After covering the environment and energy beat for more than a decade, columnist Amanda Little decided that the only way to fully understand America's energy crisis was to travel into the heart of it. So she embarked on a daring, cross-country power trip to the most extreme and exciting frontiers of our energy landscape.

In "Power Trip," we accompany her to a deep-sea oil rig, the cornfields of Kansas, the catacombs of the Pentagon, the Talladega Superspeedway, and inside New York City's electrical grid. We visit laboratories creating the innovations that will carry us into a clean-energy future. Little also travels back through history to investigate how America developed its unrivaled appetite for fossil fuels. In vivid, fast-paced prose, she illustrates how the same American ingenuity that got us into this mess can get us out of it too.

First published in 1981 as the "Offshore Information Guide", this revised information resource details the technology of the oil, gas and marine industries. For this edition, the guide has been completely revised and substantially enlarged. With the assistance of staff from the Centre of Cold Ocean Resources Engineering, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, the world-wide coverage has been much extended. Additional subject areas include new sections under the following headings: exploration, field development, petroleum reservoirs, economics and government.

The Politics of Energy Research and Development examines and evaluates U.S. research and development policies to promote nuclear, solar, conservation, and other technology options. This volume is the third in the series "Energy Policy Studies, "which explores fundamental, long-term social, political, and economic dimensions of energy technology, resources, and use. Contributions represent a wide range of theoretical and policy perspectives, including sociology, economics, political science, urban and regional studies, environmental analysis, and history and philosophy of technology.

Contents: Richard L. Ottinger, "Introduction: The Tragedy of U.S. Energy R&D Policy"; Amor DEGREES B. Lovins, "The Origins of the Nuclear Power Fiasco"; Richard T. Sylves, "Nuclear Exotica: Peaceful Use of Nuclear Explosives"; Eugene Frankel, "Technology, Politics and Ideology: The Vicissitudes of Federal Solar Energy Policy, 1974-1983"; Maxine Savitz, "The Federal Role in Conservation Research and Development"; J. David Roessner, "Commercialization Issues in Energy Technology Policy"; John Byrne and Daniel Rich, "In Search of the Abundant Energy Machine"; and Grant P. Thompson, "Energy Policy in the Interim: Waiting for the Next Shoe to Drop."

Over the past decade, carbon capture and storage (CCS) has come to the fore as a way to manage carbon dioxide emissions contributing to climate change. This book examines its introduction into the political scene, different interpretations of its significance as an emerging technology and the policy challenges facing government and international institutions with respect to its development, deployment and regulation. The focus of the book is on the construction of arguments about CCS in the public sphere, the coalitions of actors who have articulated distinctive perspectives on CCS and the varied strategies governments have adopted to integrate it into climate and energy policies. The authors analyse the issues decision-makers now confront in encouraging the uptake of the technology, managing uncertainties and regulating attendant risks. The book includes case studies of the reception of CCS in seven OECD countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Developments in the EU form the subject of an eighth case study. The authors point to the political significance of CCS as a mitigation option offering a way forward for fossil fuels in a carbon constrained world, while also emphasizing the uncertainties that surround its future development and deployment. Students, scholars and researchers from a wide variety of fields who are interested in climate change, energy policy, and the politics and policy of the environment will find this book illuminating, as will officials and policy makers in international organizations and governments.

This book presents the papers from the "Internal Combustion Engines: Performance, fuel economy and emissions" held in London, UK. This popular international conference from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers provides a forum for IC engine experts looking closely at developments for personal transport applications, though many of the drivers of change apply to light and heavy duty, on and off highway, transport and other sectors. These are exciting times to be working in the IC engine field. With the move towards downsizing, advances in FIE and alternative fuels, new engine architectures and the introduction of Euro 6 in 2014, there are plenty of challenges. The aim remains to reduce both CO2 emissions and the dependence on oil-derivate fossil fuels whilst meeting the future, more stringent constraints on gaseous and particulate material emissions as set by EU, North American and Japanese regulations. How will technology developments enhance performance and shape the next generation of designs? The book introduces compression and internal combustion engines applications, followed by chapters on the challenges faced by alternative fuels and fuel delivery. The remaining chapters explore current improvements in combustion, pollution prevention strategies and data comparisons.
presents the latest requirements and challenges for personal transport applications

gives an insight into the technical advances and research going on in the IC Engines field

provides the latest developments in compression and spark ignition engines for light and heavy-duty applications, automotive and other markets "

