2

JACIMOVI
ET AL.
3 Modified Kalina cycle with flash drum and super-
heater (KCFDS)
Newly proposed processes have not been previously
discussed in the open literature and as such can be classi-
fied as novel and original processes with important
improvements over the original process. In fact, each of
the proposed processes can be classified as a contribution
to the new body of knowledge.
It is important to underline the particular importance
of work presented in References 11 and 12, which present
correlations used to determine the T-P-x-y data for
ammonia-water mixture, for pressures up to 100 bar, and
enthalpy and entropy data for ammonia-water mixture
up to 100 bar and 535
C. Without the findings presented
therein, it would be practically impossible to analyze the
Kalina cycle at elevated pressures.
Above cycles (MNBC, KCDCS, and KCFDS) have all
been analyzed by means of the proprietary software
developed especially for this purpose, and based on the
input data defined beforehand.
It has been shown based on in-depth analyses that
the proposed cycles have both economic benefits and
similar thermodynamic efficiency when compared with
NBC or even greater efficiency when compared with KCS
11 or KCS 34. Based on these findings, the modified
cycles presented in the paper are suggested as viable
alternatives to the original Kalina cycles, resulting in
both lower capital and operating expenses.
It should be noted that other cycles, such as KCS
11 or KCS 34 found in References 13 and 14, will not be
discussed since they are already well covered in the open
C
literature and result in thermal efficiency which is signifi-
cantly lower than the one obtained by the newly pro-
posed cycles.
2 | RANK INE CY CLES I N M ODER N
POWER PLANTS
Brief overview of Rankine cycle presented herewith has
the aim to present both technical and thermodynamic
limits of the most commonly used cycle in the thermal
power generation plants. These data can be used to com-
pare the Rankine cycle with other cycles used in the
modern biomass power plants in terms of technical, eco-
nomic, and thermodynamic aspects.
Rankine cycle is a process typically used in thermal
power generation plants and, in its essence, it is a ther-
modynamic cycle of a heat engine that converts heat into
mechanical work while undergoing phase change. It is
an idealized cycle in which friction losses in each of the
four main components (pump, evaporator or boiler, tur-
bine, and condenser) are neglected. Basic Rankine cycle,
alongside its main components, is shown in Figure 1.
Given its many favorable properties (high specific
and latent heat, abundance, and non-toxicity, to name a
few), water is typically the fluid of choice for the Ran-
kine cycle. Some general recommendations from the
open literature on how to increase the cycle efficiency in
case of water as the working fluid are given in fur-
ther text.
According to Reference 15, when using water as
working fluid the thermal efficiency of Rankine cycle in
F I G U R E 1 Basic Rankine cycle
[Colour figure can be viewed at
wileyonlinelibrary.com]