3 ms·
The waste heat from a power plant (any kind), is not hot enough to make steam, unless you deliberately make it less efficient. You can make hot water though.
by ars 5y ago
The waste heat from a power plant (any kind), is not hot enough to make steam, unless you deliberately make it less efficient.
You can make hot water though.
- ComputerGuru 5y agoJust a reminder that “steam” does not directly imply any specific temperature threshold as it is a function of relative pressure. Pumped into a (near) vacuum, warm water will turn to “steam.” (Cost of pulling a vacuum not considered.)
- robonerd 5y agoWhat's to say that demand needs to be met with waste heat? Couldn't a plant tap off and sell some of the steam that would otherwise be sent to the turbines?
- jamincan 5y agoYes, and that has been done in the past. It comes at the cost of lower power production, though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Nuclear_Generating_Station#Bruce_Bulk_Steam_System,_1972%E2%80%932006 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Nuclear_Generating_Stati...
- robonerd 5y ago> It comes at the cost of lower power production Lower electrical production, not lower power production.