Steam Engine Efficiency: Difference between revisions
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=Introduction= | |||
Start with definition of terms. Here is a chart showing relationships of various efficiency standards for a steam engine: | |||
[[Image:Steam_engine_efficiency.jpg]] | |||
=Steam Engine Efficiency Predictions for the Factor e Farm Solar Power Generator= | =Steam Engine Efficiency Predictions for the Factor e Farm Solar Power Generator= | ||
Revision as of 21:35, 1 February 2009
Introduction
Start with definition of terms. Here is a chart showing relationships of various efficiency standards for a steam engine:
Steam Engine Efficiency Predictions for the Factor e Farm Solar Power Generator
1.30.08
Examples of steam cycle efficiencies are shown here for several solar thermal concentrator power plants.
The most relevant for our work is the Shenandoah steam power plant, with cycle efficiency of 17%, or 40% of Carnot efficiency. The high and low temperatures here were 382C and 110C, or a Carnot efficiency of:
(655K - 383K)/655K = 42%
Extrapolation to Higher Temperatures
Radiation loss calculations indicate that the optimal temperature for the Factor e Farm solar generator is 700K. Thus, our maximum Carnot efficiency is similar to the above, or about 40% at the upper limit, since this example is a 500 kW plant, and we are talking of a much smaller installation at Factor e Farm.