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Fundamentals of coal combustion for clean and efficient use
58
Book Reviews
properties (16%). Distinctive new features of this second edition are separate chapters on fractal geometry (6%), conductive properties (4%), fracture behavior of vulcanizates (4%), viscoelastic properties of elastomers (3%) and health effects of carbon black (2%). Even a cursory analysis of the literature cited in a comprehensive reference book is always revealing. In this case less than 50% of the total number of end-of-chapter references (472/l 062 to be exact) were found to be after 1976. At one extreme, it is understandable that the oldest reference in the chapter on scanningtunneling microscopy of carbon black dates from 1982. The same can be said of the chapters on fractal geometry, on use of carbon blacks in xerographic toners and on health effects. At the other extreme, in the chapters on manufacture, structure and properties, and on reinforcement of elastomers, only about one third of the references date from the period 1977-1993, probably reflecting the mature state of the industry. Two chapters were analyzed in somewhat greater detail for this review, in an attempt to give readers of !7’heChemical E?z@zering Jow-ruzl a sense of how thoroughly the various topics are discussed. A colleague of mine, Michael F’renklach, has been at the forefront of research on the mechanism of carbon black formation. He was quite pleased with the historical account of the relevant chapter, but would not recommend it as a state-of-the-artreview. Similarly, the fact that only 16% of the references in Chapter 4 (Surface Groups on Carbon Blacks) were post-1976 suggested to me that much was left out. Indeed, some issues, such as the amphoteric character of carbon blacks and their electrokinetic properties, were completely ignored. Others, such as the increasingly important application of spectroscopic methods, have been illustrated quite restrictively, with results obtained using carbon blacks only; arguably, deeper physical insight could have been provided by including a brief discussion of the surface groups on different types of carbon. Despite these understandable shortcomings and the unusually large number of typographical and grammatical errors, the editors and the authors should be commended for the effort of providing the carbon black community with a new edition of this comprehensive general reference, which has been sold out for many years. In today’s world of shrinking attention spans and increasing demands on the time of most scientists, one can hardly expect more, even from recognized authorities in the field. Clearly, a comprehensive and thorough treatise on any topic as broad as the science and technology
of carbon black (as well as a review thereof) is an endangered species. Ijubisa R. Radovic Associate Zbfmor of Fuel Science Department of Materiab Science and Engineer@ The Pennsylvania State University University Pa& PA 16802, USA SSDZ 0923.-0467(93)02828-K
Fundamentals of coal combustion for clean and eJi&nt use edited by L.D. Smoot; published by Elsevier, Amsterdam, New York, 1993; ISBN: o-444-896430; price $297; 750 pp. + prelims. This is volume 20 in the useful series on coal science and technology, published by Elsevier. Altogether the book has eight chapters, edited by L. Douglas Smoot. A iirst question is how does it differ from the previous book “F’ulverised-Coal Combustion and Gasification”, edited by Smoot and Pratt in 1979? Of course, a lot of coal has been burnt between 1979 and 1993, so here we have a rather grand and authoritative review of very recent, modern work, particularly in the USA. All the authors of the various chapters are American, they succeed in distilling information from the many conferences, as well as reports and theses circulating around the USA. Anyone interested in coal combustion would love to own a copy of this book; it is nicely produced, assumes we are all new graduates willing to learn and does a thorough job of bringing us to the frontiers of coal science and technology. On average there are 182 references quoted per chapter and for once there is not only an excellent subject index, but also an author index. The only snag is the price ($297), which might make most institutions and libraries think twice before buying a copy. The price of scholarship has now become high, at around SO.15 per page. The first chapter reviews coal processes and technologies and includes descriptions of the properties of coal, together with accounts of entrained, fluidized and fixed bed combustors and gasifiers. There is even mention of underground coal gasification, magnetohydrodynamic power generation and also fuel cells. Chapter 2 (Process Data and Strategies) reviews the very many different types of instrument used to make measurementsin combustion systems. Of course with current and future legislation on environmental pollution, this is a huge and developing area, relating to gases and solids, flow characteristics, optical techniques and the many ways of measuring the concentrations
