MECH 330: APPLIED THERMODYNAMICS II LECTURE 08

In actuality, there are irreversibilities in vapour power cycles

– most notably those associated with the turbine and pump.

Pump
Irreversibility
Path 3 to 4
Turbine
Irreversibility
Path 1 to 2

Recall:

Isentropic turbine efficiency:

(Wt / m) h −h where “s” refers to

ηt = = 1 2 the isentropic path
(Wt / m) s h1 − h2 s

Isentropic pump efficiency:

(W p / m) s h4 s − h3
ηp = =
(W p / m) h4 − h3

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MECH 330: APPLIED THERMODYNAMICS II LECTURE 08

Example

The same problem as previous example (from last lecture)

but with ηt = 0.85 and η p = 0.85 .

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MECH 330: APPLIED THERMODYNAMICS II LECTURE 08

Step 1

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MECH 330: APPLIED THERMODYNAMICS II LECTURE 08

Step 2: Solve for unknowns

Now that h2 and h4 are known, the solution proceeds exactly

as before.

Results
Quantity
ηt = η p = 1 ηt = η p = 0.85
m 105 kg/s 124 kg/s
Qin 269.8 MW 318.2 MW
Qout 169.8 MW 218.2 MW
η 37% 31%
bwr 0.84% 1.4%
mcw 2028 kg/s 2608 kg/s

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MECH 330: APPLIED THERMODYNAMICS II LECTURE 08

Effects of Boiler and Condenser Pressures on the

Rankine Cycle

Consider the standard IDEAL Rankine Cycle:

Qin
area
m

Qout
area
m

The area marked in red (1 – b – c – 4 – a – 1) represents the

heat transfer into the working fluid per unit mass passing
through the boiler, i.e.,

1
Qin
= Tds = Area 1 − b − c − 4 − a − 1
m Int rev . 4

Ave. Temp.
Qin
≈ Tin ( s1 − s4 )
m Int rev .

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MECH 330: APPLIED THERMODYNAMICS II LECTURE 08

Similarly, the area marked in green (2 – b – c – 3 – 2)

represents the heat transfer from the condensing steam per
unit mass passing through the condenser, i.e.,

Qout
= Area 2 − b − c − 3 − 2
m Int rev .

Qout Qout
= Tout ( s2 − s3 ) or = Tout ( s1 − s4 )
m Int rev .
m

Temp. in Condenser

The thermal efficiency of the ideal cycle can be expressed in

terms of these heat transfers (for reversible processes):

(Qout / m)int rev.

ηideal = 1 −
(Qin / m )int rev.
Tout
ηideal = 1 −
Tin

Thus, for rankine cycles and the other vapour power cycles
considered in this section of the course,

η increases as the average temperature at which heat is

added (in the boiler), Tin increases, or as the temperature at
which heat is rejected (in the condenser), Tout decreases.
Changing the corresponding process pressures can change
these temperatures.

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MECH 330: APPLIED THERMODYNAMICS II LECTURE 08

In the figure below, Tin is higher for the cycle with the larger
boiler pressure (1’ – 2 ’ – 3 ’ – 4 ’ - 1’) than for the lower
boiler pressure (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 1). Thus as the boiler
pressure increases, so does the thermal efficiency.

In the figure below, Tout is lower for the cycle with a lower
condenser pressure (P < Patm) (cycle 1 – 2” – 3” – 4” – 1)
than for the cycle with the higher pressure (P = Patm). Thus
as the condenser pressure decreases, the thermal efficiency
increases.

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MECH 330: APPLIED THERMODYNAMICS II LECTURE 08

However, as Pboiler increases or Pcondenser decreases, the

quality at 2, x2 decreases. The greater amount of liquid
droplets in the mix can increase the turbine blade erosion
and decrease ηt . Want x ≥ 0.9 .

Improvements to Rankine Cycle

It is common practice to ensure that the quality of the steam

(or other fluid) at the turbine exit is x ≥ 0.9 .

1. Superheat

After the boiler, further energy is added to the steam in a

superheater to bring it to a superheated vapour state (boiler
+ superheater = “steam generator”).

The turbine
exhaust at 2’
can also be in
With
the superheated
superheat
vapour region if
there is enough
initial
superheating to
1’.

Without
superheat
Clearly, with superheating, Tin is greater (and thus η is
greater) and x2 is greater.

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MECH 330: APPLIED THERMODYNAMICS II LECTURE 08

2. Reheat

In a reheat cycle, the steam expands to the condenser in

more than one stage. For example, the steam is passed
through the 1st stage of a turbine, is re-heated in the steam
generator to the same T as for the inlet of the 1st stage +
passed through a 2nd stage of the turbine to the condenser.
More than two stages for a turbine are possible.

A reheat cycle allows for taking advantage of the increase

thermal efficiency associated with a higher boiler pressure
while avoiding low quality steam at the turbine exhaust.

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MECH 330: APPLIED THERMODYNAMICS II LECTURE 08

3. Supercritical Cycle

As already noted, the higher the boiler pressure, the higher

the thermal efficiency of the cycle. However, there are 2
limitations on Pboiler:

- There is a limit to the associated T of the steam at the

turbine inlet imposed by metallurgical considerations
(i.e., thermally induced blade failure).

- The steam generator must be designed to be strong

enough to withstand higher pressures.

Advances in metallurgy and methods of fabrication are now

permitting the operation of vapour power cycles at much
greater temperatures and pressures (e.g., steam generator
pressures which exceed Pcritical of 22.1 MPa, and turbine inlet
temperatures exceeding 600oC.

Supercritical
Cycle with
Reheat

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