Thermodynamics for Energy Systems

Tutorial N°6: Combined Power Cycles

Ex. A
Air enters the compressor of a combined gas turbine–vapor power plant (Fig. 1) at
1 bar, 25°C. The isentropic compressor efficiency is 85% and the compressor
pressure ratio is 14. The air passing through the combustor receives energy by heat
transfer at a rate of 50 MW with no significant decrease in pressure. At the inlet to
the turbine the air is at 1250°C. The air expands through the turbine, which has an
isentropic efficiency of 87%, to a pressure of 1 bar. Then, the air passes through the
interconnecting heat exchanger and is finally discharged at 200°C, 1 bar. Steam
enters the turbine of the vapor cycle at 12.5 MPa, 500°C, and expands to a
condenser pressure of 0.1 bar. Water enters the pump as a saturated liquid at
0.1 bar. The turbine and pump have isentropic efficiencies of 90 and 100%,
respectively. Cooling water enters the
condenser at 20°C and exits at 35°C.
Determine
a. the mass flow rates of the air, steam,
and cooling water, each in kg/s.
b. the net power developed by the gas
turbine cycle and the vapor cycle,
respectively, each in MW.
c. the thermal efficiency of the
combined cycle.
Data:
Cp (air) = 1.004 kJ/kg.K ; γ = 1.4 ;
C (water) = 4.184 kJ/kg.K

Fig. 1
Ex. B
Consider a cogeneration power plant modified with regeneration. Steam enters the
turbine at 6 MPa and 450°C at a rate of 20 kg/s and expands to a pressure of 0.4
MPa. At this pressure, 60 percent of the steam is extracted from the turbine, and the
remainder expands to a pressure of 10 kPa. Part of the extracted steam is used to
heat feedwater in an open feedwater heater. The rest of the extracted steam is used
for process heating and leaves the process heater as a saturated liquid at 0.4 MPa. It
is subsequently mixed with the feedwater leaving the feedwater heater, and the
mixture is pumped to the boiler pressure. The steam in the condenser is cooled and
condensed by the cooling water from a nearby river, which enters the adiabatic
condenser at a rate of 463 kg/s. Determine
a. The total power output of the turbine in MW.
b. The temperature rise of the cooling water from the river in the condenser.
c. The mass flow rate of steam through the process heater in kg/s.
K. Loubar (IMT Atlantique) 1
PM3E – (M2) 2018/2019
 Thermodynamics for Energy Systems

d. The rate of heat supply from the process heater per unit mass of steam
passing through it in kJ/kg.
e. The rate of heat transfer to the steam in the boiler.
Data:
• C (water) = 4.184 kJ/kg.K

Fig. 2

Ex. C
Consider a combined gas–steam power cycle. The topping cycle is a simple Brayton
cycle that has a pressure ratio of 7. Air enters the compressor at 15°C at a rate of 10
kg/s and the gas turbine at 950°C. The bottoming cycle is a reheat Rankine cycle
between the pressure limits of 6 MPa and 10 kPa. Steam is heated in a heat
exchanger at a rate of 1.15 kg/s by the exhaust gases leaving the gas turbine and
the exhaust gases leave the heat exchanger at 200°C. Steam leaves the high-
pressure turbine at 1.0 MPa and is reheated to 400°C in the heat exchanger before it
expands in the low-pressure turbine. Assuming 80 percent isentropic efficiency for all
pumps and turbine, determine (a) the moisture content at the exit of the low-
pressure turbine, (b) the steam temperature at the inlet of the high-pressure turbine,
(c) the net power output and the thermal efficiency of the combined plant.

Fig.3

K. Loubar (IMT Atlantique) 2

PM3E – (M2) 2018/2019
 Thermodynamics for Energy Systems

Solution

Exercise A :

a) Mass flow rates of the air, steam, and cooling water, each in kg/s.

