Name:

Research 3: Brayton Cycle Paris, Galiel Jerico H.

Instructor: Date: July 9, 2023 Page 1 of 7

ENGR. RAYNALDO P. MONGAYA Grade: Issue No. 1

BRAYTON CYCLE Of

History / Background:

This cycle goes back to the 1870s, when it was made for engines that move back and
forth. But because of how well it works, the Brayton cycle is only used today in rotatory gas
engines where both compression and expansion happen.John Barber's gas turbine, which
was invented in 1791, was the first one to use the Brayton Cycle, though he didn't know it
at the time because it was made before the Brayton Cycle was even known.

The idea behind the machine was to put fuel in one chamber and air in another, and
then connect both cylinders to a combustion vessel. Once the air and fuel have mixed and
interacted, the energy from the reaction would be used to spin a turbine and do useful work.
But because technology was not very advanced in the late 18th century, the gas engine did
not have enough power to pressurize the gases and do useful work at the same time, so it
was not used.

A quick look at how the Brayton Cycle works by looking at how a jet engine does its
job. The back of a jet's engine is where air is sucked in by a gas turbine on the wing. The air
is then squeezed in the mixing/combustion chamber. In the mixing/combustion chamber,
fuel and compressed air are mixed together. The mixture is then set on fire and left to leave
the engine in the expansion chamber. The work done by the energy that comes out of the
back of the gas engine is used to power the compression step and give the jet thrust.

Cycle:

For every cycle, air enters the compressor at the surrounding ambient conditions and
leaves at high temp. and pressure. The high-pressure air then enters the combustion
chamber where the combustion of fuel at constant pressure takes place. The gases at the
end of the combustion chamber leave at a high temp. and make an impact on the blades of
the turbine, rotating it then producing power. At the end, these exhaust gases are released
into the atmosphere. As no recirculation of gases takes place, the entire process is termed
an “OPEN CYCLE”.
 Name:
Research 3: Brayton Cycle Paris, Galiel Jerico H.

Instructor: Date: July 9, 2023 Page 2 of 7

ENGR. RAYNALDO P. MONGAYA Grade: Issue No. 1

Of

Consists of:

 Compressor
 Combustion Chamber
 Turbine

The same open cycle of the gas turbine can be designed also as a “CLOSED CYCLE”
using an air-standard assumption. For this to work, the compression, as well as the expansion
processes, remain the same. The combustion process is a constant heat-addition process
while the exhaust process is a constant pressure heat rejection process.

Processes:

1. ISENTROPIC/ADIABATIC COMPRESSION

2. CONSTANT PRESSURE HEAT ADDITION PROCESS

3. ISENTROPIC/ADIABATIC EXPANSION

4. CONSTANT PRESSURE HEAT REJECTION PROCESS

 Name:
Research 3: Brayton Cycle Paris, Galiel Jerico H.

Instructor: Date: July 9, 2023 Page 3 of 7

ENGR. RAYNALDO P. MONGAYA Grade: Issue No. 1

Of

P-V and T-S diagram of the cycle:

PROCESS 1 – 2: ISENTROPIC/ADIABATIC COMPRESSION

 The ambient air is drawn to the compressor and is pressurized or compressed from
pressure P1 to P2.
 The temperature increases from T1 to T2, volume reduces from V1 to V2 with the
entropy being constant.

PROCESS 2 – 3: ISOBARIC HEAT ADDITION

 The compressed air then runs through a combustion chamber, where fuel is burned,
heat is added at constant pressure P2 = P3.
 Temperature rises from T2 to T3 Due to the combustion, volume increases from V2
to V3 and the entropy also increases from S2 to S3.
 Name:
Research 3: Brayton Cycle Paris, Galiel Jerico H.

Instructor: Date: July 9, 2023 Page 4 of 7

ENGR. RAYNALDO P. MONGAYA Grade: Issue No. 1

PROCESS 3 – 4: ISENTROPIC/ADIABATIC EXPRANSION Of

 The heated, pressurized air then gives up its energy by expanding through a turbine.
The work extracted by the turbine is used to drive the compressor which is coupled to
it.
 The pressure decreases from P3 to P4. Temperature decreases from T3 to T4. Volume
slightly increases from V3 to V4, and the entropy remains constant S3 = S4.

