Rankine Cycle

Steam at 5.2 MPa, 400°C expands in a Rankine

turbine to 0.036 MPa. For 136 kgm/s of steam,
determine the following:
1. Work net
2. Thermal efficiency
3. Steam Rate
Solution:
1. Work net [Wnet] – work output of the cycle
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑊𝑡 − 𝑊𝑝
By energy balance at the turbine:
1

Wt

NOTE: Isentropic process, the work steady flow is:

𝑊𝑆𝐹 = −∆ℎ = ℎ1 − ℎ2
By energy balance:
𝐸𝑖𝑛 = 𝐸𝑜𝑢𝑡
ℎ1 = 𝑊𝑡 + ℎ2
 𝑊𝑡 = ℎ1 − ℎ2
By energy balance at the pump:
B

Wp

𝐸𝑖𝑛 = 𝐸𝑜𝑢𝑡
𝑊𝑝 + ℎ3 = ℎ𝐵
𝑊𝑝 = ℎ𝐵 − ℎ3

Going back to Wnet;

𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑊𝑡 − 𝑊𝑝
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = ℎ1 − ℎ2 − [ℎ𝐵 − ℎ3 ]
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = ℎ1 − ℎ2 − ℎ𝐵 + ℎ3
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = ℎ1 − ℎ2 + ℎ3 − ℎ𝐵
System Balance:

QA Wt

System
Wp QR

𝐸𝑖𝑛 = 𝐸𝑜𝑢𝑡
𝑄𝐴 + 𝑊𝑝 = 𝑊𝑡 + 𝑄𝑅
𝑄𝐴 − 𝑄𝑅 = 𝑊𝑡 − 𝑊𝑝
𝑏𝑢𝑡: 𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑊𝑡 − 𝑊𝑝
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑄𝐴 − 𝑄𝑅
By energy balance at the boiler:
1

QA

𝐸𝑖𝑛 = 𝐸𝑜𝑢𝑡
𝑄𝐴 + ℎ𝐵 = ℎ1
𝑄𝐴 = ℎ1 − ℎ𝐵
By energy balance at the condenser:
2

QR

𝐸𝑖𝑛 = 𝐸𝑜𝑢𝑡
ℎ2 = 𝑄𝑅 + ℎ3
𝑄𝑅 = ℎ2 − ℎ3

Going back to work net;

𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = ℎ1 − ℎ𝐵 − [ℎ2 − ℎ3 ]
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = ℎ1 − ℎ𝐵 − ℎ2 + ℎ3
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = ℎ1 − ℎ2 + ℎ3 − ℎ𝐵

Let’s begin with point 1;

@5.2 MPa; 400°C [superheated/Table 3]
Tsat at 5.2 MPa is 266.45°C; since T1 > Tsat, therefore,
superheated.
h1 = 3192 kJ/kg
s1 = 6.6236 kJ/kg-K = s2

At point 2:
@0.036 MPa
NOTE: For isentropic process, we have constant entropy;
𝑠=𝐶
𝑠1 = 𝑠2
s2 = 6.6236 kJ/kg-K
sf = 0.9956 kJ/kg-K
sfg = 6.7104 kJ/kg-K
sg = 7.7061 kJ/kg-K
Since, s2 < sg, therefore, it is wet vapor.
Let’s find the quality;
𝑠2 = 𝑠𝑓 + 𝑥𝑠𝑓𝑔
𝑠2 − 𝑠𝑓
𝑥=
𝑠𝑓𝑔
6.6236 − 0.9956
𝑥=
6.7104
𝑥 = 0.8386981402
Target is h2;
hf = 307.05 kJ/kg
hfg = 2325.5 kJ/kg
ℎ2 = ℎ𝑓 + 𝑥ℎ𝑓𝑔
ℎ2 = 307.05 + [0.8386981402][2325.5]
𝑘𝐽
ℎ2 = 2257.442525
𝑘𝑔
At point 3; P2 = P3 [isobaric]
@0.036 MPa [saturated liquid]
h3 = hf = 307.05 kJ/kg

At point B; PB = P1 [isobaric heat addition]

Target is hB.
From point 3 to point B: isentropic compression
[adiabatic pumping]

