A typical coal-fired power plant burn up 250 metric tons of coal each and every hour to produce 750 MW of electricity. 1 metric ton = 1000 kg. The coal density is 1500 kg/m^3 and the heat of combustion is 28 MJ/kg. Suppose that all heat is transferred from the fuel to the boiler and that all the work done in spinning the turbine is converted into electrical energy.
i) Assume that the coal is piled up in an 11.0 m x 15.0 m room. Determine how tall should the pile be to operate the plant for one day?
ii) Determine the thermal efficiency of power plant?