Book Description

Many states within the U.S., and many countries across the world, are opening their electricity markets to competition. Many others are uncertain about their plans. These differences emphasize the complexities involved in the technology and regulatory structure of the electricity industry -- an industry for which the introduction of market competition has been notoriously difficult.

In response to these challenges,Alternating Currents provides a timely overview and analysis of the concerns facing industry regulators, legislators, and others as they consider whether, when, and how to open electricity markets.

Book Description

Unraveling the role of fusion in the universe has taken almost a century since Einstein's proof of the equivalence of energy and matter in 1905. The discovery that fusion reactions are responsible for the building of the light elements in the "Big Bang" and the subsequent development of the heavier elements in the stars and in exploding supernovae is one of the field's most exciting successes.
In this engaging book, McCracken and Stott reexamine these discoveries in astrophysics and discuss the possibility that fusion reactions are not only our sun's source of power, but may also be induced for our use on earth.

* Details the initial discovery of nuclear fusion, all related research, and today's concern over future energy supply
* Examines current attempts to create nuclear fusion here on earth
* Enhanced with color illustrations and examples
* Provides a non-technical treatment of fusion using straightforward language
* Includes technical notes for aspiring physicists ... Read more

Book Description

Thermal Stresses, 2nd Edition is the first book comprehensive volume on thermal stresses. It provides a sound grounding in the fundamental theory of thermal stresses as well as including a multitude of applications. Many solved examples are included in the text, with numerous problems at the end of each chapter.
The book starts with an introduction to the elementary theory, at the undergraduate level, and then progresses with the exposition of more advanced methods. The authors introduce the topics in a clear fashion, easy to grasp by students, engineers and scientists.
While primarily textbook, Thermal Stresses, 2nd Edition will also satisfy the needs of practicing scientists and engineers. The development of the material guides the user gradually from elementary methods and simple problems to sophisticated methods and difficult problems. This volume is suitable for senior undergraduates and first year graduate students. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Review of book 'Optimizing Energy Efficiencies in industry'
This book 'Optimizing Energy Efficiencies in industry', written by Dr.G.G.Rajan, who has over 36 years of experience in various phases of fertilizer and petroleum refineries, is an excellent approach to Energy Management of Industries.This is based on real life data of different energy parameters which must be considered for efficient performance management of major chemical industries.

The fact that the book originally published by Tata McGraw Hill, India in December 2001 has been republished by McGraw Hill, US adds merit to the book and the author as well.

This book covering a number of examples related to energy performance optimization of heaters, boilers, pumps, compressors, turbines, heat exchangers etc is an excellent asset for operations engineers, plant managers etc for taking equipment maintenance or shut down decisions as and when the energy efficiency of their major equipment falls below the specified limits. Such timely action could benefit the industry substantially.

The innovative approach adopted by the author is an excellent least cost tool to maintain energy efficiency of the system / sub system so as to minimize the operating cost and increase profit margin.

Methods to calculate energy efficiencies of individual equipment using efficiency curves , empirical relations, models and derived equations are also covered with appropriate examples . Using the statistic parameters, it is possible to monitor the energy efficiencies of the total system and generate an MIS report for corrective action by the managers in time and avert a costly failure and production loss.

In the current power scenario (where each kilo watt of power generated and consumed matters) the ideas presented in the book may be deployed to improve the power plant efficiency (boiler, turbine, compressor etc) and simultaneously reduce outages and power generation cost.

'Optimizing Energy Efficiencies in industry ' is an excellent asset for the project engineers, for selection of energy efficient technology / equipment as this covers equipment selection method from economic considerations with live examples.

Also plant engineers, trainees and novice who don't have adequate technical knowledge may find this useful for their day today operation and maintain energy efficiency at it's peak.

For Engineering College students, this book gives a lot of ideas on theory and practice of Industrial Energy Management . For young entrepreneurs who want to set up their own units, this book may be very handy, especially for tracking energy efficiency of the equipment very easily.

In the current economic scenario, energy consumes a major chunk of operating costs in the industry, especially so in case of energy intensive industries . For sustaining competitive edge, regular Energy Auditing of the industry must be carried out. This book covers Energy Auditing method in a very simple way , using a number of live cases.

