Question

There has long been an interest in using the vast quantities of thermal energy in the oceans to run heat engines. A heat engine needs a temperature difference, a hot side and a cold side. Conveniently, the ocean surface waters are warmer than the deep ocean waters. Suppose you build a floating power plant in the tropics where the surface water temperature is ~ 35.0 C. This would be the hot reservoir of the engine. For the cold reservoir, water would be pumped up from the ocean bottom where it is always ~ 5.00 C.

What is the maximum possible efficiency of such a power plant?

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

The maximum efficient power plant will be the plant based on carnot cycle whose efficiency is given by the following formula

Efficiency = (T₁ - T₂) / T₁

T₁ is temperature of hot reservoir and T₂ is temperature of cold reservoir.

Putting the given values

efficiency of power plant = (35 - 5) / (273 + 35 )

= 30 / 308

= .097

= 9.7 %