The book provides a clear introduction to energy systems for readers without advanced scientific backgrounds. It covers essential energy forms, conversion, storage, and transport technologies, using basic physics and chemistry. Examples and online resources enhance understanding, while the final sections discuss energy networks and their global connections.
An introduction from simple to complex situations
Energy dominates our lives; anytime, everywhere, in many ways. Energy shows up in a variety of energy forms, for example when an object moves as kinetic energy, when lifted as gravitational energy, when compressed as deformation energy, when heated as thermal energy, and in the energy system as electric, magnetic, chemical, or nuclear energy. Energy can be converted between energy forms while it is overall conserved. How is it possible that a single term describes and relates such a variety of different things? Moreover, despite using the term „energy“ almost anytime and everywhere, there is today no satisfactory explanation of what energy is; definitions range from „the ability to do work“ to being „a number“. Understanding the basics of energy takes the reader on a discovery of what energy is. It is based on the common concept that nature can be understood looking at the motion and interaction of objects, like particles, and applies this concept for the first time systematically from simple to complex situations. This way, the basics of energy can be understood, like the origins of the different energy forms, how energy is converted between them, and why energy is overall conserved. The book includes many examples and the historic background how the concept of energy evolved.
The urgent need to adapt our energy system due to limited resources and environmental issues, such as climate change, is widely recognized. To effectively engage in discussions and management of this adaptation, a foundational understanding of energy technologies is essential. This book provides an accessible introduction tailored for those without advanced scientific or technical backgrounds. It emphasizes fundamental concepts and effects, explaining how energy systems operate without delving into complex formulas, relying instead on high school-level physics and chemistry. Key points are illustrated through examples, and the text includes links to short online videos that demonstrate various technologies, which can be particularly useful for educational purposes. Additionally, resources for more in-depth scientific and technical exploration are provided. The book outlines essential energy concepts, covering various forms such as mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, chemical, and nuclear energy, as well as processes for energy conversion, storage, and transport. It details individual technologies for these processes, from simple to complex systems, and discusses how they interconnect to deliver energy to users. The concluding sections address energy networks, detailing thermal, electrical, chemical, and nuclear systems and their integration within the global energy framework.