Another unique feature of the book is that it provides valuable info on the basics of Energy Management , Heaters, Boilers, Compressors, turbines etc and some program outputs for energy efficiency calculation and utilities.

The objective of the book to propagate Energy Matters using easy to understand tools and achieve Energy Conservation by application of the knowledge gained.

With the mandatory Energy Auditing legislation being talked about all over, energy industries will be benefited by this book for self assessment of their energy system efficiency.

Being a Chemical Engineer with 51 years of experience in Industry at various levels and capacities, I appreciate the author of the book who has taken enough pains to explain the most complicated subject by simple and easy to understand multi media method.

The author deserves appreciation for his earnest effort and contribution he has made to the Energy Industry at large. I suggest that the next edition covers chapters related to Electrical Energy system , cooling towers and evaporators which also consume substantial quantum of energy.

C.V.Kochukunjan.B.E.(Chemical)

Chemical Engg Consultant
CHEERANS
Chithrapuzha,
P.O.Irimpanam.
Tripunithura
Cochin - 682 309
Kerala - India
Ph:0091 484 2777561 ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Hopefully Not the last Great book written on Viktor
By far the very best book in the final 4 part series! If this book doesn't leave you in awe of Viktor Schauberger, and all that he did, then you better re-read it with you eyes open. This book is really only the beginning. It is time to move forward and re-educate people on Viktor's work and how to truly make some very amazing water, unlike most of the weak knock-offs on the market trying to pass themselves off as things Viktor would have approved of. If you love water or have even a small appreciation for all that Viktor did you will love this book.

Culmination of the Eco-Technology Series
This book, being the fourth and last of the Eco-Technology series, is an increadible finish. Naturally, all of the book deals with Viktor Schauberger, and his theories on living water, and the environement. This book, however, goes deeper into the actual inventions than the previous ones. It contains almost all of Schauberger's patent information, most of which, even though "lost" originally, is now amplified and explained by Callum Coats. The Trout Motor, the Repulsine, and the rest of Viktor's inventions fall in place like a well stacked deck of cards. You could very easily build these wonderful engines, yourself (with some help from a good machine shop, of coarse!). If you have waited for the conclusion of the series, your wait will be well worth the time. I highly suggest you pick up this copy. ... Read more

Book Description

After the shocking collapse of Enron in fall, 2001 came an equally shocking series of disclosures about how America's seventh-largest company had destroyed itself. There were unethical deals, offshore accounts, and accounting irregularities. There were Wall Street analysts who seemed to have been asleep on the job. There were the lies top executives told so that they could line their own pockets while workers and shareholders lost billions.

But after all these disclosures, the question remains: Why? Why did a thriving, innovative company with rock-solid cash flow and reliable earnings suddenly flame out in a maelstrom of corruption, fraud and skulduggery? The answer, Texas business journalist Robert Bryce reveals in this incisive and entertaining book, is that bad business practices begin with human beings. Pipe Dreams traces Enron's astounding transformation from a small regional gas pipeline company into an energy Goliath...and then tracks step-by-step, business decision by business decision, extra-marital affair by extra-marital affair, how, when and why the culture of Enron began to go rotten, and who was responsible.

The story of Enron's fall isn't just a story about accounting procedures; it's a story about people. Bryce tells that story with all the personality, passion, humor, and inside dope you'd hope for, and the result is an un-putdownable read in the tradition of Barbarians at the Gate and The Predators' Ball. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Getting the Wrongs Right
The great challenge of journalism is to take important information and make it interesting enough for people to read. Unfortunately, daily reporting rarely has the time or resources to write the kinds of stories that might have impact. And there are two few reporters who have the skills to make us interested, much less motivate us to push for change.
Fortunately, Robert Bryce as a full complement of abilities and he has deployed them skillfully in his book, "Pipe Dreams." Bryce has done what neither daily journalism nor the government has been able to accomplish: tell the true story of what went wrong at Enron. And he does it brilliantly.
Bryce drew upon 200 interviews to get the story of mighty Enron's collapse. Everyone who reads the papers or watches the network news knows that there are many things wrong with business and politics. "Pipe Dreams" will be your first chance to learn exactly how corrupted our economy and our democracy have become. Getting the big picture and getting it right is accomplishment enough. But Bryce has given the story a narrative engine that makes it move like a novel. He'll get criticized for being gossipy and breezy in some of his writing. But take out the anecdotes about the people who wrecked Enron and you would have another academic deconstruct of a business that failed. And the story of Enron is so much more that that.
Bryce gets the reader from the beginning when he takes you to an overcrowded job fair with a long time Enron employee. She can't find work. But the people who ruined her company and cost her a job, Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, Andrew Fastow, Rebecca Mark, are all living the lives of multi-millionaires after selling their stock before the collapse. Greed and ambition have long been popular sins in oil town Houston, but Enron execs gave them new dimensions. Self-indulgence also became their favorite past time.
...Bryce has grabbed it all, spread it out on the table for us all to see and shake our heads at. Read it. Get your friends to read it. And then get mad. And do something about it.

