Carbon-Neutral Fuels and Energy Carriers
Features
- Presents a comprehensive account of carbon-neutral energy sources and fuels that will become increasingly important in the future
- Covers renewable, nuclear, and decarbonized fossil energy; hydrogen fuel, biofuels, and synthetic fuels; and photochemical, thermochemical, electrochemical, and biological systems
- Analyzes the technical, economic, and environmental challenges hindering widespread commercial adoption of carbon-neutral technologies
- Provides examples of the first successful commercial-scale projects
- Includes contributions from world-renowned experts specializing in research areas ranging from photochemistry and fuel-generating enzymes to nuclear and clean transportation technologies
Summary
Concerns over an unstable energy supply and the adverse environmental impact of carbonaceous fuels have triggered considerable efforts worldwide to find carbon-free or low-carbon alternatives to conventional fossil fuels. Carbon-Neutral Fuels and Energy Carriers emphasizes the vital role of carbon-neutral energy sources, transportation fuels, and associated technologies for establishing a sustainable energy future. Each chapter draws on the insight of world-renowned experts in such diverse fields as photochemistry and electrochemistry, solar and nuclear energy, biofuels and synthetic fuels, carbon sequestration, and alternative fuel vehicles.
After an introductory chapter on different energy options in a carbon-constrained world and proposed measures to stabilize atmospheric CO2, the book analyzes the advantages and challenges facing the introduction of hydrogen fuel to the marketplace. It then examines the role of nuclear power in the production of carbon-free energy and fuels as well as the efficient use and storage of renewable energy resources, emphasizing the production of solar fuels from water and CO2. The book also discusses different aspects of bioenergy and biofuels production and use and the potential role of bio-inspired energy systems and industrial processes. The final chapters present a thorough overview and analysis of state-of-the-art fossil fuel decarbonization technologies and clean transportation options.
This authoritative work provides the information needed to make more informed choices regarding available clean energy and fuel alternatives. It helps readers to better understand the interconnection between energy and the environment as well as the potential impact of human activities on climate.
Table of Contents
Energy Options in a Carbon-Constrained World: An Advent of Carbon-Neutral Technologies, Nazim Z. Muradov and T. Nejat Veziroğlu
Hydrogen Energy—Abundant, Efficient, Clean: A Debate over the Energy-System-of-Change, Carl-Jochen Winter
Nuclear Power for the Production of Carbon-Free Energy and Fuels, Kenneth R. Schultz, Maximilian B. Gorensek, J. Stephen Herring, Michele A. Lewis, Robert Moore, James E. O’Brien, Paul S. Pickard, Benjamin E. Russ, and William A. Summers
Solar Production of Fuels from Water and CO2, Gabriele Centi, Siglinda Perathoner, Rosalba Passalacqua, and Claudio Ampelli
Efficient Utilization of Solar, Wind, and Geothermal Energy Sources through Exergy Analysis, Arif Hepbasli
Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to Fuels, Serguei N. Lvov, Justin R. Beck, and Mark S. LaBarbera
Energy Storage and Other Ways of Handling Intermittent Energy Production from Renewable Sources, Bent Sørensen
Energy Bionics: The Bio-Analogue Strategy for a Sustainable Energy Future, Helmut Tributsch
Synthetic Hydrocarbon Fuels from Lignocellulosic Biomass, Georg Schaub and Kyra Pabst
Fundamentals of Biohydrogen Production Processes, Chitralekha Nag Dasgupta and Debabrata Das
Photobiological and Photobiomimetic Production of Solar Fuels, Paul W. King, Katherine A. Brown, Kathleen Ratcliff, and Laura L. Beer
Fermentative Biofuels: Prospects of Practical Application, David B. Levin, Carlo Carere, Umesh Ramachandran, Tom Rydzak, and Jessica Saunders
Biofuels from Oily Biomass, Maximino Manzanera
Fossil Fuel Decarbonization: In the Quest for Clean and Lasting Fossil Energy, Nazim Z. Muradov
Clean Car Options for the Twenty-First Century, C.E. (Sandy) Thomas
Index
Author Bio(s)
Nazim Z. Muradov is a principal research scientist in the Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida. He is a fellow and member of the board of directors of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE), a member of the board of trustees and scientific council of the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies (IMDEA Energia), and an associate editor of the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. Dr. Muradov has authored more than 200 publications and 36 patents; one of his papers (co-authored with Dr. Veziroglu) is among the most cited research papers in the area of hydrogen economy.
T. Nejat Veziroglu is the president of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy and professor emeritus at the University of Miami. He is also the founder and former editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. A fellow of the IMechE, ASME, and AAAS, Dr. Veziroglu has published more than 350 papers and scientific reports and has received numerous honors, including a nomination for the 2000 Nobel Prize in Economics, the Energy for Mankind Award, the I.V. Kurchatov Medal, and the Turkish Presidential Science Award.
Editorial Reviews
The treatment is very comprehensive, ranging from hydrogen to biofuels, and from decarbonized fossil fuels to fuels produced by recycling atmospheric carbon dioxide. The detailed discussion of different energy options is preceded by a comprehensive overview of the problem of negative environmental impact of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. In such an overview, the different technologies are introduced without bias towards one or the other solution so that for every specific situation you can find a very balanced transition scenario.
—Giuseppe Spazzafumo, University of Cassino, Italy
The approach and topics chosen are excellent. … very thorough coverage of the field … Each of the carbon-neutral fuels and energy subjects discussed in the chapters is written by an expert in the field. Thus, not only is the entire field comprehensively covered by the book but each of the fuels and energy subjects is presented in depth. This makes the volume that much more valuable, not only for teaching purposes but also for use by research and policy workers.
—Meyer Steinberg, Consultant (former senior researcher at Brookhaven National Laboratory), Melville, New York, USA
