RANKINE POWER GENERATION CYCLE

A HEAT ENGINE: PRODUCES WORK FROM HEAT BY WASTING A

FRACTION OF HEAT INPUT TO A LOW TEMPERATURE RESERVOIR
o
T C

1 4

s (kJ/kg-K)
CHARACTERISTICS

1. Rankine cycle is a heat engine comprised of four internally reversible

processes.

Significance: area enclosed by process lines equals the net heat transfer by
Clausius’ Principle for internally reversible processes:

dQ = TdS
for a cycle:
Q net = ∫ TdS

and by the First Law for a cycle: Q net = Wnet

Wturbine + Wpump = QH + QL

where Wturbine is positive, Wpump is negative, Q H is positive, Q L is negative,

|QH| > |Q L| and |W turbine| > |Wpump|.

1
 Process Device 1 Law expression
Phases
1 2 adiabatic and reversible pump –wpump = (h2–h 1) =
(isentropic) compression v(Pst 2–P1)
input: w pump
Saturated Liquid
Compressed liquid
2 3 isobaric expansion boiler qH = (h3–h 2)
qH = heat input from
high temp reservoir
Liquid Superheated
(usually) vapor
3 4 adiabatic and reversible turbine –wturbine = (h 4–h 3)
(isentropic) expansion
output: wturbine >> wpump
Superheated vapor
Liquid-vapor mixture
(usually)
4 1 isothermal and isobaric condenser qL = (h1 – h4)
compression
qL = heat rejected to low
temp reservoir
Liquid-vapor mixture
Saturated liquid.
2. Process analysis using the First Law:

Note from the 1 stLaw expressions that in the two processes that are adiabatic
and reversible (isentropic), the pump and the turbine, the only energy
interaction with surroundings is work. For the two isobaric heat exchange
processes, the devices are passive and there is no work, only heat transfer.

2
 3. Heat transfer in the ideal Rankine Cycle relies on phase change, a very
efficient way to store and release energy. The working fluid is usually
water/steam. During the cycle, the properties of the working fluid change
as below with associated heat/work exchanges.

h P T s q or w (kJ/kg)
o
(kJ/kg) (kPa) ( C) (kJ/kg-k)
1 2 Small increase Large Negligible Constant Wpump < 0
h1 = hf @ P1 Increase P2 change T2 s1 =s f @ P1 s2 –wpump = (h2–h 1)
h2 = h1 + v(P 2–P1) >> P1 ≈ T1 = s1 h2 > h1
T1 = Ts @P1
2 3 Large increase h3 = Constant P3 Increase T3 > Increase s3 qH > 0
h @ (P3,T3) = P2 T2 =s@ qH = (h3–h 2) h3 >
(P3,T3) h2
3 4 Decrease Large Large Constant s3 Wturbine > 0
h4 = x4(hfg) +h f @ Decrease P4 Decrease = s4 –wturbine = (h 4–
(P4,T4) < P3 T4 = Ts @P4 x4 = (s4-sf)/sfg h 3)
h4 < h3
4 1 Large Decrease h1 Constant P4 Constant Large qL < 0
< h4 = P1 T4 = T1 = Ts Decrease qL = (h 1–h4) h1 <
@ P1,4 s1 < s 4 h4

4. Analysis:
Efficiency:
η = net = net = [(h 3 − h 4 ) − (h 2 − h1 )] = 1 − L = 1 − L = 1 −
W& w Q& q ( h 4 − h1 )
Q&H qH (h 3 − h 2 ) Q&H qH (h 3 − h 2 )

Also, the mass flow rate can be calculated using these relations:
Q&H Q&H Q&L Q&L W&
m = = = = = net

qH (h 3 − h 2 ) qL (h 4 − h 1 ) η(h 3 − h 2 )
REMINDER: FOR CALCULATING η, USE ABSOLUTE VALUES FOR
HEAT AND WORK TERMS.

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 5. ENTROPY GENERATION IN RANKINE CYCLES
For the cycle:

Δs = 0
then
⎛ q ⎞ qH qL ( h 3 − h 2 ) (h 1 − h 4) ⎛ kJ ⎞
sgen = −∑ ⎜ ⎟ = − − =− − ⎜ ⎟
k
⎝ T ⎠k THTR TLTR THTR T LTR ⎝ kg − K ⎠

and
⎛ kw ⎞
S&gen = m&s ⎜ ⎟
⎝ K ⎠
gen

where q H > 0, q L < 0, and although |qL| < |qH|, THTR >> TLTR assuring that
− (positive) > − (negative)
Tq L Tq H
and s gen > 0, making Rankine Cycle
LTR HTR

“possible.”
4
VAPOR-COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION (VCR) CYCLE FOR
REFRIGERATORS AND HEAT PUMPS

VCR TRANSFERS HEAT FROM A LOW TEMPERATURE RESERVOIR

TO A HIGH TEMPERATURE RESERVOIR WITH WORK INPUT.

o
T C

1
4

s (kJ/kg-K)

CHARACTERISTICS

1. VCR cycle is comprised of three internally reversible processes.

One process is actually irreversible; however, the area enclosed by the process
lines can be considered to approximately indicate the net heat transfer, and the
First Law for a cycle applies:

Qnet = W = Q H + Q L

where W is negative, Q H is negative, QL is positive, and |Q H| > |QL|.