Book Description

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) provide a natural fit for the petroleum industry. Almost all petroleum operations can be geospatially defined then linked to tabular data sets, GPS, aerial photographs, remote sensing, and other real-time and historical information flows. In addition, the implementation of GIS can reduce costs associated with redundancy, standardization, data management, and information automation. Beginning with the well prospect and ending at the gas pump, petroleum professionals involved in upstream, midstream, and downstream activities can use GIS for site selection, cross-functional and organizational communications, and economic and market analysis. This introduction outlines the fundamentals of GIS and how it can be used in the petroleum industry. Using nontechnical language, Gaddy explores how to plan, implement, and operate a GIS program. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Informative
John T Oconnor has some great insights into the reasons why solar energy is not more readily available and in use. Great Book

Pulls you out of your seat and reveals the reality of solar.
"Who Owns the Sun?" is a densely packed, well written book with many surprising and practical revelations about where solar energy technology came from, how it has developed in the U.S. and where it presently stands. Drawing on the history of public vs. private power, the potentially crucial role of organized labor in the solar movement and the decisions being made by those who use energy primarily as a way to make money, Berman and O'Connor give a perceptive look into why our energy mix stands as it does today. By discussing the societal and environmental impacts of this mix we see renewable energy cast in a refreshing light. Gone is the euphoric notion of slapping some photovoltaics on your roof to solve the world's problems. Rather, by looking at the powers who control the energy supply and what they are doing to maintain that control into the future, we get a clear vision of the strategies that need to be considered by people concerned about the direction our world is going in. Cleaner less polluting options exist, but will these paths be followed by the same people who control the show right now? Probably not, and the authors give many lengthy examples as to why they feel this way. Ultimately, "Who Owns the Sun?" exposes much of the energy industry for what it really is, profit driven. By accepting this idea, the logic of the utilities and others controlling our energy fate becomes clear. And by acting on this logic we're able to begin stacking the deck in favor of consumer and environmental driven ideals. ... Read more

Book Description

In the area of renewable sources of energy from the ocean, the report includes chapters on ocean thermal energy conversion; energy from ocean waves; energy from ocean currents; energy from tides; energy from oceanic winds; energy from salinity gradients; and energy from oceanic bioconversion. Also covered are the non-renewable sources of energy from the ocean with chapters on deep ocean oil and gas; offshore geothermal energy; and offshore hard mineral energy resources. ... Read more

Book Description

The fourth edition retains the basic objectives of the first three editions which is to present a comprehensive and rigorous treatment of engineering thermodynamics from the classical viewpoint. It includes thorough development of the second law, featuring the entropy production concept, and energy analysis. Known for its emphasis on design, the authors have updated design applications to include economic considerations. Environmental topics and applications have been expanded and updated. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

A great text for the motivated student
I am a junior in Mechanical Engineering at Cornell and used this textbook for a Thermodynamics course third semester. I thought it was organized well, written clearly and at an appropriate level, and enjoyable overall (though demanding at times). I think the reason some people have given this book such poor reviews is that it makes you think and really requires you to put time into solving problems. So, chances are you can handle the technical aspects, but the nature of thermo seems to make it difficult the first time around for some (myself included). If you know calculus, basic physics, and are willing to actually try to understand the text/reasoning/formulas/examples and do the problems though, you will probably agree that this book is incredible.

A College level book
Warning, this book is a college level Thermodynamics book written for students who are pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering. As one reviewer pointed out, this book, unfortunately, will force you to think and will not simply provide you with the formulas necessary to solve all the problems in the back. I purchased this book as a supplement to the required text for the thermo course I was taking. I found it extremely helpful in filling in the gaps left by my text with many thorough example problems. I have recommended this book to our faculty as a replacement to our current text.

