Alternative Energy DeMystified. A Self-Teaching Guide

324 Pages·2006·2.05 MB·English

by  Stan Gibilisco

Alternative
Energy
Demystifi ed
Stan Gibilisco
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DOI: 10.1036/0071475540
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stan Gibilisco is one of McGraw-Hill’s most prolifi c and popular authors. His
clear, reader-friendly writing style makes his books accessible to a wide audience,
and his experience as an electronics engineer, researcher, and mathematician makes
him an ideal editor for reference books and tutorials. Stan has authored several titles
for the McGraw-Hill Demystifi ed library of home-schooling and self-teaching
volumes, along with more than 30 other books and dozens of magazine articles. His
work has been published in several languages. Booklist named his McGraw-Hill
Encyclopedia of Personal Computing one of the “Best References of 1996,” and
named his Encyclopedia of Electronics one of the “Best References of the 1980s.”
Copyright © 2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies. Click here for terms of use.
For more information about this title, click here
CONTENTS
Preface xiii
CHAPTER 1 Heating with Wood, Corn, and Coal 1
Energy, Power, and Heat 1
The Wood Stove 3
Pellet Stoves and Furnaces 8
Corn Stoves and Furnaces 11
Coal Stoves 12
Quiz 16
CHAPTER 2 Heating with Oil and Gas 19
Forced-Air Heating 19
Boilers, Radiators, and Subfl ooring 22
Oilheat Technology 25
Methane (Natural Gas) Heating 28
Propane Heating 31
Quiz 33
CHAPTER 3 Heating and Cooling with Electricity 37
Temperature 37
Electric Resistance Heating 40
Principles of Cooling 47
Electric Heat Pumps 51
Quiz 56
x Alternative Energy Demystifi ed
CHAPTER 4 Passive Solar Heating 59
Sunnyside Glass 59
Thermal Mass 62
Solar Water Heating 67
Sidehill Construction 70
Quiz 73
CHAPTER 5 Exotic Indoor Climate-Control Methods 77
Direct Wind-Powered Climate Control 77
Direct Hydroelectric Climate Control 80
Direct Photovoltaic Climate Control 83
Thermal-Mass Cooling 86
Evaporative Cooling 89
Subterranean Living 92
Quiz 94
CHAPTER 6 Conventional Propulsion 97
Gasoline Motor Vehicles 97
Petroleum Diesel Motor Vehicles 101
Conventional Jet Propulsion 104
Conventional Rocket Propulsion 107
Quiz 111
CHAPTER 7 Propulsion with Methane, Propane,
and Biofuels 115
Methane for Propulsion 115
Propane for Propulsion 117
Ethanol for Propulsion 120
Biodiesel for Propulsion 123
Quiz 127
CHAPTER 8 Propulsion with Electricity, Hydrogen,
and Fuel Cells 129
Electric Vehicles 129
Hybrid Electric Vehicles 135
Hydrogen-Fueled Vehicles 139
CONTENTS xi
Fuel-Cell Vehicles 142
Quiz 145
CHAPTER 9 Exotic Propulsion Methods 149
Magnetic Levitation 149
The Maglev Train 157
The Nuclear-Powered Ship 160
The Ion Rocket 163
Fusion Spacecraft Engines 165
The Solar Sail 168
Quiz 171
CHAPTER 10 Electricity from Fossil Fuels 173
Coal-Fired Power Plants 173
Oil-Fired Power Plants 178
Methane-Fired Power Plants 182
Onsite Combustion Generators 185
Quiz 189
CHAPTER 11 Electricity from Water and Wind 193
Large- and Medium-Scale Hydropower 193
Small-Scale Hydropower 197
Tidal-Electric Power 199
Wave-Electric Power 203
Large-Scale Wind Power 205
Small-Scale Wind Power 210
Quiz 216
CHAPTER 12 Electricity from Atoms and the Sun 219
Atoms 219
Power from Uranium Fission 221
Power from Hydrogen Fusion 225
Photovoltaics 232
Large-Scale PV Systems 240
Small-Scale PV Systems 242
Quiz 248
xii Alternative Energy Demystifi ed
CHAPTER 13 Exotic Electrifi cation Methods 251
Geothermal Power 251
Biomass Power 256
Small-Scale Fuel-Cell Power 260
Aeroelectric Power 263
Quiz 269
Final Exam 273
Answers to Quiz and Exam Questions 307
APPENDIX Suggested Additional Reading 311
Index 313
PREFACE
This book is for people who want to learn about diverse energy sources and
technologies without taking a formal course. It can serve as a classroom supplement,
tutorial aid, self-teaching guide, or home-schooling text.
As you take this course, you’ll encounter multiple-choice quizzes and a fi nal exam
to help you measure your progress. All quiz and exam questions are composed like
those in standardized tests. The quizzes are “open-book.” You may refer to the
chapter text when taking them. The fi nal exam contains questions drawn uniformly
from all the chapters. It is a “closed-book” test. Don’t look back at the text when