Liquid entering the pump is incompressible [assumption

– constant volume]
𝑊𝑝 = ℎ𝐵 − ℎ3
ℎ𝐵 = 𝑊𝑝 + ℎ3
Work steady flow at constant volume;
𝑄 = ∆𝑃𝐸 + ∆𝐾𝐸 + ∆𝑈 + ∆𝑊𝑓 + 𝑊𝑆𝐹
𝑊𝑆𝐹 = −∆𝑊𝑓
but;
𝑊𝑓 = 𝑃𝑉
 ∆𝑊𝑓 = 𝑃2 𝑉2 − 𝑃1 𝑉1
𝑉1 = 𝑉2 = 𝑉
∆𝑊𝑓 = 𝑃2 𝑉 − 𝑃1 𝑉
∆𝑊𝑓 = 𝑉 [𝑃2 − 𝑃1 ]
𝑊𝑆𝐹 = −𝑉 [𝑃2 − 𝑃1 ]
𝑊𝑆𝐹 = 𝑉[−𝑃2 + 𝑃1 ]
𝑊𝑆𝐹 = 𝑉[𝑃1 − 𝑃2 ]
Applying the specific volume;
𝑊𝑆𝐹 = 𝑣[𝑃1 − 𝑃2 ]
Since we are dealing with constant volume at saturated
liquid from point 3 to point B;
𝑣𝑓3 = 𝑣𝐵
𝑊𝑝 = 𝑣𝑓3 [𝑃1 − 𝑃2 ]
@0.036 MPa; vf3 = 0.0010249 m3/kg
𝑘𝑁
𝑚 3 1000
2
𝑊𝑝 = [0.0010249 [ ]
] 5.2 − 0.036 𝑀𝑃𝑎 [ 𝑚 ]
𝑘𝑔𝑚 1𝑀𝑃𝑎

𝑘𝐽
𝑊𝑝 = 5.2925836
𝑘𝑔
 ℎ𝐵 = 𝑊𝑝 + ℎ3
ℎ𝐵 = 5.2925836 + 307.05
𝑘𝐽
ℎ𝐵 = 312.3425836
𝑘𝑔

Finally,
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 3192 − 2257.442525 + 307.05
− 312.3425836
𝑘𝐽
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 929.2648914 [𝐴𝑁𝑆𝑊𝐸𝑅 ]
𝑘𝑔
𝑃 = ḿ𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡
𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝐽
𝑃 = [136 ] [929.2648914 ]
𝑠 𝑘𝑔
𝑃 = 126380.0252 𝑘𝑊[𝐴𝑁𝑆𝑊𝐸𝑅]

2. Thermal Efficiency
𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡
𝑒= = × 100%
𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑄𝐴
𝑄𝐴 = ℎ1 − ℎ𝐵
𝑄𝐴 = 3192 − 312.3425836
 𝑘𝐽
𝑄𝐴 = 2879.657416
𝑘𝑔

𝑘𝐽
929.2648914
𝑘𝑔
𝑒= × 100%
𝑘𝐽
2879.657416
𝑘𝑔
𝑒 = 32.26998066% [𝐴𝑁𝑆𝑊𝐸𝑅 ]

3. Steam Rate
ḿ 𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔
𝑆𝑅 = ; ;
𝑃 𝑘𝑊ℎ 𝑘𝑊 ∙ ℎ𝑟
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒: 𝑃 = ḿ𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡
Unit analysis;
𝑘𝑔
𝑠 𝑘𝑔 3600𝑠
𝑆𝑅 = = [ ]
𝑘𝑊 𝑘𝑊 ∙ 𝑠 1 ℎ𝑟
ḿ 𝑘𝑔
𝑆𝑅 = [3600] ;
𝑃 𝑘𝑊 ∙ ℎ𝑟
𝑘𝑔
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒: 𝑃 = 𝑘𝑊 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ḿ =
𝑠
By substitution;
 ḿ
𝑆𝑅 = [3600]
ḿ𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡
3600 𝑘𝑔
𝑆𝑅 = ;
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑘𝑊 ∙ ℎ𝑟
𝑘𝐽
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒: 𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 =
𝑘𝑔

3600
𝑆𝑅 =
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡
3600
𝑆𝑅 =
929.2648914
𝑘𝑔
𝑆𝑅 = 3.874029928 [𝐴𝑁𝑆𝑊𝐸𝑅 ]
𝑘𝑊ℎ