Steam turbines, maximum amount of work done?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a problem related to steam turbines, specifically focusing on calculating the maximum amount of work done by the turbine given certain temperatures and heat input. The subject area involves thermodynamics and the principles of heat engines.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the concept of modeling the turbine as a Carnot engine and question the implications of the heat input Q being unspecified. There is discussion about how to express the relationship between heat input and work output.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing insights and clarifications regarding the interpretation of the problem. Some guidance has been offered on how to approach the problem, but there is no consensus on the exact interpretation of the variables involved.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating the ambiguity of the term "for a given heat input Q" and its implications for the problem setup. There is a focus on understanding how to incorporate this variable into their reasoning.

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Steam turbines, maximum amount of work done?

Hi, having a little trouble with this problem, not entierly sure what formula to use, or what value to use for Q.

A steam turbine is operated ith an input temp of 800C and exhaust temp of 150C. What is the maximum amount of work the turbine can do for a given heat input Q? Under what conditions is the maximum achieved?

Thanks in advance
 
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have you tried thinking of the thing as a carnot engine?
 
yeh i have but that would just give me an answer with two undefined variables.

0.6Q=W

in the question it says 'for a given heat input Q' what does that mean exactly, could it mean pick a random value.

Thanks for your reply
 
it means just leave Q in your answer. you've already got it
 

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