taking it. Answers to all quiz and exam questions are listed at the back of the book.
You don’t need a mathematical or scientifi c background for this course. Middle-
school algebra, geometry, and physics will suffi ce. I recommend that you complete
one chapter a week. That way, in a few months, you’ll fi nish the course. You can
then use this book, with its comprehensive index, as a permanent reference.
This book offers ideas for consumers, experimenters, and hobbyists, as well as
outlining the technical basics of energy generation, transport, and utilization.
However, this is not a design guide! If you want to install, modify, upgrade, or use
any of the systems discussed here, consult the appropriate professionals, and adhere
to all applicable laws, codes, and insurance requirements.
This is an entry-level science nonfi ction book for students and lay people. It is
not intended to promote or condemn any particular energy source, ideology, agenda,
or economic interest. I have done my best to objectively present the advantages and
limitations of various technologies from conventional to exotic. I invite input from
innovators, producers, and distributors concerning developments for possible
inclusion in future editions.
Stan Gibilisco
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CHAPTER 1
Heating with Wood,
Corn, and Coal
For some people, burning dead plant matter or solid fossil fuels can make the dif-
ference between comfort and freezing. For others, such fuels are cheaper or more
easily available than conventional heat sources such as methane, propane, or oil.
Let’s look at some “primitive” but time-proven methods of home heating. The
generic systems described here are typical, but variations abound.
Energy, Power, and Heat
Have you heard the terms energy, power, and heat used interchangeably as if they
mean the same thing? They don't! Energy is power manifested over time. Power is
the rate at which energy is expended. Heat is any form of energy transfer that causes
changes in temperature. Energy, power, and heat can be expressed in several ways,
and can occur in various forms.
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2 Alternative Energy Demystifi ed
THE JOULE
Physicists measure and express energy, regardless of its form, in units called joules.
One joule (1 J) is the equivalent of one watt (1 W) of power expended, radiated, or
dissipated for one second (1 s) of time. A joule is the equivalent of a watt-second,
and a watt is the equivalent of a joule per second. Mathematically:
1 J (cid:1) 1 W · s
1 W (cid:1) 1 J/s
In electrical heating systems, you’ll encounter the watt-hour(symbolized W · h
or Wh) or the kilowatt-hour (symbolized kW · h or kWh). A watt-hour is the
equivalent of 1 W dissipated for 1 h, and 1 kWh is the equivalent of one kilowatt
(1 kW) of power dissipated for 1 h. Note that 1 kW (cid:1) 1000 W. Therefore:
1 Wh (cid:1) 3600 J
1 kWh (cid:1) 3,600,000 J (cid:1) 3.6 (cid:2) 106 J
THE CALORIE
A less often used unit of heat is the calorie. One calorie (1 cal) is the amount of
energy transfer that raises the temperature of exactly one gram (1 g) of pure liquid
water by exactly one degree Celsius (1ºC). It is also the amount of energy lost by
1 g of pure liquid water if its temperature falls by 1ºC. The kilocalorie (kcal), also
called a diet calorie, is the amount of energy transfer involved when the temperature
of exactly one kilogram (1 kg), or 1000 g, of pure liquid water rises or falls by
exactly 1ºC. It turns out that 1 cal (cid:1) 4.184 J, and 1 kcal (cid:1) 4184 J.
This defi nition of the calorie holds true only as long as the water is liquid during
the entire process. If any of the water freezes, thaws, boils, or condenses, this
defi nition is not valid. At standard atmospheric pressure on the earth’s surface, in
general, this defi nition holds true for temperatures between approximately 0ºC (the
freezing point of water) and 100ºC (the boiling point).
THE BRITISH THERMAL UNIT (BTU)
In home heating applications in the United States, an archaic unit of energy is used:
theBritish thermal unit (Btu). You’ll hear this unit mentioned in advertisements for
furnaces and air conditioners.
One British thermal unit (1 Btu) is the amount of energy transfer that raises the
temperature of exactly one pound (1 lb) of pure liquid water by exactly one degree
Fahrenheit (1ºF). It is also the amount of energy lost by 1 lb of pure liquid water if