Energy and Society: An Introduction

Front Cover
CRC Press, Jun 14, 2002 - Science - 624 pages
Guides 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
Index
637
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