Chemical Processes in Renewable Energy Systems

Renewable Energy Technology for Engineers: Principles, Generation, Storage, Economics, and More The future requires substantial growth in renewable energy systems in order to address carbon emissions and climate change, while still improving human life. To meet this challenge, many engineers and other technical professionals need new theoretical and practical knowledge, including greater familiarity with current and emerging renewable technologies. In Chemical Processes in Renewable Energy Systems, Dr. Vivek Utgikar introduces the fundamental principles, transformations, and applications associated with each leading form of renewable energy. Writing for engineering students and practitioners, Utgikar covers solar, biomass, hydro, wind, ocean, and geothermal energy, as well as hybrid systems that integrate generation with storage. He also introduces essential principles of techno-economic analysis, to clarify issues that will continue to inform policy concerning renewable energy systems. Utgikar discusses state-of-the-art, recent developments, as well as enduring scientific and technological principles and transformations, and provides complete references to encourage deeper exploration. The resulting text will help you quickly get up to date and then stay up to date as technological, social, and economic factors evolve. - Understand energy's role in society, the limits and risks of fossil sources, and renewable alternatives - Compare the leading forms of primary renewable energy and the transformations they make possible - Learn how concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) systems improve solar energy utilization - Explore complex transformations of biomass energy into electricity, heat, and fuel chemicals - Optimize transformations in renewable systems that are primarily mechanical and thermal, such as hydro, wind, ocean, and geothermal - Consider engineering issues associated with hybrid systems that combine generation with batteries or other forms of storage - Apply principles of techno-economic analysis to renewables to make better policy or business decisions For students, this guide will illuminate both the technical principles and policy perspectives influencing the move to renewables. For practitioners, it offers a refresher and ready reference to implement any renewable energy system, now and in the future. Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.

Dr. Vivek Utgikar is a professor of chemical engineering in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Idaho. He has also served as the Director of the Nuclear Engineering program and the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education for the College of Engineering at the University of Idaho. He was a National Research Council Associate at the National Risk Management Research Laboratory of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Cincinnati, Ohio, prior to joining the University of Idaho. Dr. Utgikar is a registered professional engineer with process development, design, and engineering experience in chemical industry, and holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Cincinnati. His other degrees include bachelor's and master's degrees in chemical engineering from the Mumbai University, India.

Foreword xv Preface xvii Acknowledgments xxi About the Author xxiii Chapter 1: Introduction to Energy Systems 1 1.1 Energy and Society 1 1.2 Energy System Architecture 3 1.3 Evolution of Energy Systems 5 1.4 Future Energy Systems: Growth of Renewables 15 1.5 Summary 17 Chapter 2: Renewable Energy Sources 21 2.1 Primary Renewable Energy Sources 21 2.2 Transformations of Primary Renewable Energy Sources 32 2.3 Summary 41 Chapter 3: Transformations and Chemical Processes in Solar Energy Systems 45 3.1 Solar Thermal (CSP) Systems 45 3.2 Solar PV Systems 59 3.3 Summary 77 Chapter 4: Transformations and Chemical Processes in Biomass Energy Systems 83 4.1 Biomass Characteristics 84 4.2 Biomass Pretreatment 94 4.3 Biomass Transformations 103 4.4 Summary 123 Chapter 5: Transformations and Chemical Processes in Mechanical, Geothermal, and Ocean Energy Systems 131 5.1 Transformations of Mechanical Energy 132 5.2 Transformations of Geothermal Energy 138 5.3 Transformations of Ocean Energy 146 5.4 Summary 170 Chapter 6: Hybrid Energy Systems 177 6.1 Intermittency in Renewable Energy Systems:Causes and Impacts 178 6.2 HES: Definition and Architecture 180 6.3 Energy Storage: Fundamentals and Alternatives 184 6.4 Separations and Processes in Chemical Energy Storage 193 6.5 Separations and Processes in TES 223 6.6 Summary 230 Chapter 7: Techno-Economic Analysis of Renewable Energy Systems 239 7.1 Current Status of Renewable Energy Systems 239 7.2 Economics and Energy Balance of Energy Systems 245 7.3 Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy Systems 253 7.4 Role of Public Policy in Energy Transitions 259 7.5 Summary 267 Epilogue and the Path Forward 273 Appendix A: Conversion Factors and Constants 275 Appendix B: Thermodynamic Power Cycles: A Primer 279 Index 285