Question

Mr. X has a brilliant idea that will help solve the energy crisis: A self-powering lamp! Instead of having to plug the lamp in an external power source, he realizes that lamps produce heat and, based on thermodynamics, a portion of the heat can be converted into work using a heat engine (e.g. a steam cycle). Mr. X’s design includes a mini steam cycle and a generator. The schematic of the plan is shown in the figure below. The steam cycle will use the heat from the lamp to output mechanical work, which will be converted to electrical work using a generator. The electrical work output of the generator will then be used to power the lamp. Is Mr. X’s plan possible? Explain by performing thermodynamic analysis showing the necessary equations.

Answer 1