VAPOR & COMBINED POWER CYCLES

VAPOR & COMBINED POWER CYCLES

VAPOR & COMBINED POWER CYCLES

In the previous chapter (Chapter 8), we analyzed gas power
cycles for which the working fluid remains a gas throughout
the entire cycle.
In this chapter we will analyze vapor power cycles for which
the working fluid is alternately vaporized and condensed.
Steam is the most common working fluid used in vapor
power cycles, because of its many desirable characteristics.
Steam power plants are commonly referred to as coal plants,
nuclear plants, or natural gas plants, depending on the
type of fuel used to supply heat to the steam.

VAPOR & COMBINED POWER CYCLES

CARNOT VAPOR CYCLE

Carnot cycle is the best (most efficient) cycle operating between specified
TH and TL.
Can we realize Carnot vapor cycle using steam as the working fluid ?

2.

3.

We have some practical problems with this cycle:

1. Isothermal qin (1 2) and qout (3 4) can be
achieved. If you maintain a constant P in the
device, T will be constant in the saturation
dome (two- phase).
Limiting heat transfer into saturation dome
will limit TH and therefore th (TH th ).
TH can not be greater than 374 0C.
Isentropic expansion (2 3) can be approximated closely by a welldesigned turbine. However, x at the exit of turbine will be low. The
impingement of liquid droplets on turbine blades causes erosion. Thus, x
should not be smaller than 90 %.
Isentropic compression involves 2 difficulties :
a. It is difficult to end condensation at a desired x.
b. It is not practical to design a compressor that will handle two phases.

 Some of these problems could be eliminated by a different Carnot cycle.

We have some practical problems with this
cycle:
1. Requires isentropic compression to
extremely high pressures.
What is wrong with this ?
1. Requires isothermal heat transfer in one
phase region.

Therefore, Carnot cycle cannot be approximated in actual devices and is not a

realistic model for vapor power cycles.

IDEAL VAPOR CYCLE RANKINE CYCLE

All 4 devices used in Rankine cycle (pump, boiler, turbine, and condenser)
are steady-flow devices. 1st Law of thermodynamics : q-w=he-hi
Pump :
(q=0)
wpump,in = h2 - h1 = v(P2 - P1)
Boiler :
(w=0)
qin = h3 - h2
Turbine : (q=0)
wturb,out = h3 - h4
Condenser : (w=0)
qout = h4 - h1
Net work output :
wnet =wwnetturb,out -qw
pump,in

1 out
Thermal efficiency :
q in
q in

RANKINE CYCLE

SKEN SUGZ THERMAL POWER PLANT (1200 MW)

RANKINE CYCLE

SKEN SUGZ THERMAL POWER PLANT (1200 MW)

RANKINE CYCLE

SKEN SUGZ THERMAL POWER PLANT

(1200 MW)

RANKINE CYCLE

RANKINE CYCLE

RANKINE CYCLE

RANKINE CYCLE

RANKINE CYCLE (NUCLEAR POWER STATION)

RANKINE CYCLE (NUCLEAR REACTOR)

RANKINE CYCLE (NUCLEAR REACTOR)

RANKINE CYCLE (NUCLEAR REACTOR)

BOILERS

As water (blue line) enters the

boiler, it is preheated by hot
gases leaving the boiler.
The water then enters the steam
drum where it is pressurized and
turns to steam (light pink line).
That steam is "superheated"
(red line) and sent to the
turbines.
Water that is not converted to
steam goes down to the bottom of
the boiler and is pumped through
the walls of the boiler and
directed to the steam drum.

BOILERS (With ReHeater)

BOILERS

40 MW

Evaporation

113 t/h

Steam Pressure

3620 kPa

Feedwater
Temperature

105 C

Steam Temperature

399 C

BOILERS

BOILERS

BOILERS

STEAM TURBINES

SIEMENS ST-5
(150 MW)

STEAM TURBINES

SIEMENS

STEAM TURBINES

Example 9.1 : Consider a steam power plant

operating on the simple ideal Rankine cycle.The
steam enters the turbine at 3MPa and 350C and is
condensed in the condenser at a pressure of 75 kPa.
Determine the thermal efficiency of this cycle.
1
P1=75kPa
Sat.liquid

h1=hf=384.39 kJ/kg
v1 =vf =0.001037 m3/kg

2
P2=3 MPa
s2 =s1

wpump,in=v1(P2-P1)=0.001037(3000-75)=3.03 kJ/kg
h2=h1+ wpump,in =(384.39+3.03)=387.42 kJ/kg
3
P3=3 MPa
T3=350 C

h3=3115.3 kJ/kg
s3=6.7428 kJ/kg.K

4
P4=75kPa
s4=s3(sat.mixt.)
s 4 sf
0.886
sfg
h4 = hf+x4hfg = 384.39+0.886(2278.6)
= 2403.2 kJ/kg

x4

th 1

q out
q in

qin=h3-h2=(3115.3-387.42)=2727.88 kJ/kg
qout=h4-h1=(2403.2-384.39)=2018.81 kJ/kg

th 1

q out
2018.81
1
0.260(or 26%)
q in
2727.88

th

Wnet
q in

wnet = wturb,out-wpump,in=(712.1-3.03)=709.07 kJ/kg

or
wnet = qin-qout=(2727.88-2018.81)=709.07 kJ/kg

w net
709.07
th

0.260( or 26%)
q in
2727.88

th,carnot 1
1

Tmin
Tmax
(91.78 273)
(350 273)

0.414

DEVIATION OF ACTUAL VAPOR POWER CYCLES

FROM IDEALIZED ONES

Actual Rankine cycle deviates from the

ideal one, because irreversibilities. The
sources for irreversibilities are :
1. Fluid friction
2. Heat loss to the surroundings

Ideal Turbine
(isentropic)
Actual Turbine
(not isentropic)
Ideal Comp.
(isentropic)
Actual Comp.
(not isentropic)

USE
Adiabatic efficiency
for turbine

USE
Adiabatic efficiency
for comp.

Example 9-2: A steam power plant

operates on the cycle shown in the Figure. If
the adiabatic efficiency of the turbine is 87
percent and the adiabatic efficiency of the
pump is 85 percent, determine
a) The thermal efficiency of the cycle
b) The net output of the plant for a mass
flow rate of 15 kg/s.
a)
Pump work input :

w a ,pump ,in

w s ,pump ,in
P

1 ( P2 P1 )

0.001008(16000 9)
19.0 kJ / kg
0.85

Turbine work output :

Wa,turb,out
a,turb,out = tws,turb,out= t(h5-h6s)
= 0.87(3582.3-2115.7) = 1275.9 kJ/kg

Boiler heat input :

qin= (h4-h3) = (3645.7-146.7) = 1256.9 kJ/kg
Net work production :
wnet = wturb,out-wpump,in = (1275.9-19.0) = 1256.9 kJ/kg
Thermal efficiency :

w net 1256.9
T

0.359 (or 35.9%)

qin
3499.0
b)
Power production :
.

W net m(w net ) 15x1256.9 18.854 kW