232 Geothermal Power Plants: Principles, Applications, Case Studies and Environmental Impact

Determine the exergy loss and both exergy efficiencies. The dead-state temperature is
T0 5 20 C.
From Steam Tables [6], h1 5 2769.12 kJ/kg and s1 5 6.6628 kJ/kg  K. The ideal
isentropic outlet state 2s has s2 5 s1 and thus h2s 5 2135.20 kJ/kg. Using the definition
of the turbine isentropic efficiency, eq. (10.25), we find that h2 5 2261.99 kJ/kg.
The entropy at the turbine outlet is s2 5 7.0551 kJ/kg  K. The specific work
w 5 507.13 kJ/kg.
We need the specific exergy of the steam entering and leaving; to find these we also
need h0 and s0. These are taken from the Steam Tables under saturated liquid at the
temperature T0, namely: h0 5 83.96 kJ/kg and s0 5 0.2966 kJ/kg  K. Now we can find
e1 and e2, using eq. (10.11): e1 5 818.91 kJ/kg and e2 5 196.77 kJ/kg. Next we can
determine the exergy loss and the exergetic efficiencies:
Δe 5 e1 2 e2 2 ew 5 e1 2 e2 2 w ð10:30Þ
which yields Δe 5 115.00 kJ/kg. Lastly, using eqs. (10.23) and (10.24), the two effi-
ciencies are: ηIIt;BF 5 0:860 or 86:0%; and ηIIt;FUN 5 0:815 or 81:5%.
Notice that the loss of exergy in the turbine amounts to about 14% of the incoming
exergy in the geothermal steam (i.e., 115.00/818.89 5 0.140). Also note that the
functional efficiency turned out to be somewhat larger than the isentropic efficiency,
as expected.

10.6.3 Exergy efficiencies for heat exchangers

Figure 10.4 shows a shell-and-tube heat exchanger in

which a hotter fluid (stream a
b) transfers heat to a cooler
fluid (stream 1
2). The fluids may be gases, liquids, or
mixtures of these two phases. We will assume that the shell
of the heat exchanger is perfectly insulated, i.e., adiabatic.
This type of system occurs in binary geothermal plants as
preheaters, evaporators, superheaters and condensers, and
in flash- and dry-steam plants as condensers.
The exergy accounting for the entire heat exchanger is: Fig. 10.4 Heat exchanger
X X
ΔE_ HXer 5 E_ HXer 2 E_ HXer 5 m
_ a ea 1 m
_ 1 e1 2ðm
_ a eb 1 m
_ 1 e2 Þ
IN OUT ð10:31Þ
_ a ðea 2 eb Þ 2 m
5m _ 1 ðe2 2 e1 Þ
where we have incorporated the obvious fact that the mass flow rates of each fluid are
the same entering and leaving the heat exchanger. Notice that in general m _1
_ a and m
will not be equal. Also, eq. (10.31) can be read as saying the exergy destroyed in the
heat exchanger is the difference between the exergy given up by the hotter fluid and
the exergy acquired by the cooler one during the heat transfer process.
The ratio of the two flow rates is found from the First Law as follows:
m _ a ðha 2 hb Þ
_ 1 ðh2 2 h1 Þ 5 m ð10:32Þ
where we have noted that there is no work transfer and that all of the heat transfer
takes place within the heat exchanger and does not cross the system boundary.