Example of Energy Conversion Efficiency
Conversion process | Energy efficiency |
---|---|
Electricity generation | |
Gas turbine | up to 40% |
Gas turbine plus steam turbine (combined cycle) | up to 60% |
Water turbine | up to 90% (practically achieved) |
Wind turbine | up to 59% (theoretical limit) |
Solar cell | 6–40% (technology dependent, 15% most often, 85–90% theoretical limit) |
Fuel cell | up to 85% |
World Electricity generation 2008 | Gross output 39%, Net output 33%. |
Engine/Motor | |
Combustion engine | 10–50% |
Electric motors | 70–99.99% (above 200W); 50–90% (between 10–200W); 30–60% (small ones < 10W) |
Natural process | |
Photosynthesis | up to 6% |
Muscle | 14–27% |
Appliance | |
Household refrigerators | low-end systems ~ 20%; high end systems ~ 40–50% |
Incandescent light bulb | 0.7–5.1%, 5–10% |
Light-emitting diode (LED) | 4.2–14.9%, up to 35% |
Fluorescent lamps | 8.0–15.6%, 28% |
Low-pressure sodium lamps | 15.0–29.0%, 40.5% |
Metal halide lamps | 9.5–17.0%, 24% |
Switched-mode power supply | currently up to 95% practically |
Electric shower | 90–95% (overall it would be more efficient to use a heat pump, requiring less electric energy) |
Electric heaters | ~100% (essentially all energy is converted into heat) |
others | |
Firearm | ~30% (.300 Hawk ammunition) |
Electrolysis of water | 50–70% (80–94% theoretical maximum) |
Read more about this topic: Energy Conversion Efficiency
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