The continued use of coal as a means of generating electricity and an increasing demand for cleaner, more efficient energy production has led to advances in power plant technology. Ultra-supercritical coal power plants reviews the engineering, operation, materials and performance of ultra-supercritical coal power plants.
Following a chapter introducing advanced and ultra-supercritical coal power plants, part one goes on to explore the operating environments, materials and engineering of ultra-supercritical coal power plants. Chapters discuss the impacts of steam conditions on plant materials and operation, fuel considerations and burner design, and materials and design for boilers working under supercritical steam conditions. Chapters in part two focus on improving ultra-supercritical coal power plant performance and operability. Ash fouling, deposition and slagging in ultra-supercritical coal power plants are highlighted along with pollution control measures and the estimation, management and extension of the life of ultra-supercritical power plants. Further chapters provide an economic and engineering analysis of a 700 C advanced ultra-supercritical pulverised coal power plant and discuss CO2 capture-ready ultra-supercritical coal power plants.
Ultra-supercritical coal power plants is a comprehensive technical reference for power plant operators and engineers, high-temperature materials scientists, professionals in the power industry who require an understanding of ultra-supercritical coal power plants and researchers and academics interested in the field.
Provides a comprehensive reference on the developments, materials, design and operation of ultra-supercritical power plantConsiders the degradation issues affecting this type of plant, as well as emissions control and CO2 capture technology; improved plant controls critical to improved operation and environmental performanceContains operational assessments for plant safety, plant life management, and plant economics"

Photoelectrochemical processes due to the symbiosis of photochemical and electrochemical processes result in unique reaction pathways and products. This technique catalysed by nanomaterials is extensively used to harness sunlight for production of fuels and chemical feedstocks. This book explains the basic concepts of photoelectrochemistry as well as their application in the generation of solar fuels from water, CO2 and N2 as feedstocks. It also contains standard methodologies and benchmarks of fuel production including current state of the art in nanocatalysts as well as their mechanism of action. This book: Explores fundamentals and real-time applications of photoelectrochemistry in fuel generation Reviews basic theory and best-known catalysts and best conditions/processes for fuel generation in each of the chapters Covers standard methodologies, processes, and limitations for large-scale applications Focusses on sustainable production of fuels from renewable energy and resources This book aims at graduate students/researchers in chemical, energy and materials engineering.

Combined cycle power plants are one of the most promising ways of improving fossil-fuel and biomass energy production. The combination of a gas and steam turbine working in tandem to produce power makes this type of plant highly efficient and allows for CO2 capture and sequestration before combustion. This book provides a comprehensive review of the design, engineering and operational issues of a range of advanced combined cycle plants.
After introductory chapters on basic combined cycle power plant and advanced gas turbine design, the book reviews the main types of combined cycle system. Chapters discuss the technology, efficiency and emissions performance of natural gas-fired combined cycle (NGCC) and integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) as well as novel humid air cycle, oxy-combustion turbine cycle systems. The book also reviews pressurised fluidized bed combustion (PFBC), externally fired combined cycle (EFCC), hybrid fuel cell turbine (FC/GT), combined cycle and integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) systems. The final chapter reviews techno-economic analysis of combined cycle systems.
With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Combined cycle systems for near-zero emission power generation is a standard reference for both industry practitioners and academic researchers seeking to improve the efficiency and environmental impact of power plants.
Provides a comprehensive review of the design, engineering and operational issues of a range of advanced combined cycle plantsIntroduces basic combined cycle power plant and advanced gas turbine design and reviews the main types of combined cycle systemsDiscusses the technology, efficiency and emissions performance of natural gas-fired combined cycle (NGCC) systems and integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) systems, as well as novel humid air cycle systems and oxy-combustion turbine cycle systems

