Question

At a coal-burning power plant a steam turbine is operated with a power output of 508MW . The thermal efficiency of the power plant is 31% .

1. At what rate is heat discarded to the environment by this power plant?
2. At what rate must heat be supplied to the power plant by burning coal?

Answer 1

The heat discarded to the environment by the power plant is 1641.94 MW and the heat supplied by burning coal is also 1641.94 MW.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer:

1. The rate at which heat is discarded to the environment by the power plant can be calculated using the formula:

Heat discarded = Power output / Thermal efficiency

Given that the power output is 508 MW and the thermal efficiency is 31%, we can substitute these values into the formula:

Heat discarded = 508 MW / 0.31 = 1641.94 MW.

Therefore, the power plant discards heat to the environment at a rate of 1641.94 MW.

2. The rate at which heat must be supplied to the power plant by burning coal can be calculated using the formula:

Heat supplied = Power output / Thermal efficiency

Given that the power output is 508 MW and the thermal efficiency is 31%, we can substitute these values into the formula:

Heat supplied = 508 MW / 0.31 = 1641.94 MW.

Therefore, heat must be supplied to the power plant at a rate of 1641.94 MW by burning coal.