UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, ST. AUGUSTINE.

FACULTY: ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

COURSE: MENG 1001

EXPERIMENT 2: Steam Turbine Power Plant

LAB DATE: 28th February ,2012

DATE SUBMITTED: 13th February,2012

GROUP: 7

NAME: Stefan Shastri Boodoo

STUDENT ID#: 811000728

Objective:
1. To know how a steam turbine power plant operates, the various components of it and
their functions
2. To determine efficiency of the plant

Summary:
The purpose of this lab was to demonstrate and understand the Rankine cycle so as to
learn the functions of each component of the cycle. The main components include; the boiler,
turbine condenser, generator and the condensing tower. The values for pressure, temperature,
voltage, current and fuel flow were taken from the Rankine Cycle. The results taken allows the
calculation of the overall efficiency of the system, found to be 0.01787%. The Rankine
efficiency was found to be 2.19%.
Description of Apparatus:
The Rankine Cycle Steam Turbine Power System consists of four main components:

1. Boiler
The boiler heats pressurised water into superheated steam. The volume is fixed so the
temperature increases therefore an increase in pressure occurs. The heat is produced from the
combustion of LPG gases. The boiler is constructed from stainless steel and its walls are
insulated and so as to reduce heat loss. There is a sight glass indicating the water level.

2. Steam Turbine
The superheated steam enters the turbine from the boiler where it expands and rotates the blades
of the turbine. The turbine is mounted on a stainless steel shaft . The output shaft is connected to
a AC/DC generator. The turbine converts the thermal energy of the vapour to mechanical energy.
The pressure and temperature drops during this process.

3. Condenser
The condenser collects the discharge steam or saturated liquid from the steam turbine and is
condensed into water where it is pumped back into the boiler. This completes the cycle and the
water is recycled to the boiler. The condensed water is collected at the bottom of the tower an
drained off for the flow rate calculations.

4. Feed Pump
The pump's main purpose is to supply the boiler with the condensed water collected from the
condenser. The pump also help to pressurise the liquid. (A pump was not utilised in this
experiment so the water in the cycle flowed from the condenser to the boiler.)

Theory:
 One of the most important forms of obtaining energy is to convert energy from fossil
fuels, nuclear. This is known as vapour power cycels. A main use of this is the use of vapour
power cycels to generate electricity in electrical power plants. The ideal cycle used in the vapour
power cycles are modelled after the Rnkine Cycle. The main components include; the boiler,
turbine, condenser and the pump.The working fluid used in this experiment was water. As this
working fluid passes through each component it undergoes different phase changes.

The Steam Power Plant utilises the Rankine cycle. It is the most common power
generation cycle. It is designed to make use of water as a working fluid. The cycle is shown in
the diagram below. It illustrates the four main steps in the Rankine cycle:
 1-2 : Here water is heated until it reaches saturation. The water is feed into the boiler by
the pump. Heat is applied which converts the liquid at high pressure to vapour at high
pressure. More heat is applied to this vapour allowing it to become superheated steam.
 2-3 : The superheated steam at high pressure enters the turbine where is rotates the
turbine blades. By doing this the steam looses temperature and pressure as it expands
isentropically.
 3-4 :The vapour at low pressure now enters the condenser where the vapour is
condensed into its liquid state at the same pressure.
 4-1:The low pressure liquid now is feed into the pump. The pressure and temperature
increases. The high pressure liquid is pumped back to the boiler. This stage is isotropic.

electrical output = generator, V x I

 Fuel Power = mass flow rate of fue x Calorific Value
= volume flow rate x density x CV

The fuel used in this experiment was Commercial LPG

Typical CV of commercial LPG = 50MJ/kg
Density of commercial LPG = 2.2kg/m3

Rankine cycle efficiency = Wout / Qin

= (h1-h2) / (h1 - h3)

Results
Observations
Data Recorded Value Recorded Value in SI units
Pressure at turbine inlet 6.614 psig 0.150MPa
Temperature at turbine inlet 125ºC 398K
Pressure at turbine outlet 3.096 psig 0.125MPa
Temperature at turbine outlet 115.28 ºC 388.28K
Volume flow rate of fuel 5.038L/min 8.5 x 10-5 m3/s
Generator Voltage 9.119V
Generator Amperage 0.181A

Enthalpy (h) Value (kJ/kg)

h1 2725
h2 2675
h3 444.3
h3 h3= h = 444.3
Tables showing the results obtained.

Calculated Results

Pressure: 6.614psig + 14.7 = 21.314psia

21.314psia x 0.069 = 1.471bar

1.471 x 101.7 = 149.567MPa

 149.567/1000 = 0.150MPa

Temperature: 125+ 273 = 398K

Volumetric flow rate = 5.1Lmin x (1.67x10-5)m3/s = 8.5x10-5m3/s

Overall plant efficiency = Electrical power output/ fuel power

= (9.119V x 0.181A) / (8.5x10-5m3/s x 2.2kg/m3 x 50x106 J/kg)

= 1.65W/9350J/s
= 0.000176
=0.0176%

Rankine Efficiency, ηR = (h1-h2)/(h1-h3)

= WOUT / QIN x 100%
= (h1 – h2)/(h1 – h3) x 100%

h1 and h2 were found using the mollier diagram foe water-steam. This is a graph of
enthalpy vs entropy. Increasing temperature were represented with horizontal lines. h1 was found
at the intersection between the presure of 0.150MPa and temperature of 125ºC. The enthalpy was
recorded as 2725kJ/kg. As h1 and h2 have the same enthalpy a vertical is drawn from this point to
intersect the presure for 115.28ºC. h2 was found to be 2675kJ/kg.
h3 was found to using the steam tables.The values of enthalpy are listed according to the
corresponding values of pressure.The enthalpy of h3wasfound to be 444.3kJ/kg
Rankine cycle efficiency, ηR = (h1 – h2)/(h1 – h3) x 100%
= (2725– 2675)/(2725 -443.3) x 100
= 2.19 %

Conclusion
The Rankine cycle efficiency for thic steam turbine power plant was found to be
2.19%. The overall efficiency was found to be 0.0176%. These results conclude that the system
is not a very efficient performing system. This can explaind through heat losses, friction ao the
removal of the use of a pump in the experimental situation.