Actual VS Ideal

Rankine Cycle
Muhammad Hashir
17ME17

Submitted to:
Engr: Anas Memon
What is the Rankine Cycle?
The Rankine Cycle is a mechanical cycle commonly used in
power plants to convert the pressure energy of steam into
mechanical energy through steam turbines.
Ideal Rankine Cycle
In a vapor cycle, if the working fluid in a vapor cycle passes
through various components of the power plant without
irreversibility and frictional pressure drop, then the cycle is
called an Ideal Rankine Cycle.

The Rankine cycle is the basic operating cycle for all power
plants where a working fluid is continuously changing its
phase from liquid to vapor and vice-versa.
Schematic Diagram
T-s & P-h Diagram
Processes
1-2-3 Isobaric Heat Transfer or Constant pressure
heat addition in a boiler

3-4 Isentropic Expansion or Isentropic expansion

in a turbine

4-5 Isobaric Heat Rejection or Constant pressure

heat rejection in a condenser

5-1 Isentropic Compression or Isentropic

compression in a pump
Difference Between Ideal and
Actual Rankine Cycle
The efficiency of the ideal Rankine cycle is close to the
efficiency of the Carnot Cycle.

But in real plants, each stage of the Rankine cycle is

associated with some irreversible processes. Thus the
efficiency of the actual Rankine cycle is far lower than the
ideal Rankine cycle efficiency.
P-v & T-s Diagram
Rankine Cycle Representation is 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

Rankine Cycle Representation is as
follows on P-v and T-s diagrams:
Critical Point (CP) is in the curve’s center, 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 sub-cooled liquid regions.

Similarly, curved lines on the right side of the CP are

saturated- vapor lines and the region/area to the right of
these lines are called super-heat vapor regions.
Factors of Irreversibility
1. Sub-cooling of condensate in the condenser
2. Losses associated with bearings
3. Steam leakages
4. Condenser air-leaks
Remember…
Safety First!
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