Ultra Supercritical Coal Power Plants: Materials, Technologies And Optimisation

The demand for electricity and heat production is still largely covered by conventional thermal power plants based on fossil fuel combustion. Thermal power stations face a big challenge to meet the environmental requirements constantly keeping high process efficiency and avoiding lifetime shortening of critical components. In recent years, many activities have been observed to reduce pollutant emissions and optimize performance in thermal power plants.

Fossil-fuel power plants account for the majority of worldwide power generation. Increasing global energy demands, coupled with issues of aging and inefficient power plants, have led to new power plant construction programs.

In the introductory and concluding chapters this book strive to satisfy the needs of the interested lay reader by addressing the potential, advantages, and costs of solar power plants. For the interested student, scientist, or technically oriented lay person the physical principles of insolation, its variability, concentration, and most efficient use are developed in some detail. Finally, experimental and theoretical developments in the recently created field of solar driven chemistry (via thermal, quantum, or electrical excitation) are described. The contributions in this book are written by leading solar scientists and engineering experts whose extensive background and experience in solar energy lend authenticity and completeness to the book.