JOULE OR BRAYTON CYCLE:

The Joule or Brayton cycle is the air-standard ideal cycle approximation for the gas-turbine
engine.

An open system, steady-flow analysis is used to determine the heat transfer and work for the
cycle.

The Open Cycle gas-turbine engine

 The Closed Cycle gas-turbine engine

1-2 Isentropic Compression (compressor)

2-3 Constant Pressure Heat Addition
3-4 Isentropic Expansion (turbine)
4-1Constant Pressure Heat Rejection
Thermal Efficiency of the Brayton Cycle:

Wnet Q
th , Brayton = = 1 out
Qin Qin

Now to find Qin and Qout.

Apply the conservation of energy to Process 2-3 for P = Constant (no work), steady-flow, and
neglect changes in kinetic and potential energies.

E& in = E& out

m& 2 h2 + Q& in = m& 3h3
The conservation of mass gives
m& in = m& out
m& 2 = m& 3 = m&
For constant specific heats the heat added per unit mass flow is

Q& in = m& (h3 h2 )

Q& in = mC
& p (T3 T2 )
Q& in
qin = = C p (T3 T2 )
m&
The conservation of energy for the process 4-1 yields:

Q& out = m& (h4 h1 )

Q& out = mC
& p ( T4 T1 )
Q& out
qout = = C p (T4 T1 )
m&
The thermal efficiency becomes
Q& out qout
th , Brayton = 1
&
= 1
Qin qin
C p ( T4 T1 )
= 1
C p ( T3 T2 )

( T4 T1 )
th , Brayton = 1
( T3 T2 )
T ( T / T 1)
= 1 1 4 1
T2 ( T3 / T2 1)
Processes 1-2 and 3-4 are isentropic, so

T2
=
FG IJ
P2
( k 1)/ k

and
T3
=
FG IJ
P3
( k 1)/ k

T1 H K
P1 T4 H K
P4

Since P3 = P2 and P4 = P1

T2 T3
=
T1 T4
or
T4 T3
=
T1 T2
The Brayton Cycle Efficiency becomes:

T1
th , Brayton = 1
T2
Is this the same as the Carnot Cycle efficiency?
 T2
=
P2FG IJ ( k 1)/ k

= rp( k 1)/ k
T1 P1 H K
T1 1
= ( k 1)/ k
T2 rp

Since process 1-2 is isentropic, where the pressure ratio is rp = P2/P1, and

1
th , Brayton = 1 k 1)/ k
rp (
When there are irreversibilities present in the turbine and compressor ie the isentropic
efficiencies are less than 100%, the overall efficiency of the cycle will be impaired. When this is
the case the treatment of the turbine and compressor is to first find the exit conditions
(temperatures) assuming isentropic expansion/compression and the use the isentropic
efficiencies to determine the actual exit conditions.

Remember:

WTa wTa
T = =
WTs wTs
and
4
4s
W w 2
C = Ca = Ca 2s
WCs wCs
Example:

The ideal air-standard Brayton cycle operates with air entering the compressor at 95 kPa, 22oC.
The pressure ratio, r p, is 6:1 and the air leaves the heat addition process at 1100 K. Determine
the compressor work and turbine work per unit mass flow, the cycle efficiency and compare
the compressor exit temperature to the turbine exit temperature. Assume constant properties.

Apply the conservation of energy, steady-flow, neglect changes in kinetic and potential energies
to Process 1-2 for the compressor. Note that the compressor is isentropic.

E& in = E& out

m& 1h1 + W&comp = m& 2 h2
The conservation of mass gives
m& in = m& out
m& 1 = m& 2 = m&
For constant specific heats the compressor work per unit mass
flow is

W&comp = m& ( h2 h1 )
W&comp = mC
& p (T2 T1 )
W&comp
wcomp = = C p ( T2 T1 )
m&
Since the compressor is isentropic

T2
=
P2FG IJ ( k 1)/ k

= rp( k 1)/ k
T1 P1 H K
T2 = T1rp( k 1)/ k
= (22 + 273) K (6) (1.4 1)/1.4
= 492.5 K
 wcomp = C p ( T2 T1 )
kJ
= 1.005 ( 492.5 295) K
kg K
kJ
= 198.15
kg

The conservation of energy for the turbine, process 3-4, for

constant specific heats yields:

W&turb = m& ( h3 h4 )
W&turb = mC
& p ( T3 T4 )
W&turb
wturb = = C p ( T3 T4 )
m&
Since process 3-4 is isentropic

T4
=
P4 FG IJ ( k 1)/ k

T3 P3 H K
Since P3 = P2 and P4 = P1 we see that

T F 1I
( k 1)/ k

T GH r JK
4
=
3 p

F
T =TG J
1I
( k 1)/ k

4
Hr K
3
p

1 FG IJ (1.4 1)/1.4

= 1100 K
6 HK
= 659.1 K
 wturb = C p (T3 T4 )
kJ
= 1.005 (1100 659.1) K
kg K
kJ
= 442.5
kg

The heat supplied to the cycle per unit mass flow in process 2-3 is

qin = C p ( T3 T2 )
kJ
= 1.005 (1100 492.5) K
kg K
kJ
= 609.6
kg
The net work done by the cycle is: The cycle efficiency becomes:

wnet = wturb wcomp wnet

th , Brayton =
kJ qin
= (442.5 19815
. )
kg kJ
244.3
kJ kg
= 244.3 = = 0.40 or 40%
kJ
kg 609.6
kg

Note that T4 = 659.1K > T2 = 492.5K,

The turbine outlet temperature is greater than the compressor

exit temperature.

Can this result be used to improve the cycle efficiency?

Regenerative Brayton Cycle

When the turbine exhaust temperature is greater than

the compressor exit temperature a heat exchanger can
be placed between the hot gases leaving the turbine and
the cooler gases leaving the compressor.

This heat exchanger is called a regenerator.

Regenerator

6
4
2
3
5
Qin
Comp Turb
Wnet
Wc

1
Other Ways to Improve Brayton Cycle Performance

Intercooling and reheating are two ways to improve the performance of the Brayton cycle with
regeneration.
Intercooling

When using multi-stage compression, cooling the

working fluid between the stages will reduce the amount
of compressor work required. The compressor work is
reduced because cooling the working fluid reduces the
average specific volume of the fluid and thus reduces the
amount on work on the fluid to achieve the given
pressure rise.

Reheating

When using multi-stage expansion through two or more

turbines, reheating between stages will increase the net
work done (it also increases the required heat input).