Thermal and fluid Engineering

Lecture 7 Power Cycles

Thermodynamic Cycles
Thermodynamic cycles can be categorized in different ways such as: Power or refrigeration cycle: power cycle delivers net power output while refrigeration effect is produced in the other cycle. Gas cycle and vapor cycle: in gas cycle the working substance remains in gaseous phase throughout the cycle while in vapor cycles the working fluid remains vapor in one part and changes into liquid in other part of the cycle.

Thermodynamic Cycles
Open and close cycles: in closed cycle the working fluid comes to initial state and is recirculated while in open cycle the working fluid is renewed at the end of the cycle instead of being re-circulated. Power cycles are divided into internal combustion and external combustion power cycles. Steam is the most common working fluid for vapor power cycles.

Basic Considerations in the Analysis of Power Cycles

Actual cycles are complex due to many irreversibilities involved but for analysis they are simplified by reasonable and manageable assumptions. The efficiency of a heat engine is given by the ratio of net work output to total heat input. Heat engines that operate on totally reversible cycle such as Carnot cycle have the highest efficiency operating between the same temperature levels.

Basic Considerations in the Analysis of Power Cycles

Simplifying assumptions made for power cycles are: The cycle doesnt involve friction i.e. no pressure drop for fluid when it flows. All expansion and compression processes take place in quasi-equilibrium process. All pipes and connecting equipment is well insulated so that heat transfer is negligible through them.

The Carnot vapor Cycle (Power)

Consider a Carnot cycle executed within the saturation dome of the cycle. The fluid is heated reversibly and isothermally in a boiler (process 1-2). Expanded isentropically in a turbine (process 2-3). Condensed reversibly and isothermally in a condenser (process 3-4). And compressed isentropically by a compressor to the initial state (process 4-1).

Some Impracticalities
Isothermal heat transfer to or from a two-phase is easy as the saturation temperature limits the temperature by fixing the pressure in the device. In single phase however it is difficult to accomplish the isothermal heat transfer. When the temperature is limited by two-phase at critical point (because it will be single phase then) then isothermal heat transfer will be difficult to achieve.

Some Impracticalities
The isentropic process is accomplished by a turbine. In this process however, the quality of steam decreases. Turbine will have to handle wet steam which can be harmful due to impingement of liquid droplets on turbine blades. This will cause erosion and wear of turbine blades.

Some Impracticalities
Isentropic compression is difficult. Its not easy to control the condensation process precisely so that steam ends up with a required quality at state 4 (because saturated liquid is needed at this state). Its not easy to design a compressor which can handle two-phase mixture.

Rankine Cycle
The impracticalities can be handled and resolved by superheating the steam completely and condensing the steam completely in the condenser. The resulting cycle is called Rankine cycle. Rankine cycle is an ideal cycle for vapor power cycles.

 Rankine cycle involves following four processes: Process 1-2: isentropic compression in a pump Process 2-3: constant pressure heat addition in a boiler Process 3-4: isentropic expansion in a turbine Process 4-1: constant pressure heat rejection in a condenser.

Rankine Cycle

Rankine Cycle

Energy Analysis of Ideal Rankine Cycle

Assuming all the processes as steady-flow processes, the total energy per mass is given as:

Energy Analysis of Ideal Rankine Cycle

Thermal efficiency of Rankine cycle is given by the relation
Where

Thermal efficiency is also defined as the ratio of area enclosed by cycle on Ts diagram to the area under heat addition process.

Deviation of Actual Power Cycles from Ideal Cycles

Actual vapor power cycles differ from ideal ones due to irreversibilities mainly due to fluid friction and heat losses to surroundings. Fluid friction causes pressure drop in boiler, condenser and associated piping. Heat losses from steam to surroundings when it flows through various components.

Deviation of Actual Power Cycles from Ideal Cycles

Due to irreversibilities the pump needs more input and turbine delivers less output. As a result the efficiency of actual cycle decreases.