Cengel4 or MoranShapiro5? A matter of taste only!
To all eng thermo learners: i did an intensive comparison of Cengel4 and MoranShapiro5 whenever on the john. Sonntag6 was out-of-race: book really bad (in comparison to the two in question), so let's not talk about it any further. So the remaining top-sellers, they are *the* most widely-used most popular intro texts (the very first two semesters on thermo for engineering students) available; very comprehensive (~800pages) and extremely modern in didactics, layout, and content presentation. No wonder that they are the two best-sold intro texts. Question: which is better?
Results: Both are 100% equally top choices (and 95% equal in teaching text) and in the end it s only a matter of taste and peripheral preferences. My personal peripheral preference would be the "Which one s the better deal (US $)?". Well, MoranShapiro5 is a little harder to read (it uses one colour only: pics, drawings, and images all in GREEN, aarrgh!) and not as nicely layout as Cengel4. But text is a little more detailed and the examples are much longer, and a bit harder and thus more detailed too! Number of examples seems to be higher too (!?) ("So, if you re not a dummie (=total beginner), go for S/M as text and ref!"). Furthermore, the WileyInternationalEdition comes in HARDCOVER whereas the McGraw-HillInternationEdtion comes in PAPERBACK. Both books feature a student book companion site or online learning center. The Wiley book site has the fantastic "ThermoNet"-website, and instructors will find digitized solutions to all text problems. The McGraw-Hill book site does not offer much neither to the student nor to the instructor. Textwise, Cengel *is* better. Easier to read, grasp, learn, and understand. And apply ("So, the best thermo book for dummies is Cengel!"). VERY VERY nice layout, VERY attractive and fun to work with. An enjoyable reading. A bit more fun than Moran's. But as explained, all in all the better deal would be MoranShapiro5. Moran's text is the more serious one: useful as text *and* reference. Cengel's book-for-dummies is very useful for total beginners and poor learners. Well, if you *now* begin to complain that neither Cengel's nor Moran's book pleases you, then you wont find any other good intro tome ('picture book'). These two intro tomes *are* the best, there are no better on the market. Choose one of the two, or dont buy any intro text on eng thermo! If you dont like these two books because eng thermo is too hard for you, then please have a close look at Octave Levenspiel's intro text "Understanding Engineering Thermo". This might be the best to start with then. For you.

An Excellent Thermodynamics book
I highly recommend this text. I have used it for many years now and it is as complete and concise as can be. Moran and Shapiro have done an excellent job in developing this text. The concept explanations are concise and technical. The theory is extremely well developed and clearly presented. This book is similar to Incropera's Heat Transfer texts with respect with the theory development and explanations. If you want a book that does more than show you how to do a problem this book is for you. Not only does it show you how, but it tells you WHY. An excellent book!

Read Reviews Carefully
I used this text in undergrad thermo and as a reference in grad school and thought that it was a satisfactory book. I don't think that it is a spectacular book, but I was surprised by the negative reviews posted about the book. Thermodynamics can be a frustrating undergraduate course and is often used as a "weed out" course by mechanical engineering departments. Some of the reiviews for this book seem to be written by bitter students who couldn't handle thermo. I encourage shoppers to weed through these reviews when considering buying this book. ... Read more

Book Description

The citizens of the United States generally oppose new energy developments, yet the public does not want to go without cheap, plentiful energy. This book explores the intricate relationship between public opinion and energy issues. Using the state of California as a model, the author addresses such questions as, What roles do ideology and other values play in influencing opinions on energy issues? How much does the public understand about energy issues? Who favors further oil development or the expansion of nuclear power? How have people's opinions changed over time and how are they likely to change in the future? Are people guided by self-interest or other motives? "Energy, the Environment, and Public Opinion" sheds light on how much the public understands about energy policy, what the public wants officials to do about our energy problems, and how governments at various levels are likely to come to grips with energy shortages in the future. ... Read more

Book Description

Problems of voltage quality are becoming increasingly important with the growth in power electronics and the high-sensitivity of electronic equipment. Translated and updated from the German original published by VDE-Verlag, this book successfully details the theoretical and practical background to low voltage conducted disturbances including harmonics, voltage fluctuation/flicker and asymmetrical voltages. Each chapter is illustrated with practical examples and exercises based on the authors’ experience of application problems, including measurement, assessment and remedial measures. The book is set in the context of European standards. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

calidad de tensión
El libro trata profundamente el tema de las perturbaciones relacionadas con la calidad de tensión, armónicos e interarmónicos, fluctuaciones de tensión entre otros, es libro teórico práctico porque a cada tema en particular existe un ejemplo de aplicación a la vez estándariza cada perturbación analizada. Recomiendo el libro a todos los amantes de la investigación de perturbaciones eléctricas ... Read more

