Enormous leaps forward in the efficiency and the economy of solar cells are being made at a furious pace. New materials and manufacturing processes have opened up new realms of possibility for the application of solar cells. Crystalline silicon cells are increasingly making way for thin film cells, which are spawning experimentation with third-generation high-efficiency multijunction cells, carbon-nanotube based cells, UV light for voltage enhancement, and the use of the infrared spectrum ...

As part of the growing sustainable and renewable energy movement, the design, manufacture and use of photovoltaic devices is increasing in pace and frequency. The Handbook of Photovoltaics will be a 'benchmark' publication for those involved in the design, manufacture and use of these devices. The Handbook covers the principles of solar cell function, the raw materials, photovoltaic systems, standards, calibration, testing, economics and case studies. The editors have assembled a cast of i...

Optical coatings, including mirrors, anti-reflection coatings, beam splitters, and filters, are an integral part of most modern optical systems. Optical thin films and coatings provides an overview of thin film materials, the properties, design and manufacture of optical coatings and their use across a variety of application areas.Part one explores the design and manufacture of optical coatings. Part two highlights unconventional features of optical thin films including scattering properti...

Introduction Energy is necessary for a number of reasons, the most basic and obvious involve the preparation of food and the provision of heat to make life comfortable, or at least, bearable. Subsequently, a wide range of technological uses of energy have emerged and been developed, so that the availability of energy has become a central issue in society. The easiest way to acquire useful energy is to simply ?nd it as wood or a hydrocarbon fossil fuel in nature. But it has often been found...

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts the chemical energy of a reaction (between fuel and oxidant) directly into electricity. Given their efficiency and low emissions, fuel cells provide an important alternative to power produced from fossil fuels. A major challenge in their use is the need for better materials to make fuel cells cost-effective and more durable. This important book reviews developments in materials to fulfil the potential of fuel cells as a major power sou...

This book contains reviews of recent experimental and theoretical results related to nanomaterials. It focuses on novel functional materials and nanostructures in combination with silicon on insulator (SOI) devices, as well as on the physics of new devices and sensors, nanostructured materials and nano scaled device characterization. Special attention is paid to fabrication and properties of modern low-power, high-performance, miniaturized, portable sensors in a wide range of applications ...

This work is intended to jointly address the development, realization and applications of emitters and detectors of terahertz (THz-0.3 THz up to 10 THz) and their application to diagnostics of CBRN effects and detection of explosives and CBRN. Hazardous substances typically exhibit rotational and vibrational transitions in this region, hence giving access to spectroscopic analysis of a large variety of molecules which play a key role in security as well as various other areas, e.g. air pol...

- Provides an overview of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs), from fundamentals to applications - Evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of particular applications, methods and techniques - Contains new chapters on sensing, femtosecond laser writing of FBGs and poling of glass and optical fibers - Includes a special version of the photonic simulator PicWave(tm), allowing the reader to make live simulations of many of the example devices presented in the book. This fully revised, updated and e...

Chemical Engineering Design is one of the best-known and most widely adopted texts available for students of chemical engineering. It completely covers the standard chemical engineering final year design course, and is widely used as a graduate text. The hallmarks of this renowned book have always been its scope, practical emphasis and closeness to the curriculum. That it is written by practicing chemical engineers makes it particularly popular with students who appreciate its relevance an...

Interactions of electromagnetic fields with materials at high frequencies have given rise to a vast array of practical applications in industry, science, medicine, and consumer markets. Applicators or probes, which are the front end of these systems, provide the field that interacts with the material. This book takes an integrated approach to the area of high frequency applicators and probes for material interactions, providing a toolkit for those who design these devices. Particular atten...

Handbook of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, Volume 1: Principles and Practice describes the basic background information common to thermal analysis and calorimetry in general. Thermodynamic and kinetic principles are discussed along with the instrumentation and methodology associated with thermoanalytical and calorimetric techniques. The purpose is to collect the discussion of these general principles and minimize redundancies in the subsequent volumes that are concerned with the applica...

Optimization of combustion processes in automotive engines is a key factor in reducing fuel consumption in conventional and advanced gasoline and diesel engines. This volume investigates and describes flow and combustion processes in diesel and gasoline engines. It consists of eight chapters written by world experts from industry, government laboratories and academia. Each of the chapters is self-contained and, therefore, independent from the other in that it covers its central theme in de...