net Alternative Energy www.net Alternative Energy Volume 1 www.net Neil Schlager and Jayne Weisblatt, editors www.net Alternative Energy Neil Schlager and Jayne Weisblatt, Editors Project Editor Indexing Services Product Design Madeline S. Harris Factiva, a Dow Jones & Reuters Company Jennifer Wahi Rights and Acquisitions Editorial Composition Margaret Abendroth, Timothy Sisler Luann Brennan, Marc Faeber, Kristine Evi Seoud, Mary Beth Trimper Krapp, Elizabeth Manar, Kim McGrath, Paul Imaging and Multimedia Lewon, Rebecca Parks, Heather Price, Randy Bassett, Lezlie Light, Michael Manufacturing Lemma Shomali Logusz, Christine O’Bryan, Denay Wilding Wendy Blurton, Dorothy Maki www.net ª 2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the For permission to use material from While every effort has been made to Thomson Corporation. this product, submit your request via ensure the reliability of the informa- Web at http://www.com/ tion presented in this publication, Thomson and Star Logo are trademarks permissions, or you may download our Thomson Gale does not guarantee the and Gale and UXL are registered Permissions Request form and submit accuracy of the data contained herein. trademarks used herein under license.
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Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7876-9440-1 (set hardcover : alk. paper) – ISBN 0-7876-9439-8 (vol 1 : alk. paper) – ISBN 0-7876-9441-X (vol 2 : alk.
paper) – ISBN 0-7876-9442-8 (vol 3 : alk. Renewable energy sources. Schlager, Neil, 1966- II.79’4–dc22 2006003763 This title is also available as an e-book ISBN 1-4414-0507-3 Contact your Thomson Gale sales representative for ordering information. Printed in China 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 www.net Contents www.
viii Words to Know. xxi CHAPTER 1: FOSSIL FUELS Introduction: What are Fossil Fuels?. 044 Liquefied Petroleum Gas: Propane and Butane. 050 Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether.
052 For More Information. 054 CHAPTER 2: BIOENERGY Introduction: What is Bioenergy?. 075 Vegetable Oil Fuels. 084 Ethanol and Other Alcohol Fuels.
092 For More Information. 094 CHAPTER 3: GEOTHERMAL ENERGY Introduction: What is Geothermal Energy?. 118 Alternative Energy v www.net CONTENTS Geothermal Power Plants. 121 Geothermal Heating Applications.
130 For More Information. 131 CHAPTER 4: HYDROGEN Introduction: What is Hydrogen Energy?. 165 For More Information .net CHAPTER 5: NUCLEAR ENERGY Introduction: What is Nuclear Energy?. 171 How Nuclear Energy Works.
184 Current and Future Technology. 188 Benefits and Drawbacks. 206 Barriers to Implementation or Acceptance. 207 For More Information.
208 CHAPTER 6: SOLAR ENERGY Introduction: What is Solar Energy?. 209 Passive Solar Design. 226 Transpired Solar Collectors. 228 Solar Water Heating Systems.
255 For More Information. 258 CHAPTER 7: WATER ENERGY Introduction: What is Water Energy?. 275 vi Alternative Energy www.net CONTENTS Hydroelectricity. 279 Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion.
294 Ocean Wave Power. 299 For More Information. 302 CHAPTER 8: WIND ENERGY Introduction: What is Wind Energy?. 305 How Wind Energy Works.
317 Current and Future Technology. 321 Benefits and Drawbacks of Wind Energy. 324 Current and Potential Uses. 329 Issues, Challenges, and Obstacles.
334 For More Information .net CHAPTER 9: ENERGY CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENCY Introduction. 337 Climate Responsive Buildings. 341 Green Building Materials. 352 Energy Efficiency and Conservation in the Home.
365 Leaving an Energy Footprint on the Earth. 374 For More Information. 377 CHAPTER 10: POSSIBLE FUTURE ENERGY SOURCES Is Alternative Energy Enough?. 380 Dreams of Free Energy.
384 Perpetual Motion, an Energy Fraud and Scam. 385 Advances in Electricity and Magnetism. 386 Zero Point Energy. 395 Solar Power Satellites.
407 No Magic Bullets. 408 For More Information. 409 WHERE TO LEARN MORE. xxxix Alternative Energy vii www.net Introduction www.net Alternative Energy offers readers comprehensive and easy-to-use information on the development of alternative energy sources.
Although the set focuses on new or emerging energy sources, such as geothermal power and solar energy, it also discusses existing energy sources such as those that rely on fossil fuels. Each volume begins with a general overview that presents the complex issues surrounding existing and potential energy sources. These include the increasing need for energy, the world’s current dependence on nonrenewable sources of energy, the impact on the environment of current energy sources, and implications for the future. The over- view will help readers place the new and alternative energy sources in perspective.
