Rankine cycle and its application in power plant calculations

The Rankine cycle is a representation used to predict the performance of steam turbine systems.

Image 1 – Rankine cycle Image 2 – Mollier diagram

Working:

The boiler feed pump (1) does work on the water increasing its pressure and temperature
adiabatically. The high-pressure water flows into the steam boiler (2). The entropy increase through
the pump is neglected (1-2) The liquid water is warmed up until its saturation temperature. The
temperature rises until attains the saturation temperature belonging the given pressure (2-3). Then
vaporization begins. Isobaric Heat Transfer: As the water begins boiling, pressure and temperature
remains constant while its dryness fraction rises along line (3-4). As heat is added to the wet steam its
dryness fraction rises to the value of x=1. The saturated steam becomes superheated steam beyond
point 4, it is heated further to add superheat (4-5). Isentropic Expansion: The superheated steam
expands through flowing the turbine (5-6) and converts into mechanical energy and runs the turbine.
As steam expands, its pressure and temperature decrease substantially. Thus, the expanded
superheated steam becomes wet steam again, x=0. Isobaric Heat Rejection. Along the isobar (6-1) the
heat content of the wet steam is rejected in the condenser. Isentropic Compression: Condensed
liquid flows to the suction side of the boiler feed pump and the cycle begins again.

Entropy creation: Maximum entropy is added along the line (3-4) when water converts to saturated
steam at constant temperature and pressure and breaks its intermolecular bonds and thereafter
when superheat is added to steam along line (4-5). Maximum reduction in entropy takes place along
the line (6-1) when steam condenses in the condenser and loses its kinetic energy at low
temperature. Numerous studies have indicated that neither the rate of heat input nor the power
output in a thermal power plant is treated as a fixed parameter. Minimizing the entropy generation
does not lead to an improved thermal efficiency. It is found that the thermal efficiency inversely
correlates with specific entropy generation, and minimization of specific entropy generation is
identical to maximization of thermal efficiency. Specific entropy generation is defined as the total
entropy generation rate per unit flowrate of the fuel
Problem statement: 1000 MMSCFD of superheated steam is generated in a boiler at pressure 80 bar
and 480 degc are expanded into a steam condensing turbine to a pressure of 8 kpa. To improve the
efficiency of power cycle a bypass stream is mixed with the discharge of low pressure pump of the
condenser effluent to preheat the boiler feed water. If the turbine has efficiency of 88% and feed
water pump efficiency is 80%, Calculate [1] Maximum flow rate of steam bypass in MMSCFD [2]
Power generated by the cycle in MW [3] Efficiency of cycle [4] Amount of water in gpm in cooling
tower required for the condenser assuming water temperature rise is 11 degc [5] If power plant is
using coal as fuel in the boiler, coal requirement / day

Calculation: Calculation is based on Mollier Enthalpy–Entropy diagram

Energy - input

Steam in kg/sec

1 MMSCFD [Million standard cubic feet per day] = 1177.6 standard M3/hr, 1000 MMSCFD steam =
1000*1177.6*0.6 kg/hr [density of steam in kg/M3= 0.6 ] or 1000*1177.6*0.6/60*60 = 197kg/sec

Energy supplied by boiler in MW

Enthalpy of steam at 80 bar pressure and 480 degc = 3400 kj/kg

Heat supplied by boiler = 3400*197= 669800 kj/sec [1 MW = 1000 kj/sec]

MW supplied by boiler = 669800/1000= 670 MW

Power delivered by turbine

Power delivered by turbine [at 88% efficiency] = 0.88*670 = 590 MW or 590*1000 = 590000 kj/sec
energy from steam expanded in turbine.

Flow rate of steam bypassed calculation

Energy balance

Let, Y kg/sec steam by passed with 3400 kj/kg enthalpy.

(197-Y) kg steam / sec with input enthalpy 3400 kj / kg expands in turbine and do work and generates
590 MW. Energy consumed by turbine = 590*1000 = 590000kj/sec (Boiler generates - 670MW)

Consumption side

3400 Y [ energy in by passed steam] + 590000 [ energy consumed by turbine] +(197-Y)*0.12*2700 --

[1]

[12% of input steam leaves turbine at 0.08 bar/ 8 kpa as saturated steam with about 2700 kj/kg at 50
degc] Enthalpy of steam at 50 degc and 8 kpa is 2700 kj/kg
Supply side

Energy supply by boiler = 197*3400 --- [2]

[1] = [2] , therefore

3076Y+590000+63828=669800

3076Y = 1592

Y = 5.19 kg/ sec

Steam by passed = 5 kg/sec

Cycle efficiency calculation

Steam leaves from turbine = [197-5] = 192 kg/sec

Enthalpy of steam leaving turbine = 2700 kj/kg

Heat load to condenser = 192*2700 = 518400 kj / sec

Unused energy = 518400 kj/sec [Out energy to cooling tower]

Boiler supplied = 669800 kj/sec [In energy]

Cycle efficiency = [669800 -518400]/669800 x 100 = 22.6%

[Work done by is pump very small and hence ignored]

Cooling tower water calculation

Heat load to cooling tower = 518400 kj/sec

Mass of water * 4.19 *11 = 518400 [ Mass of water is in kg/sec]

[Sp heat of water= 4.19 kj/kg/degc and delta t = 11 degc]

Mass of water required in cooling tower = 11247 kg / sec or in kg / min = 11247*60 = 674853 kg / min

Mass of water in gpm = 674853/3.79 = 178061 [1 gpm = 3.79 kg/min]

Coal consumption in boiler

Energy content of coal = 10500 kj / kg

Efficiency of boiler = 80% [ assumed]

Coal requirement = 669800/[0.8*10500] = 80 kg / sec or, Coal consumption / day =

80*60*60*24/1000 = 6900 ts / day