3 ms·
Pretty good assessment, except I think your figure for heat efficiency of power generation is way off. I would expect to convert around 30-40% of the heat energ
by aftbit 4y ago
Pretty good assessment, except I think your figure for heat efficiency of power generation is way off. I would expect to convert around 30-40% of the heat energy to electricity.
- hedora 4y ago95%+ efficient coal boilers have existed since the '90s.
- aftbit 4y agoThis is fuel to electricity efficiency? That seems unlikely to me, both based on sources[1][2], and the thermodynamics of the Carnot equation. A Carnot cycle heat engine (which is most efficient possible AIUI) has a maximum efficiency of 1 - Tc/Th. Given a Tc of 300K (STP-ish), achieving an efficiency of 0.95 would require a Th of 6000K, well above the melting point of steel (only around 1800K). 1: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=44436 https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=44436 2: https://www.energy.gov/fecm/science-innovation/office-clean-coal-and-carbon-management/advanced-energy-systems/transformative https://www.energy.gov/fecm/science-innovation/office-clean-...