Description
A solution to the climate and energy crisis
The reversible fuel cell (RFC) described in this volume stores solar energy and thereby makes it continuously available. This can make the building of energy-free homes and all electric transportation a reality. The foldout drawing at the back of this book also describes the detailed design of the world’s first 1,000 megawatt solar-hydrogen power plant.
How is this possible?
Our planet receives more solar energy in an hour than humans use in a year. In fact, 5% of the Sahara could meet the total energy requirement of mankind. This energy can then be stored and transported in the form of hydrogen.
Converting from an exhaustible energy economy to a clean, free, and inexhaustible one
It is time to harness the power of solar energy
With global energy consumption quadrupling in the last fifty years and atmospheric carbon dioxide reaching the highest level ever recorded, now is the time to prevent further damage to the planet and ensure the survival of human civilization. It is debatable how much time we have before our fossil and uranium deposits are exhausted. It is also debatable how much climate change we can live with or how much of our economic resources should be devoted to stabilizing and reversing mankind’s growing carbon footprint. What is not debatable is that our resources are exhaustible and that we must not give reason for our grandchildren to ask, "Why did you not act in time?".
Table of Contents
The Case for Renewable Energy Processes
Global Trends
Global Warming
Nonsolar Renewable Technologies
Solar Energy
Hydrogen Technology
The Renewable Energy Economy
Costs and Efficiencies
Conclusion
Control and Optimization of Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Processes
Boiler Control and Optimization
Building Conditioning Optimization
Chiller and Heat Pump Optimization
Compressor Optimization
Control and Optimization Theory
Cooling Tower Optimization
Distillation Optimization
Fuel Cell Controls
Geothermal Controls
Heat Exchanger Optimization
Hydrogen Process Optimization
Power Plant Optimization
Pumping Station Optimization
Solar Collector Farm Controls
Steam Turbine Optimization
Sensors and Analyzers for Renewable Energy Processes
Analyzers
Anemometers
BTU and Heat Rate Measurement
Electric Meters and Peak Shedding
Energy Management Systems
Explosion Suppression
Fire, Flame, and Smoke Detectors
Leak Detectors
Temperature
Weather Stations and Solar Detectors
The Design of the World’s First Full-Size Solar-Hydrogen Demonstration Power Plant
Solar-Hydrogen Demonstration Power Plant
The Process
Unique Design Features and Inventions
Profitability Optimization
Optimizing Control Systems
Solar Farm Optimization
Boiler and Heat Storage Optimization
Boiler Feedwater Optimization
Geothermal Heat Pump Optimization
Regenerative Electrolyzer Optimization
Hydrogen Liquefier Optimization
Methanol Converter System
Optimized Hydrogen Compression
Conclusions
