MCL241 Energy Systems and Technologies

MAJOR EXAMNINATION
Open book, notes, lectures, assignments, internet everything except collaboration with other
people. Impression of copying will attract marks penalty or complete disqualification.
Answer sheet to be scanned and submitted at Moodle page of course by 11:30 pm on same day
Submission link at Moodle closes sharp at 11:40 pm
Max. Marks: 30 9:30 am, May 10, 2021
Duration: 2 hours including scanning/uploading time. All questions are compulsory.
For the descriptive type of questions, marks are for coming to the point as quickly as possible. Please
use some schematics, be very brief in the explanations and save time for other questions.

1. Explain why regeneration improves thermal efficiency in a Rankine cycle, taking help of plot of
thermodynamic properties. (3 marks)

2. Why closed feed water heater used with the high-pressure steam bleed and open feed water heater
is used with the low pressure steam bleed? (3 marks)

3. State differences (with physical reason why) between the water and the fire tube boilers in terms
of explosion safety, steam pressure, circulation and water cleanliness requirements. (3 marks)

4. In a reaction steam turbine, there are ‘N’ number of reaction stages with same enthalpy drop in
each stage and 50% degree of reaction. Steam enters at 20 bar, 400oC and leaves at pressure ‘P’ at
just dry saturation conditions. The reheat factor is 1.05 and the isentropic efficiency of each stage
is the same throughout. All the blades have an exit angle of 22o and the mean value of the blade
speed ratio is 0.82. Calculate the stage efficiency, the diagram power, the drum diameter, and the
blade height for the last row of moving blades. Steam flow rate = 36000 kg/h and turbine speed is
2400 rev/min. (8 marks)

Based on last digit of your institute entry number = X, take data as:
N = 14 (if X is odd number), N = 18 (if X is even number),
P = 0.1 bar (if X is 0 or 1), 0.2 bar (if X is 2 or 3), 0.3 bar (if X is 4 or 5),
0.4 bar (if X is 6 or 7), 0.5 bar (if X is 8 or 9)
Some links for steam tables:
http://che.sut.ac.ir/People/Courses/100/Steam%20Table.pdf
https://www.me.iitb.ac.in/~gaitonde/fullsteam.pdf

5. Using Static pressure vs Flow rate – i.e. the Fan Performance graphs, explain how a Variable
Frequency Drive (VFD) helps in achieving energy efficient flow control. (3 marks)

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6. Room heat load needs to be estimated for designing an air-conditioner (AC) for a typical room in
Indian household. Take number of occupants = ‘N’, which is an integer between 2 to 7, based on
your choice. Heat gain in space due to people is: Sensible heat gain = 100 Watts per person, Latent
heat gain = 80 Watts per person. Equipment load = 200 Watts and Walls heat gain = 300 Watts,
both sensible only. Air flow rate through the fan of the AC to the room = 4.5 m3/min. Fresh air
enters the room through gaps in doors, windows etc. just sufficient to meet a requirement of 2.5
liter/second of air per person. When the fresh outside air enters the room, same mass of the room
air leaves by displacement. Select any room condition temperature that you wish to maintain
between 20oC to 28oC with 60% relative humidity and a monsoon day outside with air at 35oC and
80% relative humidity.

i. Calculate the total heat load (in KW or 1 TR ~ 3.52 kW) of the room including the
ventilation load. Show points qualitatively on a hand sketch psychrometric chart. (5 marks)

ii. Is the air conditioner’s cooling capacity required same as the room load? If not, is it higher
or lower and why? (2 marks)

A copy of psychrometric chart is provided in next page. You are free to use other appropriate
method also.

7. Discuss impact of the outdoor air ventilation on summer, monsoon and winter air conditioning load
using hand drawn schematics of psychrometric chart. Suggest a method to reduce the load while
keeping sufficient desired fresh outdoor air ventilation. (3 marks)

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