Meghan Stouter

Dr. Eser
February 04, 2014
EGEE 101H, Homework #2 Unit Conversions and Efficiency
Due on Thursday, February 13 by electronic submission to the HW2 drop box, by 11:59
p.m.
1. Assume that you have graduated from Penn State, found a good job and secured a low-
interest mortgage loan to build your dream house in Pittsburgh. You need a heating system
which would provide 1!,""",""" #tu of heat per year during the heating season. #elow are
some options with fuel costs.
$hich option would you choose, if you want to minimi%e your energy bill& 'alculate the total
fuel cost of each option to support your decision. (abulate your results using the table below.
30 pts
a) burn coal*
+eating ,alue* !,""",""" #tu-ton, +eating .fficiency* ".!!, 'ost* /0! per ton.
1!,""","""-!,""",""" 1 !#tu-ton-.!! 1 2.1 #tu 30!) 1 $591
b) burn fuel oil
+eating value* 14",""" #tu-gallon, +eating .fficiency* ".0!, 'ost* /4 per gallon.
1!,""","""-14",""" 1 52.2-.0! 1 1676.0 34) 1 $5494.5
c) burn natural gas*
+eating ,alue* 1,""" #tu-cu ft, +eating .fficiency* ".5", 'ost* /.!-1,""" cu ft.
1!,""","""-1""" 1 1!,"""-.5 1 1!0!" 3.!) 1 62"0!-1""" 1 $390.6
d) use electricity*
'onversion 8actor* 1 9$h 1 641 #tu, +eating .fficiency* 1.", 'ost* /2"-1,""" 9$h
1!,""","""- 31""":641) 1 1!,""","""-6,41,""" 1 60.06!-1 1 60.06!32") 1 $3,297.19
System Amount of 8uel ;nit 'ost (otal 'ost, /
'oal Stove tons /0!-ton /!21
<il 8urnace gallons /4-gallon /!424.!
Gas Furnace x1,000 cu ft $2.5/1,000 cu ft $390.6
.lectric +eat :1,""" 9$h /2"-1,""" 9$h /627.12
Note* =on>t forget to include heating efficiencies in your calculations. ?emember, when you
include efficiency, you will need more heat from the fuels 3as input) than the re@uired output
3i.e., 1!,""",""" #tu).
7.5 pts for each correct answer
2. $hat is the heating efficiency of an electric water heater, if you spend ".11
9ilowatt-hour of electric energy to heat lb. of water from 77 to 1 A8& 3+int*
?emember the definition of #tu and 1 9$h 1 641 #tu.) 20 pts
1-77116!3) 1 7" #tu
6413.11) 1 67!.6
7" #tu- 67!.6 1 .72 Efficienc 72!
3. An inventor claims that he has developed a wonderful new heat engine that operates with a
relatively cool flame at 1!" A' and discharges waste heat to the environment at " A'. +is
promotional literature advertises that the first law efficiency of his device is 4!B. $ould you
believe him& 3+int* 'alculate the ma:imum efficiency possible for the engine and compare it
with the claimed efficiency.) 20 pts
Ca: . 1 3(h D (l )-(h Eelvin 1 degrees ' F 76 1!"F76146
"F76126
.1 46-26-46 1 .307 31! "o N# $ %ou&' not (e&ie)e *i+.
4. $est 'ampus Steam Plant produces steam for heating and cogenerates electricity. (he
average heating value of the coal used in the plant is 16, 015 #tu-lb and its average sulfur content
is 1.5Bwt. Gatural gas with a heating value of 1,"6" #tu-cu ft and negligibly small sulfur
content is also burned at the plant. Hast year 0!,"0 tons of coal and 56,002,""" cubic feet of
natural gas were burned to produce steam and generate electricity.
a) 'alculate the amount of S<

which were released to the atmosphere last year 31 ton of

sulfur in the coal produces tons of sulfur dio:ide upon combustion.)
3)S F 3)< 0!"03."15) 1 564.06 3) 1 1669.27 tons
b) $ould this plant be in compliance with the .PA limit if it burned coal only 3i.e.,
ma:imum allowable emission 11. lb S<

per million #tu supplied by the coal)&

Show your calculations. 3+int* 'alculate first how much coal you need to burn to supply one
million #tu. )
1. lb S< per million #tu
'oal* 16015 #tu-lb-16015
1,""","""-16015 1 76.46 3."15) 1.26223) 1 1.,9&( "#2 "o no it %ou&' not (e.
c) 'alculate the amount of '<

3in tons) emitted to the atmosphere only from the coal

burned in the $est 'ampus Steam Plant last year 3'oal contains 5!B wt carbon. Assume that all
the carbon in coal is converted to '<

by combustion. <ne ton of carbon produces 6.07 tons of

'<

upon combustion. 30 pts

'F<1'<
0!"03.5!) 1 !!4!.1 36.07) 1 203,410.117 tons