Summary

There are enormous reserves of energy in the winds and the tides and in the temperature difference between the upper and lower regions of the oceans. If the energy produced from wind and water were converted into electrical energy, it would satisfy the electricity demands of the entire world many times over. However, this kind of conversion isn't possible—not now or in the future.

Wind and Water, Second Edition describes conventional hydropower, or wind power, and some of the newer technologies (with less certain futures) that are being introduced to harness the power of ocean currents, ocean waves, and the temperature difference between the upper and lower layers of the ocean. This updated eBook discusses the strengths and limitations of each technology as well as mathematical models that describe the maximum amount of energy that can be harnessed by such devices. This comprehensive resource also examines how these power producers benefit from government support and the economics of operating these types of generating stations.

Specifications

eBook

About the Author(s)

John Tabak, Ph.D., performed graduate work at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and received a degree in mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is the coauthor of two titles in Facts On File's Science and Technology in Focus set, and the author of the acclaimed The History of Mathematics set and Significant Gestures: A History of American Sign Language, a social and scientific history of one of North America's most unique languages.