3/17/2016 ThermodynamicsandHeatEngine:LESSON26MEASUREMENTOFDRYNESSFRACTION:THROTTLINGCALORIMETERANDCOMBINEDS

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LESSON26MEASUREMENTOFDRYNESSFRACTION:THROTTLINGCALORIMETER
ANDCOMBINEDSEPARATINGANDTHROTTLINGCALORIMETERANDTHEIR
NUMERICALPROBLEMS

26.1.MEASUREMENTOFDRYNESSFRACTION
26.1.1.ThrottlingCalorimeter
Principle: The principle of the throttling calorimeter is to throttle the wet
steamsothatitbecomessuperheated.
Material: Refer Fig. 26.1. The Throttling Calorimeter consists of inner
chamberandouterchamber.Thepressuregaugeattachedtotheoutercasing
and thermometer in inner chamber gives the pressure and temperature of
steam after throttling, respectively. In order to prevent any heat transfer
fromandtothesystem,theouterchamberisinsulated.

Fig. 26.1. Throttling calorimeter along with its

throttlingprocess12onhsdiagram
Procedure:Asampleofwetsteamatpressurep1istakenfromthemainsteampipeof
boiler into the inner chamber of the throttling calorimeter through a sampling tube and
orificethrottlingvalve.Thiswetsteamsampleisthrottledinorificethrottlingvalvebefore
itentersintothecalorimeter.Normally,pressuredesiredafterthrottledisfewmmofHg
slightly above atmospheric pressure. The steam of the inner chamber is first allowed to
flow down wards then flows upwards and finally turns downwards in the annular space
between the inner and outer chamber. This is done so that the steam should flow long
enoughtoensureconstanttemperatureofthrottledsteam.
Duringsteamsampling:Notedownthefollowingobservations:
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Pressureofthewetsteambeforethrottling=p2bar
Pressureofthesuperheatedsteamafterthrottling=p2bar
Temperatureofthesuperheatedsteamafterthrottling=tsup,2C
Fortheaccurateresultfromthethrottlingcalorimeter,thenecessaryconditionisthat
the steam should be in a superheated state after throttling. In general, 5C of
superheating is most desirable i.e. 5C more than the saturation temperature
correspondingtorecordedpressureafterthrottlingp2.
The process 12 on hs diagram in Fig. 26.2, represent the throttling process in
orificethrottlingvalveofthrottlingcalorimeter.
Calculationsofdrynessfractionofwetsteam,x1:
Propertiesofwetsteambeforethrottlingatpoint1byusingSteamTables:
Enthalpyofasaturatedwatercorrespondingtopressurep1=hf,1,kJ/kg.
Latentheatofevaporationcorrespondingtopressurep1=hfg,1,kJ/kg
Properties of superheated steam after throttling at point 2 by using Steam
Tables:
Enthalpyofasuperheatedsteamcorrespondingtopressurep2 and temperature
tsup,2=hsup,2,kJ/kg.
Sinceduringthrottlingprocess,theenthalpyremainsconstant,hence
Enthalpy of wet steam before throttling valve at point 1 corresponding to
pressure p1 = Enthalpy superheated steam after throttling valve at point 2
correspondingtopressurep2
or h1 = hsup,2
.(26.1)
Where,Enthalpyofwetsteamatpoint1correspondingtopressurep1isgiven
by,
h1=hf,1+x1.hfg,1
.(26.2)
Byusingequation(26.2)inequation(26.1),wehave
hf,1+x1.hfg,1=hsup,2
or

.(26.3)
Analternativemethodtofindx1 whensuperheatedsteamis treatedasanideal
gas:
Then,enthalpyofasuperheatedthrottledsteamcorrespondingtopressurep2 and
temperaturetsup,2iscalculatedby
hsup,2=hg,2+Cp (tsup,2tg,2 ),kJ/kg.

.(26.4)
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whereCpissp.heatofsuperheatedsteam=2.607
kJ/kgK
Byusingequations(26.2)and(26.4)inequation(26.1),wehave
hf,1+x1.hfg,1=hg,2+Cp(tsup,2tg,2)
or

.(26.5)
Withtheaboveequation(26.3)or(26.5)wecaneasilycalculatethevalueofthe
drynessfraction.
Drawback
Wecannotusethismethodforfindingoutthedrynessfractionofverywetsteam
because the required 5C superheated steam after throttling cannot be achieved
withtheverywetsteam.
Forexample,thewetsteamat40barpressurerequiresminimum93.5%dryness
fraction before throttling to reach 5C superheating at pressure slightly above
atmospheric pressure after throttling (the minimum dryness fraction required for
40barpressurecanbefindbyaprocess12asshowninFig.26.2).Thismeans
if the wet steam at 40 bar pressure with dryness fraction less than 93.5% is
throttled in throttling calorimeter to find the dryness fraction, the condition of
steamafterthrottlingwillbeeitherlessthan5Csuperheatingoritwillbewetas
shownbyprocess34inFig.26.2whichisnotdesirabletofinddrynessfraction
with throttling calorimeter. Thus, steam having dryness fraction less than 0.934
cannotbemeasuredbyathrottlingcalorimeterforsteampressure40bar.
Similarly,wetsteamat3barpressurerequiresminimum98.5%drynessfraction
beforethrottlingtoachievedesiredconditionafterthrottling.Likewisewecanfind
minimum dryness fraction of other pressures, below which we cannot use
throttlingcalorimetermethod.

