Binary vapour cycle

Two working fluids are used in this cycle. Here the mercury boiler is installed which is used to
convert mercury into mercury vapors . These mercury vapors are in dry and saturated state. The
minimum temperature of the cycle is usually limited to natural water temperature of 25 0C. At this
temperature, the saturation pressure of water will be 0.0318 bar. It means that the condenser has
to work at vacuum.
 Working of the binary vapor cycle:
 Mercury vapors expand in the mercury turbine and then flow through heat exchanger where they transfer the
heat to the feed water, convert it into steam.
 The steam is passed through the steam super heater where the steam is super-heated by the hot flue gases.
The steam then expands in the steam turbine.
Characteristics of the working fluid:

 For the best performance, the working fluid should have the following characteristics:
• High Critical temperature and safe maximum pressure,
• Low triple point temperature,
• Condenser pressure which is not too low,
• High enthalpy of vaporization,
• Good heat transfer characteristics, and
• Inert, easy availability at low cost.
 Binary Vapor Cycle Efficiency Calculation
 The mercury leaves the condenser as saturated liquid and steam leaves as the saturated vapour.

 The mercury cycle 1-2- 2′-3-4-1 is named as topping cycle and steam cycle 5-6-6′-7-8-5 as bottoming cycle.

 The mercury leaves the condenser as saturated liquid and steam leaves as the saturated vapour.

 The condensed mercury liquid is pumped back to its boiler with the help of mercury pump.

 The evaporated steam is super heated in the boiler, after being sent to economizer.

 It is then expanded isentropically in steam turbine to a point 6, finally the steam is condensed in the steam
condenser upto point 7 and pumped to the steam boiler.