10
Exergy Analysis Applied to Geothermal Power Systems 237

Using eqs. (10.38) and (10.39), the quality and entropy at state 2 can be
calculated: x2 5 0.1282 and s2 5 2.5967 kJ/kg  K. Then the specific exergy values can
be found.
The mass flow rates are:
m _ 3 5 87:18 kg=s; and m
_ 1 5 100 kg=s; m _ 4 5 12:82 kg=s
Thus, the Second Law efficiencies and the exergy loss may be calculated:
ηIIFV;BF 5 0:943; or 94:3%

ηIIFV;FUN 5 0:474; or 47:4%

ΔE_ FV 5 1235:6 kW

Since the brute-force efficiency is 94.3%, the exergy loss is 5.7% of the exergy car-
ried by the incoming stream. Notice also that only 47.4% of the incoming exergy is
preserved in the steam flow (i.e., 12.82 3 799.84/21,619), and that 52.6% of the
exergy leaves with the separated liquid. If no further use is made of this liquid, then
the exergetic performance of the flash-steam plant will suffer.
Lastly, the reader may wish to verify that the separation process that occurs after
the flash preserves all the exergy in the post-flash two-phase fluid (within numerical
round-off error).

10.6.5 Exergy efficiencies for compressors

As the next illustration, consider a gas or vapor compressor.
Geothermal plants routinely have air compressors to operate
pneumatic devices and some condensing plants have compres-
sors to remove noncondensable gases. The purpose of a
compressor is to increase the pressure of the fluid, be it a gas
such as air (i.e., a perfect gas) or a vapor (not a perfect gas).
In both cases, the Second Law theoretical analysis is the
same; the implementation of the analysis differs.
Figure 10.6 is a schematic of a compressor. It is assumed Fig. 10.6 Gas compressor.
to operate adiabatically, but irreversibly, being characterized
by an isentropic efficiency, ηc. This efficiency is defined in a
manner similar to that for a turbine, but so as to give a value less than one, i.e., it is
the ratio of the ideal, isentropic work to the actual work.
In terms of the state points shown in the figure, the compressor isentropic efficiency
is given by:
h2s 2 h1
ηc 5 ð10:45Þ
h2 2 h1
where the state 2s refers to the ideal outlet state that would follow an isentropic pro-
cess from state 1.