Question

The BP Oil Spill leaked 398,000 bbl of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Given the following information, determine how many US daily commutes the spilled oil could have supplied. The average American commuter drives 30 miles a day and the average car's usable output is 3549 BTU/mile. The step efficiencies of a gasoline automobile are: Step Step efficiency Raw fuel production 83% Engine 20% Mechanical 75% Transmission system 70% efficiency = usable output 1 bbl oil = 5.8x10BTU 1bbl = 42gal total input

Answer 1

Amount of oil leaked = 398000 bbl. 1 bobl oil produced heat = 5.88 10 BTU. Total amount of heat produced by the leak oil = 398000 + 5.8x10 BTU = 2.3084 X1012 BTU Efficiency = usable output I total input Cembined Efficiency = = N, XN2 x No XNq Here n = 0.83, N2= 0.2 N 0.75 and n = 0.70 12 n = 0.83 x 0.2 x 0.75 X 0.70 - 0.08715: Total input = 2.308 4 x 10 BTU usable out put = nx total input o -0.08 715 X 2.3084 X10 BTU = 2.01177 X 10" BTU 11 Now average American consumer drives 30 miles a day and usable output is 3599 BTU soule Average consuming of a USA consumer a doy - (30x3549) BTO

spilled oil No. of us daily commuten the could be supplied - 2-01/77 X 10" = 1 889518 30X 3549 so, 18, 89, 578 us daily commates the spilled oid could be supplied.