Ideal Verses Actual Rankine Cycle

Rankine Cycle is a known mechanical cycle which is being commonly used in the power
plants for converting the pressure energy of steam into mechanical energy using steam
turbines. Major components of it are rotating steam turbine and boiler pump and stationary
condenser and boiler.

A boiler is used for heating the water for generation of steam at required pressure and
temperature as per the requirement of the turbine for power generation. Turbine exhaust is
directed to the radial or axial flow condenser for condensing the steam to condensate and
recycled back to the boiler through boiler pumps for heating again.

The efficiency of the ideal Rankine cycle as described in the earlier section is close to the efficiency
of Carnot Cycle. But in real plants, each stage of the Rankine cycle is associated with some
irreversible processes and thus the efficiency of the actual Rankine cycle is far lower than the ideal
Rankine cycle efficiency.

Given below Fig. 1-a and Fig 1-b represents the Rankine cycle on P-v and T-s diagram

Rankine Cycle Representation are as follows on P-v and T-s diagrams:

Ideal Rankine Cycle 1-2‘-b-3‘-4‘-1

Actual Rankine Cycle 1-2-b-3-4-1

Critical Point (CP) is in centre of the curve as shown in Fig 1-a and 1-b above. The curved lines on the left
side of the CP are saturated- liquid lines and the region/area to the left of these lines are called as sub-
cooled liquid regions.

Similarly curved lines on the right side of the CP are saturated- vapour lines and the region/area to the
right of these lines are called as super-heat vapour regions.

Energy Analysis of Ideal Rankine Cycle

All components of Rankine cycle (boiler, turbine, condenser and pump) are examples of
steady flow process and to be analysed accordingly. Energy balance for the Ideal cycle is as
follows:

Ideal Rankine Cycle Components Heat Work

Boiler feed Pump Wpump-in

Boiler /addpost/images/4-10-15-6.gif

Turbine

Condenser

Thermal efficiency of Ideal Rankine cycle