Iceland has both high geothermal activity, with high temperatures near the surface, and abundant cold surface water. Iceland has many power plants that take advantage of the proximity of these natural hot and cold reservoirs. One plant uses an underground source at 122°C as the hot reservoir and a nearby lake at 5°C as the cold reservoir. The plant draws 16 MW from the hot reservoir to produce 1.8 MW of electricity. How does the actual efficiency ofthe plant compare to the theoretical maximum efficiency?

Principles of Physics: A Calculus-Based Text
5th Edition
ISBN:9781133104261
Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Chapter18: Heat Engines, Entropy, And The Second Law Of Thermodynamics
Section18.4: Heat Pumps And Refrigerators
Problem 18.3QQ
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Iceland has both high geothermal activity, with high temperatures near the surface, and abundant cold surface water. Iceland has many power plants that take advantage of the proximity of these natural hot and cold reservoirs. One plant uses an underground source at 122°C as the hot reservoir and a nearby lake at 5°C as the cold reservoir. The plant draws 16 MW from the hot reservoir to produce 1.8 MW of electricity. How does the actual efficiency of
the plant compare to the theoretical maximum efficiency?

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