Lecture No.4 The Ideal Regenerative Rankine Cycle

Lecture No.
4 Vapour Power Cycles

Power Plants Fourth Stage
By:Mahdi M. S. Shareef
Lecture No.4
The Ideal Regenerative Rankine Cycle
4.1 Introduction
A careful examination of the T-s diagram of the Rankine cycle redrawn in Fig.
4–1 reveals that heat is transferred to the working fluid during process 2-2' at a
relatively low temperature. This lowers the average heat addition temperature and
thus the cycle efficiency.
To remedy this shortcoming, we look for ways to raise the temperature of the
liquid leaving the pump (called the feedwater) before it enters the boiler. One such
possibility is to transfer heat to the feedwater from the expanding steam in a
counterflow heat exchanger built into the turbine, that is, to use regeneration. This
solution is also impractical because it is difficult to design such a heat exchanger and
because it would increase the moisture content of the steam at the final stages of the
turbine.
A practical regeneration process in steam power plants is accomplished by
extracting, or “bleeding,” steam from the turbine at various points. This steam, which
could have produced more work by expanding further in the turbine, is used to heat
the feedwater instead. The device where the feedwater is heated by regeneration is
called a regenerator, or a feedwater heater (FWH).
Regeneration not only improves cycle efficiency, but also provides a
convenient means of deaerating the feedwater (removing the air that leaks in at the
condenser) to prevent corrosion in the boiler. It also helps control the large volume
flow rate of the steam at the final stages of the turbine (due to the large specific
volumes at low pressures). Therefore, regeneration has been used in all modern steam
power plants since its introduction in the early 1920s.
A feedwater heater is basically a heat exchanger where heat is transferred from
the steam to the feedwater either by mixing the two fluid streams (open feedwater
heaters) or without mixing them (closed feedwater heaters).
57
Lecture No.4 Vapour Power Cycles
FIGURE 4–1 The first part of the heat-addition process in the boiler takes place at
relatively low temperatures.
Advantages of Regenerative cycle over Simple Rankine cycle :

1. The heating process in the boiler reduced.
2. The thermal stresses set up in the boiler are minimised. This is due to the fact that
temperature ranges in the boiler are reduced.
3. The thermal efficiency is improved because the average temperature of heat
addition to the cycle is increased.
4. A small size condenser is required.
Disadvantages :
1. The plant becomes more complicated.
2. Because of addition of heaters greater maintenance is required.
3. The heaters are costly and the gain in thermal efficiency is not much in comparison
to the heavier costs.
4.2 Open Feedwater Heaters

An open (or direct-contact) feedwater heater is basically a mixing chamber,
where the steam extracted from the turbine mixes with the feedwater exiting the
58
pump. Ideally, the mixture leaves the heater as a saturated liquid at the heater
pressure. The schematic of a steam power plant with one open feedwater heater (also
called single-stage regenerative cycle) and the T-s diagram of the cycle are shown in
Fig. 4–2.
In an ideal regenerative Rankine cycle, steam enters the turbine at the boiler
pressure (state 5) and expands isentropically to an intermediate pressure (state 6).
Some steam is extracted at this state and routed to the feedwater heater, while the
remaining steam continues to expand isentropically to the condenser pressure (state
7). This steam leaves the condenser as a saturated liquid at the condenser pressure
(state 1). The condensed water, which is also called the feedwater, then enters an
isentropic pump, where it is compressed to the feedwater heater pressure (state 2) and
is routed to the feedwater heater, where it mixes with the steam extracted from the
turbine.
The fraction of the steam extracted is such that the mixture leaves the heater as
a saturated liquid at the heater pressure (state 3). A second pump raises the pressure
of the water to the boiler pressure (state 4). The cycle is completed by heating the
water in the boiler to the turbine inlet state (state 5). In the analysis of steam power
plants, it is more convenient to work with quantities expressed per unit mass of the
steam flowing through the boiler. For each 1 kg of steam leaving the boiler, y kg
expands partially in the turbine and is extracted at state 6. The remaining (1 - y) kg
expands completely to the condenser pressure. Therefore, the mass flow rates are
different in different components. If the mass flow rate through the boiler is m . , for
example, it is (1 - y)m . through the condenser. This aspect of the regenerative
Rankine cycle should be considered in the analysis of the cycle as well as in the
interpretation of the areas on the T-s diagram. In light of Fig. 4–2, the heat and work
interactions of a regenerative Rankine cycle with one feedwater heater can be
expressed per unit mass of steam flowing through the boiler as follows:
59
FIGURE 4–2 The ideal regenerative Rankine cycle with an open feedwater heater.
Where
The thermal efficiency of the Rankine cycle increases as a result of

