POWER PLANT DESIGN WITH

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Module 1: Introduction to Power Plant

Engineering

Prepared by:
ENGR. PINKY S. DELA CRUZ
Instructor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Palawan State University
Module 1
Introduction to Power Plant Engineering

Overview
A power plant is an assembly of systems or subsystems to generate electricity, i.e., power
with economy and requirements. On the other hand, Power Plant Engineering is a science,
which deals with the complete study of different types of power plant. This module is
specifically designed to discuss different sources of energy and types of power plant. Also, a
review of the basic terms, properties, processes and laws of thermodynamics will be
presented.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. List and explain different sources of energy
2. Identify different types of power plants and recognize their components
3. State the different Laws of Thermodynamics.
4. Solve problems on Power Cycles.

1. ENERGY AND POWER

Energy is possessed of the ability to produce a dynamic, vital effect. This appears in many
forms including mechanical work, heat, electricity, and radiation.

Power is the rate at which energy is produced and consumed. Any physical unit of energy
when divided by a unit of time becomes a unit of power. However, it is in connection with the
mechanical and electrical forms of energy that the term “power” is generally used. Therefore,
we will define power as the rate of flow of energy.

A Power Plant is a unit built for the production and delivery of a flow of mechanical and
electrical energy. In common usage, a machine or assemblage of equipment that produces
and delivers a flow of mechanical or electrical energy is a power plant. Hence, an internal
combustion engine is a power plant, a water wheel is a power plant, etc. However, what we
generally mean by the term is that assemblage of equipment, permanently located on some
chosen site, which receives raw energy in the form of a substance capable of being operated
on in such a way as to produce electrical energy for delivery from the power plant.

1.1 The energy sources can be of two types:

1.1.1. Renewable or non conventional energy resources - can be re-
accumulated/replenished over a shorter period of time
Examples: Solar energy, Wind energy, Tidal energy, Ocean tides and waves energy,
Flowing of stream of water

1.1.2. Non-renewable or conventional energy resources - comes from sources that will
run out or will not be replenished in our lifetimes—or even in many, many lifetimes
Examples: Coal, coke, etc., Petroleum, Natural gas, Nuclear power
1.2 FUELS
Fuel is defined as any material which when burnt will produce heat. Various fuels commonly
used are as follows:
• Solid fuels (Wood, peat, lignite, bituminous coal and anthracite coal)
• Liquid fuels (Petroleum and its derivatives)
• Gaseous fuels (CNG, LPG, etc)

1.3 TYPES OF POWER PLANT

1.3.1. Steam Power Plant - used to generate electricity by the use of steam turbine
1.3.2. Gas turbine Power Plants - used to generate electricity by the use of gas turbine
1.3.3. Combined Cycle Power Generation - typically uses a gas turbine to drive an
electrical generator, and recovers waste heat from the turbine exhaust to generate
steam. The steam from waste heat is run through a steam turbine to provide
supplemental electricity.
1.3.4. Nuclear Power Plants - thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear
reactor.
1.3.5. Hydroelectric Power plant - a renewable source of energy that generates power
by using a dam or diversion structure to alter the natural flow of a river or other body of
water

2. REVIEW OF THERMODYNAMICS

Thermodynamics is the science of many processes involved in one form of energy being
changed into another. It is composed of principles that enable us to understand and follow
energy as it transformed from one form or state to the other.

The zeroth law of thermodynamics was enunciated after the first law. It states that if
two bodies are each in thermal equilibrium with a third, they must also be in thermal
equilibrium with each other. Equilibrium implies the existence of a situation in which the
system undergoes no net charge, and there is no net transfer of heat between the bodies.

The first law of thermodynamics says that energy can’t be destroyed or created. When
one energy form is converted into another, the total amount of energy remains constant.
An example of this law is a gasoline engine. The chemical energy in the fuel is converted
into various forms including kinetic energy of motion, potential energy, chemical energy
in the carbon dioxide, and water of the exhaust gas.

