Why  are these topics  important?
what is the general methodology to solve a typical Rankine cycle problem?
What  interests you most about the topic/s and which one is the difficult one to understand? 
Write your group no.

Why are these topics important? 

Vapour and Combined Power Cycle is significant because most industrial company utilizes these cycles. Examples are coal plant, biomass plant, and nuclear plant. Furthermore, by studying more on these cycles, we can provide a better and efficient system in the future. 

What is the general methodology to solve a typical Rankine cycle problem? 

                The first step is to draw a T-s Diagram and label the information provided. Next, find the required parameters such as enthalpies, specific volume, and entropy of each states by analysing its properties and also through the suitable Property Table. After that, calculate the desired value from the question. 

What interests you most about the topic/s and which one is the difficult one to understand? 

                Combined Power Cycle and Regenerative Rankine Cycle are complex topics and require us time to understand the topic. Besides, the interesting part about this topic is regarding on the effects due to modifications of Rankine Cycle. Through proper modifications, we can increase the efficiency of the cycle. Furthermore, combining two or more thermodynamic cycles results in improved overall efficiency, reducing fuel costs. 

ME2 
GROUP 8

Why is this topic important? 

Methodology to solve Rankine Cycle

Most interesting topic

Difficult topic

2. What is the general methodology to solve a typical Rankine cycle problem? 
1) List all of the information given
2) Draw T-S diagram and label
3) Find information needed like specific volume, pressure, entropy, enthalpy of each point given
4) Find work of pump (to find enthalpy after compression)
4) Make sure s3 and s4 have same entropy as they is isentropic process
5) Find the quality, X.
6) Answer the question

3. Topics that interests you the most 

4. Topics that difficult to understand

Carnot Vapor Cycle

Ideal Rankine Cycle

Actual Rankine Cycle

Ideal Rankine Reheat Cycle

Ideal Regenerative Rankine Cycle

-        Opened Feedwater Heaters

-        Closed Feedwater Heaters

Combined Gas-Vapor Power Cycles

 

-Based on a report by Black & Vetch, the number of projects involving vapour and combined power cycle will increase by a masiive 3.1% in the next decade. This is due to its high efficiency of combined power plants. It may cost more than simple cycle plants, but they make up for that drawback in high efficiency. The current world industry is using vapour and combined power cycle more frequently to achieve high efficiency. The demands of these cycles in industry is getting higher. Hence, it is important for us to understand the reason why vapour and combined power cycles can achieve such high efficiency. In future, with enough knowledge on these cycle, we can also impprove and enhance the current vapour and combined power cycle to achieve even higher efficiecy or even invent another new type of cycle to achieve higher.

 What is the general methodology to solve a typical Rankine cycle problem?

1) write down the information and data given 

2) draw T-S diagram for the particular question 

3) write down equations/ formulas that’ll help in solving 

4) find enthalpy and entropy for all states 

5) refer to table to get required values 

6) solve question

 What  interests you most about the topic/s and which one is the difficult one to understand? 

-What interest me the most about the topics is regeneration in the Rankine cycle. With the help of regeneration, we can improve the efficiency of the cycle when the heat is taken from steam between turbine stages and used to heat water as it goes through pump stages. The cogeneration of Rankine is the most difficult topic. The graph needs to be analysed thoroughly because the combination of various process can be confusing and tricky to be determined. Nevertheless, it is also another innovative modification to help the conventional power plants achieve higher efficiency.

 Write your group no.

20

1)      Rankine cycle

2)      How to increase the efficiency of the Rankine cycle

3)      The ideal reheat Rankine cycle

4)      Combined gas-vapor power cycle

Why are these topics important.

It is a topic about power generation. As engineer we need to know the types of energy conversion and how it works. So, engineer can illustrate how power plants produce electrical and mechanical power. Vapour power cycles, in which working fluid is alternatively vaporised and condensed, can be evaluate to determine power cycle performance, thermal efficiency, net power output and mass flow rates. Combined gas-vapour power cycle is an innovative modifications to conventional power plant to achieve higher efficiency It can increase the efficiency without increasing fuel cost. Thermal efficiency is about 50% as reported.

