A)The Gibbons Creek Generating Station located in Carlos, Texas provides electri

Question

A)The Gibbons Creek Generating Station located in Carlos, Texas provides electric power to much of southeast Texas. (http://www.texasmpa.org/about/howTMPAworks.aspx).  According to the station operators, the power plant produces electric power at a rate of 454 MW and uses 6000 tons (1 ton = 907 kg) of coal per day as the heat source.  When burned, the coal has a heating value of 19 MJ/kg.  Using these data, determine the efficiency of the Gibbons Creek power station.

B):  The Gibbons Creek Station rejects waste heat to nearby Gibbons Creek Reservoir, a large lake created by the damming of Gibbons Creek to support the operation of the power plant.  Using data given in part A, what is the rate of heat output from the power plant into Gibbons Creek Reservoir (MW)?

C)When coal is burned to supply heat to a power plant, each kg of coal produces approximately 2.93 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas that is emitted to the atmosphere.  Using data from problem A, determine the rate of CO2 emissions from the Gibbons Creek Station (tons/day)?

Explanation / Answer

(A)

CAlculate the heat produced by burning the coal.

Q = m*CV

= 6000*907*19

= 103398000 MJ

Calculate the rate of production of electricity per second.

P = 454 M(J/s)

Calculate the total power generated in a day.

P = 454*3600*24

= 39225600 MJ

Calculate the energy lost.

Qlost = 103398000 - 39225600

= 64172400 MJ

Efficency = (energy lost)/(energy produced)

= 64172400/103398000

= 0.6206

= 62.06%

(B)

Calculate the total Heat output into the lake.

Qlake = Qlost

= 64172400 MJ

Calculate the heat output in a day

Qlost = 64172400/(24*3600)

= 742.736 MW

(C)

Total amount of coal burned per day.

mcoal = 6000 tons

Amount of carbon dioxide produced per day.

mCO2 = 2.93*6000

= 17580 tons

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