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8  Binary Cycle Power Plants 161

On the one hand, normal fluids such as water require considerable superheat, extend-
ing the isobar a-b-c upwards, to avoid excessive moisture at the turbine exhaust, state g.
On the other hand, retrograde fluids allow expansion from the saturated vapor line into
the superheated region, process b-f, avoiding any moisture during the turbine expansion
process. It has been shown [11] that it is possible to run a supercritical cycle in which the
turbine inlet state lies above the critical point and the expansion line lies inside the wet
region for a portion of the process, emerging into the superheated region, without suffer-
ing any wetness penalty in efficiency. Apparently, the fluid remains in a metastable
vapor state while passing through the wet region by staying on the dry side of the Wilson
line [12].

8.3.2 Sonic velocity and turbine size


To a first approximation, the size of the turbine determines its cost, and its size can
be estimated from its exit area. The mass flow rate through the turbine exit can be
expressed as the product of the working fluid density, the cross-sectional area, and the
flow velocity:
_ 5 ρAV
m ð8:21Þ
Since the mass flow rate is also given by
m _
_ t =wt 5 W=ðh
_ 5W 1 2 h2 Þ ð8:22Þ
the exit area can be found from
W_ t v2
A5 ð8:23Þ
h1 2 h2 Ka2
where we have replaced the density by its reciprocal, the specific volume v, and the
fluid velocity by Ka2 where K is a fraction and a2 is the speed of sound in the fluid at
the turbine exit. By definition, the speed of sound in a compressible medium is given by
 1=2
dP
a5 ð8:24Þ
dρ s5const
The sonic speed can be approximated from property tables and charts using finite
differences:
 1=2  
ΔP ΔP 1=2
a 5 ð8:25Þ
Δρ s5const Δð1=vÞ s5const
We may now compare working fluids using the same power outputs and the same
fraction of sonic speed at the turbine exhaust to examine their relative cross-sectional
areas, and thus the relative sizes of their turbines. It turns out that ammonia has the
smallest size turbine for the chosen comparison, and it is convenient to present the
results as multiples of the area required for an ammonia turbine.
Table 8.3 gives the results using the approach outlined above. A similar analysis
was carried out by Milora and Tester [13] using a different methodology involving
the law of corresponding states, and their results are included in the table for compari-
son purposes. The analysis involves estimates and approximations, exhibited in the

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