Ha! You just think you know the story of Enron,Inc.
We could ask the question a million times, how did the number 7 company in America go bankrupt in a matter a few years? A corporate debacle of this magnitude needed to be explained and reasoned over...and Robert Bryce got the job done with his new book!

Bryce's superb investigative style and sharp writing become wonderfully apparent as you "gasp" from chapter to chapter on the moral hijinks and financial mayhem that are now synonymous with Enron-USA. More importantly, Bryce manages to bring his story full circle in explaining the numerous ties that Enron had to other major corporations and key political machines, all of which played a part in and benefited from Enron's demise.

You think you know what happened, but you won't really know until you read this book once, twice, and three times. Bryce's book should be required reading for today's business student, company executive or aspiring stock investor!

We can only hope that Robert investigates Tyco and WorldCom next.

Uber-Execucrats Get Stomped
Out of many books available on the Enron travesty, this one probably offers the most bang for the buck with its fast-moving and incredibly informative structure. Bryce has sufficient skills as an investigative journalist and provides a healthy mix of history, finance, and politics, allowing the general reader to understand what happened with that ridiculous corporate house of cards at Enron. Bryce's main theory is that the company was done in by a lack of hard cash, as just about all of its revenues were long-term contractual deals in which cash would actually come in slowly and periodically, although the "revenues" could be claimed immediately through preposterous over-use of "mark-to-market" accounting. Meanwhile, greedy executives who set up such deals were paid millions in hard cash bonuses immediately, long before a single cent of actual cash was made for the company. This in turn led to preposterous deal-making shenanigans that were little more than schemes to cook the books and claim profits, such as a bizarre web of tax havens and false subsidiaries set up by the crookedest executive of all, Andy Fastow.

Bryce's cash-centric theories on the Enron downfall are open to scrutiny by financial experts, and could possibly be shot down, but that doesn't affect the quality of the book's condemnation of the Enron executives and the suffering they caused for employees and investors. Bryce has a wonderfully biting and sarcastic writing style that leads to some unexpected chuckles, with quips like "there's no sex in laying pipe," "Texas-sized sphincter," and my personal favorite "uber-execucrat" (referring in particular to Enron's purchased statesman Henry Kissinger). Bryce should probably take some heat for his treatment of the women in Enron's upper ranks who may have gotten to the top by less-than-wholesome means, especially Rebecca Mark, who nevertheless blew away a few billion dollars. Bryce is generally harsh in his portrayals of all the guilty executives - from the unscrupulous Fastow and the self-worshipping Jeff Skilling to the utterly incompetent Ken Lay. But these greedy plutocrats, who pocketed tens of millions for their personal fortunes while ruining the lives of thousands of employees and sticking investors with billions in losses, deserve harsh treatment. That's just the beginning of the punishment they deserve. (...)

Great reporting by Robert Bryce
The victory of Pipe Dreams lies in its readability. As US prosecutors have explained in their dogged attempts to nail down a case against Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling, "If WorldCom was arithmetic, then Enron is advanced calculus." Despite the inherent complexity of Enron's downfall (derivatives, SPEs, mark-to-market accounting, and 'pre-paids' all figure heavily here), Robert Bryce tells a compelling, gripping tale.

