- #1
Mimi Sanford
- 6
- 0
"A Carnot engine operates using a heat source at 500 °C, and a heat sink at room temperature (20 °C). Suppose that as a heat source, you use the combustion of 100 cubic feet of natural gas at room temperature and pressure (e.g. in a fuel cell of some kind). Under ideal conditions, what is the largest amount of work that can be generated using this Carnot engine? (Use the ideal gas law, pV=nRT, with the gas constant R=8.3 J/(K mol).)"
I figured out that total work is equal to n * R * ln(v2/v1) * (Temp(hot) - Temp(cold)), but I have no idea how to solve for v2, especially since I assume the pressure is changing as well. Is there a way to solve for v2, or should I use a different equation? Thank you! (I also found that the efficiency is 62.1%, but I'm not sure if that's important for this question.)
I figured out that total work is equal to n * R * ln(v2/v1) * (Temp(hot) - Temp(cold)), but I have no idea how to solve for v2, especially since I assume the pressure is changing as well. Is there a way to solve for v2, or should I use a different equation? Thank you! (I also found that the efficiency is 62.1%, but I'm not sure if that's important for this question.)