Massive. That’s the first word that comes to mind when picking up the 600-page tome by John Twidell and Tony Weir. Of course the broad subject of renewable energy deserves the treatment and I can’t think of any better academic team to take on the task.
I’ve known John Twidell for decades now. He’s one of Britain’s renewables pioneers – and he has the scars to prove it. At one time Twidell owned or at least operated the abandoned WEG LS1 (Wind Energy Group Large Scale unit 1) on the Isle of Orkney. This was a behemoth of its day, a 60-meter, 3 MW two-bladed monster. Now that’s hard core.
Twidell edits the long-running, peer-reviewed Journal of Wind Engineering http://www.multi-science.co.uk/windeng.htm . (Wind Engineering is one of the few, if not only remaining peer-reviewed journals on wind energy.) He knows his stuff and the book shows it.
Intended as a text book for masters students in engineering and science, Renewable Energy Resources is chocked full of equations, diagrams, charts, and tables that will give anyone a thorough technical grounding in renewable energy. The book can also be a useful reference for practicing professionals and energy policy analysts who need quick access to the technical foundations of each technology.
As a textbook, each chapter includes problems for solutions. But unlike the old days when you had to order the key separately, Renewable Energy Resources includes the solutions as part of its extensive appendix.
Each chapter also includes a thorough bibliography and a list of journals, magazines, and web sites in English. While the latter is often not complete, it is a good starting place for finding additional information on the technology of choice.
One weakness that is difficult for Anglophones to avoid is often to only reference background materials in English. Similarly, the examples cited are often in the Anglophone world: Britain, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Though the fundamental physics of the technologies are universal in any language, the intellectual and development momentum has definitely shifted to Japan and Germany for photovoltaics, and to Germany and Denmark for wind energy.
Nevertheless, British academics and practicing engineers have been producing some genre leading works on renewable energy, notably the Wind Energy Handbook by Tony Burton, et al. Twidell and Weir are masters of their subject and join the ranks of accomplished authors who have made a powerful contribution to the field. Renewable Energy Resources is a superb reference work.
Renewable Energy Resources, Second Edition, John Twidell & Tony Weir, 2005, Taylor and Francis, paper, 601 pages, illustrations, index, 234×156, ISBN 0-419-25330-0, £29.99. For U.S. orders: phone 1-800-634-7064; for international orders, phone (561) 994-0555.
Contents
Preface
List of symbols
1 Principles of renewable energy
-
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Energy and sustainable development
1.3 Fundamentals
1.4 Scientific principles of renewable energy
1.5 Technical implications
1.6 Social implications
Problems
Bibliography
2 Essentials of fluid dynamics
-
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Conservation of energy: Bernoulli’s equation
2.3 Conservation of momentum
2.4 Viscosity
2.5 Turbulence
2.6 Friction in pipe flow
2.7 Lift and drag forces; fluid and turbine machinery
Problems
Bibliography
3 Heat transfer
-
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Heat circuit analysis and terminology
3.3 Conduction
3.4 Convection
3.5 Radiative heat transfer
3.6 Properties of ‘transparent’ materials
3.7 Heat transfer by mass transport
3.8 Multimode transfer and circuit analysis
Problems
Bibliography
4 Solar radiation
-
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Extraterrestrial solar radiation
4.3 Components of radiation
4.4 Geometry of the earth and sun
4.5 Geometry of collector and the solar beam
4.6 Effects of the earth’s atmosphere
4.7 Measurements of solar radiation
4.8 Estimation of solar radiation
Problems
Bibliography
5 Solar water heating
-
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Calculation of heat balance: general remarks
5.3 Uncovered solar water heaters: progressive analysis
5.4 Improved solar water heaters
5.5 Systems with separate storage
5.6 Selective surfaces
5.7 Evacuated collectors
5.8 Social and environmental aspects
Problems
Bibliography
6 Diverse solar thermal applications
-
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Air heaters
6.3 Energy efficient buildings
6.4 Crop driers
6.5 Space cooling
6.6 Water desalination
6.7 Solar ponds
6.8 Solar concentrators
6.9 Solar thermal electric power systems
6.10 Social and environmental aspects
Problems
Bibliography
7 Photovoltaic generation
-
7.1 Introduction
7.2 The silicon p-n junction
7.3 Photon absorption at the junction
7.4 Solar radiation absorption
7.5 Maximising cell efficiency
7.6 Solar cell construction
7.7 Types and adaptations of photovoltaics
7.8 Photovoltaic circuit properties
7.9 Applications and systems
7.10 Social and environmental aspects
Problems
Bibliography
8 Hydro-power
-
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Principles
8.3 Assessing the resource for small installations
8.4 An impulse turbine
8.5 Reaction turbines
8.6 Hydroelectric systems
8.7 Social and environmental aspects
Problems
Bibliography
9 Power from the wind
-
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Turbine types and terms
9.3 Linear momentum and basic theory
9.4 Dynamic matching
9.5 Blade element theory
9.6 Characteristics of the wind
9.7 Power extraction by a turbine
9.8 Electricity generation
9.9 Mechanical power
9.10 Total systems
Problems
Bibliography
10 The photosynthetic process
-
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Trophic level photosynthesis
10.3 Photosynthesis at the plant level
10.4 Thermodynamic considerations
10.5 Photophysics
10.6 Molecular level photosynthesis
10.7 Applied photosynthesis
Problems
Bibliography
11 Biomass and biofuels
-
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Biofuel classification
11.3 Biomass production for energy farming
11.4 Direct combustion for heat
11.5 Pyrolysis (destructive distillation)
11.6 Further thermochemical processes
11.7 Alcoholic fermentation
11.8 Anaerobic digestion for biogas
11.9 Wastes and residues
11.10 Vegetable oils and biodiesel
11.11 Social and environmental aspects
Problems
Bibliography
12 Wave power
-
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Wave motion
12.3 Wave energy and power
12.4 Wave patterns
12.5 Devices
12.6 Social and environmental aspects
Problems
Bibliography
13 Tidal power
-
13.1 Introduction
13.2 The cause of tides
13.3 Enhancement of tides
13.4 Tidal current power
13.5 Tidal range power
13.6 World range power sites
13.7 Social and environmental aspects of tidal range power
Problems
Bibliography
14 Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)
-
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Principles
14.3 Heat exchangers
14.4 Pumping requirements
14.5 Other practical considerations
14.6 Environmental impact
Problems
Bibliography
15 Geothermal energy
-
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Geophysics
15.3 Dry rock and hot aquifer analysis
15.4 Harnessing geothermal resources
15.5 Social and environmental aspects
Problems
Bibliography
16 Energy systems, storage and transmission
-
16.1 The importance of energy storage and distribution
16.2 Biological storage
16.3 Chemical storage
16.4 Heat storage
16.5 Electrical storage: the lead acid battery
16.6 Fuel cells
16.7 Mechanical storage
16.8 Distribution of energy
16.9 Electrical power
16.10 Social and environmental aspects
Problems
Bibliography
17 Institutional and economic factors
-
17.1 Introduction
17.2 Socio-political factors
17.3 Economics
17.4 Some policy tools
17.5 Quantifying choice
17.6 The way ahead
Problems
Bibliography
Appendices
-
A Units and conversions
B Data
C Some heat transfer formulas
Solutions to problems
Index
