Department of Mechanical Engineering

ME 322 Mechanical Engineering

Thermodynamics

Lecture 26
Use of Regeneration in Vapor Power Cycles

What is Regeneration?
Goal of regeneration
Reduce the fuel input requirements (Qin)
Increase the temperature of the feedwater entering the boiler
(increases average Th in the cycle

Result of regeneration
Increased thermal efficiency

Energy source for regeneration

High pressure steam from the turbines

Regeneration equipment
Feedwater heater (FWH)
This is a heat exchanger that utilizes the high pressure steam
extracted from the turbine to
heat the boiler feedwater
2

Regeneration Open FWH

Increased temperature
into the boiler due to
regenerative heating

Keeping Track of Mass Flow Splits

Define a mass flow fraction,

y1 1

yn
y2
y3

y7

y6

y5
y4

m&n
m&1

mass flow rate at any state n

mass flow rate entering the HPT

Determination of the flow

fractions requires application
of the conservation of mass
throughout the cycle and the
conservation of energy
around the feedwater
heater(s).

Note: If a mass flow rate is known or can be calculated, then

the flow fraction approach is not necessary!
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Regeneration Closed FWH

There are two types of closed feedwater heaters

Closed FWH with

Drain Pumped
Forward
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Closed FWH with

Drain Cascaded
Backward

Regeneration Closed FWH

Example Closed FWH with Drain Cascaded Backward
y1 1

y3

y2

y6

y5
y4

y8
y7
6

Regeneration Multiple FWH

Regeneration Example
Given: A Rankine cycle is operating with one open
feedwater heater. Steam enters the high pressure turbine at
1500 psia, 900F. The steam expands through the high
pressure turbine to 100 psia where some of the steam is
extracted and diverted to an open feedwater heater. The
remaining steam expands through the low pressure turbine
to the condenser pressure of 1 psia. Saturated liquid exits
the feedwater heater and the condenser.
Find:
(a) the boiler heat transfer per lbm of steam entering the
high pressure turbine
(b) the thermal efficiency of the cycle
(c) the heat rate of the cycle
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Regeneration Cycle
P1 1500 psia
T1 900F

P2 100 psia
P3 1 psia

P6 100 psia
x6 0

P5 100 psia

P7 P1

P4 1 psia
x4 0

Known Properties
P1 1500 psia
T1 900F

P2 100 psia
P3 1 psia

P6 100 psia
x6 0

P5 100 psia

P7 P1
P4 1 psia
x4 0

The next step is to build the property table

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Unknown Properties

P1 1500 psia
T1 900F

P2 100 psia
P3 1 psia

P6 100 psia
x6 0

P5 100 psia

P7 P1
P4 1 psia
x4 0

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P1 1500 psia
T1 900F

Array Table

P2 100 psia

The resulting property table ...

P3 1 psia

P6 100 psia
x6 0

P5 100 psia

P7 P1
P4 1 psia
x4 0

Now, we can proceed with the thermodynamics!

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P1 1500 psia
T1 900F

Boiler Modeling

P2 100 psia

The heat transfer rate at the boiler

can be found by applying the First
Law,
Q&in m&1 h1 h 7

P3 1 psia

P6 100 psia
x6 0

P5 100 psia

P7 P1

No flow rate information is given. However, we can find the

heat transferred per lbm of steam entering the HPT,
Q&in
qin
h1 h 7
&
m1

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P4 1 psia
x4 0

P1 1500 psia
T1 900F

Turbine Modeling

P2 100 psia

The thermal efficiency of the cycle

is given by,

P3 1 psia

W&net W&t W&p W&t / m&1 W&p / m&1

th & &
Qin
Qin
Q&in / m&1

P6 100 psia
x6 0

P5 100 psia

P7 P1
P4 1 psia
x4 0

The turbine power delivered is,

W&t m&1h1 m&2 h 2 m&3 h3
m&2
m&3
W&t
h1
h2
h3
m&1
m&1
m&1

W&t
wt
h1 y2 h 2 y3h 3
m&1
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The flow fractions need to

be determined!

P1 1500 psia
T1 900F

Pump Modeling

P2 100 psia

There are two pumps in the cycle.

Therefore,
W&p W&p1 W&p 2

P3 1 psia

P6 100 psia
x6 0

P7 P1

W&p m&4 h 5 h 4 m&6 h 7 h 6

m&6
W&p m&4

h5 h 4
h7 h6

&
&
&
m1 m1
m1
W&p
wp
y 4 h 5 h 4 y6 h 7 h 6
m&1

Then ...

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P5 100 psia

W&t / m&1 W&p / m&1 wt wp

th

&
Qin / m&1
qin

P4 1 psia
x4 0

This is an important step

in the analysis. All
specific energy transfers
need to be based on the
same flow rate. The
common value is chosen
to be the inlet to the high
pressure turbine (HPT).

P1 1500 psia
T1 900F

Mass Conservation

P2 100 psia

The flow fractions must be found.

The easy flow fractions are ...
y1 y 6 y 7 1
y3 y 4 y5

P3 1 psia

P6 100 psia
x6 0

P7 P1

Conservation of mass applied to the FWH gives,

m&2 m&5 m&6
m&2
m&1

m&5
m&1

m&6
m&1

y2 y5 y6
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P5 100 psia

P4 1 psia
x4 0

P1 1500 psia
T1 900F

Closing the System

P2 100 psia

Where is the missing equation?

Mass is conserved in the FWH, but
so is energy. Therefore, we need
to apply the First Law to the FWH,

P3 1 psia

P6 100 psia
x6 0

P5 100 psia

P7 P1
P4 1 psia
x4 0

m&2 h 2 m&5 h5 m&6 h 6

m&2
m&5
m&6
h2
h5
h6
m&1
m&1
m&1
y 2 h 2 y 5 h5 y 6 h 6

The equations can be solved! The

result is a new property table with a
column for the mass flow fractions.
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Augmented Array

P1 1500 psia
T1 900F

The updated property table ...

P2 100 psia
P3 1 psia

P6 100 psia
x6 0

P5 100 psia

P7 P1
P4 1 psia
x4 0

From previous analysis,

th

wt w p
qin

wt h1 y2 h 2 y3h3
wp y4 h5 h 4 y6 h 7 h 6
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Cycle Performance Parameters

P1 1500 psia
T1 900F

The heat rate of the cycle is,

Q&in
Q&in / m&1
qin
HR

&
&
&
&
&
W net W t / m1 W p / m1 wt w p

P2 100 psia
P3 1 psia

P6 100 psia
x6 0

P5 100 psia

P7 P1
P4 1 psia
x4 0

EES Solution (Key Variables):

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