A solar pond can collect solar energy in a shallow but large body of water. The

Question

A solar pond can collect solar energy in a shallow but large body of water. The temperature differential is increased in the pond using salt so that the bottom gets hotter while the top is cooled by the atmospheric air. The water at the bottom of the pond can reach 80°c while the water at the top is nearly 35°c. If a power cycle was to be operated using the water at the bottom of the pond as the high temperature reservoir, and the water at the top of the pond as the low temperature reservoir what is the maximum thermal efficiency the power cycle could achieve. If the cycle used the ground (at 55°F) as the low temperature reservoir, what would the maximum efficiency be?

Explanation / Answer

1st case

maximum thermal efficiency = 1- low temp reservior/high temp reservior

= 1- (35+273)/(80+273)

= .12

2nd case

maximum efficiency = 1- 285.928/(80+273)= .19 55 F= 285.928 K

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