Energy and Society: An IntroductionGuides the reader through the various energy sources available to humans and how we implement them. The book is intended for readers who do not have a science and technology background; it serves as an introduction to work, energy and efficiency. Examples range from human's earliest work endeavors such as building pyramids to the inspiration and development of Henry Ford's first automobile up through alternative energy sources. Also, among the many topics covered are: energy, work, and power; combustion for home comfort; the steam engine; how electricity is generated; boilers and heat transfer; cars and their impact; atoms and atomic energy; Three Mile Island and Chernobyl; Acid rain; smog; nuclear fusion; the greenhouse effect; and much, much more. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Energy Work and Power | 9 |
Human Energy | 17 |
The Energy Balance | 33 |
Fire | 39 |
Firewood | 49 |
Combustion for Home Comfort | 65 |
Waterwheels | 81 |
Cars and their Impact | 311 |
Jet Engines and Jet Fuel | 327 |
Diesel Engines and Diesel Fuel | 343 |
Atoms and Atomic Energy | 355 |
Radioactivity Fission and Chain Reactions | 367 |
Nuclear Power Plants | 387 |
The Nuclear Controversy | 403 |
Energy and the Environment 427 iii | 425 |
Wind Energy | 101 |
The Steam Engine | 113 |
Heat and Thermal Efficiency | 129 |
An Introduction to Electricity | 153 |
How Electricity is Generated | 169 |
Impacts of Electricity on Society | 181 |
Electricity from Falling Water | 195 |
Electricity from Steam | 211 |
Boilers and Heat Transfer | 229 |
Electricity from Coal | 241 |
Energy for Transportation | 257 |
Petroleum and its Products | 281 |
Gasoline | 297 |
Acid Rain | 441 |
Vehicle Emissions and Emissionless Vehicles | 463 |
The Greenhouse Effect | 477 |
Reserves Resources and Geopolitics | 501 |
Renewable Energy from Biomass | 531 |
Electricity from Wind | 565 |
Energy from the Sun | 581 |
Bringing the Sun to Earth | 605 |
Glossary | 619 |
Resources for Learning More | 633 |
637 | |
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