B&
of a host of gases. Chapter 3 (Coal Characteristics, Structure and Reaction Rates) is large and explores the relationship between the reactions of a particular coal and its structure. Devolatihzation and char oxidation are considered in great detail, and this is a valuable addition to the literature. There follows a chapter (Ash Formation and Deposition) whose practical importance is huge and yet which is good at pointing out areas which need further work. The succeeding chapter on radiative heat transfer brings the reader into touch with state-of-the-artmodelling of large furnaces. For me Chapter 6 (Pollutant Formation and Control) was possibly the most interesting, dealing in detail with NO, and SO,, along with how they are generated in practice and removed from flue gases. Here a lot of chemistry and technology comes together in a fascinating way. The next chapter (Turbulent Reacting Flows) is mathematical and shows the power of current techniques for calculating just about everything associated with complex chemical reactions of gases and solids in turbulent flow. The final chapter (Comprehensive Modelling) extends the modelling of coal combustion in entrained, fixed and fluidized beds. Of course, this is a modern topic, which is developing rapidly; the authorssucceed in producing
Reviews
59
a user-friendly chapter with lovely colour pictures of particle trajectories, heat losses from a furnace, etc. Anyone who wonders about the usefulness of mathematical modelling will be impressed by these final two chapters, demonstratingthe computational power now available. Here then is a splendid book for both the newcomer and old-hand in the field. There are over 1006 references and most of them are from the last five years. Do persuade your boss to buy you a copy, but ask him on a day when he is feeling rich. It is particularly good reading for someone in the UK, because the weight of it all convinced me that coal does have a future. Furthermore, there are technological solutions to the problems raised by modern techniques of burning coal in both a clean and efficient way. Several of the chapters are of real interest for chemical engineers not working on coal; this is particularly true of the chapters on mathematical modelling. Dr. A.N. Hayhurst
Dept. of Chemical Engineering University of Cambridge Pembroke Street Cambridge, CB2 3RA, UK SSDZ 0923-0467(93)02829-L
Book Reviews
properties (16%). Distinctive new features of this second edition are separate chapters on fractal geometry (6%), conductive properties (4%), fracture behavior of vulcanizates (4%), viscoelastic properties of elastomers (3%) and health effects of carbon black (2%). Even a cursory analysis of the literature cited in a comprehensive reference book is always revealing. In this case less than 50% of the total number of end-of-chapter references (472/l 062 to be exact) were found to be after 1976. At one extreme, it is understandable that the oldest reference in the chapter on scanningtunneling microscopy of carbon black dates from 1982. The same can be said of the chapters on fractal geometry, on use of carbon blacks in xerographic toners and on health effects. At the other extreme, in the chapters on manufacture, structure and properties, and on reinforcement of elastomers, only about one third of the references date from the period 1977-1993, probably reflecting the mature state of the industry. Two chapters were analyzed in somewhat greater detail for this review, in an attempt to give readers of !7’heChemical E?z@zering Jow-ruzl a sense of how thoroughly the various topics are discussed. A colleague of mine, Michael F’renklach, has been at the forefront of research on the mechanism of carbon black formation. He was quite pleased with the historical account of the relevant chapter, but would not recommend it as a state-of-the-artreview. Similarly, the fact that only 16% of the references in Chapter 4 (Surface Groups on Carbon Blacks) were post-1976 suggested to me that much was left out. Indeed, some issues, such as the amphoteric character of carbon blacks and their electrokinetic properties, were completely ignored. Others, such as the increasingly important application of spectroscopic methods, have been illustrated quite restrictively, with results obtained using carbon blacks only; arguably, deeper physical insight could have been provided by including a brief discussion of the surface groups on different types of carbon. Despite these understandable shortcomings and the unusually large number of typographical and grammatical errors, the editors and the authors should be commended for the effort of providing the carbon black community with a new edition of this comprehensive general reference, which has been sold out for many years. In today’s world of shrinking attention spans and increasing demands on the time of most scientists, one can hardly expect more, even from recognized authorities in the field. Clearly, a comprehensive and thorough treatise on any topic as broad as the science and technology