Bryce's reporting mixes the personalities (all the main ones are covered here - Skilling, Lay, Rebecca Mark, Ken Rice, Lou Pai, Andy Fastow, Michael Kopper, etc.) and the financial details. Bryce's mastery is he gives you a flavor for shady dealings like Fastow-created partnerships such as the now notorious LJM1 and LJM2. He explains their intent, references a chart that speaks to their inherent complexity, winks at the reader (hey, he says, obfuscation was the point here), and then points to their fatal flaws (e.g., Fastow sitting on both sides of the table, financial solvency based upon a constantly-rising stock price, etc.)

Bryce is a reporter that can interweave facts like that with delicious stories of Rebecca Mark's high dollar globetrotting, replete with obscene private plane trips - often flying her, alone, to far-flung locales - and wonderfully evocative stories of her making speeches to water works executives...and dramatically flinging off her full-length sable coat as she ascends to the stage. Well, any hack writer can't pull that off. Pipe Dreams is a combination of good old-fashioned reporting (200+ interviews) and great writing chops. In short, it's a great read.

The Tail Isn't Far Behind
The author explains that fish rot at the head but the tail isn't far behind. Every journalistic treatment of Enron makes the same mistake. They excoriate higher ups but rank and file workers get a free pass.
If my employer flew first class, subsisted on Steak and Lobster, and allowed employees to acquire stock options worth a million dollars I would be suspicious. Public school teachers, police officers, and nurses don't get a million dollar retirement.
My dad was a Vice President for Medical Affairs. He had three deans and twenty department heads under him but his compensation package would make some mid-level Enron people cringe.
I would also wonder if my employer paid an employee's way through Harvard Business School especially if that employee already had a graduate degree behind her.
The most obvious indictment against Enron's rank and file is that they let the company's third world transactions go unnoticed. You cant get Johnny Walker out of a cactus and you cant rob out the world's poorest countries and still sleep at night. ... Read more

Book Description

Biomass for Renewable Energy, Fuels, and Chemicals serves as a comprehensive introduction to the subject for the student and educator, and is useful for researchers who are interested in the technical details of biomass energy production. The coverage and discussion are multidisciplinary, reflecting the many scientific and engineering disciplines involved. The book will appeal to a broad range of energy professionals and specialists, farmers and foresters who are searching for methods of selecting, growing, and converting energy crops, entrepreneurs who are commercializing biomass energy projects, and those involved in designing solid and liquid waste disposal-energy recovery systems.

Key Features
* Presents a graduated treatment from basic principles to the details of specific technologies
* Includes a critical analysis of many biomass energy research and commercialization activities
* Proposes several new technical approaches to improve efficiencies, net energy production, and economics
* Reviews failed projects, as well as successes, and methods for overcoming barriers to commercialization
* Written by a leader in the field with 40 years of educational, research, and commercialization experience ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good basics, somewhat outdated, but probably best available
This book has been around for a long time. When it first came out, in 1987, it was the best book available. Unfortunately, it has not been updated since then, even though it has been reprinted several times. It has excellent basics for planning and designing a system, but much of the technology illustrated is outdated. With an update, this could be the best book in the field ... Read more

Book Description

Chemistry Fundamentals: An Environmental Perspective, Second Edition aims to guide students to the knowledge that humans live in a chemical environment and that chemistry affects every aspect of our lives. The text emphasizes that all living and non-living parts of our environment are made up of chemicals, and that the natural processes continuously occurring in the environment all involve chemical reactions. With a grasp of this notion of interdependence, students begin to see that without some understanding of chemistry, it is impossible to fully understand environmental issues such as ozone depletion, global warming, air and water pollution, and the hazards of radioactivity. ... Read more

Book Description

The petroleum industry is among the most lucrative and most important in the world, and its impact within the realm of international politics is tremendous (although it can be overstated). Taking a well-balanced and objective approach to the complicated web of political and economic threads that make up the fabric of the oil industry, Falola and Genova introduce the most salient aspects in clear language, offering cogent and up-to-date information about the countries, companies, international organizations, and people who shape the contemporary history of the "black gold." ... Read more

Book Description

* Clear and concise, information is analysed and presented in both a resource-by-resource and country-by-country approach

* Comprehensive, the outlook for seventeen energy resources including all major fossil and renewable resources is evaluated

* Free CD-Rom will help electronic navigation of this comprehensive resource

The Survey of Energy Resources (SER) is a unique and authoritative publication produced by the World Energy Council every three years, since 1934.SER presents a comprehensive global picture of resource availability, production and consumption levels, technological developments and outlook for seventeen energy resources, including all major fossil and renewable resources. Each resource is covered in a separate chapter which comprises a commentary by a leading expert in the field, data tables and country notes. The information contained is the best available from a wide variety of sources.The SER is published every three years in line with WECs work cycle, culminating in publication at the World Energy Congress.

