CHE 288/488 - Introduction to Energy Systems (Mathias)

(Online) The comprehensive guide to engineering alternative and renewable energy systems and applications was designed to help engineers develop new solutions for the current energy economy. To that end it provides technical discussions, along with numerous real-world examples of virtually all existing alternative energy sources, applications, systems and system components. A thoroughly revised solutions manual is available on the companion website

(Print) Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics presents comprehensive coverage of the subject of thermodynamics from a chemical engineering viewpoint. The content is structured to alternate between the development of thermodynamic principles and the correlation and use of thermodynamic properties as well as between theory and applications. The chapters contain an abundance of realistic problems, examples, and illustrations.

(Print) Students explore present and future energy needs as well as options for continued use of fossil fuels and alternative energy sources with Dunlap's SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, 2nd Edition. Individual chapters thoroughly investigate each energy approach including current energy production and future strategies. The text emphasizes the complexity of energy issues and the need for a multidisciplinary approach to solve today's energy problems.

(Print) SUSTAINABLE ENERGY focuses directly on energy related issues and includes a thorough treatment of all potentially viable energy sources. In most cases, individual chapters are devoted to each alternative energy approach. Although author Richard Dunlap covers past and current energy production methods, the text deals largely with future alternative energy strategies and follows the guidelines of ABET, the major engineering accreditation body. The book approaches these topics on a rigorous level -- familiarity with the basic concepts of freshman Physics and Chemistry is needed. The book contains enough material for a typical one semester course. The end-of-chapter problems are predominantly quantitative in nature. However, most are not straight forward calculations based on substituting values from the chapter in to the appropriate formula. The problems are designed to require the students to analyze information, to make use of material from previous chapters, to correlate data from various sources (not only from the textbook itself but from library, internet or other sources) and in many cases to estimate quantities based on interpretation of graphical data, interpolation of values and sometime just plain common sense. While maintaining a quantitative approach to the study of energy in our society, the text and accompanying problems show that this is a complex and very interdisciplinary topic. This approach is intended to provide students with an appreciation for the real problems that are encountered in the understanding of how we produce and use energy, and the realization that, while exact calculations are important and necessary, a broadly based analysis is often most appropriate.