Thermal and Fluid Machinery

Practical 1 : Isentropic Efficiency II

Question 2

Use data from manual to determine theoretically the isentropic efficiency.

Using the data from the manual, the theoretical efficiency was determined.

Consider, atmospheric pressure = 1.005 × 105 Pa

Turbine Inlet Pressure = 4.6 + 1.005 = 5.605 × 105 Pa

Turbine Exhaust Pressure = 1.005 – 0.5 = 0.5055 × 105 Pa

Turbine Power, P = 𝑇 × 𝜔

𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑎𝑑 × 𝑇𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 × 2 × 𝜋 × 𝑅𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑

𝑇𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 =
60

1.03 × 0.023 × 2 × 𝜋 × 12600

𝑃=
60

∴ 𝑇𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟, 𝑃 = 94.3 𝑊

Steam Consumption

𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑

𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 =
𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑒

200
ṁ𝑠 = = 1.88 × 10−3 𝑘𝑔/𝑠
106.5

Steam Inlet Conditions

Heat transfer to cooling water, Q̇w = ṁ𝑤 𝐶𝑝𝑤 (𝑡4 − 𝑡3 )

= 50 × 4.18 × (29.7 − 8.2)

Q̇w = 4493.5 𝑊 = 4494 𝑊

Heat transfer to surrounding, Q̇r = 3.2 (𝑡5 − 𝑡𝑎 )

Q̇r = 3.2(58 − 22) = 115 𝑊

Enthalpy of condensate leaving, ℎ𝑐

From table A-4, at 35.2 ℃, ℎ𝑓 = 147.5 kJ/kg

∴ ℎ𝑐 = 148 𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔

Q̇r - Q̇w = ṁ𝑠 ×(ℎ𝑐 − ℎ1 ) + 𝑃

−0.115 − 4.493 = 1.88 × 10−3 (148 − ℎ1 ) + 0.0943

ℎ1 = 2649 𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔

The inlet condition was plotted on the h/s chart as shown below.

Figure 1: h-s chart (RANKINE CYCLE STEAM TURBINE S220, 2015)

State point 1 is located at the intersection of h1 = 2649 kJ/kg and P1 = 5.6 bar.

State point 2, (assuming isentropic expansion) is located vertically below 1 and on the 0.5 bar
line. The specific enthalpy h2 = 2275 kJ/kg.

Power developed by isentropic turbine

Q̇ = ṁ𝑠 (ℎ2 − ℎ1 ) + 𝑃 (but Q̇ = 0)

∴ 𝑃 = 1.88 × 10−3 (2649 − 2275) 𝑘𝑊

𝑃 = 0.703 𝑘𝑊

Isentropic efficiency

𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟
ᶯ𝑖 =
𝐼𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑐 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟

0.0943
=
0.703

ᶯ𝑖 = 13.4%

Practical 2: Specific steam consumption

Question 3

Discuss briefly 3 ways on how the accuracy of the instrumentation used can be improved
by introducing alternative instrument.

1. Installation of a small-scale flow meter such as an orifice/ turbine meter

Steam consumption rate was measured with a stopwatch which is highly inaccurate because of
the uncertainty involved in marking water level in draining and refilling the boiler and the
differences in density between hot and cold water. Therefore, a more direct and real time steam
measurement approach was used. Installing a flow metering equipment allow direct
measurement of heat rejection from the condenser.
 Figure 2: Turbine flowmeter (Turbine flowmeter Installation, 2019)

2. Measurement of steam consumption by a condensate pump

A method of estimating the steam consumption by incorporating a counter into the body of the
positive displacement pump used to pump condensate from the process. Each discharge is
registered and an estimate of the capacity of each stroke is used to calculate the amount of
steam condensed over a period of time. The electronic pump monitor can be used which enable
this to be carried out automatically by converting the pump into condensate meter. The
electronic pump monitor read / can return digital data to a central monitoring system. If the
pump is draining a vented receiver, a small allowance has to be made for the steam losses.
 Figure 3: Positive displacement pump with cycle counter(Measurement of Steam Consumption | Spirax Sarco, n.d.)

3. Use proper insulating material to coat the pipes so as to prevent heat loss.

Using an insulating material will prevent heat loss and thus will not affect the turbine output
power.

Thermal Engineering

Practical 1: Exhaust pressure variation in a steam power plant model

Question 1

Explain why there is the collection of 200 cm3 of condensate at varying loads and
rotational speeds?

A condenser is used to convert the steam from the exit of the turbine to saturated liquid. The
condenser on the exhaust of a power plant turbine serves to increase the efficiency of the cycle
by lowering the exhaust pressure and recover the valuable condensate to return as boiler
feedwater.

200 cm3 of condensate is collected to determine the time taken that is needed to collect the
condensate and it is measured with a stopwatch. For each experiment, 200 cm3 of condensate
is kept constant for consistency and to determine the mass flow rate at varying loads and
rotational speed.

The measured time for collection of condensate vary at varying loads and rotational speed. This
is because produced power is proportional with the steam flow rate and heat drop of steam
turbine.

𝑃 =𝑇×𝜔

P = power produced

T = torque

𝜔 = angular velocity

𝑇 = 𝐹×𝑑

F = brake load

d = distance

2𝜋𝑁
𝜔=
60

N = rotational speed

𝑃𝛼𝑇𝛼𝜔

∴𝑃𝛼𝐹𝛼𝑁

It can be said that Power is proportional to brake load and rotational speed.

ṁ𝑠
=𝐾
𝑃

ṁ𝑠 = 𝑃𝐾

Where, k= constant

ṁ𝑠 𝛼 𝑃

Since mass flowrate is proportional to power, brake load and rotational speed is also
proportional to power. As mass flowrate increases, brake load and rotational speed increases.

𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑒
ṁ𝑠 =
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑒
Therefore, it can be time taken to collect condensate is inversely proportional to mass flowrate.
As time to collect condensate decreases, brake load and rotational speed increases and thus
mass flowrate and power produced also increases.

Practical 2: Heat power ration in a steam power plan model

Question 3

Discuss 2 important installation aspects in the setting up of the model power plant.
1. Use proper insulating material to coat the pipes and the equipment so as to prevent any
leakage/ heat loss.
2. Installation of safety valve for maximum boiling pressure.
3. Should perform all electrical connections well.

References

Spiraxsarco.com. n.d. Measurement of Steam Consumption | Spirax Sarco. [online] Available

at: <https://www.spiraxsarco.com/learn-about-steam/steam-engineering-principles-and-heat-
transfer/measurement-of-steam-consumption> [Accessed 23 August 2021].

2015. RANKINE CYCLE STEAM TURBINE S220.

Industrial Automation, PLC Programming, scada & Pid Control System. 2019. Turbine
flowmeter Installation. [online] Available at: <https://forumautomation.com/t/turbine-
flowmeter-installation/6393> [Accessed 23 August 2021].