The historical development of the civil nuclear power generation industry is examined in the light of the need to meet conflicting energy-supply and environmental pressures over recent decades. It is suggested that fission (thermal and fast) reactors will dominate the market up to the period...

Thermodynamic methods of (energy and exergy) analysis are employed to illustrate energy use in industry. The scope for increasing energy efficiency, and the extent of exergetic [`]improvement potential' are examined. Poor thermodynamic performance is principally the result of exergy losses in...

A simple, low-cost solar water heater has been developed for operation in Mediterranean Europe or regions of similar latitude (40-45° north). It takes the form of a trapezoidal-shaped water store in direct contact with an inclined flat-plate solar collector assembly. This cross-section...

The influence of thermodynamics on the emerging transdisciplinary field of 'ecological economics‘ is critically reviewed from an interdisciplinary perspective. It is viewed through the lens provided by the 'bioeconomist' Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen (1906–1994) and his advocacy of 'the Entropy...

Bioenergy from lignocellulosic biomass offers the potential to provide a significant source of clean, low carbon and secure energy. In recent years, a number of studies have been carried out to assess the environmental performance of lignocellulosic ethanol fuel. However, the complexity of...

Several ‘Advanced Rechargeable Battery Technologies’ (ARBT) have been evaluated in terms of various energy, environmental, economic, and technical criteria. Their suitability for different applications, such as electric vehicles (EV), consumer electronics, load levelling, and stationary...