Book Description

The balancing of power generation with load in power systems is a vital and delicate task. Power system demands vary according to the time of day and time of year, and the load generation balance has always to be done with due regard to economy as well as to the security and safety of the system. This text comprehensively covers the various aspects of load dispatching, including telecommunication and other facilities, operating reserves, load management, inter-system exchanges, security and reliability, and load forecasting practices. The principl es described are illustrated by examples from North America, Europe, and India, thus giving coverage to systems in both developed and developing countries. ... Read more

Book Description

Hydrogen is an almost ideal fuel and its wider use will result in an improvement in the environment due to factors including decreased air pollution. Hydrogen is the element of greatest abundance in the universe; however, its production from renewable resources remains a major challenge. The papers presented within this volume enhance and expand upon presentations made at the "Workshop on Biohydrogen 2002". The contents evaluate the current status of Biohydrogen research worldwide and consider future research directions.

* Important research on new fuel opportunities
* 15 contributions from the world's leading experts ... Read more

Book Description

Former Enron Executive Lynn Brewer contacted government officials to relate her first-hand knowledge of her previous employer's corrupt business practices. She even offered to hand over powerful evidence and incriminating documents. But the officials declined.

Brewer had a great deal of information, since she witnessed egregious acts of bank fraud, espionage, cover-ups, and the mind-boggling corporate shell games that have cost the public billions.

Determined to get the truth out to the public, Brewer decided to write a book.

"House of Cards: Confessions of an Enron Executive", is Lynn Brewer's gripping account of nearly three years spent with the company that has come to symbolize the worst in corporate greed. Lynn's riveting tale takes you deep into the heart of Enron for a shocking look at both the notorious illicit deals and the unscrupulous people who made them. Having spent time with Enron's water company, trading division, power trading desk, and their broadband unit, coupled with Lynn's background in accounting and law, a scandalous portrait emerges of a company run amok in the name of naked avarice. Fascinating, revelatory, and oftentimes hilarious, "House of Cards: Confessions of an Enron Executive" is the only book you'll need to understand the true reasons why Enron collapsed.

In her book, Brewer details such shockers as how she uncovered massive bank fraud and then was told to conceal it; her public confrontation with CEO Jeff Skilling over a conspiracy to sell substandard gas; the nature of partnerships formed by CFO Andy Fastow, designed to confuse any attempts at deciphering them; her discovery of espionage, theft, and subsequent coverup by the husband of Enron powerhouse Rebecca Mark; the extraordinary antics of Enron's electricity traders and their scheme to "print money" how Enron's infamous "rank and yank" review process brutalized employees and set them at each other's throats; and how many women at Enron saw sleeping to the top as their only chance at promotion. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Like Watching a Traffic Accident
The book opens with a "shockingly" hateful e-mail the authoress had received from a co-worker. Within 10 pages, you'll be in the mood to send her something similar. This is a sustained self-absorbed whine from a malingering, low-level paralegal who was certainly not an "executive." As worthless as the authoress may be, the book is actually well written, so if you want to know which other Enron paralegals went bar-hopping without panties, or read fantastic concoctions seeking to "explain" the rumors that she believes were circulating about her, have fun watching the traffic accident. Although she was not around anything important, and did not uncover anything (although she does believe that her own failure to understand how gas pipeline pressure works was a discovery of some sort of big fraud; and also cries foul when Rebecca Mark's husband reserved internet domain names she was supposed to, yet somehow never got around to), she does discuss one or two of the other frauds she had nothing to do with. If you're a low-level grunt absorbed with malicious interoffice gossip, and are interested in knowing what it was like to be a low level grunt at Enron from another person absorbed in malicious interoffice gossip, this book is for you. Otherwise, pass.

Am I the only one who wonders how truthful this book is?
I see that this book is getting glowing reviews and I'll admit I did enjoy reading most of it. But, there are some things about it that just gave me a feeling that the picture the author painted may have been distorted, exaggerated and not really very objective. I can't say I'm sure this is the case, but there were just a lot of flags that kept popping up that made me wonder.

