NBS Technical Note


Book Description













Concepts of Biology


Book Description

Black & white print. Concepts of Biology is designed for the typical introductory biology course for nonmajors, covering standard scope and sequence requirements. The text includes interesting applications and conveys the major themes of biology, with content that is meaningful and easy to understand. The book is designed to demonstrate biology concepts and to promote scientific literacy.




Chemical Energy from Natural and Synthetic Gas


Book Description

Commercial development of energy from renewables and nuclear is critical to long-term industry and environmental goals. However, it will take time for them to economically compete with existing fossil fuel energy resources and their infrastructures. Gas fuels play an important role during and beyond this transition away from fossil fuel dominance to a balanced approach to fossil, nuclear, and renewable energies. Chemical Energy from Natural and Synthetic Gas illustrates this point by examining the many roles of natural and synthetic gas in the energy and fuel industry, addressing it as both a "transition" and "end game" fuel. The book describes various types of gaseous fuels and how are they are recovered, purified, and converted to liquid fuels and electricity generation and used for other static and mobile applications. It emphasizes methane, syngas, and hydrogen as fuels, although other volatile hydrocarbons are considered. It also covers storage and transportation infrastructure for natural gas and hydrogen and methods and processes for cleaning and reforming synthetic gas. The book also deals applications, such as the use of natural gas in power production in power plants, engines, turbines, and vehicle needs. Presents a unified and collective look at gas in the energy and fuel industry, addressing it as both a "transition" and "end game" fuel. Emphasizes methane, syngas, and hydrogen as fuels. Covers gas storage and transport infrastructure. Discusses thermal gasification, gas reforming, processing, purification and upgrading. Describes biogas and bio-hydrogen production. Deals with the use of natural gas in power production in power plants, engines, turbines, and vehicle needs.










Water for Energy and Fuel Production


Book Description

Water, in all its forms, may be the key to an environmentally friendly energy economy. Water is free, there is plenty of it, plus it carries what is generally believed to be the best long-term source of green energy—hydrogen. Water for Energy and Fuel Production explores the many roles of water in the energy and fuel industry. The text not only discusses water’s use as a direct source of energy and fuel—such as hydrogen from water dissociation, methane from water-based clathrate molecules, hydroelectric dams, and hydrokinetic energy from tidal waves, off-shore undercurrents, and inland waterways—but also: Describes water’s benign application in the production of oil, gas, coal, uranium, biomass, and other raw fuels, and as an energy carrier in the form of hot water and steam Examines water’s role as a reactant, reaction medium, and catalyst—as well as steam’s role as a reactant—for the conversion of raw fuels to synthetic fuels Explains how supercritical water can be used to convert fossil- and bio-based feedstock to synthetic fuels in the presence and absence of a catalyst Employing illustrative case studies and commercial examples, Water for Energy and Fuel Production demonstrates the versatility of water as a provider of energy and fuel, conveying the message that as energy demand and environmental concerns grow, so should our vigilance in pursuing the role of water in the energy landscape.