Metal-air batteries (MABs) have attracted attention because of their high specific energy, low cost, and safety features. This book discusses science and technology including material selection, synthesis, characterization, and their applications in MABs. It comprehensively describes various composite bifunctional electrocatalysts, corrosion/oxidation of carbon-containing air cathode catalysts, and how improvements can be achieved in the catalytic activities of oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction and their durability/stability. This book also analyzes, compares, and discusses composite bifunctional electrocatalysts in the applications of MABs, matching the fast information of commercial MABs in requirements. Aimed at researchers and industry professionals, this comprehensive work provides readers with an appreciation for what bifunctional composite electrocatalysts are capable of, how this field has grown in the past decades, and how bifunctional composite electrocatalysts can significantly improve the performance of MABs. It also offers suggestions for future research directions to overcome technical challenges and further facilitate research and development in this important area.

This book focuses on chemical syntheses and processes for biofuel production mediated by microwave energy. This is the first contribution in this area serving as a resource and guidance manual for understanding the principles, mechanisms, design, and applications of microwaves in biofuel process chemistry. Green chemistry of microwave-mediated biofuel reactions and thermodynamic potentials for the process biochemistry are the focus of this book. Microwave generation, wave propagation, process design, development and configurations, and biofuel applications are discussed in detail.

This practical manual provides basic theoretical knowledge about fermentative processes, biochemical laboratory techniques, and an arsenal of practical tricks, recipes, do's, and don'ts for the biogas plant manager. It explains why some popular tests and techniques are unreliable, how to optimize the feedstock's cost and the energy self-consumption of the digester, and how to analyze experimental error propagation and judge whether a marketing claim or a test result from the literature is correct. All examples are taken from the author's experience as consultant in managing biogas plants in Italy and Spain. It features a glossary of technical jargon and useful reference tables and formulae. By following the procedures described in this manual, anybody can learn in short time how to become a "bacteria farmer."

Corrosion Protection for the Oil and Gas Industry: Pipelines, Subsea Equipment, and Structures summarizes the main causes of corrosion and requirements for materials protection, selection of corrosion-resistant materials and coating materials commonly used for corrosion protection, and the limitations to their use, application, and repair. This book focuses on the protection of steels against corrosion in an aqueous environment, either immersed in seawater or buried. It also includes guidelines for the design of cathodic protection systems and reviews of cathodic protection methods, materials, installation, and monitoring. It is concerned primarily with the external and internal corrosion protection of onshore pipelines and subsea pipelines, but reference is also made to the protection of other equipment, subsea structures, risers, and shore approaches. Two case studies, design examples, and the author's own experiences as a pipeline integrity engineer are featured in this book. Readers will develop a high quality and in-depth understanding of the corrosion protection methods available and apply them to solve corrosion engineering problems. This book is aimed at students, practicing engineers, and scientists as an introduction to corrosion protection for the oil and gas industry, as well as to overcoming corrosion issues.

Oil and gas industries apply several techniques for assessing and mitigating the risks that are inherent in its operations. In this context, the application of Bayesian Networks (BNs) to risk assessment offers a different probabilistic version of causal reasoning. Introducing probabilistic nature of hazards, conditional probability and Bayesian thinking, it discusses how cause and effect of process hazards can be modelled using BNs and development of large BNs from basic building blocks. Focus is on development of BNs for typical equipment in industry including accident case studies and its usage along with other conventional risk assessment methods. Aimed at professionals in oil and gas industry, safety engineering, risk assessment, this book Brings together basics of Bayesian theory, Bayesian Networks and applications of the same to process safety hazards and risk assessment in the oil and gas industry Presents sequence of steps for setting up the model, populating the model with data and simulating the model for practical cases in a systematic manner Includes a comprehensive list on sources of failure data and tips on modelling and simulation of large and complex networks Presents modelling and simulation of loss of containment of actual equipment in oil and gas industry such as Separator, Storage tanks, Pipeline, Compressor and risk assessments Discusses case studies to demonstrate the practicability of use of Bayesian Network in routine risk assessments

Petroleum refining involves refining crude petroleum as well as producing raw materials for the petrochemical industry. This book covers current refinery processes and process-types that are likely to come on-stream during the next three to five decades. The book includes (1) comparisons of conventional feedstocks with heavy oil, tar sand bitumen, and bio-feedstocks; (2) properties and refinability of the various feedstocks; (3) thermal processes versus hydroprocesses; and (4) the influence of refining on the environment.

