Energy from Physics

Chapters

1. The solar resource resolved: geometry, spectrum and the limits of concentration
   • Solar position and daily insolation
   • The solar photon flux
   • Conservation of etendue
   • The absorber temperature limit
   • Spectral selectivity
   • The collector efficiency equation
   • Exergy as available work
   • The exergy of sunlight and the best receiver
   • Problems
2. The illuminated junction: generation, collection and the cell's characteristic
   • Where the optical generation rate peaks
   • Minority-carrier diffusion and the recombination lifetime
   • The minority-carrier diffusion length and collection
   • The diffusion dark current
   • The illuminated diode characteristic
   • The fill factor and maximum power
   • Series and shunt resistance
   • Temperature dependence of cell output
   • Problems
3. How efficient a solar cell can be: detailed balance, tandems and the field
   • The ultimate efficiency of a threshold
   • Detailed balance for a solar cell
   • The Shockley-Queisser limit
   • The open-circuit voltage deficit
   • External radiative efficiency
   • Concentrator photovoltaics
   • Multijunction cells
   • Photovoltaic energy yield in a field
   • Problems
4. Natural energy flows: rotors, turbines, waves, channels and hot rock
   • The rotor with wake rotation
   • Blade element momentum theory
   • The Weibull wind distribution and a year
   • The impulse turbine
   • Wave energy flux in finite depth
   • The capture width of a wave energy converter
   • The tidal channel power limit
   • The exergy of a geothermal fluid
   • Problems
5. Heat engines on fuel: exergy, real cycles, biomass and the nuclear heat source
   • The exergy of a fuel
   • The entropic mean temperature
   • The Rankine cycle in a real station
   • The Brayton cycle and the combined cycle
   • The endoreversible engine
   • Combined heat and power counted in exergy
   • The photosynthetic efficiency limit
   • The light-water reactor as a heat source
   • Problems
6. The critical reactor: neutron diffusion, buckling and the size of a core
   • Neutron flux and reaction rates
   • Neutron diffusion theory
   • The thermal neutron diffusion length
   • Buckling and the critical condition
   • The reflector saving
   • The resonance escape probability
   • Enrichment and the infinite multiplication factor
   • Leakage from a power reactor core
   • Problems
7. Running a reactor: kinetics, heat removal, feedback, burn-up and the fuel cycle
   • Point kinetics with one delayed group
   • The linear heat rate sets the core
   • Reactivity feedback coefficients
   • Xenon poisoning
   • Burn-up and the conversion ratio
   • Separative work
   • The fuel-cycle mass balance
   • Spent fuel decay heat
   • Problems
8. Fusion as a power plant: gain, beta, wall loading and breeding
   • The zero-dimensional power balance
   • The triple product for a given gain
   • The beta limit and fusion power density
   • Engineering gain
   • Neutron wall loading and reactor size
   • The tritium breeding ratio
   • Inertial fusion gain
   • Advanced fusion fuels
   • Problems
9. Storing energy: cells, rotors, air, heat and hydrogen
   • The electrode potential and the cell voltage
   • The theoretical specific energy of a battery couple
   • Internal resistance and round-trip efficiency
   • Flywheel specific energy
   • Compressed air energy storage
   • The exergy of stored heat
   • The hydrogen round trip
   • Duty and the annual cycling loss
   • Problems
10. The grid with variable renewables: power flow, inertia, adequacy and electrification
    • Complex power and reactive power
    • Power transfer across a line
    • The swing equation
    • Frequency response and droop
    • Aggregated variable output
    • Effective load carrying capability
    • The residual load and overbuild
    • Heat pumps, electrified demand and its peak
    • Problems