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The Future of Energy
book

The Future of Energy

by Brian F. Towler
May 2014
Intermediate to advanced content levelIntermediate to advanced
390 pages
11h 10m
English
Academic Press
Content preview from The Future of Energy
Chapter 3

Energy Science and Thermodynamics

Abstract

Energy utilization is greatly affected by the laws of thermodynamics. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can merely be transformed from one type to another. So, if energy cannot be destroyed, why do we need new energy supplies continuously and what do we mean when we say we use energy? The answer lies in the second law of thermodynamics, which can be stated in many forms. One form of this law says that it is impossible to convert heat into work without rejecting some of that energy to a heat sink. This means that there is a thermodynamic limit to the amount of energy that be captured from energy sources. Eventually, the energy sources are degraded ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9780128010273