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Determination of optimum reheat pressures for

single and double reheat irreversible Rankine cycle

Y Ust, G Gonca & H K Kayadelen

To cite this article: Y Ust, G Gonca & H K Kayadelen (2011) Determination of optimum reheat
pressures for single and double reheat irreversible Rankine cycle, Journal of the Energy
Institute, 84:4, 215-219

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/174396711X13116932751994

Published online: 12 Apr 2016.

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Determination of optimum reheat pressures
for single and double reheat irreversible
Rankine cycle
Y. Ust*1, G. Gonca1 and H. K. Kayadelen2
This paper reports thermodynamic optimisations based on the maximum net cycle work and the
maximum thermal efficiency criteria for an irreversible single and double reheat Rankine cycle,
which includes the internal irreversibilities resulting from the adiabatic processes. The study
encompasses the effects of boiler pressure and temperature on the general and optimal
performances of the plant in terms of net work output and thermal efficiency. Therefore, the net
work output and thermal efficiency of the plant are obtained by introducing the mechanical, boiler
and isentropic efficiencies. The effects of boiler pressure and temperature on the optimal reheat
pressures of the single and double reheat Rankine cycles are also investigated. It is shown that for
the theoretical Rankine cycle, the optimal reheat pressures of single and double reheat Rankine
cycle are both fairly affected by the boiler pressure and temperature.
Keywords: Rankine cycle, Performance analysis, Optimum reheat pressure, Thermal efficiency, Net work output

List of symbols th thermal

X first stage reheat pressure
h specific enthalpy, kJ kg21 Y second stage reheat pressure
P pressure, bar
q heat transfer per unit mass, kJ kg21
s specific entropy, kJ kg21 K21
Introduction
T temperature, oC Basic steam power plants operate based on Rankine
v specific volume, m3 kg21 cycle and can be employed where both electricity and
w work output per unit mass, kJ kg21 heat are required. Many techniques are being used to
x quality increase the efficiency of the steam cycle. Most out-
standing of these techniques are reheating and/or
d1 thermal efficiency increase rate for the single reducing the irreversibilities. Reheating increases the
reheated plant efficiency by raising the mean temperature of the heat
d2 thermal efficiency increase rate for the addition process, by increasing the steam temperature at
double reheated plant the turbine inlet and also by increasing the efficiency of
g efficiency the expansion process in the steam turbine.1 The
gB boiler efficiency irreversibility of the steam generator can be decreased
gi isentropic efficiency by raising the steam temperature at the turbine inlet.
gm mechanical efficiency Another technique to improve the efficiency is to
Subscripts enhance the quality of steam at the condenser inlet.2
B boiler Acar3 conducted a research about reheat regenerative
C condenser Rankine cycle, where he analysed a steam power cycle
f function based on the second law by its implementation to
i isentropic the reheat regenerative Rankine cycle. Retzlaff and
in input Ruegger4 explained the efforts of advancement in the
m mechanical state-of-the-art in steam turbine technology, which is
net net related to the improvement in the thermodynamic
out output efficiency by increasing the temperature and pressure
p pump at which heat is added to the power cycle. They
investigated steam turbines for ultrasupercritical power
1
plants and reported heat rate improvement of single and
Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Yıldız
Technical University, Besiktas, Istanbul 34349, Turkey double reheat steam cycles with ultrasupercritical steam
2
Department of Marine Engineering Operations, Yıldız Technical conditions on their work. Habib et al.5 studied the first
University, Besiktas, Istanbul 34349, Turkey and second law procedures for the optimisation of the
*Corresponding author, email [email protected] reheat level in reheat regeneration thermal power plants.

ß 2011 Energy Institute

Published by Maney on behalf of the Institute
Received 24 January 2011; accepted 26 April 2011
DOI 10.1179/174396711X13116932751994 Journal of the Energy Institute 2011 VOL 84 NO 4 215
Ust et al. Optimum reheat pressures for irreversible Rankine cycle

The procedure was used for a thermal power plant

having two reheat pressure stages and open feed water
heaters. He calculated and optimised the second law
efficiency of the steam generator, turbine cycle and
plant, taking into account the irreversibilities and some
constraints, such as the steam qualities.
Dincer and Al-Muslim6 performed a thermodynamic
analysis of a single reheat Rankine cycle for the steam
power plants based on the first and second laws of
thermodynamic. He studied the energy and exergy
efficiencies for different system parameters, such as
boiler temperature, boiler pressure, mass fraction ratio
and work output. In his study, the results of the
efficiencies were compared with the real data and
literature and found good agreement.
Bassily7 designed and optimised the dual and triple
pressure non-reheat combined cycles. In his model, the
triple pressure cycle was essentially chosen to decrease
the NOx emission using steam injection. Another
research carried out by Bassily,8,9 which includes
modelling and optimisation of a dual and triple pressure
reheat combined cycle for many cases, is about the
determination of constraints based on the minimum
temperature difference for pinch points, the temperature
difference for superheat approach, steam turbine inlet
temperature and pressure, stack temperature and dry-
ness fraction at the steam turbine outlet.
Although so many applied studies have been per-
formed so far, there is a lack in theoretical studies about
Rankine cycle in the literature. Accordingly, this paper
presents the detailed and comprehensive analysis for the
thermodynamic evaluation of the single and double
reheated Rankine cycle.

