Every work producing system results in wasted energy. Thermal efficiency gauge sthe conversion of heat to work in a heat engine and can illustrate how much heat is lost in a process. A goal of design engineers is to maximize the thermal efficiency of their process to reduce cost and improve the overall sustainability. Improving thermal efficiency is a direct way to reduce energy costs. Conside rtwo different heat engines that are powered by biomass. Research has shown that, once dried and densified, certain biomass sources have a heating value in the same range as that of coal, 15 - 45 MJ/kg (McGowan, 2009). Consider a hardwood with a heating value of 20.5 MJ/kg (McGowan, 2009). Determine which heat engine under the given conditions has the more favorable thermal efficiency. a) If the first heat engine has a power output of 80 MW and 148 MW of waste heat, determine the thermal efficiency and the amount of biomass consumed. b) If the second heat engine consumes 48 tons/hour of biomass and has a power output of 80 MW, determine the thermal efficiency, amount of wasted heat, and the heat supplied from the heat source.