DISCUSSION

The purpose of this mini project is to design a facility that able to generate 300-450W
power. Of all cycle known, Rankine cycle is chosen because of their process are benefit
compare to other cycle. The thermal efficiency of a Rankine cycle is not high as other cycle,
but it has fewer practical difficulties and is found to be more economical. Theoretically, this
cycle is the most efficient system for power generation (Kapooria et al., 2017)

Based on the Figure 1, steam is used as the working fluid, the pump working on fluid
to feed on boiler. Boiler will be able to produce saturated steam which will flows through the
turbine, and there will internal energy is converted into mechanical work to run an electricity
generating system. Basically the low- pressure steam leaving the turbine at state 2 is first
condensed to a liquid at state 3 and then pressurized in a pump to state 4, and this high
pressure liquid water is then ready for its next pass through the steam generator to state 1 and
is reused around the Rankine cycle again.

The process flow was design by making assumption of production of 300MW by

steam power plant consist of pump, turbine, generator, boiler and condenser. The steam
enters with condition of turbine at 15MPa and 300 oC, before been cooled in condenser at
5kPa. Theoretically with Rankine cycle, the quality of steam at turbine output, thermal
efficiency and mass flowrate of the steam is calculated.

Based on assumption, the parameter of each part was stated on Figure 1. Water
flowrate entering the pump at speed of 174Kg/s to condenser, then it is transferred to boiler at
high pressure of 15000kPa. Value of h1 was calculated using mass balance formula, 31.81939
kJ/kg. The process is call reversible adiabatic (constant temperature) with saturated water
phase. In the next process (2-3), water was converted into steam at isobaric by addition heat
from the furnace inside boiler, producing saturated vapor with pressure 5kPa. The value of h 2
was calculated by using for Qin=h3-h2. At process 3-4, the turbine undergoes reversible
adiabatic expansion of steam occur (isentropic). With 12.5MPa and 1200 oC, the phase of
steam in superheated vapor. Hence, entropy was calculated within the volume through
entropy balance. During an internally reversible adiabatic isentropic process, the entropy
remains constant. The value of h3 was 5127.0 kJ/kg.K.
 For the process 4-1, the condenser undergoes isobaric process, the cycle process was
recycled back with inlet at top and outlet at bottom of condenser within the pressure of 5kPa.
There is the intersection between outlet of condenser and feedwater pump. Through
calculation, Qout=h4-h1 and entropy balance, Sin-Sout+Sgen= ΔSsys, the entropy for h4, was
determined by obtaining quality, X4=1.1748 on the formula S3= Sf + X4 (Sfg) hence, the h4
entropy was 2472.7951 KJ/Kg. From the value entropy of h4 that was in isentropic condition,
the energy balance overall from the process cycle was determine. With the value of work
pump (31.81939 kJ/kg), work turbine ((2035.85) KJ/Kg), heat input ((31.81939) KJ/Kg) and
heat output (3059.33 KJ/Kg), the value of net work, Wnet= (Wout-Win) was 2004.03 KJ/Kg
with the high thermal overall efficiencies was 66% and power of 349 MW. Hence, the
objective of this mini project task was achieved with high overall efficiencies.
REFERENCES

1. Kapooria, R. K., Kumar, S., & Kasana, K. S. (2017). An analysis of a thermal power
plant working on a Rankine cycle: A theoretical investigation. Journal of Energy in
Southern Africa, 19(1), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2008/v19i1a3314