Thermodynamics for Energy Systems

Tutorial N°4 - Gas power cycle

Ex. A

1) A gas-turbine power plant operating on an ideal Brayton cycle has a pressure

ratio of 8. The gas temperature is 300 K at the compressor inlet and 1300 K at
the turbine inlet. Determine (a) the gas temperature at the exits of the
compressor and the turbine, (b) the back work ratio, and (c) the thermal
efficiency. Cp = 1.0035 kJ/kg/K (300 K); γ = k = 1.4
2) Assuming a compressor efficiency of 80 percent and a turbine efficiency of 85
percent, determine (a) the back work ratio, (b) the thermal efficiency, and (c)
the turbine exit temperature.
3) Determine the thermal efficiency of the gas-turbine described in (2) if a
regenerator having an effectiveness of 80 percent is installed.

Ex. B

A two-stage compressor in a gas turbine brings atmospheric air at 100 kPa, 17 °C to

500 kPa, then cools it in an intercooler to 27 °C at constant P. The second stage
brings the air to 1000 kPa. Assume both stages are adiabatic and reversible. Find the
combined specific work to the compressor stages. Compare that to the specific work
for the case of no intercooler (i.e. one compressor from 100 to 1000 kPa).
Cp = 1.0035 kJ/kg/K (300 K)

Ex. C

An ideal gas-turbine cycle with two stages of compression and two stages of
expansion has an overall pressure ratio of 8. Air enters each stage of the compressor
at 300 K and each stage of the turbine at 1300 K. Determine the back work ratio and
the thermal efficiency of this gas-turbine cycle, assuming (a) no regenerators and (b)
an ideal regenerator with 100 percent effectiveness. Compare the results with those
obtained in Ex. A (1).
γ = k = 1.4

Fig. 1.
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Thermodynamics for Energy Systems

Ex. D

A regenerative gas turbine power plant is shown in Fig. 2. Air enters the compressor
at 1 bar, 27°C with a mass flow rate of 0.562 kg/s and is compressed to 4 bar. The
isentropic efficiency of the compressor is 80%, and the regenerator effectiveness is
90%. All the power developed by the high-pressure turbine is used to run the
compressor. The low-pressure turbine provides the net power output. Each turbine
has an isentropic efficiency of 87% and the temperature at the inlet to the high
pressure turbine is 1200 K. The compressor, turbines and regenerator are adiabatic.
Show the different processes on a T-s diagram and then determine:
(a) the temperature of the air at states 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7, in K.
(b) the net power output, in kW.
(c) the thermal efficiency.

• Cp (air) = 1.004 kJ/kg.K, γ = 1.4

Fig. 2.

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Solution Tutorial N°4

Ex D :
a) T-s diagram.

b) Determination of temperatures at states 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7, in K..

State 1:
T1 = 300 °C, P1 = 0.1 MPa

State 2:
γ −1 1.4 −1
P  γ
 4  1.4
T2 s = T1  2  = 300   = 445.8 K
 P1  1

h2 s − h1 Cp (T2 s − T1 ) T −T
ηis ,C = =  T2 = T1 + 2 s 1 = 482.25 K
h2 − h1 Cp (T2 − T1 ) η is ,C

State 4:

T = 1200 °C, P = 0.4 MPa

State 5:
wt 1 = w c

h4 − h5 = h2 − h1  T4 − T5 = T2 − T1  T5 = 1200 − 482.25 + 300

 T5 = 1017.75 K

Determination of T5s

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h4 − h5 Cp (T4 − T5 ) T −T
ηis ,t = =  T5 s = T4 − 4 5 = 990.5 K
h4 − h5 s Cp (T4 − T5 s ) η is ,t
γ 1.4
P5 s  T4  γ −1  1200  1.4−1
=    P5 s = 4   = 2.04 bar
P4  T5 s   990.5 

State 6:
γ −1 1.4 −1
P  γ  1  1.4
T6 s = T5  6  = 1017.75   = 829.75 K
 P5   2.04 
h −h Cp (T5 − T6 )
ηis ,t = 5 6 =  T6 = T5 − ηis ,t (T5 − T6 s ) = 854.2 K
h5 − h6 s Cp (T5 − T6 s )

State 3:

The regenerator effectiveness is written as:

h3 − h 2
ε=  T3 = ε (T6 − T2 ) + T2  T3 = 817 K
h6 − h 2

State 7:

By applying the energy equation to the regenerator, we obtain:

(h 2
− h3 ) + (h6 − h7 ) = 0  T7 = T2 − T3 + T6  T7 = 519.4 K

c) The net power output, in kW.

W& net = m& (h5 − h6 ) = 0.562 ⋅ 1.004 (1017.75 − 854.2)

 W& = 92.3 kW
net

d) The thermal efficiency.

W& W& 92.3

η th = & net = net
=
Qnet m& Cp (T4 − T3 ) 0.562 ⋅ 1.004 (1200 − 817 )
 η th = 42.7 %

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