I claimed recently that fossile fuel electric power plants convert about 33% of the chemical energy in its fuel into electrical energy, to which M R replied:
> Is this really true, then why do the automobiles run > at 35 - 40 % efficiency. After all they convert heat > energy directly into mechanical energy. Since I have retired and moved away from my former college environment, I no longer have the easy access to information sources that I once had. (There are a few books of my own that I got rid of and now regret.) But I believe quite definitely that the 33% I quoted for the efficiency of fossile fuel powered electric generating plant is an accurate approximation. But I cannot be positive and I cannot check my sources. I have no convenient way of checking to see if MR's figures for automobile efficiency are accurate either, but it would not surprise me to see that auto engine efficiency values are in the same general range as electric power plant efficiency. Why not? Regards, Bill Hooper physics professor (retired), Florida, USA P.S. M R went on to state: > ethanol from genetically modified Corn will give > more net energy. The plants get lot of energy from > Sun (through photosynthesis). Surely that should read "The plants get ALL their energy from the Sun through photosynthesis." ======================== Keep It Simple - Make It Metric! ========================