The second law of thermodynamics is the entropy law, which says that all physical
processes proceed in such a way that the availability of the energy involved decreases.
This means that no transformation of energy resource can ever be 100% efficient. The
second law declares that the material economy necessarily and unavoidably degrades
the resources that sustain it. Entropy is a measure of disorder or chaos, when entropy
increases disorder increases.

The third law of thermodynamics is the law of unattainability of absolute zero

temperature, which says that entropy of an ideal crystal at zero degrees Kelvin is zero.
It’s unattainable because it is the lowest temperature that can possibly exist and can only
be approached but not actually reached. This law is not needed for most thermodynamic
work but is a reminder that like the efficiency of an ideal engine, there are absolute limits
in physics.
The steam power plants work on modified rankine cycle in the case of steam engines and
isentropic cycle concerned in the case of impulse and reaction steam turbines. In the case
of I.C. Engines (Diesel Power Plant) it works on Otto cycle, diesel cycle or dual cycle; in
the case of gas turbine it works on Brayton cycle; in the case of nuclear power plants it
works on Einstein equation, as well as on the basic principle of fission or fusion. However
in the case of non-conventional energy generation it is complicated and depends upon
the type of the system viz., thermo electric or thermionic basic principles and theories et
al.

2.1 Classifications of Power Plant Cycles

1. Gas Power Cycles
(Otto Cycle, Diesel Cycle, Dual Combustion Cycle, Gas Turbine Cycle)

2. Vapour Power Cycles

(Carnot Cycle, Rankine Cycle, Regenerative Cycle, Reheat Cycle, Binary Vapour
Cycle)

2.1.1 Gas Power Cycles

A. Otto Cycle
The air standard Otto cycle is an ideal cycle approximates a spark-ignition internal
combustion engine (IC).
Air-standard Otto Cycle
1-2: Isentropic compression
2-3: Constant volume heat addition
3-4: Isentropic expansion
4-1: Constant volume heat rejection

The thermal efficiency of this cycle is found as follows,

𝑇
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑄𝐿 𝑚𝑐𝑣 (𝑇4 − 𝑇1 ) 𝑇1 (𝑇4 − 1)
1
𝜂𝑡ℎ,𝑂𝑡𝑡𝑜 = =1− =1− =1−
𝑄𝐻 𝑄𝐻 𝑚𝑐𝑣 (𝑇3 − 𝑇2 ) 𝑇
𝑇2 (𝑇3 − 1)
2

Processes 1-2 and 3-4 are isentropic, and v2=v3 and v4=v1. Thus,

𝑇2 𝑉1 𝑘−1 𝑉4 𝑘−1 𝑇3
=( ) =( ) =
𝑇1 𝑉2 𝑉3 𝑇4

Therefore,
𝑇3 𝑇4
=
𝑇2 𝑇1

And

𝑇1 1
𝜂𝑡ℎ,𝑂𝑡𝑡𝑜 = 1 − = 1 − (𝑟)1−𝑘 = 1 −
𝑇2 (𝑟)𝑘−1

Where
𝑉1 𝑉4
𝑟= =
𝑉2 𝑉3

B. Diesel Cycle
This is the ideal cycle for the diesel engine, which is also called the compression-
ignition engine.
 1-2: Isentropic compression
2-3: Constant pressure heat addition
3-4: Isentropic expansion
4-1: Constant volume heat rejection

The thermal efficiency of the Diesel cycle is given by the relation

𝑇
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑄𝐿 𝑚𝑐𝑣 (𝑇4 − 𝑇1 ) 𝑇1 (𝑇4 − 1)
1
𝜂𝑡ℎ,𝐷𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙 = =1− =1− =1−
𝑄𝐻 𝑄𝐻 𝑚𝑐𝑝 (𝑇3 − 𝑇2 ) 𝑇
𝑘𝑇2 (𝑇3 − 1)
2