PROCESS 4 – 1: ISOBARIC HEAT REJECTION

 In an open Brayton cycle the exhaust air is released to the atmosphere and fresh air
is drawn by the compressor for the next cycle.
 In a closed Brayton cycle, the exhaust air is condensed in a condenser and then
redrawn by the compressor.
 Heat is rejected at constant pressure P4 = P1 in both the cases.
 The temperature decreases from T4 to T1, volume decreases from V4 to V1 and the
entropy decreases from S4 to S1.

DO NOT FORGET THESE BASIC FORMULAS/DERIVATIONS:

 Name:
Research 3: Brayton Cycle Paris, Galiel Jerico H.

Instructor: Date: July 9, 2023 Page 5 of 7

ENGR. RAYNALDO P. MONGAYA Grade: Issue No. 1

Derivation of Formulas: Of

Efficiency, Work Done, Compression Ratio…

 Name:
Research 3: Brayton Cycle Paris, Galiel Jerico H.

Instructor: Date: July 9, 2023 Page 6 of 7

ENGR. RAYNALDO P. MONGAYA Grade: Issue No. 1

Applications of Brayton Cycle: Of

 The Brayton Cycle is often used to make electricity in gas engine power plants. In
these plants, fuel is mixed with compressed air, which then burns.
 The Brayton Cycle is used to power gas turbine engines, which are also called jet
engines. In these engines, a set of spinning compressor blades squeezes the air.
 Brayton Cycle-based gas turbine engines are used in ships like military ships and fast
ferries. These engines have high power-to-weight ratios, which let them move quickly
and efficiently.
 Small gas turbine power plants based on the Brayton Cycle are used to make electricity
in remote places, industries, and commercial buildings that don't have access to a
central power plant.

Advantages of the Cycle:

 The Brayton Cycle is important in power production, transportation, and industrial
processes because it is flexible, efficient, and can run on a wide range of fuels.
 Can get a high thermodynamic efficiency, especially in large-scale uses like gas turbine
power plants and aircraft propulsion systems.
 Can use many different types of fuel, such as natural gas, gasoline, kerosene, and
biofuels. This makes it adaptable to different fuel costs and availability, so it can be
used in a wide range of businesses and places.

Disadvantages of the Cycle:

 Compared to other ways to make electricity, gas turbine systems based on the Brayton
Cycle can have high starting capital costs.
 Needs regular repair and service to work well and last as long as possible. Maintenance
can require complicated steps and specialized tools, which can increase running costs
and cause downtime.
 The control systems that are needed for gas turbine engines can be hard to
understand and use a lot of complicated tracking, regulating, and safety measures.

 Brayton Cycle-based gas turbine engines use fossil fuels or other energy sources to
run.
 Name:
Research 3: Brayton Cycle Paris, Galiel Jerico H.

Instructor: Date: July 9, 2023 Page 7 of 7

ENGR. RAYNALDO P. MONGAYA Grade: Issue No. 1

REFERENCES: Of

Badhurshah, R. (2021, October 29). Brayton cycle - Gas turbine cycle. Mech n Flow.
https://www.mechnflow.com/post/brayton-cycle-gas-turbine-
cycle#:~:text=The%20origin%20of%20this%20cycle%20dates%20back%20to,turb
ines%20where%20compression%20and%20expansion%20both%20take%20place.
Brayton cycle - Energy Education. (n.d.).
https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Brayton_cycle#:~:text=The%20Brayton%
20cycle%20is%20a%20thermodynamic%20cycle%20used,then%20igniting%20the
%20mixture%2C%20which%20expands%2C%20doing%20work.
Brayton Cycle – Processes - Equations. (2021, November 15). Nuclear Power.
https://www.nuclear-power.com/nuclear-
engineering/thermodynamics/thermodynamic-cycles/brayton-cycle-gas-turbine-
engine/brayton-cycle-processes-equations/
Connor, N. (2019, June 3). What is Brayton Cycle – Processes - Equations - Definition.
Thermal Engineering. https://www.thermal-engineering.org/what-is-brayton-cycle-
processes-equations-definition/
eeeguide. (2023, March 8). Brayton Cycle - Process, PV Diagram and TS Diagram.
EEEGUIDE.COM. https://www.eeeguide.com/brayton-cycle-process-pv-diagram-and-
ts-diagram/
Libretexts. (2023). Brayton Cycle. Chemistry LibreTexts.
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textb
ook_Maps/Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Thermody
namics/Thermodynamic_Cycles/Brayton_Cycle