1st Edition

Post-Oil Energy Technology The World's First Solar-Hydrogen Demonstration Power Plant

By Bela G. Liptak Copyright 2009
    604 Pages 318 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    A solution to the climate and energy crisis
    The reversible fuel cell (RFC) described in this volume stores solar energy and thereby makes it continuously available. This can make the building of energy-free homes and all electric transportation a reality. The foldout drawing at the back of this book also describes the detailed design of the world’s first 1,000 megawatt solar-hydrogen power plant.

    How is this possible?
    Our planet receives more solar energy in an hour than humans use in a year. In fact, 5% of the Sahara could meet the total energy requirement of mankind. This energy can then be stored and transported in the form of hydrogen.

    Converting from an exhaustible energy economy to a clean, free, and inexhaustible one
    In this timely book, author Béla Lipták explains why a solar-hydrogen economy is technically feasible and cost-effective. He first outlines existing conservation technologies and renewable energy processes as well as evolving technologies, such as energy-free homes, roof shingle solar collectors, and RFCs. He goes on to discuss energy optimization techniques that could reduce the global energy consumption by one third and finally presents the detailed design of a full size solar-hydrogen power plant.

    It is time to harness the power of solar energy
    With global energy consumption quadrupling in the last fifty years and atmospheric carbon dioxide reaching the highest level ever recorded, now is the time to prevent further damage to the planet and ensure the survival of human civilization. It is debatable how much time we have before our fossil and uranium deposits are exhausted. It is also debatable how much climate change we can live with or how much of our economic resources should be devoted to stabilizing and reversing mankind’s growing carbon footprint. What is not debatable is that our resources are exhaustible and that we must not give reason for our grandchildren to ask, "Why did you not act in time?".

    The Case for Renewable Energy Processes
    Global Trends
    Global Warming
    Nonsolar Renewable Technologies
    Solar Energy
    Hydrogen Technology
    The Renewable Energy Economy
    Costs and Efficiencies
    Conclusion
    Control and Optimization of Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Processes
    Boiler Control and Optimization
    Building Conditioning Optimization
    Chiller and Heat Pump Optimization
    Compressor Optimization
    Control and Optimization Theory
    Cooling Tower Optimization
    Distillation Optimization
    Fuel Cell Controls
    Geothermal Controls
    Heat Exchanger Optimization
    Hydrogen Process Optimization
    Power Plant Optimization
    Pumping Station Optimization
    Solar Collector Farm Controls
    Steam Turbine Optimization
    Sensors and Analyzers for Renewable Energy Processes
    Analyzers
    Anemometers
    BTU and Heat Rate Measurement
    Electric Meters and Peak Shedding
    Energy Management Systems
    Explosion Suppression
    Fire, Flame, and Smoke Detectors
    Leak Detectors
    Temperature
    Weather Stations and Solar Detectors
    The Design of the World’s First Full-Size Solar-Hydrogen Demonstration Power Plant
    Solar-Hydrogen Demonstration Power Plant
    The Process                    
    Unique Design Features and Inventions              
    Profitability Optimization              
    Optimizing Control Systems        
    Solar Farm Optimization                       
    Boiler and Heat Storage Optimization 
    Boiler Feedwater Optimization             
    Geothermal Heat Pump Optimization  
    Regenerative Electrolyzer Optimization
    Hydrogen Liquefier Optimization          
    Methanol Converter System                  
    Optimized Hydrogen Compression    
    Conclusions

    Biography

    Bela G. Liptak