Problem 2.10: Water has both a high specific heat and a high
From Chapter 2 Problem Set. Level 3: System Integration.
Question
Water has both a high specific heat and a high latent heat of vaporization. In 2–3 sentences, explain why these two properties make water useful in hot-water loops, chilled-water loops, boilers, and cooling towers.
Answer
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Water’s high specific heat allows it to absorb and transport large thermal loads with relatively modest temperature changes, which makes it effective in hot-water and chilled-water loops. Its high latent heat allows a small mass of water to carry enormous amounts of energy during vaporization and condensation, which makes it effective in boilers and cooling towers.