Thermodynamic analysis of reheated

irreversible Rankine cycles
1 Flow and T–s diagrams for single reheat irreversible
Single reheat Rankine cycle Rankine cycle
The flow10 and temperature–specific entropy T–s dia-
grams for the thermodynamic processes of a standard
irreversible single reheat Rankine cycle operating with wnet ~win {wout ~½(h3 {h4S )z(h5 {h6S ){wpump gi gm (3)
water are shown in Fig. 1. In the diagram, process 1–2S
and
is an isentropic (reversible adiabatic) work input of the
pump, while process 1–2 is an irreversible adiabatic wnet qout
gth ~ ~1{
process that takes into account the internal irreversi- qin qin
bilities in the real cycle process. The heat addition occurs  
(h3 {h4S )z(h5 {h6S ){wpump
in two steps. Processes 2–3 and 4–5 are heat additions ~ gi gm gB
in the boiler by heating and reheating respectively. (h3 {h2 )z(h5 {h4 ) (4)
Processes 3–4S and 5–6S are isentropic work outputs of where the work input to the pump is given as
high pressure turbine (HPT) and low pressure turbine
(LPT), while processes 3–4 and 5–6 take into account wpump ~v1 (P2 {P1 ) (5)
internal irreversibilities in the real Rankine cycle. A
The thermal efficiency increase rate for the single
constant temperature heat rejection process by the
reheated plant is
condenser 6–1 completes the cycle. The heat added by
heating and reheating in the boiler during the constant gth {gth,non-reheat
d1 ~ (6)
pressure processes 2–3 and 4–5 is gth,non-reheat
(h3 {h2 )z(h5 {h4 )
qin ~ (1)
gB
Double reheat Rankine cycle
and the heat rejection process in the condenser during The flow10 and T–s diagrams for the thermodynamic
the constant process 6–1 is processes of a standard irreversible double reheat
qout ~h6 {h1 (2) Rankine cycle operating with water is shown in Fig. 2.
In the diagram, the process 1–2S is an isentropic work
The net work output and thermal efficiency of the single input of the pump, while process 1–2 is an irreversible
reheated Rankine cycle can be written respectively as adiabatic process that takes into account the internal

216 Journal of the Energy Institute 2011 VOL 84 NO 4

 Ust et al. Optimum reheat pressures for irreversible Rankine cycle

Processes 3–4S, 5–6S and 7–8S are isentropic work

outputs of the HPT, middle pressure turbine (MPT) and
LPT, while processes 3–4, 5–6 and 7–8 take into account
internal irreversibilities in the real Rankine cycle. A
constant temperature heat rejection process by the
condenser 8–1 completes the cycle.
The heat added by heating and reheating in the boiler
during the constant pressure processes 2–3, 4–5 and 6–7
is

(h3 {h2 )z(h5 {h4 )z(h7 {h6 )

qin,2 ~ (7)
gB
and the heat rejection process in the condenser during
the constant process 8–1 is
qout,2 ~h8 {h1 (8)
The net work output and thermal efficiency of the
double reheated Rankine cycle can be written respec-
tively as
wnet,2 ~win {wout
 
~ (h3{h4s )z(h5 {h6s )~(h7{h8s ){wpump gi gm (9)
and
wnet,2 qout
gth,2 ~ ~1{
qin,2 qin
 
(h3 {h4s )z(h5 {h6S )z(h7 {h8S ){wpump
~ gi gm gB
(h3 {h2 )z(h5 {h4 )z(h7 {h6 ) (10)
The efficiency increase rate for the double reheated plant
is
gth,2 {gth,non-reheat
d2 ~ (11)
gth,non-reheat
The isentropic efficiencies for the pump and turbines
are
h2S {h1
gi,P ~ (12)
2 Flow and T–s diagrams for double reheat irreversible h2 {h1
Rankine cycle
and
irreversibilities in the real cycle process. The heat
addition occurs in process 2–3 by heating and processes h3 {h4
gi,T1 ~ (13)
4–5 and 6–7 by reheating in the boiler respectively. h3 {h4S

Table 1 Calculation procedures using engineering equation solver for double reheat Rankine cycle

Specific
Specific Specific entropy
Temperature Pressure volume/ enthalpy s/kJ kg21
State no. Fluid Phase Quality T/oC P/kPa m3 kg21 h/kJ kg21 K21