To begin with, the book is supposed to "Confessions of an Enron Executive". The only thing she "confessed" was that almost everyone at Enron she dealt with was dishonest, crooked, mean spirited and/or incompetent. She, on the other hand, was a paragon of hard working virtue. Next, she wouldn't fit any reasonable definition of an executive. She was a contract administrator and a fairly high level administrative assistant. She also had a number of very strange situations from her personal life, many of which predated her Enron job. She may have presented all of them in a fair and honest light, but there were some that were hard for me to believe happened just the way she described. She mentions an online search she did on Mark's husband, Jusbasche, and the indictment he had been under, but I couldn't duplicate that with Google or with a multiple search engine tool. I'm not saying he wasn't indicted, but I wonder where she really got the information. This is rambling, but I just kept getting the feeling that I was maybe getting a highly biased and possibly very distorted account of what happened. Maybe that's why "Harper Collins Signed then Refused to Publish". Maybe their bs detector went off too often.

AN Executives Required Reading
What a great book. Despite everything you have read in the newspapers, this book gives the reader an exceptional inside review as to the actions, and inactions at Enron. The author pulled no stops when she offered the truth that many were not looking to share.

I found this book to be extremely interesting, somewhat sad as to how management attempted to run such a large organization and how millions of people lost billions of dollars due to greed, poor management and unbelivable business skills.

This book was again, extremely interesting and worth the read.

Carl Rizzuto
Hobe Sound, Florida

A great read!
A rare, eye-opening and completely believable look inside a conglomerate where greed ruled and self-preservation ran rampant from top to bottom.

Brewer and Hansen have presented a personal perspective from inside Enron in a compelling fashion. Anyone who has worked in a corporate situation, especially in a company on it's way down, can relate to the politics, the ..., the fear, and self-preservation practiced among all levels of staff.

I highly recommend it if for no better reason than to be able to recognize the signs if you ever find yourself in a similar situation. Ms. Brewer is definitely not alone in her experience, and the toppling of much of corporate America isn't over yet.

The Story That Only An Insider Could Tell
I have read a few books regarding the Enron scandal. This one is definitely very entertaining.

Lynn Brewer was an executive at Enron. Her detailed inside perspective goes well beyond what you will read in other books no matter how many interviews those other authors conducted. Lynn's story is personal, compelling, and shocking. The amount of backstabbing and office politics that went on is astounding. You will be surprised at how awful it was to work there.

Imagine having your Enron interview go well but not getting hired afterward. Then a headhunter calls about a week later with a solid offer for another Enron position. After getting hired your manager tells you to get rid of two slacker employees in the department. The attempt goes badly and the manager denies any wrongdoing. You are left holding the bag. And so your career at Enron has begun.

Brewer shows the reader how Enron executives fit into one of two categories: those who had no idea how Enron was making its money, and those who knew everything was a scam, a house of cards. It will not take the reader very long before he/she understands that Enron's top leaders knew exactly what they were doing despite their later testimony after the failure of the company.

Don't miss this one. It is among the best of the Enron books. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

A detailed and stimulating analysis
Crosbie Smith charts the rise of the concept of energy through the 19th century to its installation as the most important concept in science. His analysis is probably designed to upset some in that he frequently gives evidence that progress in science is as much to do with power-politics as it is to do with new and important scientific results. But most experienced scientists will know that, sadly, this analysis is accurate. Crosbie's analysis is detailed and stimulating because he is not afraid to put forward potentially controversial ideas. The book focuses on the endeavours of a North British group of scientists including Maxwell, Joule, William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) and Tait. It is strongly recommended for anyone interested in the history of thermodynamics. ... Read more

Book Description

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. ... Read more

Book Description

Provides detailed technical information on a popular century old and still very popular worldwide artificial lift method-sucker-rod pumping. Full of illustrations, tables, and formulas, this book will provide the reader with everything they need to ensure successful sucker-rod pumping operations ... Read more

