Energy and Society: An Introduction

706 Pages·2014·14.959 MB·English

by  Schobert, Harold H

Mechanical Engineering Schobert S E C O N D E D I T I O N
Energy Society
S E C O N D E D ITI O N
Energy Society
AN I NTR O D U CTI O N
and
and
E
“Energy and Society guides the reader through humanity’s efforts to harness n
and generate power, for both work and play. Energy and Society provides
an excellent introduction for anyone who wants to learn about energy use e
A N I N T R O D U C T I O N
throughout human history.”
—Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, Vol. 23, June 2003 r
g
“Schobert does an excellent job of presenting facts about our past energy use,
how it developed, and social issues related to power and energy. I found the
y
many little-known facts presented very interesting, which made reading the
book very enjoyable. The way the book was put together made it seem less like
a
a textbook and more like a book written for pleasure reading. … an excellent
n
source for lessons on the development of power and energy, basic power,
d
and energy background information.”

—Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, Vol. 40, Summer 2003 S
Energy and Society: An Introduction, Second Edition provides readers
o
with a detailed introduction to energy sources and energy utilization. This book
presents an overview of alternative energy issues and technologies, discusses
c
the pros and cons of various energy sources, and explores their impacts on
society and the environment.
i
What’s New in the Second Edition: e
This second edition offers simple updates as well as completely rewritten t
material regarding the last decade in areas including climate change, oil prices,
renewable and alternative fuels, and diversion of civil nuclear energy programs y
into nuclear weapons proliferation.

It covers the development of energy technology from the time of early humans

through antiquity, medieval times, and the Industrial Revolution. It also
addresses the development of nuclear energy, energy supply and demand,
geopolitics and energy, and various environmental issues associated with
energy use.
K11273 S E C O N D
E D I T I O N
Harold H. Schobert
S E C O N D E D I T I O N
Energy Society
and
A N I N T R O D U C T I O N