First published in 1981 as the Offshore Information Guide this guide to information sources has been hailed internationally as an indispensable handbook for the oil, gas and marine industries.

This book provides an overview of the chemical and physical concepts of instability and incompatibility of petroleum and liquid fuels. It helps the petroleum refinery personnel to handle liquid fuels from other sources as feedstocks for the refinery system.

Windfall is the boldest profile of the world's energy resources since Daniel Yergin's The Quest, asserting that the new energy abundance--due to oil and gas resources once deemed too expensive--is transforming the geo-political order and is boosting American power. "Riveting and comprehensive...a smart, deeply researched primer on the subject." --The New York Times Book ReviewAs a new administration focuses on driving American energy production, O'Sullivan's "refreshing and illuminating" (Foreign Policy) Windfall describes how new energy realities have profoundly affected the world of international relations and security. New technologies led to oversupplied oil markets and an emerging natural gas glut. This did more than drive down prices--it changed the structure of markets and altered the way many countries wield power and influence. America's new energy prowess has global implications. It transforms politics in Russia, Europe, China, and the Middle East. O'Sullivan considers the landscape, offering insights and presenting consequences for each region's domestic stability as energy abundance upends traditional partnerships, creating opportunities for cooperation. The advantages of this new abundance are greater than its downside for the US: it strengthens American hard and soft power. This is "a powerful argument for how America should capitalise on the 'New Energy Abundance'" (The Financial Times) and an explanation of how new energy realities create a strategic environment to America's advantage.

New materials hold the key to fundamental advances in energy conversion and storage, both of which are vital in order to meet the challenge of global warming and the finite nature of fossil fuels. Nanomaterials in particular offer unique properties or combinations of properties as electrodes and electrolytes in a range of energy devices. Supercapacitors have been widely acknowledged to be promising devices for energy storage. This book describes the latest progress in the discovery and development of nanoelectrolytes and nanoelectrodes for supercapacitor applications.

Algae presents a viable biofuel alternative because the production of algae for fuel, unlike other agro-based biofuels, does not compete with food production. This book covers algae-based biofuel options and discusses the design and economic viability of algal bioenergy co-production concepts.

This book addresses the three basic areas of combustion toxicology: combustion of materials, assessment of the toxicity of smoke, and understanding of hazards to humans. It is based on the papers published in the Journal of Fire Sciences during 1983-1987.

Harness State-of-the-Art Computational Modeling Tools Computational Modeling of Pulverized Coal Fired Boilers successfully establishes the use of computational modeling as an effective means to simulate and enhance boiler performance. This text factors in how computational flow models can provide a framework for developing a greater understanding of the underlying processes in PC boilers. It also provides a detailed account of the methodology of computational modeling of pulverized coal boilers, as well as an apt approach to modeling complex processes occurring in PC boilers in a manageable way. Connects Modeling with Real-Life Applications Restricted to the combustion side of the boiler (the authors assume some prior background of reaction engineering and numerical techniques), the book describes the individual aspects of combustion and heat recovery sections of PC boilers that can be used to further improve the design methodologies, optimize boiler performance, and solve practical boiler-related problems. The book provides guidelines on implementing the material in commercial CFD solvers, summarizes key points, and presents relevant case studies. It can also be used to model larger boilers based on conventional, super-critical, or ultra-super critical technologies as well as based on oxy-fuel technologies. Consisting of six chapters, this functional text: Provides a general introduction Explains the overall approach and methodology Explores kinetics of coal pyrolysis (devolatilization) and combustion and methods of its evaluation Presents computational flow modeling approach to simulate pulverized coal fired boiler Covers modeling aspects from formulation of model equations to simulation methodology Determines typical results obtained with computational flow models Discusses the phenomenological models or reactor network models Includes practical applications of computational modeling Computational Modeling of Pulverized Coal Fired Boilers explores the potential of computational models for better engineering of pulverized coal boilers, providing an ideal resource for practicing engineers working in utility industries. It also benefits boiler design companies, industrial consultants, R & D laboratories, and engineering scientists/research students.