regeneration. This is because regeneration raises the average temperature at which
heat is transferred to the steam in the boiler by raising the temperature of the water
before it enters the boiler. The cycle efficiency increases further as the number of
feedwater heaters is increased. Many large plants in operation today use as many as
eight feedwater heaters. The optimum number of feedwater heaters is determined
from economical considerations. The use of an additional feedwater heater cannot be
justified unless it saves more from the fuel costs than its own cost.
5:
EXAMPLE 4–1 Consider a steam power plant operating on the ideal regenerative
Rankine cycle with one open feedwater heater. Steam enters the turbine at 15 MPa
and 600°C and is condensed in the condenser at a pressure of 10 kPa. Some steam
leaves the turbine at a pressure of 1.2 MPa and enters the open feedwater heater.
Determine the fraction of steam extracted from the turbine and the thermal efficiency
of the cycle.
Solution
FIGURE 4–3 Schematic and T-s diagram for Example 10–5.
5;
64
This problem was worked out in Example 2-2c for the same pressure and
temperature limits but without the regeneration process. A comparison of the two
results reveals that the thermal efficiency of the cycle has increased from 43.0 to 46.3
percent as a result of regeneration. The net work output decreased by 171 kJ/kg, but
the heat input decreased by 607 kJ/kg, which results in a net increase in the thermal
efficiency.
H.W. 4.1. Consider a regenerative cycle using steam as the working fluid . Steam
leaves the boiler and enters the turbine at 4 MPa, 400 oC. After expansion to 400 kPa,
some of the steam is extracted from the turbine for the purpose of heating the
feedwater in an open feedwater heater. The pressure in the feedwater heater is 400
kPa and the water leaving it is saturated liquid at 400 kPa. The steam not extracted
expands to 10 kPa. Determine the cycle efficiency.
Answers: 37.5%
64
H.W. 4.2 A steam power plant operates on an ideal regenerative Rankine cycle.
Steam enters the turbine at 6 MPa and 450°C and is condensed in the condenser at 20
kPa. Steam is extracted from the turbine at 0.4 MPa to heat the feedwater in an open
feedwater heater. Water leaves the feedwater heater as a saturated liquid. Show the
cycle on a T-s diagram, and determine (a) the net work output per kilogram of steam
flowing through the boiler and (b) the thermal efficiency of the cycle.
Answers: (a) 1017 kJ/kg, (b) 37.8 percent
H.W. 4.3 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.
Answers: (i) Efficiency of cycle= 36.08%.
64
65
H.W. 4.4 In a hypothetical cyclic steam power plant incorporating a single direct-
contact feedwater heater, the steam leaves the boiler at 1 MPa and 400 ºC and the
condenser pressure is 4 kPa. Expansion in the turbine is reversible and adiabatic. The
feedwater heater takes steam bled from the turbine at pressure of 75 kPa and heats the
feedwater to the corresponding saturation temperature. Temperature and enthalpy
changes of the fluid in passing through any pumps may be neglected.
Calculate:
a. The mass of steam bled from the turbine per kg of steam leaving the boiler.
b. The cycle efficiency.
c. The improvement in thermal efficiency due to the introduction of this single stage
of feed heating, expressed as a percentage of the Rankine cycle efficiency.
EXAMPLE 4–2 A regenerative Rankine cycle has steam entering turbine at 200 bar,
650ºC and leaving at 0.05 bar. Considering feed water heaters to be of open type
determine thermal efficiency for the following conditions;
(a) there is no feed water heater
(b) there is only one feed water heater working at 8 bar
(c) there are two feed water heaters working at 40 bar and 4 bar respectively.
Also give layout and T-s representation for each of the case described above.
Solution:
Case (a) When there is no feed water heater
From steam tables,
66
= 0.4618 or 46.18%
67
Fig. 4.4 Layout and T-s diagram,
Case (b) When there is only one feed water heater working at 8 bar
Here, let mass of steam bled for feed heating be m kg
For process 2-6, s2 = s6 = 6.6582 kJ/kg · K
Let dryness fraction at state 6 be x6
s6 = sf at 8 bar + x6 · sfg at 8 bar
CEP = Condensate Extraction Pump

