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Author: Vaclav Smil
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262536161
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 564
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Book Description
A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. "I wait for new Smil books the way some people wait for the next 'Star Wars' movie. In his latest book, Energy and Civilization: A History, he goes deep and broad to explain how innovations in humans' ability to turn energy into heat, light, and motion have been a driving force behind our cultural and economic progress over the past 10,000 years. —Bill Gates, Gates Notes, Best Books of the Year Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done. The conversion of energy on Earth ranges from terra-forming forces of plate tectonics to cumulative erosive effects of raindrops. Life on Earth depends on the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy into plant biomass. Humans have come to rely on many more energy flows—ranging from fossil fuels to photovoltaic generation of electricity—for their civilized existence. In this monumental history, Vaclav Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. Humans are the only species that can systematically harness energies outside their bodies, using the power of their intellect and an enormous variety of artifacts—from the simplest tools to internal combustion engines and nuclear reactors. The epochal transition to fossil fuels affected everything: agriculture, industry, transportation, weapons, communication, economics, urbanization, quality of life, politics, and the environment. Smil describes humanity's energy eras in panoramic and interdisciplinary fashion, offering readers a magisterial overview. This book is an extensively updated and expanded version of Smil's Energy in World History (1994). Smil has incorporated an enormous amount of new material, reflecting the dramatic developments in energy studies over the last two decades and his own research over that time.
Author: Vaclav Smil
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262536161
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 564
Get Book Here
Book Description
A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. "I wait for new Smil books the way some people wait for the next 'Star Wars' movie. In his latest book, Energy and Civilization: A History, he goes deep and broad to explain how innovations in humans' ability to turn energy into heat, light, and motion have been a driving force behind our cultural and economic progress over the past 10,000 years. —Bill Gates, Gates Notes, Best Books of the Year Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done. The conversion of energy on Earth ranges from terra-forming forces of plate tectonics to cumulative erosive effects of raindrops. Life on Earth depends on the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy into plant biomass. Humans have come to rely on many more energy flows—ranging from fossil fuels to photovoltaic generation of electricity—for their civilized existence. In this monumental history, Vaclav Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. Humans are the only species that can systematically harness energies outside their bodies, using the power of their intellect and an enormous variety of artifacts—from the simplest tools to internal combustion engines and nuclear reactors. The epochal transition to fossil fuels affected everything: agriculture, industry, transportation, weapons, communication, economics, urbanization, quality of life, politics, and the environment. Smil describes humanity's energy eras in panoramic and interdisciplinary fashion, offering readers a magisterial overview. This book is an extensively updated and expanded version of Smil's Energy in World History (1994). Smil has incorporated an enormous amount of new material, reflecting the dramatic developments in energy studies over the last two decades and his own research over that time.
Author: José M. Maza-Ortega
Publisher: MDPI
ISBN: 3039283766
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 276
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Book Description
Electric power systems are headed for a true changing of the guard, due to the urgent need for achieving sustainable energy delivery. Fortunately, the development of new technologies is driving the transition of power systems toward a carbon-free paradigm while maintaining the current standards of quality, efficiency, and resilience. The introduction of HVDC and FACTS in the 20th century, taking advantage of dramatic improvements in power electronics and control, gave rise to unprecedented levels of flexibility and speed of response in comparison with traditional electromechanical devices. This flexibility is nowadays required more than ever in order to solve a puzzle with pieces that do not always fit perfectly. This Special Issue aims to address the role that FACTS and HVDC systems can play in helping electric power systems face the challenges of the near future.
Author: L. Ashok Kumar
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 100028431X
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 239
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Book Description
Optimal Power Flow Using FACTS Devices: Soft Computing Techniques develops intelligent algorithms to analyze optimal power flow (OPF) and to enhance the power transfer capability of the transmission line with reduced congestion. By providing elaborate studies on FACTS devices and by using soft computing metaheuristics algorithms such as Firefly, Cuckoo, Flower Pollination, and others., this book enables readers to know about algorithms in real-time power system applications and damping of subsynchronous resonance (SSR) oscillations. Key features of this book include: Offers comprehensive review of FACTS devices and the importance of soft computing techniques for solving OPF. Describes the various problems associated with power system operation and control. Addresses issues of SSR in power systems and proposes soft techniques for SSR analysis in power systems. Demonstrates of the importance of SSR and congestion management using intelligent FACTS devices as part of OPF. Covers power systems’ reliability, quality, cost-effectiveness, effects on customer goodwill, and pollution limits, including the deregulation of markets and different intelligent controllers. Optimal Power Flow Using FACTS Devices: Soft Computing Techniques is aimed at researchers and professionals in the field of power systems.
Author: Shi, Yuhui
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 1466615931
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 387
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Book Description
The natural social behavior of large groups of animals, such as flocks of birds, schools of fish, or colonies of ants has fascinated scientists for hundreds of years, if not longer, due to the intricate nature of their interactions and their ability to move and work together seemingly effortlessly. Innovations and Developments of Swarm Intelligence Applications explores the emerging realm of swarm intelligence, which finds its basis in the natural social behavior of animals. The study and application of this swarm behavior has led scientists to a new world of research as ways are found to apply this behavior to independent intelligent agents, creating complex solutions for real world applications. Worldwide contributions have been seamlessly combined in this comprehensive reference, providing a wealth of new information for researchers, academicians, students, and engineers.
