THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES

Exercise #10
A gas-turbine power plant operating on a Joule-Brayton cycle has a pressure ratio of 8. The gas
inlet temperature at the compressor is 27C and 1200C at the turbine inlet. Represent the cycle
on T-s and h-s diagram. Using the air-standard assumptions calculate:
the gas temperature at the exits of the compressor and turbine;
the thermodynamic efficiency in the ideal and real cylce;
the air mass flow rate for a net power of 120kW
Consider then a compressor and turbine efficiency of 0.8.
Solution:
This cycle has 2 adiabatic transformation and 2 isobaric.

First, we must calculate the T of each thermodynamic state of the cycle (point 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the
diagram) both for ideal and real transformation.
The transformation from 1 to 2 is adiabatic. Using the polytrophic equation for T and p:
T
1
= const

p

T1 T2
1
= 1

p1 p2
 1 1
p 2
T2 = 2 T1 = (8) T1 = 300 K ( 8 ) 7 = 543
p1

T T 543 300
T2' =
T1 + 2 1 =300 K + K=
604 K
comp 0.8

the maximum temperature reached by the cycle is 1473 K.

The last transformation 4-1 is adiabatic, as we did before we consider at the beginning ideal
(reversible) and then the real.
1 2
p 1 7
T4 =
T3 4 =
1473 K = 813 K
p3 8

And the real temperature at the turbine is:

T4 ' =T3 + comp (T4 T3 ) =1473 K + 0.8 ( 813 1473) K =945 K

Now we can evaluate the thermodynamic cycle efficiency:

q41 c (T T ) T T
thcycle =
1 =
1 v 4 1 = 1 4 1
q23 cv (T3 T2 ) T3 T2

where Q 4-1 and Q 2-3 are the heat given to the ambient and the heat taken from the combustible.
Q41 T T 813 K 300 K
thidcycle =
1 =
1 4 1 = 1 =
44.8%
Q23 T3 T2 1473 K 543 K

the efficiency of the real cycle is:

T ' T1 945 K 300 K

thr cycle =
1 4 =
1 =
25.8%
T3 T2 '
1473 K 604 K

The air flow can be computed:

P= m air c p (T3 T4 ) (T2 T1 ) (1.1)

 P
= =
m air
c p (T3 T4 ) (T2 T1 )
P
= = (1.2)
7
R (T3 T4 ) (T2 T1 )
2
120 kW
= 1 1
= 0.286 kg s 1
7 8.314 J mol K
(1473 813) ( 543 300 ) K
2 28.9 103 kg mol 1

in the real cycle:

P
= =
m air
c p T3 T4 T2' T1

'
(
) ( )
P
= = (1.3)
7
R T3 T4' T2' T1
2
( ) ( )
120 kW
= 1 1
= 0.53 kg s 1
7 8.314 J mol K
(1473 945 ) ( 604 300 ) K
2 28.9 103 kg mol 1

This last part shows how the irreversibility reduce the performance of the power plant, this cause
the rise of the air flow and then of use of combustible.
Exercise #11
A gas-turbine power plant operating in a Joule-Brayton cycle, using air as working fluid is shown
in figure. The air temperature at the inlet to LP (Low Pressure) compressor is 12C. Then, the air
is compressed to an unknown intermediate pressure (p in ). Before entering the HP (High Pressure)
compressor, the air undergoes cooling, in a intercooler, to T 3 = T 1 followed by the 2nd stage
compression to p= 4 20 p1 . Then, the air flows through the regenerator and receives at a constant
pressure (p 4 = p 5 ) a heat input of 220 kW. After that, the air undergoes the adiabatic heat addition
in a HP combustion chamber and its temperature increases to T 6 . Then, the air is expanding
adiabatically at a LP turbine to T 7 . After that, air receives an isobaric heat addition in a LP
combustion chamber and its temperature increases to T 8 = T 6 . Then, the air is expanding
adiabatically at a LP turbine to T 9 = T 7 = T 5 . The turbine out-let gas that goes into the regenerator,
exit at T 10 = 250C. The total mechanical power produced by the HP and LP turbines is 500kW.

Show the cycle on T-s diagram, calculate:

the thermal efficiency of the power plant (th);

air mass flow rate ( )
the air temperature at the turbine in-let (T6)

Note: the pressure compression and expansion ratio at both stages is the same.

