3 ms·
Actually in a lot of cases turning heat into steam is MORE efficient than alternatives. Direct thermoelectric conversion has an efficiency of 5% to 10%, whereas
by petschge 7y ago
Actually in a lot of cases turning heat into steam is MORE efficient than alternatives. Direct thermoelectric conversion has an efficiency of 5% to 10%, whereas multistage steam turbines are 36% - 42% efficient.
This is also the reason why kilopower (a replacement for RTGs) is looking to replace thermoelectric conversion with sterling engines that are 30% to 34% efficient.
- amluto 7y agoUnless you avoid producing heat (in the thermodynamic sense), the Carnot efficiency is a hard upper limit. A fancy steampunk apparatus to harness heat near the Carnot limit is still optimal. Improvements come from running hotter or from avoiding producing heat in the first place. Some newer nuclear reactor designs output their heat at very high temperature, and devices like fuel cells and direct capture of beta particles can, in principle, exceed the Carnot efficiency available from using the fuel to heat something.