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electric power production
Languages : en
Pages : 152
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Book Description
This publication provides industry data on electric power, including generating capability, generation, fuel consumption, cost of fuels, and retail sales and revenue.
Author: Kathleen M Reilly
Publisher: Nomad Press
ISBN: 1936749319
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 240
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Book Description
Energy is a vital part of our lives. It powers our computer, lights our home, and moves our car. It also costs a lot of money and pollutes our environment. In Energy: 25 Projects Investigate Why We Need Power and How We Get It, kids ages 9–12 learn about the history and science of the world’s energy sources, from nonrenewable fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas to renewable sources such as solar and wind power. Sidebars and fun trivia break up the text, making it easily accessible and engaging, while hands-on projects encourage active learning. Requiring little adult supervision and using supplies commonly found in most households, activities range from constructing a battery to recreating an oil spill to see how difficult cleanup can be. By exploring the advantages and disadvantages of each energy source, kids will gain insight into the future of energy and its impact on our planet.
Author: Joseph Toomey
Publisher: Archway Publishing
ISBN: 148080892X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 571
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Book Description
It is difficult to find an area of public policy more plagued by misunderstanding than energy policy. Even worse, every time the subject is raised, we are obligated to get mired in pointless arguments about the weather. This book helps set the record straight. Not convinced? Consider some of these inconvenient truths: The cost of green energy climate remediation is anywhere from 10-to-1,000 times greater than the damage from the climate change it attempts to alleviate. Germany, the worlds leader in solar energy, will spend more than $280 billion by 2030 on solar subsidies. But all of that investment will only forestall 22nd century global warming by 37 hours. Obamas carbon tax would cost Americans $1.2 trillion over just ten years. But it would only reduce the midrange 3 degree modeled 22nd century global temperature increase by 0.038 degrees Celsius. At their current emissions growth rate, it will take China nine months to replace the entire U.S. emissions cut that Obama wants to achieve over seven years, at a staggering cost in American jobs and lost economic growth. The U.S. biofuel program imposes a cost on consumers 9,862 times greater than any climate benefit they or their distant progeny will ever derive. This is not another skeptical global warming polemic but an economic evaluation of how and why green energy will fail. The world has too many pressing needs. For the money Obama squandered on just a single bankrupt crony solar company, the U.S. could have prevented 300,000 childhood malaria deaths in poor countries. A thoroughly researched, heavily documented book by an expert in his field, it will demonstrate in meticulous detail how wasteful and economically inefficient Obamas green energy dead end future will be compared to other worthy alternatives. Its time to end the hysterical climate cynicism and get on humanitys side.
Author: Kristin Shrader-Frechette
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199794758
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 367
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Book Description
What Will Work makes a rigorous and compelling case that energy efficiencies and renewable energy-and not nuclear fission or "clean coal"-are the most effective, cheapest, and equitable solutions to the pressing problem of climate change.
Author: Benjamin K. Sovacool
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136850635
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 455
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Book Description
This Handbook examines the subject of energy security: its definition, dimensions, ways to measure and index it, and the complicating factors that are often overlooked. The volume identifies varying definitions and dimensions of energy security, including those that prioritize security of supply and affordability alongside those that emphasize availability, energy efficiency, trade, environmental quality, and social and political stewardship. It also explores the various metrics that can be used to give energy security more coherence, and also to enable it to be measured, including recent attempts to measure energy security progress at the national level, with a special emphasis placed on countries within the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), countries within Asia, and industrialized countries worldwide. This Handbook: • Broadens existing discussions of energy security that center on access to fuels, including "oil security" and "coal security." • Focuses not only on the supply side of energy but also the demand, taking a hard look at energy services and politics along with technologies and infrastructure; • Investigates energy security issues such as energy poverty, equity and access, and development; • Analyzes ways to index and measure energy security progress at the national and international level. This book will be of much interest to students of energy security, energy policy, economics, environmental studies, and IR/Security Studies in general.
Author: Shi Cheng
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3030150704
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 305
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Book Description
Brain Storm Optimization (BSO) algorithms are a new kind of swarm intelligence method, which is based on the collective behavior of human beings, i.e., on the brainstorming process. Since the introduction of BSO algorithms in 2011, many studies on them have been conducted. They not only offer an optimization method, but could also be viewed as a framework of optimization techniques. The process employed in the algorithms could be simplified as a framework with two basic operations: the converging operation and the diverging operation. A “good enough” optimum could be obtained through recursive solution divergence and convergence. The resulting optimization algorithm would naturally have the capability of both convergence and divergence. This book is primarily intended for researchers, engineers, and graduate students with an interest in BSO algorithms and their applications. The chapters cover various aspects of BSO algorithms, and collectively provide broad insights into what these algorithms have to offer. The book is ideally suited as a graduate-level textbook, whereby students may be tasked with the study of the rich variants of BSO algorithms that involves a hands-on implementation to demonstrate the utility and applicability of BSO algorithms in solving optimization problems.
