The Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona dams the Colorado River creating Lake Powell behind it. The dam has a height of 710 feet. Total nameplate (maximum continuous) generating capacity for the power plant at the dam is about 1 GW (1 million kW). Assume an effective head of 700 feet and generating efficiency of 95%. a.At maximum capacity, what flow is required through the dam’s turbines to generate its nameplate power? Express flow in cubic meters. b.If the dam operates at 60% of capacity on average, how much energy does it produce in a year? Express your answer in watts (e.g., W, kW, MW, GW, etc.). c.How many people should this energy support, assuming average community consumption of 3000 kWh per year per person?
The Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona dams the Colorado River creating Lake Powell behind it. The dam has a height of 710 feet. Total nameplate (maximum continuous) generating capacity for the power plant at the dam is about 1 GW (1 million kW). Assume an effective head of 700 feet and generating efficiency of 95%.
a.At maximum capacity, what flow is required through the dam’s turbines to generate its nameplate power? Express flow in cubic meters.
b.If the dam operates at 60% of capacity on average, how much energy does it produce in a year? Express your answer in watts (e.g., W, kW, MW, GW, etc.).
c.How many people should this energy support, assuming average community consumption of 3000 kWh per year per person?
d.How much coal would be required in a coal-burning power plant to generate the equivalent amount of energy as the Glen Canyon Dam generates in a year? Assume that the dam generates 5 billion kWh hours (5×109kWhor 5 terra-watt hours) of energy annually. How many coal cars would be required to carry this coal? How long would a train of these cars be?(1.62 MT; 17,814cars/year; 369.4km)
- The energy content of coal is 8,142 kWh/tonne (1 tonne = 2,206 pounds)
- Theenergy efficiency of a typical coal-burning power plant is about 38%
- A railroad coal car carries about 100 tons (90.72 tonnes) of coal and is about 75 feet (22.86 m) in length
e.How much natural gas would be required in a gas-fired power plant to generate the equivalent amount of electrical energy as the Glen Canyon Dam generates in a year? How many Goodyear blimps of natural gas does this represent?
- The energy content of natural gas is about 0.95 kWh/m3
- The efficiency of a modern gas-fired power plant is about 55%
- The Goodyear blimp holds about 200,000 ft3(5,663 m3) of gas.
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