Chapter 5

Exercise 1
Ex. 5.1

Compute the thermal efficiency of an ideal Rankine cycle for which steam
leaves the boiler as superheated vapor at 6 MPa, 350oC, and is
condensed at 10 kPa.

We use the power system and T-s diagram .

P2 = P3 = 6 MPa = 6000 kPa

T3 = 350oC

P1 = P4 = 10 kPa
Pump

The pump work is obtained from the conservation of mass and energy for steady-flow
but neglecting potential and kinetic energy changes and assuming the pump is
adiabatic and reversible.
m 1  m 2  m
m 1h1  W pump  m 2 h2
W pump  m (h2  h1 )

3
The incompressible liquid assumption allows
v  v1  const .
h2  h1  v1 ( P2  P1 )
The pump work is calculated from
W pump  m (h2  h1 )  mv
 1 ( P2  P1 )
W pump
w pump   v1 ( P2  P1 )
m
Using the steam tables
 kJ
h  h  191.81
P1  10 kPa  
1 f
kg

Sat. liquid   m3
v  v f  0.00101
 1 kg

w pump  v1 ( P2  P1 )
m3 kJ
 0.00101 (6000  10) kPa 3
kg m kPa
kJ
 6.05
kg 4
Now, h2 is found from
h2  wpump  h1
kJ kJ
 6.05  191.81
kg kg
kJ
 197.86
kg
Boiler

To find the heat supplied in the boiler, we apply the steady-flow conservation of mass
and energy to the boiler. If we neglect the potential and kinetic energies, and note
that no work is done on the steam in the boiler, then

m 2  m 3  m
m 2 h2  Q in  m 3h3
Q in  m (h3  h2 )

5
We find the properties at state 3 from the superheated tables as

 kJ
 h3  3043.9
P3  6000 kPa   kg

T3  350 C  
o
kJ
s3  6.3357
 kg  K

The heat transfer per unit mass is

Qin
qin   h3  h2
m
kJ
 (3043.9  197.86)
kg
kJ
 2845.1
kg

6
Turbine

The turbine work is obtained from the application of the conservation of mass and
energy for steady flow. We assume the process is adiabatic and reversible and
neglect changes in kinetic and potential energies.
m 3  m 4  m
m 3h3  Wturb  m 4 h4
Wturb  m (h3  h4 )
We find the properties at state 4 from the steam tables by noting s4 = s3 = 6.3357
kJ/kg-K and asking three questions.

kJ kJ
at P4  10kPa : s f  0.6492 ; sg  8.1488
kg  K kg  K
is s4  s f ?
is s f  s4  sg ?
is sg  s4 ?
7
 s4  s f  x4 s fg
s4  s f 6.3357  0.6492
x4    0.758
s fg 7.4996
h4  h f  x4 h fg
kJ kJ
 191.81  0.758(2392.1)
kg kg
kJ
 2005.0
kg
The turbine work per unit mass is

wturb  h3  h4
kJ
 (3043.9  2005.0)
kg
kJ
 1038.9
kg 8
The net work done by the cycle is
wnet  wturb  w pump
kJ
 (1038.9  6.05)
kg
kJ
 1032.8
kg
The thermal efficiency is
kJ
1032.8
wnet kg
th  
qin 2845.1 kJ
kg
 0.363 or 36.3%
9