FP = Feed Pump
ST = Steam Turbine
OFWH = Open Feed Water Heater
68
Fig. 4.5 Layout and T-s diagram,
From steam tables, hƒ at 8 bar = 721.11 kJ/kg

vƒ at 8 bar = 0.001115 m3/kg, hƒg at 8 bar = 2048 kJ/kg
sƒ at 8 bar = 2.0462 kJ/kg · K, sƒg at bar = 4.6166 kJ/kg · K
Substituting entropy values, x6 = 0.999
h6 = hƒ at 8 bar + x6 · hƒg at 8 bar = 721.11 + (0.999 × 2048) = 2767.06 kJ/kg
Assuming the state of fluid leaving open feed water heater to be saturated liquid at 8
bar.
h7 = hƒ at 8 bar= 721.11 kJ/kg.
For process 4-5, h5 = h4 + v4 × (8 – 0.05) × 102 = 137.82 + (0.001005 × 7.95 × 102) =
138.62 kJ/kg
Applying energy balance at open feed water heater,
m × h6 + (1 – m) × h5 = 1× h7
(m × 2767.06) + ((1 – m) × 138.62) = 721.11
m = 0.2216 kg
For process 7-1, h1 = h7 + v7 (200 – 8) × 102; here h7 = hƒ at 8 bar, v7 = vf at 8 bar
h1 = h7 + v f at 8 bar (200 – 8) × 102 = 721.11 + (0.001115 × 192 × 102)
h1 = 742.518 kJ/kg
Thermal efficiency of cycle = 0.4976 or 49.76%
Case (c) When there are two feed water heaters working at 40 bar and 4 bar
69
Here, let us assume the mass of steam at 40 bar, 4 bar to be m1 kg, and m2 kg
respectively.
For process 2–10–9–3, s2 = s10 = s9 = s3 = 6.6582 kJ/kg ·K
At state 10. s10 > sg at 40 bar (6.0701 kJ/kg · K) so state 10 lies in superheated region at
40 bar pressure.
From steam table by interpolation, T10 = 370.36ºC so, h10 = 3141.81 kJ/kg
Let dryness fraction at state 9 be x9 so,
s9 = 6.6582 = sf at 4 bar + x9 · sfg at 4 bar
6.6582 = 1.7766 + x9 × 5.1193
x9 = 0.9536
h9 = hf at 4 bar + x9 × hfg at 4 bar = 604.74 + 0.9536 × 2133.8
h9 = 2639.53 kJ/kg
Assuming the state of fluid leaving open feed water heater to be saturated liquid at
respective pressures
i.e.
h11 = hf at 4 bar = 604.74 kJ/kg, v11 = 0.001084 m3/kg = vf at 4 bar
h13 = hf at 40 bar = 1087.31 kJ/kg, v13 = 0.001252 m3/kg = vf at 40 bar
For process 4–8, i.e. in CEP.
h8 = h4 + v4 × (4 – 0.05) × 102
= 137.82 + (0.001005 × 3.95 × 102)
h8 = 138.22 kJ/kg
For process 11-12, i.e. in FP2,
h12 = h11 + v11(40–4) × 102
= 604.74 + (0.001084 × 36 × 102)
h12 = 608.64 kJ/kg
6:
Fig. 4.6 Layout and T-s diagram.

For process 13-1' i.e. in FP1, h'1= h13 + v13(200 – 40) × 102
= 1087.31 + (0.001252 × 160 × 102)
h'1 = 1107.34 kJ/kg
(m1 × 3141.81) + (1 – m1) × 608.64 = 1087.31
m1 = 0.189 kg
6;
Applying energy balance an open feed water heater 1 (OFWH1)
(m1 × h10) + (1 – m1) × h12 = 1 × h13
(m1 × 3141.81) + (1 – m1) × 608.64 = 1087.31
m1 = 0.189 kg
Applying energy balance an open feed water heater 2 (OFWH2)
m2 × h9 + (1 – m1 – m2) h8 = (1 – m1) × h11
(m2 × 2639.53) + (1 – 0.189 – m2) × 138.22 = (1– 0.189) × 604.74, m2 = 0.151 kg
Thermal efficiency of cycle,
Cycle thermal efficiency