Each of the first eight chapters in the set covers a different energy source. These chapters each begin with an overview that defines the source, discusses its history and the scientists who developed it, and outlines the applications and technologies for using the source. Following the chapter overview, readers will find information about specific technologies in use and potential uses as well. Two additional chapters explore the need for conservation and the move toward more energy-efficient tools, building materi- als, and vehicles and the more theoretical (and even imaginary) energy sources that might become reality in the future.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Each volume of Alternative Energy includes the overview, a glos- sary called "Words to Know," a list of sources for more information, and an index. The set has 100 photos, charts, and illustrations to viii Alternative Energy www.net INTRODUCTION enliven the text, and sidebars provide additional facts and related information. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS U•X•L would like to thank several individuals for their assis- tance with this set. At Schlager Group, Jayne Weisblatt and Neil Schlager oversaw the writing and editing of the set.
O’Neal, Amy Hackney Blackwell, and A. Petruso wrote the text for the volumes. In addition, U•X•L editors would like to thank Dr. Peter Brim- blecombe for his expert review of these volumes.
Brimble- combe teaches courses on air pollution at the School of Environ- mental Sciences, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom. The editors also express their thanks for last minute contributions, review, and revisions to the final chapter on alternative and poten- www.net tial energy resources to Rory Clarke (physicist, CERN), Lee Wil- moth Lerner (electrical engineer and intern, NASA and the Fusion Research Laboratory at Auburn University), Larry Gilman (electri- cal engineer), and K. COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS We welcome your comments on Alternative Energy and sugges- tions for future editions of this work. Please write: Editors, Alter- native Energy, U•X•L, 27500 Drake Rd., Farmington Hills, Michi- gan 48331-3535; call toll free: 1-800-877-4253; fax: 248-699-8097; or send e-mail via www.
Alternative Energy ix www.net Words to Know www.net A acid rain: Rain with a high concentration of sulfuric acid, which can damage cars, buildings, plants, and water supplies where it falls. adobe: Bricks that are made from clay or earth, water, and straw, and dried in the sun. alkane: A kind of hydrocarbon in which the molecules have the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms and no double bonds. anaerobic: Without air; in the absence of air or oxygen.
anemometer: A device used to measure wind speed. anthracite: A hard, black coal that burns with little smoke. aquaculture: The formal cultivation of fish or other aquatic life forms. atomic number: The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
atomic weight: The combined number of an atom’s protons and neutrons. attenuator: A device that reduces the strength of an energy wave, such as sunlight. B balneology: The science of bathing in hot water. barrel: A common unit of measurement of crude oil, equivalent to 42 U.
gallons; barrels of oil per day, or BOPD, is a standard measurement of how much crude oil a well produces. x Alternative Energy www.net WORDS TO KNOW biodiesel: Diesel fuel made from vegetable oil. bioenergy: Energy produced through the combustion of organic materials that are constantly being created, such as plants. biofuel: A fuel made from organic materials that are constantly being created.
biomass: Organic materials that are constantly being created, such as plants. bitumen: A black, viscous (oily) hydrocarbon substance left over from petroleum refining, often used to pave roads. bituminous coal: Mid-grade coal that burns with a relatively high flame and smoke. brine: Water that is very salty, such as the water found in the ocean.net British thermal unit (Btu or BTU): A measure of heat energy, equivalent to the amount of energy it takes to raise the tempera- ture of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
butyl rubber: A synthetic rubber that does not easily tear. It is often used in hoses and inner tubes. C carbon sequestration: Storing the carbon emissions produced by coal-burning power plants so that pollutants are not released in the atmosphere. catalyst: A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction or allows it to occur under different conditions than otherwise possible.
cauldron: A large metal pot. CFC (chlorofluorocarbon): A chemical compound used as a refrigerant and propellant before being banned for fear it was destroying the ozone layer. Clean Air Act: A U. law intended to reduce and control air pollution by setting emissions limits for utilities.
climate-responsive building: A building, or the process of con- structing a building, using materials and techniques that take advan- tage of natural conditions to heat, cool, and light the building. coal: A solid hydrocarbon found in the ground and formed from plant matter compressed for millions of years. coke: A solid organic fuel made by burning off the volatile com- ponents of coal in the absence of air. Alternative Energy xi www.net WORDS TO KNOW cold fusion: Nuclear fusion that occurs without high heat; also referred to as low energy nuclear reactions.
compact fluorescent bulb: A lightbulb that saves energy as con- ventional fluorescent bulbs do, but that can be used in fixtures that normally take incandescent lightbulbs. compressed: To make more dense so that a substance takes up less space. conductive: A material that can transmit electrical energy. convection: The circulation movement of a substance resulting from areas of different temperatures and/or densities.
core: The center of the Earth.net coriolis force: The movement of air currents to the right or left caused by Earth’s rotation. corrugated steel: Steel pieces that have parallel ridges and troughs. critical mass: An amount of fissile material needed to produce an ongoing nuclear chain reaction. criticality: The point at which a nuclear fission reaction is in controlled balance.
crude oil: The unrefined petroleum removed from an oil well. crust: The outermost layer of the Earth. curie: A unit of measurement that measures an amount of radia- tion. current: The flow of electricity.
D decay: The breakdown of a radioactive substance over time as its atoms spontaneously give off neutrons. deciduous trees: Trees that shed their leaves in the fall and grow them in the spring. Such trees include maples and oaks. decommission: To take a nuclear power plant out of operation.
dependent: To be reliant on something. distillation: A process of separating or purifying a liquid by boiling the substance and then condensing the product.
