding and implementing gas infrastructure projects. The study examines sources of gas supply from Russia, the Caspian region and other current and prospective producer countries through Turkey and other transit routes (including LNG) and assesses costs of supply and gasification prospects in nine gas markets in the South East Europe region: Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Kosovo Macedonia Montenegro Romania Serbia These markets are all signatories of the Athens Memoranda of 2002 and 2003, which commit the participants to regional cooperation in electricity and gas."

Air and Gas Drilling Manual, Fourth Edition: Applications for Oil, Gas and Geothermal Fluid Recovery Wells, and Specialized Construction Boreholes, and the History and Advent of the Directional DTH delivers the fundamentals and current methods needed for engineers and managers engaged in drilling operations. Packed with updates, this reference discusses the engineering modelling and planning aspects of underbalanced drilling, the impacts of technological advances in high angle and horizontal drilling, and the importance of new production from shale. in addition, an in-depth discussion is included on well control model planning considerations for completions, along with detailed calculation examples using Mathcad. This book will update the petroleum and drilling engineer with a much-needed reference to stay on top of drilling methods and new applications in today's operations.

Advanced Biomass Gasification: New Concepts for Efficiency Increase and Product Flexibility provides a thorough overview on new concepts in biomass gasification and consolidated information on advances for process integration and combination, which could otherwise only be gained by reading a high number of journal publications. Heidenreich, Muller and Foscolo, highly respected experts in this field, start their exploration with the compact UNIQUE reactor, gasification and pyrolysis, gasification and combustion, and catalysts and membranes. The authors then examine biomass pre-treatment processes, taking into account the energy balance of the overall conversion process, and look into oxygen-steam gasification and solutions for air separation, including new options for integration of O2-membranes into the gasifier. Several polygeneration strategies are covered, including combined heat and power (CHP) production with synthetic natural gas (SNG), biofuels and hydrogen, and new cutting-edge concepts, such as plasma gasification, supercritical water gasification, and catalytic gasification, which allows for insights on the future technological outlook of the area. This book is then a valuable resource for industry and academia-based researchers, as well as graduate students in the energy and chemical sectors with interest in biomass gasification, especially in areas of power engineering, bioenergy, chemical engineering, and catalysis.

Dynamic Description Technology of Fractured Vuggy Carbonate Gas Reservoirs delivers a critical reference to reservoir and production engineers on the basic characteristics of fractured vuggy gas reservoirs, combining both static and dynamic data to improve reservoir characterization accuracy and development. Based on the full lifecycle of well testing and advanced production decline analysis, this reference also details how to apply reservoir dynamic evaluation and reserve estimation and performance forecasting. Offering one collective location for the latest research on fractured gas reservoirs, this reference also covers physical models, analysis examples, and processes, 3D numerical well test technology, and deconvolution technology of production decline analysis. Packed with many calculation examples and more than 100 case studies, this book gives engineers a strong tool to further exploit these complex assets.

Nanoscale metallic and ceramic materials, also called nanomaterials, have held enormous attraction for researchers over the past few years. They demonstrate novel properties compared with conventional (microcrystalline) materials owing to their nanoscale features. Recently, mechanical alloying and powder metallurgy processes for the fabrication of metal-ceramic/alloy-ceramic nanocomposites with a unique microstructure have been developed. This book focuses on the fabrication of nanostructured hydrogen storage materials and their nanocomposites. The potential application of the research presented in the book fits well into the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020, where one of the societal challenges is secure, clean, and efficient energy. Wherever possible, the authors have illustrated the subject by their own results. The goal of the book is to provide comprehensive knowledge about materials for energy applications to graduate students and researchers in chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science.