Heat EnginesElectricity EfficiencyThe chapter discusses how most new coal-fired electricity generation plants have anefficiency of ~38% for converting the energy from the burning of coal intoelectricity resulting in about 62% of the heat energy produced being lost to theenvironment. By using cogeneration much of that waste heat can be used for spaceand water heating in homes offices and in industrial applications. The example ofthe University of Colorado Boulder (section 3.8 Textbook) shows that by usingsuch cogeneration technology the University has increased the overall efficiency ofthe facility to 70%. By reviewing the economics of the plant it can be seen that notonly is the electricity produced at this plant cheaper than that produced at the publicutility but the plant will have paid for itself in 15 years with the life expectancy beingmuch longer at 40 to 50 years. This plant is fueled by natural gas but is so clean andquiet most cannot tell the difference between the plant and a normal building. Forthe recovery and use of the waste heat the spaces and applications that are using theheat must be relatively close so the heat is not lost in transport; that is why it worksso well on campus.1. Briefly discuss why if so many benefits can result from this technology aremore neighborhood scale cogeneration plants not constructed?Power DemandThe power demand in the United States increased by roughly by 30% in the lastdecade. According to the Public Administration the nation needs to build 65 newpower plants per year for the next 20 years in order to meet the growing needs of theUnited States. The Administration supports a mixture of conventional fossil fuelfired plants and new nuclear technology. One major issue to consider is the effectthese new plants will have on the rivers and lakes they draw water from in order tocool their operations. The rise in the temperature of the receiving water bodies has amajor effect on the ecosystems around the discharges. In addition to thermalpollution hydropower dams coal sludge spills airborne coal dust and oil andmethane drilling all pose threats to river ecosystems.2.Research on this topic and briefly discuss how these threats can be mitigatedin the future as our power demand increases?Additional RequirementsMin Pages: 2Level of Detail: Show all workOther Requirements: APA Style Essay and include references