General Method to solve Rankine Cycle 
The Rankine Cycle is one of many thermodynamic cycles that is used to produce mechanical work. This cycle in particular is used to predict the work produced by a steam turbine system in a heat engine. Heat engines are commonly found in things like trains and air conditioners.

The Rankine cycle consists of four different components: a steam generator of some kind (for example, a boiler), a steam turbine, and condenser, and a pump. Each component changes the state and properties of the fluid that moves through it, by adding and taking away heat and work, in order to transfer energy from heat to work.

Steam generator: Turns the fluid at room temperature and pressure, to vapor or steam at an extremely high temperature, usually known as "superheated vapor.”

Turbine: The pressure is increased, resulting in a drop in temperature, and producing mechanical work that leaves the system to be used.

Condenser: Operates at a constant pressure where heat is released into the environment, compressing the state of the fluid back down to a liquid-gas mixture, that is mostly liquid. This state is otherwise known as “saturated liquid.”

Pump: Pressurizes the saturated liquid back up to the pressure of the turbine by bringing work back into the system, turning to a highly pressurized liquid which is usually referred to as a "compressed liquid.”

Finally, the fluid goes back through the steam generator at constant pressure to return to a superheated vapor.

There are few steps to solve a Rankine Cycle Problem:

1)      The First Step in the analysis is to simply draw a diagram of the system.

2)      important to know that to acquire all of the properties of any given state, you must first have two independent properties to calculate the rest

3)      After obtaining all of the necessary values, the First Law of Thermodynamics is used to calculate work, heat and efficiency of the cycle

The efficiency of a basic Rankine Cycle is usually somewhere around the order of 40% so 39% is an acceptable value.

What interests you most about the topic?

The methods taken by the engineers in order to increase the efficiency of rankine cycle is what interest me most. First, they came out with the idea of making carnot vapor cycle possible by introducing boiler (superheating purposes) and condenser (condensing vapor completely). This is considered a very good way to solve the problems which are the turbine cannot handle high moisture content and the compressor cannot handle 2 phases (mixture). Next, they introduced 3 ways which are increasing boiler pressure, decreasing condenser pressure and superheating the steam to higher temperature so more. Yes, those are very very nice way to increase rankine cycle efficiency. Not to talk about how they introduced 2^nd turbine (low pressure turbine) after reheating process in such a brilliant way to increase efficiency. Finally, they utilize the high temperature exhaust gas to increase the heat addition in the boiler of the vapor cycle. This one if used in combined gas vapor cycle. Interesting omgad.

WHICH PART IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND?

We found out that most of us are having a hard time to find the right value of enthalpy, entropy, and the temperature in the vapour power cycle which is the most crucial part in the problem solving especially in Brayton cycle where intercooling, reheating and regeneration occurs. Maybe because we do not really understand the concept of the cycle. We believe this can be fixed if we do enough practice or exercise. 

 1.     Carnot Vapor Cycle.

2.     Increasing Rankine Cycle Efficiency.

3.     Deviation of Actual Cycle.

4.     Regenerative vapor power cycles (Open Feedwater and Closed Feedwater Heater).

5.     Cogeneration.

 

Why are these topics important?

 1.     Investigate ways to modify the basic Rankine vapor power cycle to increase the cycle thermal efficiency.

2.     To learn on how power cycles that consist of two separate cycles known as combined cycles and binary cycles.

 

What is the general methodology to solve a typical Rankine cycle problem?

 1.     Understood Idealization and Assumptions.

2.      Draw the diagram based on type of the cycle (T-s and P-v diagram).

3.      Acquire all of the properties of any given state.

4.      Calculating state property values.
5.      Calculating Work, Heat and Efficiency and solved the other questions.

 What interests you most about the topic/s and which one is the difficult one to understand? 
1.     The cogeneration topic is so interesting to learn as it was something new for us.
2.     The regenerative vapor power cycles can be a little difficult to understand as the OFW and CFW can be confusing to recognize. 

Write your group no: 17