Customer Reviews

Endoreversible Thermodynamics of Solar Energy Conversion

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This is an advanced book on thermodynamics, focusing on photo (solar) processes, connecting all to classical thermo theory. This is a difficult subject to write about because both the fields of thermodynamics and solar energy are so broad. The author succeeds in extending the basic concepts of thermo to quite a large number of subjects that involve photons. Emphasis: this is a book on thermodynamics, not device engineering.

Subjects covered include radiative energy transfer theory, PV cells, photochemistry, and some related phenomena. A standard model is used throughout the book, known as the endoreversible heat engine. This is a reversible heat engine connected to the external world through irreversible (dissipative) elements. This model is applied repeatedly to show the congruence between seemingly different subjects. An example of the usefulness of the material is a beautiful derivation of the 44 % theoretical limit on solar cell efficiency (with concentrators, 31 % without).

This book seems to have slipped under the radar of popular literature. I strongly recommend it to anyone wanting a thermodynamic understanding of photoconversion processes. I found that this author has a truly inspiring view of the subject matter, illuminating relationships in ways that I have not previously encountered. The quality of writing is clear and concise, but the subject matter is deep. You will want to re-read sections, not because they are confusing, but because so many different concepts are related it takes awhile to realize the implications.