CHAPTER 1:

ADVANCED STEAM
POWER PLANT

Prepared by SNNZ (December 2014 Session)

Rankine Cycle
O The Rankine Cycle is similar to the Carnot

Cycle, but the Rankine Cycle is much more

practical because the working fluid typically
exists as a single phase (liquid or vapor) for
the two pressure change processes.
Compare the ideal Carnot (fig. 1) and
Rankine Cycles (fig 2) in the T-s diagrams,
noting in particular the difference in the
phase of the working fluid for the two
pressure change processes.
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Fig. 1: Carnot cycle

3

Fig 2: Ideal Rankine cycle

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Ideal Reheat Rankine Cycle

O Increasing the boiler pressure increases the thermal

efficiency of the Rankine cycle, but it also increases the

moisture content of the steam.

O To overcome the problem:

- Modify the simple ideal Rankine cycle with a reheat process

- Expand the steam in the turbine in two stages, and reheat it
in between
O In the first stage (the high-pressure turbine), the steam is

expanded isentropically to an intermediate pressure and sent

back to the boiler where it is reheated at constant pressure,
usually to the inlet temperature of the first turbine stage.
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O Steam then expands isentropically in the second stage (low-

pressure turbine) to the condenser pressure.

O The reheat process, in general, does not significantly change
the average temperature at which heat is added. Therefore,
the cycle efficiency is not influenced greatly by the reheat
process.
O The sole purpose of the reheat cycle is to reduce the
moisture content of the steam at the final stages of the
expansion process.

T-s Diagram of Ideal reheat Rankine Cycle

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Schematic Diagram of Ideal reheat Rankine Cycle

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O Thus the equations:

Total heat supplied, Q = Qprimary + Qreheat

= (h3 h2)+(h5 h4)
Total work turbine, W = WHPT + WLPT
= (h3 h4)+(h5 h6)
HPT High Pressure Turbine
LPT Low Pressure Turbine

Note:
O T-s diagram for Rankine cycle could be
change based on several conditions.

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Example:
Steam enters the high pressure turbine at 10MPa
and 600C and is condensed in the condenser at a
pressure of 15kPa. If the moisture content of the
steam exit of the low-pressure turbine is not to
exceed 7.9%, determine:
a) The pressure at which the steam should be
reheated.
b) The thermal efficiency
Assume the steam is reheated to the inlet
temperature of the high pressure turbine.
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Solution

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Schematic Diagram

14kPa

14kPa
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T-s Diagram

14

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a)
Point 6 (0.14 bar)
= 100% - %moisture content
x = (100 7.9)%
= 92.1% @ 0.921
s6 = sf + xsfg = 0.737 + 0.921(7.294) = 7.4548 kJ/kg.K
h6 = hf + xhfg = 220 + 0.921(2376) = 2408.30 kJ/kg

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Point 5 (T3 = T5 = 600C)

s6 = s5 = 7.4548 kJ/kg.K (between 30bar & 40bar
P (bar) s (kJ/kg.K) h (kJ/kg)
30

7.507

3682

P5 = P4

7.4548

h5

40

7.368

3674

5 40 7.45487.368 5 3674
=
=
3040 7.5077.368 36823674

P 5 = 33.78bar
5 = 3678 kJ/kg
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b)
Point 3 (10MPa, 600 C )
s3 = 6.902 kJ/kg.K
h3 = 3624 kJ/kg
Point 4 (33.78bar)
s3 = s4 = 6.902 kJ/kg.K
s4 > sg (34 bar and 36 bar) superheat (400 C)
P (bar)

h (kJ/kg)

30

3231

33.78

h4
3214

40

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33.7840
3040

4 3214
32313214

h4 = 3224.57 kJ/kg
Point 1(0.14 bar)
h1 = hf = 220 kJ/kg
Point 2
Wpump = vf (P2 - P1) = 0.001(10000-14) = 9.986 kJ/kg
Wpump = h2 - h1
h2 = 229.986 kJ/kg
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WT = WHPT + WLPT = (h3 h4)+(h5 h6)

= (3624 - 3224.57) + (3678 - 2408.30)
= 1669.13 kJ/kg
W = WT Wpump = 1669.13 - 9.986 = 1659.14 kJ/kg

Q = Qprimary + Qreheat = (h3 h2)+(h5 h4)

= (3624 - 229.986) + (3678 3224.57)
= 3847.44 kJ/kg
=

W
100% =
Q

1659.14
3847.44

100% = 43.12%
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Notes:
O If given pump isentropic efficiency (p), high pressure
turbine isentropic efficiency (HPT) and low pressure
turbine isentropic efficiency (LPT); the equation:
p

h2- h1
=
h2'- h1

HPT

h3- h4'
=
h3- h4

LPT

h5- h6'
=
h5- h6

Work Pump, Wpump = h2 - h1

Total heat supplied, Q = (h3 h2)+(h5 h4)
Total work turbine, W = (h3 h4)+(h5 h6)
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