1 Water Liquid 0 f(PC, x1) PC f(PC, x1) f(PC, x1) f(PC, x1)
2S Water Comp. liquid … f(h2S, PB) PB f(h2S, PB) f(h1, wp) f(h2S, PB)
2 Water Comp. liquid … f(h2, PB) PB f(h2, PB) f(h1, h2S, gi) f(h2, PB)
3 Steam Superheated vapour … TB PB f(TB, PB) f(TB, PB) f(TB, PB)
4S Steam Superheated vapour … f(P4, s4S5s3) PX f(PX, s4S5s3) f(PX, s4S5s3) f(TB, PB)
4 Steam Superheated vapour … f(h4, P4) PX f(h4, PX) f(h3, h4S, gi) f(h4, PX)
5 Steam Superheated vapour … TB PX f(TB, PX) f(TB, s5) f(TB, PX)
6S Steam Superheated vapour … f(P6, s6S5s5) PY f(PY, s6S5s5) f(PY, s6S5s5) f(TB, PY)
6 Steam Superheated vapour … f(h6, P6) PY f(h6, PY) f(h5, h6S, gi) f(h6, PY)
7 Steam Superheated vapour … TB PY f(TB, PY) f(TB, s7) f(TB, PY)
8S Steam Saturated water f(PC,s8S5s7) f(PC, s8S5s7) PC f(PC, s8S5s7) f(PC, s8S5s7) f(TB, PY)
vapour mixture
8 Steam Saturated water f(PC, s8) f(h8, P8) PC f(PC, s8) f(h7, h8S, gi) f(h8, P8)
vapour mixture

Journal of the Energy Institute 2011 VOL 84 NO 4 217

Ust et al. Optimum reheat pressures for irreversible Rankine cycle

3 Effect of TB on wnet2gth characteristics

h5 {h6
gi,T2 ~ (14)
h5 {h6S

h7 {h8
gi,T3 ~ (15)
h7 {h8S
The enthalpy values of the state points can be found
depending on their own T, P, x and s values using
thermodynamic tables or diagrams. In order to find the
thermodynamic properties of the state points, the
engineering equation solver11 software has been used,
and the calculation procedure is also given in Table 1. 5 Variation of net work output with respect to thermal
efficiency for double reheat irreversible Rankine cycle
for a PB550 bar and b PB5300 bar
Results and discussion
To investigate the single and double reheat effects on the It is seen from the figures that the efficiency increase rate
performance of an irreversible Rankine cycle, a perfor- rises for increasing TB and decreasing PB, and also there
mance analysis has been carried out, and detailed is an optimum value for PX that maximises the efficiency
numerical examples are provided. In this numerical increase rate. This optimum value increases for decreas-
analysis, the ranges for TB and PB are 300–600uC and ing TB and increasing PB.
10–50 bar respectively. Additionally, the parameters The curves in Figs. 5 and 8 are derived from the
selected are gi50?9, gm50?95 and gB50?9. analyses of the double reheated Rankine cycle. The
The curves in Figs. 3–5 are all in loop form, and thus, variations of net work output Wnet,2 with respect to the
they have two different maxima for both axes, which are thermal efficiency gth,2 for different first stage reheat
net work output and thermal efficiency respectively. The pressures PX with TB5600uC are shown in Fig. 5a and b
effects of TB and PB on the Wnet–gth characteristic for PB550 bar and PB5300 bar respectively. It is found
curves for PB 550 bar and TB 5600uC are indicated in that the general and optimal performances in terms of
Figs. 3 and 4 respectively. These figures show that the net work output and thermal efficiency decrease as the
general and optimal performances in terms of net work first stage reheat pressure increases.
output and thermal efficiency increase with increasing The effects of first and second stage reheat pressures
TB and PB. PX and PY on the efficiency increase rate d2 for the
In Figs. 6 and 7, the effects of TB and PB on the double reheated Rankine cycle with TB5600uC are
efficiency increase rate d1 are shown with respect to PX.

4 Effect of PB on wnet2gth characteristics 6 Effect of TB on d12Px characteristics

218 Journal of the Energy Institute 2011 VOL 84 NO 4

 Ust et al. Optimum reheat pressures for irreversible Rankine cycle

7 Effect of PB on d12Px characteristics

shown in the Fig. 8a and b for PB550 bar and

PB5300 bar respectively. It can be seen from these
figures that there is an optimum value for PY that
maximises the efficiency increase rate, and this optimum
value increases for increasing PX.

Conclusions
In this paper, the effects of boiler temperature and
pressure and the irreversibilities on the performance of
single and double reheat irreversible Rankine cycles are
investigated. The relations between net work output,
thermal efficiency and efficiency increase rate with
8 Variation of d2 with respect to PY for different PX
reheat pressures are derived by taking irreversibilities
values for a PB550 bar and b PB5300 bar
into account, which are isentropic, mechanical and
boiler thermal loses. The effects of first and second stage
reheat pressures on the general performance and References
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Journal of the Energy Institute 2011 VOL 84 NO 4 219