Question

Suppose that the Department of Energy develops a new reversible engine that has a coefficient of performance (COP) of 4.0 when operated as a refrigerator and a COP of 5.0 when operated as a heat pump. What is its thermal efficiency when operated as a heat engine doing work

Answer 1

η = 0.2 = 20%

Step-by-step explanation:

The relationship between the thermal efficiency of a heat engine and the Coefficient of Performance (COP) of the corresponding Heat Pump is given as follows:

`\eta = (1)/(COP_(HP))`

where,

η = thermal efficiency = ?

`COP_(HP)` = Coefficient of Performance of Heat Pump = 5

Therefore,

`\eta = (1)/(5) \\\\`

η = 0.2 = 20%