Wind and WaterWind and Water
There are enormous reserves of energy in the winds and the tides and in the temperature difference between the upper and lower regions of the oceans. If the energy produced from wind and water were converted into electrical energy, it would satisfy the electricity demands of the entire world many times over. However, this kind of conversion isn’t possible—not now or in the future.
Wind and Water describes conventional hydropower, or wind power, and some of the newer technologies (with less certain futures) that are being introduced to harness the power of ocean currents, ocean waves, and the temperature difference between the upper and lower layers of the ocean. The strengths and limitations of each technology are discussed as well as mathematical models that describe the maximum amount of energy that can be harnessed by such devices. This comprehensive new volume also examines how these power producers benefit from government support and the economics of operating these types of generating stations. An interview with Dr. Stan Bull, former associate director for science and technology at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is included in which he shares his views about how scientific research is—and should be—managed, nurtured, and evaluated.
An in-depth series provides an accessible and comprehensive examination of the history, technology, science, environmental, and social implications associated with the acquisition of energy and the production of power across the globe.
Examines the history, technology, science, environmental, and social implications associated with the developing ways of using wind and water power as sources of energy.
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- New York NY : Facts On File, c2009.
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