Module 6 :
Lecture 27 : Power and Refrigeration Cycles

 
 The lecture contains
 
 
 
   Introduction
 Practical Rankine Cycle
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 

  Module 6 :
Lecture 27 : Power and Refrigeration Cycles

 
 
 Introduction
 
In some power cycles, the fuel is burned and energy is transferred as heat to a working medium
 (water) which undergoes a cyclic change.
 
 Thermal power plant is an example of such a device.
 
 In some heat engines, the fuel is burned inside the engine cylinder and the hot gases are allowed
 to expand. These classes of engines are usually called internal combustion engines.
 
 A large friction of electric power is produced by thermal power plants which employ the Rankine
Cycle.
 
 The working fluid used in the power plant is water which undergoes a cyclic change
 

  Module 6 :
Lecture 27 : Power and Refrigeration Cycles

 
 
 The highest possible efficiency in a power cycle can be obtained if the cycle consists of only
reversible processes. Therefore, a Carnot cycle is quite appealing as a power cycle. Consider
 the Carnot cycle shown in Figure 27.1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 27.1
Figure 27.2
Figure 27.2 is the T-s diagram of the Carnot cycle shown in Figure 27.1. Wet steam at state 1 is
isentropically compressed to the saturated liquid (state 2). The saturated liquid undergoes a phase
change of constant temperature and pressure and leaves the boiler as saturated vapour (state 3).
Then the saturated vapour is allowed to expend isentropically in a turbine and the leaves the
turbine at state 4. Finally this fluid is condensed to state 1, thus completing the cycle. Energy is

added to the working fluid at constant temperature and energy is rejected at constant

temperature in the condensed.

(27.1)
=
 

(27.2)
= 1-
The isentropic process 1-2 cannot be practically achieved become it is difficult to handle a two
phase mixture. Similarly if the quality is poor, the process 3-4 is also difficult to carry out.

The ideal Rankine Cycle shown in Figure 27.3 is a modification of Carnot cycle.

Figure 27.3

The isentropic compression of wet steam is replaced by isentropic compression of saturated

Energy addition
  
 

Energy rejection

(27.3)
Thermal efficiency
 

or

(27.4)
=

(27.5)

It can be observed that the isentropic expansion of the steam continuously decreases its quality
when going from state 4 to state 5. Presence of excessive moisture content causes serious
erosion of the turbine blades, which is highly undesirable. To overcome this modern steam power
plants produce superheated steam which is fed to the turbine for subsequent expansion (Figure
27.5)

Figure 27.5

The thermal efficiency of a Rankine cycle is lower then that of a Carnot cycle operating between
the same temperature levels. This is primarily because of the fact that the energy transfer as heat
in the boiler does not take place at constant temperature in the Rankine cycle. The average
temperature between the state 2 and 3 is less than the temperature at which vaporization take
 place. Particularly in the case of Rankine cycle with superheat, the maximum temperature
corresponds to state 4 which is much above the temperature of vaporization at which a major
fraction of the energy addition take place.
  Module 6 :
Lecture 27 : Power and Refrigeration Cycles

 
 Practical Rankine Cycle
 
 In actual practice, the pump and the turbine cannot be operated under isentropic condition
because of irreversibilies. Therefore process 1-2 and 4-5 are non-isentropic. Applying the second
 law of thermodynamics to the control volumes the turbine and the pump we find that the entropy of
 the exit fluid is greater then the entropy of the entering fluid. (See Figure 27.6)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Figure 27.6

Therefore  
 

and  
 
 Also  
 

Therefore     
 

and       
 

The actual work delivered by the turbine is less than the work delivered by an isentropic turbine.
The work spent on the actual pump is greater the work spent on the isentropic pump. Because of
irreversibilties in the turbine and the pump, the actual efficiency of a practical Rankine Cycle is less
than the efficiency of an ideal Rankine cycle.

The performance of an actual turbine or pump is usually expressed in terms of isentropic

They are defined as

For the turbine,

  Module 6 :
Lecture 28 :

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 The lecture contains
 
 
 
   Reheat Cycle (continuation of Rankine cycle)
   Regenerative Cycle
   Binary Vapor Cycle

  Module 6 :
Lecture 28 :

 
 
 Reheat Cycle (continuation of Rankine cycle)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Figure 28.1
 
 

The steam leaving the boiler at state 4 enters the high- pressure section of turbine where it
expends to some intermediate pressure (shown in Figure 28.1). Then the steam leaves the turbine
at state 5 and enters the boiler where it is reheated. The reheating of the steam is usually done to
the original temperature of the steam. The reheated steam at stage 6 enters the low pressure
section of the turbine and expands to the condenser pressure. The wet steam at state 7 enters the
condenser where it rejects heat to the cooling water and leaves the condenser at state 1.
 Total energy added in the boiler = (28.1)
 

Energy rejected in the condenser = (28.2)

(28.3)
Thermal efficiency =