• The mass flow rate of the air is given by:

Q& Q&
& g (h 3 − h 2 )  m
Q& = m &g = =
h 3 − h 2 C p (T3 − T2 )
Temperature at state 2 is obtained as:
γ −1 1 , 4 −1
P  γ
 14  1,4
T2 s = T1  2  = 298   = 633 ,4 K
 P1   1

h2s − h1 Cp (T2s − T1 ) T − T1
η is ,C = =  T2 = T1 + 2s = 692 ,58 K
h2 − h1 Cp (T2 − T1 ) η is ,C
Then:

50 10 3
&g =
m = 59 ,97 kg / s
1,004(1523 − 692 ,58 )

• The mass flow rate of steam is obtained from the energy balance on the
HRSG:
m& C (T − T5 )
& s (h7 − h6 ) = m
m & g C p (T4 − T5 )  m
&s = g p 4
(h7 − h6 )
Determination of h7 and h6
Point 7 : P7 = 12.5 MPa ; T7 = 500 °C  h7 = 3401.8 kJ/kg et S7 =6.5555 kJ/kg K
Point 6 :
w p = h6 − h9 = v9 (P6 − P9 ) = 1,0102 10 −3 (12 ,5 10 3 − 10 )
w p = 12,62 kJ/kg
This results in:
h6 = w p + h9 = 12 ,62 + 191,83
h6 = 203,85 kJ/kg

Calculation of T4 :
γ −1 1 , 4 −1
 P3  γ
 14  1 ,4
T4 s = T3   = 1523   = 716 K
 P4   1 

h3 − h4 Cp (T3 − T4 )
η is ,t = =  T4 = T3 − η is ,t (T3 − T4 s ) = 820 ,91 K
h 3 − h 4 s Cp (T3 − T4 s )
Finally:

K. Loubar (IMT Atlantique) 3

PM3E – (M2) 2018/2019
 Thermodynamics for Energy Systems

& g C p (T4 − T5 )
m 59 ,97 1,004 (820 ,91 − 473)
&s =
m =
(h
− h6 )
7 3401,8 − 203 ,85
& s = 6 ,55 kg s
m

• Cooling water mass flow rate:

m& s (h8 − h9 )
& s (h8 − h9 ) = m
m & e (h e − hi )  m
&e =
C (Te − Ti )
We should first determiner h8. We have:
S8s = S7 =6,5555 kJ/kg K
S8 s − S f 6 ,5555 − 0 ,6493
x8s = = = 0 ,787
Sg − S f 8 ,1502 − 0 ,6493
h8 s = h f + x 8 s (h g − h f ) = 2075 ,9 kJ / kg
By using the turbine isentropic efficiency, we obtain:
h − h8
η is ,t = 7  h8 = h7 − η is ,t (h7 − h8 s ) = 2208 ,49 K
h7 − h8 s
Hence, the cooling water mass flow rate:
& (h − h 9 ) 6 ,55 (2208 ,49 − 191,83)
m
m&e = s 8 = = 210 ,47 kg s
C (Te − Ti ) 4 ,184 (35 − 20 )

b) The net power developed by the gas turbine cycle and the vapor cycle,
respectively, each in MW.
Gas cycle:
TAG = m g [(h 3 − h 4 ) − (h 2 − h1 )] = m g C p [(T3 − T4 ) − (T2 − T1 )]
W& & &
&
W [( ) (
TAG = 59 ,97 ⋅ 1,004 1523 − 820 ,91 − 692 ,58 − 298
)] = 18 ,51 MW

Steam cycle:
W&
TAV
=m & s [(h7 − h 8 ) − (h6 − h9 )] = 6 ,55 (3401,8 − 2209 ,49 − 203 ,85 + 191,83)
W&
TAG
= 7 ,73 MW

c) The thermal efficiency of the combined cycle.

W& +W& 7 ,73 + 18 ,51
η th = TAV & TAG =
Q 50
η th = 52 ,48%

Exercice B :

a. The total power output of the turbine in MW.

17.0 MW

b. The temperature rise of the cooling water from the river in the condenser.
8.0°C

K. Loubar (IMT Atlantique) 4

PM3E – (M2) 2018/2019
 Thermodynamics for Energy Systems

c. The mass flow rate of steam through the process heater in kg/s. 10.4 kg/s
d. The rate of heat supply from the process heater per unit mass of steam
passing through it in kJ/kg. 2060 kJ/kg
e. The rate of heat transfer to the steam in the boiler. 53.8 MJ/s

K. Loubar (IMT Atlantique) 5

PM3E – (M2) 2018/2019