A solar collector system delivers heat to a power plant. It is well known that the thermal
Question:
A solar collector system delivers heat to a power plant. It is well known that the thermal collection efficiency ηsc of a solar collector diminishes with increasing solar collection output temperature TH, or ηsc = A - BTH where A and B are known constants. The thermal efficiency of the power plant ηth is a fixed fraction of the Carnot thermal efficiency, such that ηth = F(1 - TL/TH) where F is a known constant assumed here independent of temperatures and TL is the condenser temperature, also constant for this problem. Here, the solar collection temperature TH is also taken to be the source temperature for the power plant.
(a) At what temperature TH should the solar collector be operated to obtain the maximum overall system efficiency?
(b) Develop an expression for the maximum overall system efficiency.
Step by Step Answer:
Fundamentals of Thermal-Fluid Sciences
ISBN: 978-0078027680
5th edition
Authors: Yunus A. Cengel, Robert H. Turner, John M. Cimbala