POWER CYCLES AND

THERMAL POWER PLANTS

POWER CYCLES
 A thermodynamic cycle consists of a linked sequence
of thermodynamic processes that involve transfer of heat and
work into and out of the system, while varying pressure,
temperature, and other state variables within the system, and
that eventually returns the system to its initial state. In the
process of passing through a cycle, the working fluid (system)
may convert heat from a warm source into useful work, and
dispose of the remaining heat to a cold sink, thereby acting as
a heat engine.
POWER CYCLES
 Depending on the types of processes involved power cycles can also be
classified as follows:
1. Vapour Power Cycle
 Carnot vapour power cycle
 Rankine Cycle
2. Gas power cycle
 Carnot gas power cycle
 Otto cycle
 Diesel cycle
 Dual cycle
 Brayton cycle
Basic Considerations In Power Cycles
Analysis
 Most power-producing devices operate on cycles.
 Ideal cycle: A cycle that resembles the actual cycle
closely but is made up totally of internally reversible
processes is called an ideal cycle.
 EFFICIENCY is :
Thermal efficiency = Net work done\Heat added
THE CARNOT VAPOR CYCLE
 The Carnot cycle is the most efficient cycle operating between two
specified temperature limits.
 Carnot vapour cycle has steam as its working fluid
 RANKINE CYCLE
•Rankine cycle is ideal cycle for vapor power cycles.
•Th e Ra nkin e C y cle is sim ila r to the C arn ot C yc le , b u t
th e Ra nkin e C y c le is m u ch m o re p rac tic a l b e c a use th e
w orkin g fluid typ ica lly e xists a s a sing le p h a se (liq uid or
vapor) for the two pressure c h a n g e p rocesse s.
 Carnot Cycle
The Carnot cycle is composed of 4 totally reversible
processes: isothermal heat addition, isentropic expansion,
isothermal heat rejection, and isentropic compression.

Fig. 1.
The simple ideal Rankine cycle.
 OTTO CYCLE(CONSTANT VOLUME
CYCLE)
• It is also called as constant volume cycle because heat is
supplied and rejected at constant volume.
• Nicholas-A-otto, a german engineer developed the first
cycle which is first successful engine working on this cycle. So
it is called as otto cycle.
•This cycle consists of the two reversible adiabatic & two
reversible isochoric process.
Process 1-2: Reversible
adiabatic compression
Process 2-3: Addition of
heat
at constant volume
Process 3-4: Reversible
adiabatic expansion
Process 4-1: Rejection of
heat at constant volume
DIESEL CYCLE(CONSTANT PRESSURE
CYCLE)
 In diesel engines, only air is compressed during the
compression stroke, eliminating the possibility of
autoignition. These engines can be designed to operate at
higher compression ratios, typically between 12 and 24.
 Fuels that are less refined (thus less expensive) can be
used in diesel engines.
Dual Cycle: Realistic Ideal Cycle for CI
Engines
 Approximating the combustion process as a constant-volume
or a constant-pressure heat-addition process is overly
simplistic and not quite realistic.
 A better approach would be to model the combustion
process in both SI and CI engines as a combination of two
heat transfer processes, one at constant volume and the other
at constant pressure.
 The ideal cycle based on this concept is called the dual
cycle.