Assuming the efficiency in harvesting energy from humans is around 15%, estimate

Question

Assuming the efficiency in harvesting energy from humans is around 15%, estimate how many humans would be required to supply a university with all of its energy needs? (b) At this effi- ciency it would not be advisable to use humans as an energy source (ethics aside), why? (c) If the heat engine used to harvest the energy from humans was operating at the theoretical maxi- mum efficiency what temperature would the cold reservoir have to be make this energy source viable? (Assume the hot reservoir is that of the average skin temperature)

Explanation / Answer

avg. skin temp = 298 K

E = 1 - Tl/Th
.15 = 1 - T/298
T = .85 x 298 = 253.3 = -19.70 C

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