Solar Energy, Chemical Conversion and Storage

Solar Energy, Chemlcal Conversion and. Storage. Editors: Richard ... to electrical energy, chemical storage systems, and the use of ... The price of. ...
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book reviews are very few typographical errors. In conclusion, I would recommend this book to any serious student who is willing to work and wants t o succeed in organic chemistry and especially for a student who is having difficulty with the subject.

Fluld Flow and Heat Transfer

Aksel L. Lydersen, University of Trondheim, Norway. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., New York, 1979. v 357 pp. Figs. & tables. 23.5 X 15.6 em. $42.50.

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The purpose of this text is, in the author's words, to provide "a short refresher text eontainine the hasic eauations.. emnirical data ior common eases, and references t t r suitahlc literature.. . ." Wlthsome rerervations, this purpose is satisfied. The 350-page hook is divided into eleven chapters and several appendices. These chapters can be grouped~6oselyinto three sections. The first deals largely with fluids and fluid flow. the second with the interaetmn of fluids with particles and solid*, and the last with heat transfer. While thecoverage is somewhat uneven, there are noplnring omissions. In general the material is developed in the logical progression-that of ideal systems followed by real systems. The text is remarkably free of errors, considering that it is a first edition. S.I. units are used throughout. Among the strong points of this book are the logical development, the lavish use of drawings and tables, and particularly the numerous lengthy example problems included in each chapter. These examples are well chosen and demonstrate the application of relevant principles t o real problems in engineering. In addition, there are several problems a t the end of each chapter which require use of the concepts developed in that chapter. No solutions are provided. This hook is likely not suitable to a course textbook for several reasons. The price of $42.00 is well beyond the norm for a text. In addition, the coverage is probably too broad and lacks sufficient depth to find a comfortable c lace in the chemical eneineerine eurriculum of a typical department. Hackground inf~rrmationis largely insufficient ford text. book. On the other hand, the book might well be of use to a practicing chemical engineer. The breadth of coverage, clarity and simplicity of development, and detailed table of contents and index could make this book a handy reference for problem solving. ~~

Richard Pagni Univers@j'of Tennessee Knoxviile. TN 379 16

Solar Energy, Chemlcal Conversion and Storage Editors: Richard R. Hautala, R. Bruce King, and Charles Kutal, Humana Press, Clifton, New Jersey, 1979. vi 432 pp. Figs. & tables. 23.5 X 16 em. $34.50.

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The topic of solar energy conversion is currently of interest t o chemistry students hut most available references are either too supeficial or too highly specialized for use in undergraduate (or high school) courses. The organization of the chapters of this book and the level of the coverage of most topics should make it auite useful for extractine lecture hacktopics as hell as pr~vldinga ground for chemists who may he intercrted in the current stnte of research applied to solar energy conversion. This book was written hy participants in a symposium held a t a regional A.C.S. meeting in Savannah, Georgia, in November 1978. The sixteen chapters address a wide range of research areas including development of hiological sources of hydrocarbons, photochemical fuel production, direct conversion to electrical energy, chemical storage systems, and the use of hydrides as heat pumps. The chapters are clearly written and well edited. Most of the authors have included ageneral discussion of their research areas which will provide a good perspective for an instructor who wishes to discuss the topic in class. Most chapters also include ample references both t o review articles and recent technical articles. There are also a few highly specialized articles and even one or two controversial ones that deal with new findings yet to be investigated in other laboratories. One of the difficulties associated with presenting material from a compendium written by solar energy researchers involves placing each possible application of solar energy conversion in perpsecitve. Each researcher is interested in presenting his or her work in the best light possible, and practical considerations are often bypassed. Three of the chapters in this book do include g o d discussions of the following practical aspects: theoretical evaluation of ~ossiblethermodynamrc efficiencies hy .I. K. Holtun; the ecom~micsof ehemrcal storage of solar mergy I,y H. H. Hautaln, R. B. King, and C. Kurd and the economies, durability and enviranmental requirements of semiconductor films by W. D. Johnston, Jr. Overall, I found the chemistry d i s m e d in this book very interesting and its level of presentation well suited for obtaining lecture material.

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David K. Lavallee h n t e r CoIIsge m ciw unf-ny or N ~ WYO* N e w Y&, NY 10021

A198 I Journal of ChemicalEducation

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N. S. Nogar Unlversttyof Nebraska Lincoln, NE 68506