Engineering the physical, chemical, and energy properties of lignocellulosic biomass is important to produce high-quality consistent feedstocks with reduced variability for biofuels production. The emphasis of this book will be the beneficial impacts that mechanical, chemical, and thermal preprocessing methods can have on lignocellulosic biomass quality attributes or specifications for solid and liquid biofuels and biopower production technologies. "Preprocessing" refers to treatments that can occur at a distance from conversion and result in an intermediate with added value, with improved conversion performance and efficiency. This book explores the effects of mechanical, chemical, and thermal preprocessing methods on lignocellulosic biomass physical properties and chemical composition and their suitability for biofuels production. For example, biomass mechanical preprocessing methods like size reduction (which impacts the particle size and distribution) and densification (density and size and shape) are important for feedstocks to meet the quality requirements for both biochemical and thermochemical conversion methods like enzymatic conversion, gasification, and pyrolysis process. Thermal preprocessing methods like drying, deep drying, torrefaction, steam explosion, hydrothermal carbonization, and hydrothermal liquefaction effect feedstock's proximate, ultimate and energy property, making biomass suitable for both solid and liquid fuel production. Chemical preprocessing which includes washing, leaching, acid, alkali, and ammonia fiber explosion that can enable biochemical composition, such as modification of lignin and hemicellulose, and impacts the enzymatic conversion application for liquid fuels production. This book also explores the integration of these preprocessing technologies to achieve desired lignocellulosic biomass quality attributes for biofuels production.

The advancement of methods and technologies in the oil and gas industries calls for new insight into the corrosion problems these industries face daily. With the application of more precise instruments and laboratory techniques as well as the development of new scientific paradigms, corrosion professionals are also witnessing a new era in the way data are gathered and interpreted. Corrosion and Materials in the Oil and Gas Industries draws on state-of-the-art corrosion and materials technology as well as integrity management to offer guidance on dealing with aging and life extension in the oil and gas industries. Get Expert Insights on Corrosion Identification, Prevention, and Mitigation The book features contributions by engineers, scientists, and business managers from around the world, including major oil- and gas-producing and -exporting countries. Organized into four parts, the book first provides introductory and background information. The second part explains the properties of construction materials and the underlying mechanisms of degradation, including a chapter on microbiologically influenced corrosion. The third part of the book delves into inspection and maintenance issues, examining material selection, corrosion prevention strategies, and the role of design. It also supplies models to help you estimate corrosion damage and select mitigation and monitoring techniques. The fourth part tackles corrosion hazards, safety and risk, and reliability. It also links corrosion mitigation and the management of asset integrity, highlighting the need for companies to maintain their infrastructure to remain competitive. Interpret Field Findings More Confidently and Discover Solutions to Your Corrosion Problems Throughout, this richly illustrated book combines theory with practical strategies and examples from industry. As infrastructure ages and is pushed beyond its original design life to meet increasing energy demands, it is essential that those responsible for managing the infrastructure have a thorough understanding of material degradation and corrosion. This book is an invaluable reference for anyone involved in corrosion management and materials selection, particularly in the oil and gas industries, whether upstream, midstream, or downstream.

Data-driven analytics is enjoying unprecedented popularity among oil and gas professionals. Many reservoir engineering problems associated with geological storage of CO2 require the development of numerical reservoir simulation models. This book is the first to examine the contribution of artificial intelligence and machine learning in data-driven analytics of fluid flow in porous environments, including saline aquifers and depleted gas and oil reservoirs. Drawing from actual case studies, this book demonstrates how smart proxy models can be developed for complex numerical reservoir simulation models. Smart proxy incorporates pattern recognition capabilities of artificial intelligence and machine learning to build smart models that learn the intricacies of physical, mechanical and chemical interactions using precise numerical simulations. This ground breaking technology makes it possible and practical to use high fidelity, complex numerical reservoir simulation models in the design, analysis and optimization of carbon storage in geological formations projects.

The book covers advances in hydrothermal reduction of CO2 into low-carbon fuels. It offers perspectives from chemical engineering, environmental chemicals, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, geology and materials science. It addresses fundamentals and applications of hydrothermal chemical processes, associated materials, and technologies. It describes reduction with biomass and dissociation of water by solar energy-driven two-step process. Challenges and strategies are discussed to facilitate research and development.