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I think coal plants are vastly more efficient than they were in 1913 from improvements in materials technology, higher pressures and more efficient combustion.
by oijaf888 14y ago
I think coal plants are vastly more efficient than they were in 1913 from improvements in materials technology, higher pressures and more efficient combustion.
- jacquesm 14y agoWhat we can do (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aved%C3%B8re_Power_Station http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aved%C3%B8re_Power_Station) vs what we do most of the time are two different things. Avedøre shows we can do 91% thermal and 49% electrical efficiency if we set our minds to it. But the fact is that most plants don't do better than 33% at both (because they're not that efficient and because they throw out all the heat).
- rayiner 14y ago"Vastly" is a relative term. See: http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/coalpower/refshelf/role_of_coal.pdf http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/coalpower/refshelf/role... page 10. Focus on the chart showing tons of greenhouse gas emissions per megawatt-hour. 1913 was still in a period of rapid technological development, but the curve necks around 1930. From 1930 to 2000, GHG emissions per megawatt hour dropped from around 1.5 tons/MWh to 1.0 tons/MWh. This is what technological progress looks like. You have periods of rapid improvement followed by a plateau with extremely gradual improvements.