With the challenges our society faces concerning energy and the environment, it is particularly vital to develop a more rational use of our resources, both renewable and non-renewable. A sustainable use of the available resources is only possible if engineers can rely on coherent indicators, among which the exergy efficiency is bound to play a major role. The goal of this book is thus to facilitate the teaching and understanding of thermodynamics for students of engineering. A large part of the book handles the concept of irreversibility and the notion of entropy, with mathematical formulations that allow the concepts to be applied in an efficient and practical manner. In particular, a general theory of exergy is developed, a theory that simultaneously implements the First and Second Laws. Exergy accounting is the only way to accurately calculate the thermodynamic losses of a given process and to unambiguously define a thermodynamic efficiency expressing its level of perfection. Many applications are presented with the goal of illustrating the practical aspects of the theories described, including combustion chambers, boilers, turbines, compressors, motors, cycles, fuel cells, heat pumps and refrigeration units.

Generalities and Fundamental Laws - Closed Systems and General Thermodynamic Relations - Balance of Extensive Properties - Open Systems, in Steady-State Operation - Thermodynamic Properties of Matter - Mixture of Perfect or Ideal Gases - Mixtures of a Gas and a Condensable Substance - Thermodynamic Processes and Diagrams - Simple Examples of Application of the First and Second Laws - Energy and Exergy Analyses (Thermomechanical Processes) - Energy and Exergy Analyses (With Reactive Processes) - Application Examples of Chapters 10 And 11 - Thermodynamic Cycles - Application Examples of Chapters 10 Through 13 - Linear Thermodynamics of Irreversible Phenomena

Photovoltaic technology has now developed to the extent that it is close to fulfilling the vision of a “solar-energy world,” as devices based on this technology are becoming efficient, low-cost and durable. This book provides a comprehensive treatment of thin-film silicon, the most prevalent PV material, in terms of its semiconductor nature, starting out with the physical properties, but concentrating on device applications.

The use of neural implants for stimulation and recording show excellent promise in restoring certain functions to the central nervous system; and neuroprostheses remain one of the most important tools of neuroscientists for the elucidation of the brain’s function.

Barely five weeks after the opening of the Rolex Learning Center, the verdict fell—the building’s architects, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa (SAANA), were announced the winners of the 2010 Pritzker Prize, the most prestigious prize in architecture.

The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) is a photovoltaic converter that mimics natural photosynthesis. Like green plants and algae it uses a molecular absorber, the dye, to harvest sunlight and generate electric charges.