In 2001, the United States produced 51 percent of its electricity - in the amoun

Question

In 2001, the United States produced 51 percent of its electricity - in the amount of 1.878 x 10^12 kWh - from coal-fired power plants. Taking the average thermal efficiency of a coal-fired power plant to be 34 percent, determine the amount of thermal energy rejected by the coal power plants in the US that year. Additionally, the estimated volume of the oceans on earth is about 1.3 x 10^9 km^3. If all of the waste heat from US coal-fired power plants was expelled into the oceans, what is the approximate temperature rise in ocean water due to this heat input? Assume the density of seawater is 1,025 kg/m^3 and the specific heat is about 3.85 kJ/kg-K.

Explanation / Answer

.34^-1= 2.941 times as much energy required

(1.878 x 10^12 kWh) * 2.9412 = 5.524 x 10^12 kWh total
5.524 x 10^12 - 1.878 x 10^12 =
3.6456 x 10^12 kWh rejected

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