of carbon black (as well as a review thereof) is an endangered species. Ijubisa R. Radovic Associate Zbfmor of Fuel Science Department of Materiab Science and Engineer@ The Pennsylvania State University University Pa& PA 16802, USA SSDZ 0923.-0467(93)02828-K
Fundamentals of coal combustion for clean and eJi&nt use edited by L.D. Smoot; published by Elsevier, Amsterdam, New York, 1993; ISBN: o-444-896430; price $297; 750 pp. + prelims. This is volume 20 in the useful series on coal science and technology, published by Elsevier. Altogether the book has eight chapters, edited by L. Douglas Smoot. A iirst question is how does it differ from the previous book “F’ulverised-Coal Combustion and Gasification”, edited by Smoot and Pratt in 1979? Of course, a lot of coal has been burnt between 1979 and 1993, so here we have a rather grand and authoritative review of very recent, modern work, particularly in the USA. All the authors of the various chapters are American, they succeed in distilling information from the many conferences, as well as reports and theses circulating around the USA. Anyone interested in coal combustion would love to own a copy of this book; it is nicely produced, assumes we are all new graduates willing to learn and does a thorough job of bringing us to the frontiers of coal science and technology. On average there are 182 references quoted per chapter and for once there is not only an excellent subject index, but also an author index. The only snag is the price ($297), which might make most institutions and libraries think twice before buying a copy. The price of scholarship has now become high, at around SO.15 per page. The first chapter reviews coal processes and technologies and includes descriptions of the properties of coal, together with accounts of entrained, fluidized and fixed bed combustors and gasifiers. There is even mention of underground coal gasification, magnetohydrodynamic power generation and also fuel cells. Chapter 2 (Process Data and Strategies) reviews the very many different types of instrument used to make measurementsin combustion systems. Of course with current and future legislation on environmental pollution, this is a huge and developing area, relating to gases and solids, flow characteristics, optical techniques and the many ways of measuring the concentrations
B&
of a host of gases. Chapter 3 (Coal Characteristics, Structure and Reaction Rates) is large and explores the relationship between the reactions of a particular coal and its structure. Devolatihzation and char oxidation are considered in great detail, and this is a valuable addition to the literature. There follows a chapter (Ash Formation and Deposition) whose practical importance is huge and yet which is good at pointing out areas which need further work. The succeeding chapter on radiative heat transfer brings the reader into touch with state-of-the-artmodelling of large furnaces. For me Chapter 6 (Pollutant Formation and Control) was possibly the most interesting, dealing in detail with NO, and SO,, along with how they are generated in practice and removed from flue gases. Here a lot of chemistry and technology comes together in a fascinating way. The next chapter (Turbulent Reacting Flows) is mathematical and shows the power of current techniques for calculating just about everything associated with complex chemical reactions of gases and solids in turbulent flow. The final chapter (Comprehensive Modelling) extends the modelling of coal combustion in entrained, fixed and fluidized beds. Of course, this is a modern topic, which is developing rapidly; the authorssucceed in producing
Reviews
59
a user-friendly chapter with lovely colour pictures of particle trajectories, heat losses from a furnace, etc. Anyone who wonders about the usefulness of mathematical modelling will be impressed by these final two chapters, demonstratingthe computational power now available. Here then is a splendid book for both the newcomer and old-hand in the field. There are over 1006 references and most of them are from the last five years. Do persuade your boss to buy you a copy, but ask him on a day when he is feeling rich. It is particularly good reading for someone in the UK, because the weight of it all convinced me that coal does have a future. Furthermore, there are technological solutions to the problems raised by modern techniques of burning coal in both a clean and efficient way. Several of the chapters are of real interest for chemical engineers not working on coal; this is particularly true of the chapters on mathematical modelling. Dr. A.N. Hayhurst
Dept. of Chemical Engineering University of Cambridge Pembroke Street Cambridge, CB2 3RA, UK SSDZ 0923-0467(93)02829-L