Solution:
This is a typical gas turbine power plant with 2 compression and 2 expansion stages. In this
exercise the goal is is to determinate the intermediate level pressure and the mass air flow that
produce a mechanical power output of 500kW. The figure helps us to better understand the
working of the plant. In the sketch the main point of interest are marked (1, 2, 3 etc).
First its better to draw the cycle on the T-s diagram.

In the problem not all the quantity are clearly given, so from the diagram and the problem data,
we knows:
T1 =
T3 =
12C T6 =
T8 T7 =
T9
p
T2 =
T4 T10 =
250C =4
p1
LT L6T7 + L8T9
=

We can start to solve the problem from the mass airflow rate, to do it we need to build a system
of 3 equations:
the turbine mechanical power,
the regenerated heat amount
the reversible adiabatic equation.
 LT = L6T7 + L8T9 = 500 kW


Q = m c T T = 220 kW
p ( 9 10 )
reg air (1.4)
1

1
T7= T6
rp

Before going on we must determinate the intermediate pressure level, in order to calculate the
thermodynamic states in 2,3 7 and 8.
The pressure ratio is the ratio between the maximum pressure and the lower pressure and can
be written:
p4 p4 p2 p4 p2
= = = = rp rp = rp2 (1.5)
p1 p2 p1 p3 p1

p4
=
rp
= = =
20 4.47 (1.6)
p1

By substituting the third equation of (1.4) in the first and second one:

m air c p (T6 T7 ) + (T8 T9 ) = m air c p (T6 T7 ) + (T6 T7 ) = 500 kW (1.7)

1
1
m air c p 2 T6 T6 =500 kW (1.8)
rp

Q reg = m air c p (T9 T10 )= 220 kW = m air c p (T7 T10 )=

1
1 (1.9)
= m air c p T6 T10 = 220 kW

rp 7

Dividing eq. (1.8) by (1.9):

1

1
m air c p 2 T6 1

rp
= 500 kW (1.10)
1 220 kW
1
m air c p T6 T10

rp 7

 1

1
T6 1

rp
= 500 kW
= 1.14 (1.11)
1
2 220 kW
1
T6 T10
rp

2

T6 1
1 7
4.47
= 1.14 (1.12)
2
1 7
T6 523K
4.47

2 2
1 7 1 7
T6 1 = 1.14 T6 523K
4.47 4.47
(1.13)

T6 (1 0.652 )= 1.14 (T6 ( 0.652 ) 523K )

0.743 T6 0.348 T6 =
596.2 K
0.395 T6 =
596.2 K (1.14)
596.2
=T6 = K 1509 K
0.395
And T 7 is:
1 2
1 1 7
T7 =
T6 =
1509 K =
984 K (1.15)
4.47
rp
Now we can calculate the mass airflow rate from the mechanical power or from the heat
regenerator equation. For example from eq. (1.8):
500 kW 500 kW
=
m air = = 0.473 kg s 1 (1.16)
c p 2 (T6 T7 ) 1.006 kJ kg K 1 2 (1509 984 ) K
1

The second question is about the thermal efficiency of the power plant. From the definition of
efficiency, this is the ratio between the net-work done by the system and the supplied heat.

Lnet LT LC 500 kW m air c p ( (T4 T3 ) + (T2 T1 ) )

th
= = = (1.17)
Qsup Qsup m air c p ( (T6 T5 ) + (T7 T8 ) )
In this equation, we notice that we dont know some temperature of the cycle. Starting from the
state 1 we can determinate the outlet compressor temperature:
1
( )
2
T2 =
T1 rp 285 K ( 4.47 ) 7 =
= 437 K

T 3 and T 4 are equal respectively to T 1 and to T 2 . The last unknown quantity is T 5 . We can
determinate it from the regenerator heat balance equation:

Q reg = m air c p (T9 T10 )= m air c p (T5 T4 )

Q reg 220 kW
=
T5 +
= T4 +
= T4
m air c p m air c p

Now we can calculate the thermal efficiency:

500 kW m air c p ( (T4 T3 ) + (T2 T1 ) )

th =
m air c p ( (T6 T5 ) + (T7 T8 ) )
500 kW m air c p ( (T2 T1 ) + (T2 T1 ) )
=
m air c p ( (T6 T5 ) + (T7 T8 ) )
500 kW 0.473 kg s 1 1.006 kJ kg 1 K 1 ( ( 437 285 ) + ( 437 285 ) ) K
=
0.473 kg s 1 1.006 kJ kg 1 K 1 ( (1509 899 ) + (1509 984 ) ) K
= 0.658 = 65.8%