S E C O N D E D I T I O N
Energy Society
and
A N I N T R O D U C T I O N
H a r o l d H . S c h o b e r t
Boca Raton London New York
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Contents
Preface......................................................................................................................xv
Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................xvii
Author .....................................................................................................................xix
Chapter 1 Introduction ..........................................................................................1
Energy and Us ......................................................................................1
Energy and Nations ..............................................................................5
Where We’re Going ..............................................................................7
References ............................................................................................9
Further Readings ................................................................................10
Chapter 2 Energy, Work, and Power ...................................................................11
Work, Energy, and Power in the Scientific Context ...........................12
How Much Work Gets Done ..............................................................17
Brief History of the Human Use of Energy .......................................18
References ..........................................................................................20
Further Readings ................................................................................20
Chapter 3 Human Energy ...................................................................................21
Energy in Foods and Energy in Fuels ................................................26
Why Can’t We Eat Coal and Drink Oil? ............................................28
Why Don’t We Catch on Fire When We Eat? ....................................30
Where Does the Energy in Food Come From? ..................................34
References ..........................................................................................36
Further Readings ................................................................................36
Chapter 4 The Energy Balance ...........................................................................37
Further Readings ................................................................................44
Chapter 5 Fire .....................................................................................................45
Early Uses of Fire ...............................................................................46
The Process of Burning ......................................................................49
Further Readings ................................................................................55
v
vi Contents
Chapter 6 Firewood .............................................................................................57
How Does Wood Burn? ......................................................................57
Where Does the Energy in Wood Come From? .................................59
Problems Associated with Wood Combustion ...................................61
Energy Crises Made of Wood ............................................................62
Wood in the Industrialized World Today ...........................................66
Wood in the Developing World ..........................................................69
References ..........................................................................................73
Further Readings ................................................................................74
Chapter 7 Combustion for Home Comfort ..........................................................75
Central Heating in History .................................................................75
Stoves..................................................................................................77
Combustion: The Story So Far ...........................................................78
The Fuels ............................................................................................80
Wood ..............................................................................................80
Coal................................................................................................80
Petroleum Products ........................................................................83
Natural Gas ....................................................................................84
The Smoke Problem ...........................................................................85
About the Humble Match ...................................................................88
References ..........................................................................................89
Further Readings ................................................................................89
Chapter 8 Waterwheels .......................................................................................91
Kinetic Energy ...................................................................................91
Potential Energy .................................................................................92
Spontaneous Change and the Energy Diagram ..................................94
Waterwheels in the Ancient World .....................................................96
Waterwheels in the Medieval World ................................................101
Waterwheels in the Early Modern World .........................................104
Water “Power” as a Form of Solar Energy .......................................107
Water “Power” and the Environment ...............................................107
References ........................................................................................109
Further Readings ..............................................................................109
Chapter 9 Wind Energy ....................................................................................111
Where Does Wind Come From? ......................................................111
Windmills in the Islamic World .......................................................112
The Medieval Post Mill ....................................................................114
The Turret Mill .................................................................................117
Wind Energy in the Early Modern Age ...........................................120
References ........................................................................................123
Further Readings ..............................................................................124
Contents vii
Chapter 10 Steam Engine ...................................................................................125
“Prehistory” of Steam ......................................................................125
Otto von Guericke and the Force of the Atmosphere .......................126
Atmospheric Engine .........................................................................128
James Watt and the Steam Engine ...................................................135
Richard Trevithick: Steam on Wheels .............................................141
Steam: Energy for the Industrial Revolution ....................................144
References ........................................................................................145
Further Readings ..............................................................................146
Chapter 11 Heat and Thermal Efficiency ...........................................................147
Notion of Efficiency .........................................................................147
Temperature and Thermal Potential Energy ....................................148
Gas Laws and the Quest for Absolute Zero......................................151
Quantifying Efficiency .....................................................................154
Equivalence of Heat and Work .........................................................161
Heat and How It Is Transferred ........................................................169
How Much Heat Flows? ...................................................................170
References ........................................................................................171
Further Readings ..............................................................................171
Chapter 12 Introduction to Electricity ................................................................173
“Prehistory” of Electricity ................................................................173
Early “Electricians” ..........................................................................173
Electric Fluid and Its Potential .........................................................179
Electric Current ................................................................................179
Resistance .........................................................................................180
Electric Power ..................................................................................186
References ........................................................................................188
Further Readings ..............................................................................189
Chapter 13 How Electricity Is Generated ...........................................................191
Luigi Galvani’s Frogs .......................................................................191
Alessandro Volta and the Early “Battery” .......................................192
Batteries ............................................................................................195
The Great Dane ................................................................................197
Michael Faraday and the Invention of the Generator .......................199
References ........................................................................................203
Further Readings ..............................................................................204
Chapter 14 Impacts of Electricity on Society .....................................................205
Breaking the Geographic Barrier .....................................................205
Electric Lighting ...............................................................................207
viii Contents
And Then There Was Edison… .......................................................209
Electric Motors .................................................................................213
AC or DC? ........................................................................................218
References ........................................................................................221
Further Readings ..............................................................................222
Chapter 15 Electricity from Falling Water .........................................................223
The Rotary Generator ......................................................................223
The Water Turbine ............................................................................223
Hydropower ......................................................................................229
Dams: Pros and Cons .......................................................................235
References ........................................................................................242
Further Readings ..............................................................................243
Chapter 16 Electricity from Steam .....................................................................245
Reciprocating Steam Engines in Electricity Generation ..................245
Early History of the Steam Turbine .................................................246
The Parsons Turbine .........................................................................247
Digression: Steam-Turbine Applications in Ship Propulsion ...........249
Robert Boyle and the Behavior of Gases..........................................250
Turbines as Heat Engines .................................................................255
The Turbine/Generator Set ...............................................................257
How to Get Up a Head of Steam ......................................................258
Heat Transfer ....................................................................................259
The Boiler .........................................................................................260
How to Burn Coal ............................................................................261
The Coal-Fired Electric Generating Plant .......................................264
Overall Plant Layout.........................................................................270
References ........................................................................................272
Further Readings ..............................................................................272
Chapter 17 Energy for Transportation ................................................................273
Humans and Other Animals.............................................................273
Sailing Ships: Moving with the Wind ..............................................276
Steam for Transportation ..................................................................277
Locomotives ................................................................................277
Ships ............................................................................................279
Road Vehicles ..............................................................................282
The Coming of Petroleum ................................................................284
Automobiles .....................................................................................286
Early Aviation ...................................................................................289
The Diesel ........................................................................................292
The Jet ..............................................................................................293
Contents ix
Energy Demands of Transportation .................................................295
References ........................................................................................297
Further Readings ..............................................................................298
Chapter 18 Petroleum and Its Products ...............................................................299
Fossil Fuels and the Global Carbon Cycle .......................................299
Cooking Kerogen .............................................................................301
Natural Gas ......................................................................................303
Petroleum and Its Age–Depth Classification ...................................306
Products from Petroleum: Introduction to Refining .........................313
Reference ..........................................................................................314
Further Readings ..............................................................................314
Chapter 19 Gasoline ............................................................................................315
Otto-Cycle Engines and Their Performance ....................................315
Octane Number ................................................................................318
Producing Gasoline in the Refinery .................................................319
Straight-Run Gasoline from Distillation .....................................319
Alkylation ....................................................................................320
Thermal Cracking .......................................................................320
Catalytic Cracking .......................................................................321
Catalytic Reforming ....................................................................323
Octane Enhancers ........................................................................324
Blending .......................................................................................326
Further Readings ..............................................................................327
Chapter 20 Impact of the Automobile .................................................................329
The Cycling Craze ............................................................................329
How Railroads Put People in Cars ...................................................332
American Dominance in Automobile Manufacturing .....................334
Effects of Growing Automobile Use ................................................337
Cars and Industrial Growth .........................................................337
Suburbs ........................................................................................337
Road Building ..............................................................................340
Transforming the Social Scene....................................................341
References ........................................................................................344
Further Readings ..............................................................................345
Chapter 21 Jet Engines and Jet Fuel ...................................................................347
Kerosene as a Refinery Product .......................................................347
The Jet Engine ..................................................................................348
The Early History of the Jet Engine ............................................348