NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ROURKELA

End-Semester Examination, 2020-21 (Spring)

B.Tech. [Mechanical Engineering] 6th Semester
Subject Name: Power Plant Engineering Full Marks: 50
Subject Code: ME-3334 Time: 2 Hours
(ANSWER ALL FIVE QUESTIONS)
(Assume suitably if required and state them clearly)
(Steam table is permitted)
(Write page number on the top right of each page)
(Blur pages of scanned answer sheet will not be evaluated)

1. Discuss how to improve the thermal efficiency of the ideal Rankine cycle with the help
of the T-s diagram. Give your suggestions to reduce the irreversibility so that the
thermal efficiency of the actual Rankine cycle approaches the ideal Rankine cycle.
[6+4]
Or,
What are the merits and demerits of the fire tube boiler over the water tube boiler? Is
an economizer affecting the boiler performance if we forget to install it in the boiler? If
your answer is yes/no, then discuss how it is affecting/not affecting the boiler
performance.
[5+1+4]
2. Consider a steam power plant operates on an ideal Rankine cycle. The saturated liquid
water leaves the condenser at a temperature of 40 oC, and it enters the pump, where it
is compressed to boiler pressure so that the work input is 1.79 kJ/kg. Steam enters the
turbine at 500 oC and boiler pressure, and leaves the turbine with a dryness fraction of
90%. Determine (i) boiler pressure, (ii) condenser pressure, (iii) thermal efficiency, (iv)
dryness fraction when steam leaves the turbine if the boiler pressure is increased by two
times as found in (i). (v) Give your suggestions to remedies the excess moisture problem
at the final stage of the turbine if the dryness fraction increases/decreases from 90% to
values calculated in (iv). Use steam table only
[5×2]
3. (a) Consider an ideal gas isentropically flow through the converging duct. Derive an
expression for the specified flow area to minimum flow area in terms of Mach number
and specific heat ratio for the same mass flow rate and stagnation properties. (b)
Determine the flow area in cm2 for (i) Mach number 0.5 and (ii) Mach number 1.7 when
the air enters the duct at a stagnation pressure of 5 bar and stagnation temperature 400
K. Take maximum mass flow rate is equal to 1 kg/s, and specific heat ratio of air is 1.4
and gas constant is 0.287 kJ/kg-K. (c) What is the shape of the duct
(converging/diverging) for Mach number 0.5 and 1.7 as given in (b). [5+4+1]
4. The maximum blade efficiency of a single stage impulse turbine is 90%. Determine the
nozzle angle, blade entrance angle, blade exit angle, and fluid exit angle if the blade is
frictionless and symmetrical. What is the value of exit velocity of whirl?
[10]
5. In a condenser test, the following observations were made.
Condneser vacuum = 690 mm of mercury
Barometer = 760 mm of mercury
Mean temperature of condensation = 36°C
Hot well temperature = 30°C
Amount of cooling water = 1500 kg/min
Inlet temperature of cooling water = 20°C
Outlet temperature of cooling water = 32°C
Amount of condensate = 20 kg/min
Determine (i) vacuum efficiency (ii) condenser efficiency(iii) undercooling of
condenstate (iv) the amount of air present per cubic metre of condenser volume (v)
quality of steam entering the condenser. Use steam table only
[5×2]