We now define a new quality, the cutoff ratio rc, as the ratio of the cylinder volumes
after and before the combustion process
𝑉3 𝑣3
𝑟𝑐 = =
𝑉2 𝑣2

Utilizing this definition and the isentropic ideal gas relations for processes 1-2 and 3-
4, then the thermal efficiency relation reduces to
1 𝑟𝑐𝑘 − 1
𝜂𝑡ℎ.,𝐷𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙 =1− [ ]
(𝑟)𝑘−1 𝑘(𝑟𝑐 − 1)
C. Dual Combustion Cycle
In modern compression ignition engines the pressure is not constant during the
combustion process but varies in the manners illustrated below. The major part of
combustion can be considered to approach a constant-volume process, and the late
burning, a constant-pressure process.

Air-standard Dual Cycle

1-2: Isentropic compression

2-3: Constant-volume heat addition
3-4: Constant-pressure heat addition
4-5: Isentropic expansion
5-1: Constant-volume heat rejection

D. Brayton Cycle
The air-standard Brayton cycle is the ideal cycle for the simple gas turbine. The simple
open cycle gas turbine utilizing an internal-combustion process and the simple closed-
cycle gas turbine, which utilizes heat-transfer processes, are both shown
schematically.
1-2: Isentropic compression
2-3: Constant-pressure heat addition
3-4: Isentropic expansion
4-1: Constant-pressure heat rejection

The efficiency of the air-standard Brayton cycle is found as follows:

𝑇
𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑞𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑐𝑝 (𝑇4 − 𝑇1 ) 𝑇1 (𝑇4 − 1)
1
𝜂𝑡ℎ,𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑡𝑜𝑛 = =1− = 1− =1−
𝑞𝑖𝑛 𝑞𝑖𝑛 𝑐𝑝 (𝑇3 − 𝑇2 ) 𝑇
𝑇2 (𝑇3 − 1)
2

Processes 1-2 and 3-4 are isentropic, and P2=P3 and P4=P1. Thus
 𝑘−1 𝑘−1
𝑇2 𝑃2 𝑘 𝑃3 𝑘 𝑇3
=( ) =( ) =
𝑇1 𝑃1 𝑃4 𝑇4

Therefore,
1
𝜂𝑡ℎ,𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑡𝑜𝑛 = 1 − (𝑘−1)⁄
𝑘
𝑟𝑝

𝑃
Where 𝑟𝑝 = 𝑃2 (𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜)
1

We now define a new ratio, the back work ratio (bwr), as the ratio of the compressor work
to the turbine work.
𝑤𝑐 = 𝑐𝑝 (𝑇2 − 𝑇1 )

𝑤𝑡 = 𝑐𝑝 (𝑇3 − 𝑇4 )

𝑤𝑐 𝑇2 − 𝑇1
𝑏𝑤𝑟 = =
𝑤𝑡 𝑇3 − 𝑇4

2.1.2 Vapour Power Cycles

A. Carnot Cycle
This cycle is of great value to heat power theory although it has not been possible to
construct a practical plant on this cycle. It has high thermodynamics efficiency.
It is a standard of comparison for all other cycles. The thermal efficiency (η) of Carnot
cycle is as follows:

𝑇1 − 𝑇2
𝜂=
𝑇1

where, T1 = Temperature of heat source

T2 = Temperature of receiver

B. Rankine Cycle
Steam engine and steam turbines in which steam is used as working medium follow
Rankine cycle. This cycle can be carried out in four pieces of equipment joint by pipes
for conveying working medium as shown.
 Efficiency of Rankine cycle = (H1 – H2)/ (H1 – Hw2)
where,
H1 = Total heat of steam at entry pressure
H2 = Total heat of steam at condenser pressure (exhaust pressure)
Hw2= Total heat of water at exhaust pressure

C. Reheat Cycle
In this cycle steam is extracted from a suitable point in the turbine and reheated
generally to the original temperature by flue gases. Reheating is generally used when
the pressure is high say above 100 kg/cm2.
The various advantages of reheating are as follows:
(i) It increases dryness fraction of steam at exhaust so that blade erosion due to impact
of water particles is reduced.
(ii) It increases thermal efficiency.
(iii) It increases the work done per kg of steam and this results in reduced size of boiler.

