VAPOR POWER SYSTEMS

Instruction: Draw T-s and schematic diagrams for all problems.

1. Consider a steam power plant operating on the simple ideal Rankine cycle. Steam enters the turbine at 3
MPa and 350°C and is condensed in the condenser at a pressure of 75 kPa. Determine the thermal
efficiency of this cycle.
Answer: 26.1%
2. A steam power plant operates on the ideal Rankine cycle. The steam enters the turbine at 7.0 MPa and
550°C. It discharges to the condenser at 20 kPa. Determine the cycle thermal efficiency.
Answer: 37.7%
3. Steam is the working fluid in an ideal Rankine cycle. Saturated vapor enters the turbine at 8.0 MPa and
saturated liquid exits the condenser at a pressure of 0.008 MPa. The net power output of the cycle is 100
MW. Determine for the cycle (a) the thermal efficiency, (b) the back work ratio, (c) the mass flow rate of
the steam, in kg/h, (d) the rate of heat transfer into the working fluid as it passes through the boiler, in MW,
(e) the rate of heat transfer, from the condensing steam as it passes through the condenser, in MW, (f) the
mass flow rate of the condenser cooling water, in kg/ h, if cooling water enters the condenser at 15°C and
exits at 35°C. Answers: 37.1%, 0.84%, 3.77 x 105 kg/hr, 269.77 MW, 169.75 MW, 7.3 x 106 kg/hr
4. Repeat problem 3, but include in the analysis that the turbine and the pump each have an isentropic
efficiency of 85%. Determine for the modified cycle (a) the thermal efficiency, (b) the mass flow rate of
steam, in kg/h, for a net power output of 100 MW, (c) the rate of heat transfer QA into the working fluid as
it passes through the boiler, in MW, (d) the rate of heat transfer QR from the condensing steam as it passes
through the condenser, in MW, (e) the mass flow rate of the condenser cooling water, in kg/h, if cooling
water enters the condenser at 15°C and exits at 35°C.
Answers: 31.4%, 4.449 x 105 kg/hr, 318.2 MW, 218.2 MW, 9.39 x 106 kg/hr
5. A 1 00-MW steam power plant operates on the Rankine cycle but with turbine and pump efficiencies of
85%. The steam enters the turbine at 7.0 MPa and 550°C. It discharges to the condenser at 20 kPa. Detem 血
e the cycle thermal efficiency, the steam flow rate, and the cooling-water flow rate in the condenser if
cooling water enters at 20°C and leaves at 35°C. Answers: 32%, 95.5 kg/sec, 3355 kg water/sec.
Answers: 27.1%, 25.2 MW
6. A steam power plant operates on a simple ideal Rankine cycle between the pressure limits of 3 MPa and 50
kPa. The temperature of the steam at the turbine inlet is 300°C, and the mass flow rate of steam through the
cycle is 35 kg/sec. Show the cycle on a T-s diagram with respect to saturation lines, and determine (a) the
thermal efficiency of the cycle and (b) the net power output of the power plant.
7. Refrigerant-134a is used as the working fluid in a simple ideal Rankine cycle which operates the boiler at
2000 kPa and the condenser at 24°C. The mixture at the exit of the turbine has a quality of 93 percent.
Determine the turbine inlet temperature, the cycle thermal efficiency, and the back-work ratio of this cycle.
Answers: 67.5°C, 10.7%, 0.0530
8. A simple ideal Rankine cycle which uses water as the working fluid operates its condenser at 40°C and its
boiler at 300°C. Calculate the work produced by the turbine, the heat supplied in the boiler, and the thermal
efficiency of this cycle when the steam enters the turbine without any superheating.
Answers: 974.5 kJ/kg, 2573.4 kJ/kg, 0.375
9. Consider a 210-MW steam power plant that operates on a simple ideal Rankine cycle. Steam enters the
turbine at 10 MPa and 500°C and is cooled in the condenser at a pressure of 10 kPa. Show the cycle on a T-
s diagram with respect to saturation lines, and determine (a) the quality of the steam at the turbine exit, (b)
the thermal efficiency of the cycle, and (c) the mass flow rate of the steam.
Answers: 0.793, 40.2 percent, 165 kg/s
10. Repeat previous problem assuming an isentropic efficiency of 85 percent for both the turbine and the pump.
Answers: 0.874, 34.1 percent, 194 kg/s
11. A simple Rankine cycle uses water as the working fluid. The boiler operates at 6000 kPa and the condenser
at 50 kPa. At the entrance to the turbine, the temperature is 450°C. The isentropic efficiency of the turbine
is 94 percent, pressure and pump losses are negligible, and the water leaving the condenser is subcooled by
6.3°C. The boiler is sized for a mass flow rate of 20 kg/sec. Determine the rate at which heat is added in the
boiler, the power required to operate the pumps, the net power produced by the cycle, and the thermal
efficiency. Answers: 59,660 kW, 122 kW, 18,050 kW, 30.3 percent.
12. Consider a coal-fired steam power plant that produces 175 MW of electric power. The power plant operates
on a simple ideal Rankine cycle with turbine inlet conditions of 7 MPa and 550°C and a condenser pressure
of 15 kPa. The coal has a heating value (energy released when the fuel is burned) of 29,300 kJ/kg.
Assuming that 85 percent of this energy is transferred to the steam in the boiler and that the electric
generator has an efficiency of 96 percent, determine (a) the overall plant efficiency (the ratio of net electric
power output to the energy input as fuel) and (b) the required rate of coal supply.
Answers: 31.5 percent, 68.3 t