EGEE 101H, Homework #2 Unit Conversions and Efficiency

February 04, 2014

By Qishen Xu
Due on Thursday, February 13 by electronic submission to the HW2 drop box, by 11:59
p.m.
1. Assume that you have graduated from Penn State, found a good job and secured a low-
interest mortgage loan to build your dream house in Pittsburgh. You need a heating system
which would provide 1!,""",""" #tu of heat per year during the heating season. #elow are
some options with fuel costs.
$hich option would you choose, if you want to minimize your energy bill% &alculate the total
fuel cost of each option to support your decision. 'abulate your results using the table below.
30 pts
a( burn coal)
*eating +alue) !,""",""" #tu,ton, *eating -fficiency) ".!!, &ost) ./! per ton.
25,000,000 Btu/ton*0.55=13.750000 Btu/ton
125000000Btu/13750000Btu/ton=9.09 ton
9.10 ton*$65/ton=$590.90
b( burn fuel oil
*eating value) 10",""" #tu,gallon, *eating -fficiency) "./!, &ost) .0 per gallon.
140000Btu/gallon*0.65=91000Btu/gallon
125000000Btu/91000Btu/gallon=1373.63 gallon
1373.63gallon*$4gallon=$5494.52
c( burn natural gas)
*eating +alue) 1,""" #tu,cu ft, *eating -fficiency) ".1", &ost) ..!,1,""" cu ft.
1000Btu/cu ft*0.8=800Btu/cu ft
125000000Btu/800Btu/cu ft=156.25*1000cu ft
156250 cu ft/1000*$2.5=$390.625
d( use electricity)
&onversion 2actor) 1 3$h 4 501 #tu, *eating -fficiency) 1.", &ost) .6",1,""" 3$h
125000000Btu/3412 Btu/kWh=36.635*1000kWh
36635kWh/1000*90=$3297.18
System Amount of 2uel 7nit &ost 'otal &ost, .
&oal Stove 9.09tons ./!,ton 590.90
8il 2urnace 1373.63gallons .0,gallon 5494.50
9as 2urnace 156.25:1,""" cu ft ..!,1,""" cu ft 390.625
-lectric *eat 36.635:1,""" 3$h .6",1,""" 3$h 3297.18
Note) ;on<t forget to include heating efficiencies in your calculations. =emember, when you
include efficiency, you will need more heat from the fuels >as input( than the re?uired output
>i.e., 1!,""",""" #tu(.
7.5 pts for each correct answer.
2. $hat is the heating efficiency of an electric water heater, if you spend ".11 3ilowatt-
hour of electric energy to heat lb. of water from @@ to 1 A2% >*int) =emember the
definition of #tu and 1 3$h 4 501 #tu.( 20 pts
(212-77)*2=270 Btu
3412*0.11=375.32 Btu
Efficiency=output/input=270/375.32=0.71=71.!
3. An inventor claims that he has developed a wonderful new heat engine that operates with a
relatively cool flame at 1!" A& and discharges waste heat to the environment at " A&. *is
promotional literature advertises that the first law efficiency of his device is 0!B. $ould you
believe him% >*int) &alculate the ma:imum efficiency possible for the engine and compare it
with the claimed efficiency.( 20 pts
"#$ Efficiency= (150%273-20-273)/ (150%273)=0.307=30.7!&45!
'o t(e m#$imum efficiency possi)*e is 30.7!+ ,(ic( is *ess t(#n 45!. - .on/t )e*ie0e (im.
4. $est &ampus Steam Plant produces steam for heating and cogenerates electricity. 'he
average heating value of the coal used in the plant is 15, /11 #tu,lb and its average sulfur content
is 1.1Bwt. Catural gas with a heating value of 1,"5" #tu,cu ft and negligibly small sulfur
content is also burned at the plant. Dast year /!,"/ tons of coal and 15,//6,""" cubic feet of
natural gas were burned to produce steam and generate electricity.
a( &alculate the amount of S8

which were released to the atmosphere last year >1 ton of

sulfur in the coal produces tons of sulfur dio:ide upon combustion.(
b( $ould this plant be in compliance with the -PA limit if it burned coal only >i.e.,
ma:imum allowable emission 41. lb S8

per million #tu supplied by the coal(%

Show your calculations. >*int) &alculate first how much coal you need to burn to supply one
million #tu. (
c( &alculate the amount of &8

>in tons( emitted to the atmosphere only from the coal

burned in the $est &ampus Steam Plant last year >&oal contains 1!B wt carbon. Assume that all
the carbon in coal is converted to &8

by combustion. 8ne ton of carbon produces 5./@ tons of

&8

upon combustion. 30 pts

a) 65206*1.28*2=1669.2736ton
!) 1000000/13618=73.432l!
73.432*1.28*2=1.879l!"1.2l!
#o, th$% &lant $% not $n co'&l$anc( )$th th( *+, l$'$t $f $t !u-n coal onl..
c)65206*85*3.67=203410.117ton