Chapters (58)
- Direct Conversion of Energy
- CONTENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- INTRODUCTION
- DIRECT VERSUS DYNAMIC ENERGY CONVERSION
- Dominance of Dynamic Conversion
- A New Level of Sophistication: Direct Conversion
- Why is Direct Conversion Desirable?
- How is Energy Transformed?
- ENERGY CONVERSION MATRIX
- The Energy Conversion Matrix
- Problem 1
- Problem 2
- LAWS GOVERNING ENERGY CONVERSION
- The Big Picture: Thermodynamics
- You Can’t Win
- You Can’t Even Break Even
- Carnot Efficiency
- Problem 3
- THERMOELECTRICITY
- After 140 Years: Seebeck Makes Good
- Electrons and Holes
- THERMOELECTRICITY
- Practical Thermoelectric Power Generators
- THERMIONIC CONVERSION
- “Boiling” Electrons Out of Metals
- Reducing the Space Charge
- Result: A Plasma Thermocouple
- Thermionic Power in Outer Space
- MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC CONVERSION
- Big Word, Simple Concept
- The Fourth State of Matter
- MHD Power Prospects
- CHEMICAL BATTERIES
- Electricity from the Chemical Bond
- Chemical Reactions Used in Batteries and Fuel Cells
- An Old Standby in Outer Space
- THE FUEL CELL: A CONTINUOUSLY FUELED BATTERY
- Potential Fuels
- Scheme for Project Apollo
- Problem 4
- SOLAR CELLS
- Photons as Energy Carriers
- Harnessing the Sun’s Energy
- NUCLEAR BATTERIES
- Energy from Nuclear Particles
- Double Conversion
- ADVANCED CONCEPTS
- Ferroelectric Conversion
- Thermomagnetic Conversion
- On the Frontier
- Problem 5
- SUGGESTED REFERENCES
- Articles
- Books
- Motion Pictures
- ANSWERS TO PROBLEMS
- Footnotes
How to Listen
- 1. Click "Listen Free" above
- 2. The book opens in CastReader's browser reader
- 3. Click the play button — AI narration starts with word highlighting
- 4. Use "Send to Phone" to continue listening on your phone
FAQ
Is this audiobook really free?
Yes. "Direct Conversion of Energy" is a public domain work from Project Gutenberg. CastReader converts it to audio using AI text-to-speech for free. No account or payment needed.
What does the AI voice sound like?
CastReader uses Kokoro TTS, a natural-sounding AI voice. It handles punctuation, names, and dialogue naturally. Most listeners forget it's AI after a few minutes.
Can I listen on my phone?
Yes. Open the book, then use "Send to Phone" to stream audio to your phone via Telegram. No app download needed.