Talk: Steam engine

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Subject: conflict perceived by me (conflict may be actual) that needs clarification.

"A steam engine exhausting to atmosphere will have an efficiency (including the boiler) of 5% but with the addition of a condenser the efficiency is greatly improved to 25% or better. A power station with exhaust reheat, etc. will achieve 30% efficiency."

And later in the article

"One source of inefficiency is that the condenser causes losses by being somewhat hotter than the outside world. Thus any closed-cycle engine will always be somewhat less efficient than any open-cycle engine, because of condenser losses."

Leonard G. 22:39, 2 Aug 2004 (UTC)

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Need citation for

Steam provides over 90% of the power (mostly for electricity) in the U.S., mainly from steam turbines.

Gas turbines produce quite a bit of electricity.

Roadrunner 04:32, 27 Nov 2004 (UTC)