05/02/2022, 23:11 A typical coal-fired power plant generates 1000 MW of usable | Quizlet

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Question

A typical coal-fired power plant generates 1000 MW of usable power at an overall thermal efficiency of
40%. (a) What is the rate of heat input to the plant? (b) The plant burns anthracite coal, which has a heat of
combustion of 2.65 × 107 /kg. How much coal does the plant use per day, if it operates continuously? (c)
At what rate is heat ejected into the cool reservoir, which is the nearby river? (d) The river is at 18.0∘ C
before it reaches the power plant and 18.5∘ C after it has received the plant’s waste heat. Calculate the
river’s flow rate, in cubic meters per second. (e) By how much does the river’s entropy increase each
second?

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1 of 6
Step 1

Given

We are given a coal power plant with output power P = 1000 MW with a thermal
efficiency of e = 40.0% = 0.40

Solution
(a) This given power equals the mechanical work W output per time t which is given by

W
P = ​

t
We are asked to calculate the input heat rate QH /t which could be given by knowing the ​

values of e and W

W
e= ​ (Solve for QH ) ​

QH ​

W
QH = ​ ​ ​ (W = P × t)
e
QH P
= (1)
​

​ ​

t e
QH
Now we can plug our values for P and e into equation (1) to get the input heat rate
​

t
QH P 1000 MW
= = = 2500 MW
​

0.40
​ ​ ​ ​

t e
​ ​

2 of 6
Step 2

(b) We want to calculate the mass of the coal burned per day if we are given the heat of
combustion by 2.65 × 107 J/Kg. In part (a) we calculated the heat input rate, so for one
day we can determine the heat input per day QH as next ​

QH
QH = × t (1 day) = 2500 MJ/s × 86400 s = 216 × 106 MJ
​

​ ​

The mass that used to produce this heat due to combustion is given by

QH 216 × 1012 J
m= = = 82.0 × 105 kg
​

7
2.65 × 10 J/Kg 7
2.65 × 10 J/Kg
​ ​

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3 of 6
Step 3

(c) We want to calculate the heat rejected rate QC /t. We can use equation 20.2 to obtain ​

the heat rejected rate by

QC = QH − W ​ ​ (Divide both sides by time)
QC QH W W
= − (P = )
​ ​

​ ​ ​ ​

t t t t
QC QH
= −P (2)
​ ​

​ ​

t t

Now we can plug our values for P and the term ( ) into equation (2) to get the rate
QH ​

t
of heat rejected ( )
QC​

t
QC QH
= − P = 2500 MW − 1000 MW = 1500 MW
​ ​

​ ​

t t

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4 of 6
Step 4
m
(d) We want to calculate the flow rate of the water in the river when water enters the
​

t
plant at a temperature 18.0∘ C which in Kelvins 291 K and leaves the plant at temperature
18.5∘ C which in Kelvins 291.5 K. We can use the heat rejected rate to get the flow rate by
the next steps

QC = mcΔT​ (Solve for m )
QC
m= (Divide by t)
​

cΔT
m QC /t
= (3)
​

​ ​

t cΔT

Where c is the specific heat capacity of water and equals 4190 J/kg ⋅ K (See Table 17.3)
and ΔT = 291.5 K − 291.0 K. Now let us plug our values for c, (QC /t) and ΔT into ​

m
equation (3) to get water flow rate in the river ​

t
m QC /t
=
​

​ ​

t cΔT
1500 MW
= 7.16 × 105 kg/s
​ ​

=
(4190 J/kg ⋅ K)(291.5 K − 291K)
​

To get the flow rate in m3 /s we must divide the result by the density ρ of the water

where (V ) and ρ for water equals 1000 kg/m3

m
= ​

ρ
m 1
= 7.16 × 105 kg/s ×
​ ​

t ρ
1
= 7.16 × 105 kg/s ×
1000 kg/m3
​

= 716 m3 /s ​

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5 of 6
Step 5
(e) We are asked to calculate the change in entropy ΔS for the river. In this problem
there is a change in temperature, therefore ΔS is given by equation 20.19

T2
Q
ΔS = ∫
​

​ ​ (Q = mcdT )
T1 ​
T
T2
dT 1
ΔS = mc ∫
​

​ ​ (∫ ​= ln T )
T1 T ​
T

ΔS = mc ln ( )
T2
(4)
​

T1 ​

Now we can plug our values for T2 , T1 , c and m into equation (4) to get ΔS where
​ ​

temperatures are in Kelvins and m is the mass of the water which equals = 7.16 × 105 kg
where this mass changes its temperature per second

291.5 K
ΔS = mc ln ( ) = 7.16 × 105 kg × 4190 J/kg ⋅ K ln ( ) = 52.0 × 105 J
T2 ​

291.0 K
​ ​

T1 ​

As shown the entropy of the river increases.

6 of 6
Result

(a)( ) =2500 MW
QH ​

(b) m = 82.0 × 105 kg of coal

(c) ( ) = 1500 MW
QC ​

(d) Flow rate = 716 m3 /s

(e) ΔS = 52.0 × 105 J/K

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