The disadvantages of reheating are as follows:

(i) Cost of plant is increased due to the reheater and its long connections.
(ii) It increases condenser capacity due to increased dryness fraction.
 If,
H1 = Total heat of steam at 1
H2 = Total heat of steam at 2
H3 = Total heat of steam at 3
H4 = Total heat of steam at 4
Hw4 = Total heat of water at 4
Efficiency = {(H1 – H2) + (H3 – H4)}/{H1 + (H3 – H2) – Hw4}

D. Regenerative Cycle (Feed Water Heating)

The process of extracting steam from the turbine at certain points during its expansion
and using this steam for heating for feed water is known as Regeneration or Bleeding
of steam.
 Let,
m2 = Weight of bled steam at a per kg of feed water heated
m3 = Weight of bled steam at b per kg of feed water heated
H1 = Enthalpies of steam and water in boiler
Hw1 = Enthalpies of steam and water in boiler
H2, H3 = Enthalpies of steam at points a and b
t2, t3 = Temperatures of steam at points a and b
H4, Hw4 = Enthalpy of steam and water exhausted to hot well.

Work done in turbine per kg of feed water between entrance and a = H1 – H2

Work done between a and b = (1 – m2)(H2 – H3)
Work done between b and exhaust = (1 – m2 – m3)(H3 – H4)
Total heat supplied per kg of feed water = H1 – Hw2
Efficiency (η) = Total work done/Total heat supplied
= {(H1 – H2) + (1 – m2)(H2 – H3) + (1 – m2 – m3)(H3 – H4)}/(H1 – Hw2)

E. Binary Vapour Cycle

In this cycle two working fluids are used.
The mercury boiler heats the mercury into mercury vapours in a dry and saturated state.
These mercury vapours expand in the mercury turbine and then flow through heat
exchanger where they transfer the heat to the feed water, convert it into steam. The
steam is passed through the steam super heater where the steam is super-heated by
the hot flue gases. The steam then expands in the steam turbine.
F. Reheat-Regenerative Cycle
In steam power plants using high steam pressure reheat regenerative cycle is used.
The thermal efficiency of this cycle is higher than only reheat or regenerative cycle. This
cycle is commonly used to produce high pressure steam (90 kg/cm2) to increase the
cycle efficiency.

Assessment:
1. A Carnot Engine operating between 775 K and 305 K produces 54 kJ of work.
Determine a. QA, (b) ΔS during heat rejection, and (c) η.
2. The conditions at the beginning of compression in an Otto engine operating on hot air
standard with k = 1.34, are 101.3 kPa, 0.038 m3 and 32°C. The clearance is 10% and
12.6 kJ are added per cycle. Determine (a) V2, T2, p2, T3, p3, T4, and p4, (b) W, and (c)
η.
3. There are supplied 317 kJ/cycle to an ideal Diesel engine operating on 227 g air: p1 =
97.91 kPa, t1 = 48.9°C. At the end of compression, p2 = 3930 kPa. Determine (a) rk,
(b) c, (c) rc, (d) W, and (e) η.
References:
A. Frederick T. Morse; Power Plant Engineering in mks Units
B. Ronald DiPippo; Geothermal Power Plants 3rd Edition
C. A.K. Raja, et.al. (2006); Power Plant Engineering; New Age International Ltd., New Delhi
D. Dr. Rahim K. Jassim (2010); Power Plant Engineering and Economy
E. Hipolito B. Sta. Maria; Thermodynamics 1