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Unlike efficacy (effectiveness), which is a unit of measurement, efficiency is a unitless number expressed as a percentage, requiring only that the input and output units be of the same type. The luminous efficiency of a light source is thus the percentage of luminous efficacy per theoretical maximum efficacy at a specific wavelength.
The formula defines the energy E of a particle in its rest frame as the product of mass (m) with the speed of light squared (c 2). Because the speed of light is a large number in everyday units (approximately 300 000 km/s or 186 000 mi/s), the formula implies that a small amount of mass corresponds to an enormous amount of energy.
For this reason, the useful load fraction calculates a similar number, but it is based on the combined weight of the payload and fuel together in relation to the total weight. Propeller-driven airliners had useful load fractions on the order of 25–35%.
Efficiency is often measured as the ratio of useful output to total input, which can be expressed with the mathematical formula r=P/C, where P is the amount of useful output ("product") produced per the amount C ("cost") of resources consumed.
If energy output and input are expressed in the same units, efficiency is a dimensionless number. [1] Where it is not customary or convenient to represent input and output energy in the same units, efficiency-like quantities have units associated with them. For example, the heat rate of a fossil fuel power plant may be expressed in BTU per ...
The measure of this is engine efficiency, often called thermal efficiency in the case of internal combustion engines. A diesel cycle engine can be as much as 40% to 50% efficient at converting fuel into work, [2] where a typical automotive gasoline engine's efficiency is about 25% to 30%. [3] [4]
To express the efficiency of a generator or power plant as a percentage, invert the value if dimensionless notation or same unit are used. For example: A heat rate value of 5 gives an efficiency factor of 20%. A heat rate value of 2 kWh/kWh gives an efficiency factor of 50%. A heat rate value of 4 MJ/MJ gives an efficiency factor of 25%.
The SI unit for specific energy is the joule per kilogram (J/kg). Other units still in use worldwide in some contexts are the kilocalorie per gram (Cal/g or kcal/g), mostly in food-related topics, and watt-hours per kilogram (W⋅h/kg) in the field of batteries.