Brayton Cycle

by:

DANILO P. METRA JR., MEng’g.

 Brayton Cycle
The Brayton cycle is a thermodynamic cycle named after
George Brayton that describes the workings of a constant-
pressure heat engine. The original Brayton engines used a
piston compressor and piston expander, but more modern gas
turbine engines and airbreathing jet engines also follow the
Brayton cycle. It is a combustion engine in applications much
above 10 MW larges units regularly operate in 100 MW to
approximately 230 MW.
Working Principal
Fresh air enters the compressor at
ambient temperature where its
pressure and temperature are
increased. The high pressure air
enters the combustion chamber
where the fuel is burned at constant
pressure. The high temperature (and
pressure) gas enters the turbine
where it expands to ambient pressure
and produces work.
Features:
o Gas-turbine is used in aircraft propulsion and electric power generation.
o High thermal efficiencies up to 44%.
o Suitable for combined cycles (with steam power plant)
o High power to weight ratio, high reliability, long life
o Fast start up time, about 2 min, compared to 4 hr for steam-propulsion systems
o High back work ratio (ratio of compressor work to the turbine work), up to 50%,
compared to few percent in steam power plants.
Example
Air enters the compressor of an ideal air-standard Brayton cycle at 100 kPa, 300 K,
with a volumetric flow rate of 5 m3/s. The compressor pressure ratio is 10. The
turbine inlet temperature is 1400 K. Determine (a) the thermal efficiency of the
cycle, (b) the back work ratio, (c) the net power developed, in kW.
Example

A gas turbine working on air standard Bryton cycle has air enter into the
compressor at atmospheric condition and 22. The pressure ratio is 9 and the
maximum temperature in the cycle is 1077 . Compute for the cycle efficiency per
Kg of air in percent.
Seatwork

A simple gas turbine plant working on the ideal constant pressure cycle, air is taken
into the compressor at 1 bar, 16 and delivered at 5.4 bar. If the temperature at the
turbine inlet is 700Calculate the ideal thermal efficiency? Take k = 1.4