Fig.26.2.Throttlingprocessonhsdiagram
Problem26.1:Thefollowingdatarefertoathrottlingcalorimeter.
Pressureinthemainsteampipe=10bar,Pressureafterthrottling=1.2bar,Temperature
afterthrottling=120C.AssumingCp=2.303kJ/kgKforsteamafterthrottling.Calculate
the
(a)Drynessfraction.
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(b) Minimum degree of wetness which can be shown by this calorimeter for this
steam.Ifthewetnessisbeyondtherangeofthiscalorimetersuggestanothermethod.
Solution:
Given:Steamatstate1:Pressureinthemainsteampipebeforethrottling,p1=10
bar:
Byusingsteamtable(fordrysaturatedsteam):
Forstate1,Fromsteamtablesfordrysaturatedsteamatp1=10bar,wehave
hf,1=763kJ/kg,hfg,1=2015kJ/kg
Given:Steamatstate2:Pressureafterthrottling,p2=1.2barTemperatureafter
throttling,t2=120C
Byusingsteamtable(fordrysaturatedsteam):
Forstate2,Fromsteamtablesfordrysaturatedsteamatp2=1.2bar,we
have
ts,2=104.8C,
Since,t2=120C>ts,2=104.8Ctheconditionofsteamatstate2issuperheated.
Therefore,tsup,2=t2=120C
Byusingsteamtable(forsuperheatedsteam)
Forsuperheatedstate2,Fromsteamtablesforsuperheatedsteamatp2=1.2
barandtsup,2=120C,wehave
hsup,2=2714.81kJ/kg
Given:AssumingCp=2.303kJ/kgKforsteamafterthrottling.Calculatethe
(a)Determinethedrynessfractionofsteaminmainsteampipe:
Formula:Duringthrottlingprocessenthalpyremains
constant.
i.e.h1=hsup,2
Sincethesteamiswetatstate1:h1=hf,1+x1.hfg,1
Therefore,hf,1+x1.hfg,1=hsup,2
or

Answer:Drynessfraction,x1=

0.9686
(b)Determinetheminimumdegreeofwetness
Forminimumdegreeofwetness,theconditionofsteamafter
throttlingshouldbeatleast5Csuperheatedat1.2barpressure.
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Thereforesuperheattemperatureatpoint2,
tsup,2=tsatC+5C=104.8+5=109.8C
Byusingsteamtable(forsuperheatedsteam)
Forsuperheatedstate2,Fromsteamtablesforsuperheated
steamatp2=1.2barandtsup,2=109.8C,wehave
hsup,2=2687kJ/kg

Formula:Since,duringthrottlingprocessenthalpyremainsconstant.
i.e.h1=hsup,2
orhf,1+x1.hfg,1=hsup,2(asconditionofsteamatpoint1iswet)
or
Answer:Theminimumdegreeofwetness
x1=

=0.9582

If the dryness fraction is lower than 95.28%, a combination of separating and

throttlingcalorimeterwillbeused.
26.1.2.CombinedSeparatingandThrottlingCalorimeter
Acombinedseparatingandthrottlingcalorimeterisusedtoremovethedrawbackof
SeparatingCalorimeter(i.e.waterparticlesfromwetsteamarenotfullyseparated)and
thedrawbackofThrottlingCalorimeter(i.e.notsuitableforverywetsteam).
Principle:Inthiscalorimeter
The moisture from wet steam sample is first removed in separating calorimeter,
sothatdrynessfractionofwetsteamsampleisincreasedabove0.95beforesteam
sample is entering into throttling calorimeter. During this process pressure and
temperatureremainsconstant.
The sample coming out from separating calorimeter is then passed through
throttlingcalorimeterwhereitexpandstosuperheatedsteam.
Material: Refer Fig. 26.2. It consists of a combined separating calorimeter and
throttlingcalorimeterasdiscussedinprevioussections.
Procedure:Asampleofwetsteamfrommainsteampipe(representedbypointAin
Fig. 26.2) is first enters the separating calorimeter through a sampling tube. While
passing through separating calorimeter, most of the moisture from wet steam is
separatedoutandcollectedintheinnerchamberoftheseparatingcalorimeterwhereit
is measure with scale. Now, comparatively dry steam having dryness fraction above
0.95fromseparatingcalorimeter(representedbypointBinFig.26.2)ispassedinto
throttlingcalorimeterthroughthrottlingvalvewhereitexpandstosuperheatedsteam
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(represented by point C in Fig. 26.2). The superheated steam after passing through
throttling calorimeter is then exhausted from throttling calorimeter into a condenser,
providedatthebottomofthethrottlingcalorimeter,whereitisfinallycondensedand
measured.
The representation of separatingthrottling processes of combined separating and
throttlingcalorimeteronTsandhsdiagramsisshowninFig.26.3.
Duringsteamsampling:Notedownthefollowingobservations:
Pressurebeforethrottling=p1(say)bar
Pressureafterthrottling=p2(say)bar
Temperatureofathrottledsuperheatedsteam=tsup,C(say),oC
Aftersteamsampling:Notedownthefollowingobservations:
Massofcondensatecollectedinthecontainerprovidedatthebottomofthrottling
calorimeter(i.e.massofsteamcomingfromseparatingcalorimeterintothrottling
calorimeterthroughthrottlingvalve)=M(say),kg
Massofwatercollectedintheinnerchamberoftheseparatingcalorimeter(i.e.
massofwaterseparatedintheseparatingcalorimeter=m(say),kg

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