The 20th edition of SER will be published at the time of the 19th World Energy Congress (Sydney, September 2004).

* Provides global and country specific comprehensive information and data
* Provides authoritative information in a compact and user-friendly format
* Best available data from a wide variety of sources ... Read more

Book Description

Making science more accessible than ever before!

The Essential Science series makes the difficult and fascinating world of cutting-edge science accessible to everyone with a stimulating mix of lively illustrations and jargon-free text. Important scientific theories are explained clearly in these authoritative guides that feature cross-references, glossaries, and thorough indexes. ... Read more

Book Description

Rising gas and utility prices, to say nothing of growing concerns about global warming, are fueling increased interest in alternative energy. Finding comprehensive information on this popular topic can be tough. Written for the layperson, this book is a one-stop source of information about alternative energy forms, in a world that needs it more than ever. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

More than ever, travelers are encountering a different sort of landscape, one not only of nature but of technology. Wind Power in View is the first authoritative discourse on the aesthetic impact of wind turbines on the landscape and what can be done about it. It is a detailed and thoroughly illustrated discussion of the issue from several different perspectives. The book also provides an overview of the status of wind energy at the dawn of the new millennium, examines some of the ongoing battles, and offers guidelines on minimizing its visual impact.

Taking examples from the United States, Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, and Sweden, Wind Power in View is the first book to tackle the thorny land use questions raised by wind energy's hard won respectability. What will be the future of wind energy? Will it be welcomed as savior, or will it be opposed as a new-age intrusion on open space and landscape preservation? These 11 essays, international in nature and written by objective experts, address landscape issues in creative, original ways.

International focus, with examples from Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, Sweden and the United States
The first book to tackle land use questions raised by wind energy's hard won respectability
Addresses landscape issues in creative, original ways ... Read more

Book Description

1900. With Special Reference to the Harnessing of the Sun's Energy. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Tesla had many interests
I found this piece of writing and other non technical works by Tesla invaluable when doing essays on creative thinking and problem solving. Tesla was good at describing how he did his thinking. ... Read more

Book Description

Anthology of breakthrough energy science papers from the First International Conference on Future Energy. Profusely illustrated, there are sixteen articles and an additional forty pages of slide presentations from the conference. Topics include: charge clusters in action, betavoltaic batteries, carbon arc gasification, release of chemical bond energy, zero point energy, free energy secrecy, new methods for nuclear reactions, speed of gravity, effective radioactive waste remediation, breakthrough power unit, wind energy, pulsed abnormal discharge, electric energy and the future, room temperature superconductors, casimir effect with vortex filaments, electrostatic motors, and advanced automotive. Discount coupon for CD-ROM version of COFE Proceedings with twenty (20) hours of digital audio lectures ... Read more

Book Description

ENERGY: ITS USE AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Third Edition is an introductory textbook that emphasizes the physical principles behind energy and its effects on our environment. It can be used in physics, technology, physical science, and environmental science courses for non-science majors. Many of the standard topics found in introductory physics textbooks are included. As a result, this book can be used as the text in a conceptual physics course with energy as the central theme. Much of the pedagogy used comes from a one-semester general education course the authors have taught at State University of New York (SUNY) College at Oswego, over the past 20 years. No math or other science prerequisite is necessary. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

solid intro to energy
Energy provides comprehensive information on basic energy principles, electricity, fossil energy resources, nuclear power, renewable energy resources, energy conservation, and the impacts of energy use on the environment. While it contains all the requisite equations and problem sets, the concise, clear coverage of the environmental and policy issues surrounding our energy use really distinguishes this book from other energy texts. ... Read more

Book Description

The petroleum industry is arguably the most influential and important industry in the world. This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the economics of oil and natural gas extraction and production along with a detailed discussion of pricing, taxing, and markets of these most valuable commodities. ... Read more