ηa = 46.18%
ηb = 49.76%
ηc = 51.37% Ans.
Hence it is obvious that efficiency increases with increase in number of feed heaters.
H.W. 4.5 A steam power plant operates on an ideal regenerative Rankine cycle with
two open feedwater heaters. Steam enters the turbine at 10 MPa and 600°C and
exhausts to the condenser at 5 kPa. Steam is extracted from the turbine at 0.6 and 0.2
MPa. Water leaves both feedwater heaters as a saturated liquid. The mass flow rate of
74
steam through the boiler is 22 kg/s. Show the cycle on a T-s diagram, and determine
(a) the net power output of the power plant and (b) the thermal efficiency of the
cycle.
Answers: (a) 30.5 MW, (b) 47.1 percent
EXAMPLE 4–3 Consider a regenerative vapor power cycle with one open feedwater
heater. Steam enters the turbine at 8.0 MPa, 480oC and expands to 0.7 MPa, where
some of the steam is extracted and diverted to the open feedwater heater operating at
0.7 MPa. The remaining steam expands through the second-stage turbine to the
condenser pressure of 0.008 MPa. Saturated liquid exits the open feedwater heater at
0.7 MPa. The isentropic efficiency of each turbine stage is 85% and each pump
operates isentropically. If the net power output of the cycle is 100 MW, determine
(a) the thermal efficiency and (b) the mass flow rate of steam entering the first
turbine stage, in kg/h.
SOLUTION
The specific enthalpy at states 1 and 4 can be read from the steam tables. The specific
entropy at state 2 can be obtained from the steam tables using the known values of
enthalpy and pressure at this state. In summary, h1 = 3348.4 kJ/kg, h2 = 2832.8 kJ/kg,
74
s2 = 6.8606 kJ/kg . K, h4 = 173.88 kJ/kg.
The specific enthalpy at state 3 can be determined using the isentropic efficiency of
the second-stage turbine
State 6 is saturated liquid at 0.7 MPa. Thus, h6 = 697.22 kJ/kg.

Since the pumps operate isentropically, the specific enthalpy values at states 5 and 7
can be determined as
Applying mass and energy rate balances to a control volume enclosing the open
heater, we find the fraction y of the flow extracted at state 2 from
(a) On the basis of a unit of mass passing through the first-stage turbine, the total
turbine work output is
74
EXAMPLE 4–4 A steam power plant operates on an ideal reheat– regenerative

Rankine cycle and has a net power output of 80 MW. Steam enters the high-pressure
turbine at 10 MPa and 550°C and leaves at 0.8 MPa. Some steam is extracted at this
pressure to heat the feedwater in an open feedwater heater. The rest of the steam is
reheated to 500°C and is expanded in the low-pressure turbine to the condenser
pressure of 10 kPa. Show the cycle on a T-s diagram with respect to saturation lines,
and determine (a) the mass flow rate of steam through the boiler and (b) the thermal
efficiency of the cycle.
75
76
=2797.7kJ/kg.
H.W. 4.6 A steam power plant has steam entering at 70 bar, 450ºC into HP turbine.
Steam is extracted at 30 bar and reheated upto 400ºC before being expanded in LP
turbine upto 0.075 bar. Some portion of steam is bled out during expansion in LP
turbine so as to yield saturated liquid at 140ºC at the exit of open feed water heater.
Considering HP and LP turbine efficiencies of 80% and 85% determine the cycle
efficiency. Also give layout and T-s diagram.
Answers: Thermal efficiency = 38.99%
77
References:
1- Thermal Engineering by R.K.Rajput
2- Power Plant Technology by El-Wakil M.M.
3- Power Plant Engineering and Economy by Dr. Rahim K. Jassim
4- Thermodynamic Fundamentals by Eistop
5- Thermodynamics by Yunus A. Cengel
78

Lecture No.4 The Ideal Regenerative Rankine Cycle

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Lecture No.4 The Ideal Regenerative Rankine Cycle

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Lecture No.

4 Vapour Power Cycles

Advantages of Regenerative cycle over Simple Rankine cycle :

4.2 Open Feedwater Heaters

The thermal efficiency of the Rankine cycle increases as a result of

FIGURE 4–3 Schematic and T-s diagram for Example 10–5.

From steam tables,

Fig. 4.4 Layout and T-s diagram,

CEP = Condensate Extraction Pump

From steam tables, hƒ at 8 bar = 721.11 kJ/kg

Thermal efficiency of cycle = 0.4976 or 49.76%

Fig. 4.6 Layout and T-s diagram.

Cycle thermal efficiency

State 6 is saturated liquid at 0.7 MPa. Thus, h6 = 697.22 kJ/kg.

EXAMPLE 4–4 A steam power plant operates on an ideal reheat– regenerative

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