06-16-2018, 07:30 AM
This seems as appropriate a place as any to post this:
Inspired by the USGS recent estimate of the effusion rate of the new fissure system at ~ 100 cubic meters per second, I thought it would be interesting to try and get a handle on how much energy was being dumped into lower Puna. Someone check my math !
given: Effusion rate ~ 100m^3/s (volume per unit time)
given: Density of 3 g/cm^3 (mass per unit volume)
<< convert effusion rate volume to mass >>
100m^3/s is equivalent to 100x10^6 cm^3/s
now multiply volume by density
(100x10^6 cm^3/s) * (3 g/cm^3) = 300x10^6 g/s
given: initial temp of ~ 1200 degC, final temp of ~ 25 degC
given: Specific heat capacity ~ 0.84 J/g K (energy per unit mass per degree temp change)
<< find delta-T for lava cooled to ambient >>
1200degC - 25degC = 1175degC
<< find energy released from temperature change >>
(300x10^6 g/s) * (1175 degC) * (0.84 J/g K) = 296.1x10^9 joules
1 joule is equal to 1 watt-second, so:
296.1x10^9 watt-seconds
Thats 296 GW !!!
It would take almost 7800 PGV plants to produce that amount of power. All of the nuclear power facilities in the US combined produce only about 1/3 of that power.
Inspired by the USGS recent estimate of the effusion rate of the new fissure system at ~ 100 cubic meters per second, I thought it would be interesting to try and get a handle on how much energy was being dumped into lower Puna. Someone check my math !
given: Effusion rate ~ 100m^3/s (volume per unit time)
given: Density of 3 g/cm^3 (mass per unit volume)
<< convert effusion rate volume to mass >>
100m^3/s is equivalent to 100x10^6 cm^3/s
now multiply volume by density
(100x10^6 cm^3/s) * (3 g/cm^3) = 300x10^6 g/s
given: initial temp of ~ 1200 degC, final temp of ~ 25 degC
given: Specific heat capacity ~ 0.84 J/g K (energy per unit mass per degree temp change)
<< find delta-T for lava cooled to ambient >>
1200degC - 25degC = 1175degC
<< find energy released from temperature change >>
(300x10^6 g/s) * (1175 degC) * (0.84 J/g K) = 296.1x10^9 joules
1 joule is equal to 1 watt-second, so:
296.1x10^9 watt-seconds
Thats 296 GW !!!
It would take almost 7800 PGV plants to produce that amount of power. All of the nuclear power facilities in the US combined produce only about 1/3 of that power.