Book Description

In an age of mounting energy crises, James A. Fay and Dan S. Golomb's Energy and the Environment offers a timely treatment of a critical problem in urban-industrial societies: the worldwide growth of energy use and the destructive relationship between this energy use and environmental degradation. This comprehensive text provides the scientific and technological background for understanding how ever-increasing use of energy threatens the natural environment at local, regional, and global scales and how this threat could be mitigated by more efficient use of conventional energy sources and their replacement by renewable energy sources. Designed for upper-level undergraduate and first-year graduate students, Energy and the Environment is essential reading for students and professionals in energy and environmental sciences and technology. Features BLDescribes energy technologies and their effectiveness in transforming fossil, nuclear, and renewable energy into useful mechanical or electrical power BLEmphasizes the generation of electric power and the technological improvements that increase power generation efficiency and reduce air pollutant emissions from power plants BLExamines the use of energy in the transportation sector and how vehicle design and engine efficiency improvements could reduce fuel use and pollutant emissions BLObjectively surveys the field of renewable energy technologies and the prospects of increasing the share of renewable energy among all energy sources BLAnalyzes the energy sources of toxic emissions to air, water, and land and their effects on environmental quality at local and regional scales BLExamines global climate change, energy consumption's contribution to it, and the salient technologies being developed to mitigate this effect BLEquips engineering majors, science majors, and professionals with the basic facts needed to develop solutions to these pressing environmental problems ... Read more

Book Description

This is a modern text and reference book on energy economics.It assumes as background only the microeconomic portion of theintroductory or first course in economics, and the mathematicalrequirements can, for the most part, be met by secondary schoolalgebra. The subjects taken up in some detail are: oil, gas, coal,electricity, and energy derivatives - i.e. futures, options,and swaps. The long chapter on derivatives is applicable to allcommodities, and can serve as an easily read background to financialderivatives. Other topics that are treated include uranium and capitalbudgeting, and to a lesser extent real option theory and deregulation.There are many simple exercises that are intended to build confidence,and an extensive glossary that both students and energy professionalsshould find useful. ... Read more

Book Description

This book offers the most comprehensive characterization assembled to date of the historical, institutional, and economic forces affecting electricity regulation. Eminent economists organized by the University of California Energy Institute survey the US, UK, Scandinavia, Latin America, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, and Yugoslavia. Recent experiments with privatization, competition, and restructuring in electricity are contrasted with instances where government ownership and traditional vertical integration still dominate.The introductory essay by Richard J. Gilbert, Edward P. Kahn, and David Newbery synthesizes individual country studies. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Interesting Book
This book brings a good source for some process of electricity industry reforms around the world. It's based on several works from different authors who makes his contribution to a single case (country/region). The author gather together to brings to reader an excellent source for make comparisons. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a comprehensive approach to Wind Turbine Generator Systems (WTGS) and their operation in dynamic electric power system analysis. The presented advanced models arose from the author´s research. They describe the complicated dynamical system behavior of wind turbines much better than the over-simplified static models. In particular, the control structure is taken into account. This book provides advanced tools for design, projection and optimization of turbines and systems that have yet not been available. ... Read more

Book Description

The world is not at equilibrium, and the events that give vitality and movement are transitions towards equilibrium from the present state of imbalance.This text examines the chemical transformations that often contribute fundamentally to this process.The book begins with a basic introduction to the kinetics of simple and complex reaction systems in solution.It goes on to present a treatment of the more advanced topics such as solvent effects, fast reaction techniques, and heterogeneous liquid-liquid two-phase systems.An overview of currently active and important research areas in solution kinetics concludes the text. Industrial chemists and students will welcome this superb introduction to a challenging and important topic. ... Read more

Book Description

It is becoming more and more important to manage energy resources effectively: to maximize their benefits while minimizing the negative environmental impacts. Scientist and engineers are thus faced with the problem of optimizing complex systems subject to constraints from, ecology, economics, and thermodynamics. It is chiefly to the last that the present volume is addressed. Nonequilibrium thermodynamic approaches, such as finite-time thermodynamics and Second-Law analyses, can provide realistic models and analyses that can be used to search for optimum ways to operate machines and processes. Intended for physicists, chemists, and engineers, this volume reviews the state of the art in the thermodynamics of energy conversion and transmission. Using examples from solar, thermal, mechanical, chemical, and environmental engineering, the book focuses on the use of thermodynamic criteria for optimizing energy conversion and transmission. The first set of chapters focuses on solar energy conversion; the second set discusses the transfer and conversion of chemical energy (as in internal combustion engines or distillation columns); a concluding set of chapters deals with geometric methods in thermodynamics. ... Read more