Assignment

Problem Solving and critical thinking based questions

Q1. Visit websites of NTPC, BHEL etc and find out the technical information about their machineries or
Plants.

Q2. Steam at a pressure of 20 bar and 250°C enters a turbine and leaves it finally at a pressure of 0.05 bar.
Steam is bled off at pressures of 5.0, 1.5 and 0.3 bar.
Assuming (i) that the condensate is heated in each heater upto the saturation temperature of the steam
in that heater, (ii) that the drain water from each heater is cascaded through a trap into the next heater
on the low pressure side of it, (iii) that the combined drains from the heater operating at 0.3 bar are
cooled in a drain cooler to condenser temperature, calculate the following :
(i) Mass of bled steam for each heater per kg of steam entering the turbine
(ii) Thermal efficiency of the cycle,
(iii) Thermal efficiency of the Rankine cycle
(iv) Theoretical gain due to regenerative feed heating,
(v) Steam consumption in kg/kWh with or without regenerative feed heating, and
(vi) Quantity of steam passing through the last stage nozzle of a 50000 kW turbine with and without
regenerative feed heating.
Q3. A simple Rankine cycle steam power plant operates between the temperature of 260ºC and 95 ºC.
The steam is supplied to the turbine at a dry saturated condition. In the turbine, it expands in an
isentropic manner. Determine the efficiency of the Rankine cycle followed by the turbine and the
efficiency of the Carnot cycle, operating between these two temperature limits.

Q4. The steam consumption of a steam engine is 20 tonnes per shift of 8 hours when developing 220kW.
Dry and saturated steam enters the engine at 10 bar pressure and leaves it at 0.1 bar pressure.
Estimate the Rankine efficiency and the thermal efficiency of the engine.

Q5. Dry saturated steam at 1 bar is supplied to a prime mover and the exhaust takes place at 0.2 bar.
Determine the Rankine efficiency ratio and the specific steam consumption of the prime mover, if the
indicated thermal efficiency is 20%. Also find the percentage change in Rankine efficiency if the
steam is initially 90% dry.

Q6. A steam turbine receives superheated steam at a pressure of 17 bar and having a degree of superheat
of 110ºC. The exhaust pressure is 0.07 bar and the expansion of steam takes place isentropically.
Calculate a) the heat supplied b) the heat rejected c) net work done and d) the thermal efficiency.

Q7. Steam at 50 bar, 400 ºC expands in a Rankine cycle to 0.34 bar. For a mass flow rate of 150 kg/s of
steam. Determine a) the power developed b) the thermal efficiency c) specific fuel consumption.
Q8. A Rankine cycle operates between pressures of 80 bar and 0.1 bar. The maximum cycle temperature
is 600°C. If the steam turbine and condensate pump efficiencies are 0.9 and 0.8 respectively,
calculate the specific work and thermal efficiency.

Q9. In a Rankine cycle, the steam at inlet to turbine is saturated at a pressure of 35 bar and the exhaust
pressure is 0.2 bar. Determine :
(i) The pump work, (ii) The turbine work, (iii) The Rankine efficiency, (iv) The condenser heat flow,
(v) The dryness at the end of expansion. Assume flow rate of 9.5 kg/s.

Q10. A stem power is supplied with dry saturated steam at a pressure of 12 bar and exhaust into a
condenser at 0.1 bar. Calculate the Rankine efficiency by using steam table.
Q11. Steam is supplied to a turbine at 30 bar and 350°C. The turbine exhaust pressure is 0.08 bar. The
main condensate is heated regeneratively in two stages by steam bled from the turbine at 5 bar and
1.0 bar respectively. Calculate masses of steam bled off at each pressure per kg of steam entering the
turbine and the theoretical thermal efficiency of the cycle.
Q12. Steam is supplied to a turbine at a pressure of 30 bar and a temperature of 400°C and is expanded
adiabatically to a pressure of 0.04 bar. At a stage of turbine where the pressure is 3 bar a connection
is made to a surface heater in which the feed water is heated by bled steam to a temperature of 130°C.
The condensed steam from the feed heater is cooled in a drain cooler to 27°C. The feed water passes
through the drain cooler before entering the feed heater. The cooled drain water combines with the
condensate in the well of the condenser. Assuming no heat losses in the steam, calculate the
following:
(i) Mass of steam used for feed heating per kg of steam entering the turbine;
(ii) Thermal efficiency of the cycle.

Q13. In a single-heater regenerative cycle the steam enters the turbine at 30 bar, 400°C and the exhaust
pressure is 0.10 bar. The feed water heater is a direct contact type which operates at 5 bar. Find :
(i) The efficiency and the steam rate of the cycle.
(ii) The increase in mean temperature of heat addition, efficiency and steam rate as compared to the
Rankine cycle (without regeneration). Pump work may be neglected.

Q14. A steam power plant operates on a theoretical reheat cycle. Steam at boiler at 150 bar, 550°C
expands through the high pressure turbine. It is reheated at a constant pressure of 40 bar to 550°C and
expands through the low pressure turbine to a condenser at 0.1 bar. Draw T-s and h-s diagrams.
Find :
(i) Quality of steam at turbine exhaust ; (ii) Cycle efficiency ; (iii) Steam rate in kg/kWh.
Q15. Short note on Regeneration in Rankine cycle, stating its benefits.