Problem Bulletin: GAS, STEAM, AND COMBINED POWER CYCLES

1- Air is used as the working fluid in a simple ideal Brayton cycle having a pressure ratio of 12, a
compressor inlet temperature of 300 K and a turbine inlet temperature of 1000 K. Determine the mass
flow rate of air required for a net power output of 70 MW, assuming that both the compressor and
turbine have an isentropic efficiency of a) 100 percent, and b) 85 percent. Assume constant specific
heats at room temperature. [Sol.: a) 352 kg/s, b) 1037 kg/s].

2- A gas turbine power plant operates on the simple Brayton cycle between the pressure limits of 100 and
800 kPa. The air enters the compressor at 30°C and exits at 330°C at a mass flow rate of 200 kg/s. The
maximum temperature of the cycle is 1400 K. During the operation of the cycle, the net power output
is experimentally measured as 60 MW. Assume constant properties for the air at 300 K, with cv = 0.718
kJ/kg-K, cp = 1.005 kJ/kg-K, R = 0.287 kJ/kg-K, γ =1.4. a) Plot the T-s diagram for the cycle. b) Determine
the isentropic efficiency of the turbine for these operating conditions. c) Determine the thermal
efficiency of the cycle. [Sol.: b) 95.4%, c) 37.5%].

3- A gas-turbine power plant operates on a modified

Brayton cycle shown in the figure with an overall
pressure ratio of 8. Air enters the compressor at 0°C
and 100 kPa. The maximum cycle temperature is
1500 K. The compressor and the turbines are
isentropic. The high pressure turbine develops just
enough power to run the compressor. Assume
constant properties for air at 300 K with
cv = 0.718 kJ/kg-K, cp = 1.005 kJ/kg-K, R = 0.287 kJ/kg-K,
k = 1.4.
(a) Sketch the T-s diagram for the cycle. Label the data states. (b) Determine the temperature and
pressure at state 4, the exit of the high pressure turbine. (c) If the net power output is 200 MW,
determine mass flow rate of the air into the compressor, in kg/s. [Sol.: 1279 K, 457 kPa, 442 kg/s]

4- A simple Rankine cycle uses water as working fluid. The boiler operates at 6000 kPa and the condenser
at 50 kPa. At the turbine inlet, the temperature is 450°C. The isentropic efficiency of the turbine is 94
percent, the pressure and pump losses are negligible, and the water leaving the condenser is subcooled
by 6.3°C. The boiler is designed for a mass flow rate of 20 kg/s. Determine the rate of heat input to the
boiler, the power required at the pumps, the net power produced by the cycle, and the thermal
efficiency. [Sol: 59660 kW, 122 kW, 18050 kW, 30.3%]

5- Consider a steam power plant that operates on the

ideal reheat Rankine cycle. The plant maintains the
boiler at 7000 kPa, the reheat section at 800 kPa, and
the condenser at 10 kPa. The mixture quality (vapour
fraction) at the exit of both turbines is 93 percent.
Determine the temperature at the inlet of each
turbine and the cycle’s thermal efficiency. [Sol.:
373°C, 416°C, 37.6%]

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6- The attached figure shows the schematic of a single-
chamber geothermal power plant with instantaneous
vaporisation. The geothermal resource is available as
saturated fluid at 230°C. The geothermal fluid is drawn
from the well at a rate of 230 kg/s, and is throttled in the
vaporisation chamber at a pressure of 500 kPa, by an
essentially isoenthalpic process, to the separator where
the resulting vapour is separated from the liquid and
then fed to the turbine. The vapour leaves the turbine at
10 kPa with a moisture content of 10 per cent, enters the
condenser where it condenses and is led to a ground
reinjection well, together with the liquid coming from the
separator.

Determine: a) mass flow rate of the steam through the

turbine, b) isentropic efficiency of the turbine,
c) turbine power output, and d) thermal efficiency of the
plant (ratio of turbine work output to geothermal fluid
energy relative to ambient conditions 100 kPa and 25°C)
[Sol.: a) 38.218 ks/s, b) 68.65%, c) 15.415 MW and d) 7.57%] [Sol.: a) 38.218 ks/s, b) 68.65%, c) 15.415 MW and d)
7.57%].

7- Steam enters the turbine of a cogeneration plant at

7 MPa and 500°C. One-fourth of the steam is
extracted from the turbine at 600 kPa pressure for
process heating. The remaining steam continues to
expand to 10 kPa. The extracted steam is then
condensed and mixed with feedwater at constant
pressure and the mixture is pumped to the boiler
pressure of 7 MPa. The mass flow rate of steam
through the boiler is 30 kg/s. Disregarding any
pressure drops and heat losses in the piping, and
assuming the turbine and the pump to be isentropic,
determine the net power produced and the
utilization factor of the plant. [Sol.: 32866 kW, 52.4%]

8- Consider a steam thermal power plant operating in the

ideal regenerative Rankine cycle with a closed feedwater
heater as shown in the figure. The plant maintains the
turbine inlet at 3,000 kPa and 350 °C, and operates the
condenser at 20 kPa. Steam is drawn at 1000 kPa for
service from the closed feedwater heater, which is
discharged to a condenser after throttling to condenser
pressure. Calculate the work produced by the turbine, the
work consumed by the pump and the heat supply in the
boiler for this cycle, per unit flow in the boiler. Answers:
741 kJ/kg, 3.0 kJ/kg, 2.353 kJ/kg, 2.353 kJ/kg

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9- A combined gas-steam power cycle uses a simple gas turbine cycle for the air cycle and a simple
Rankine cycle for the water-steam cycle. Atmospheric air enters the gas compressor with a flow rate of
300 kg/s at 101 kPa and 20°C. The maximum temperature of the gas cycle is 1200°C. The compressor
pressure ratio is 8. The isentropic efficiencies of the compressor and gas turbine are 90% in both cases.
The gas flow exits the heat exchanger at 280°C.
For the steam circuit, the heat exchanger operates at a pressure of 5000 kPa and the steam exits the
heat exchanger at 400°C. The steam cycle condenser operates at 20 kPa, and the isentropic efficiency
of the steam turbine is 85%.
Data: Cpair=1.005 kJ/kg·K; γair=1.4.

10- A combined gas-steam power cycle uses a simple gas turbine cycle for the air cycle and a simple
Rankine cycle for the water-steam cycle. Atmospheric air enters the gas compressor at 101 kPa and
20°C, and the maximum temperature of the gas cycle is 1100°C. The compressor pressure ratio is 8; the
isentropic efficiency of the compressor is 85 percent, and the isentropic efficiency of the gas turbine is
90 percent. The gas flow exits the heat exchanger at the saturation temperature of the water vapor
flowing through the heat exchanger at a pressure of 6000 kPa and exits at 320°C. The steam cycle
condenser operates at 20 kPa, and the isentropic efficiency of the steam turbine is 90 percent.
Determine the mass flow of air through the compressor required for this system to produce 100 MW of
power. Use constant specific heats at room temperature. [Sol.: 279 kg/s]

11- A gas-steam combined cycle power plant produces a net power of 45 MW. Air enters the gas turbine
compressor at 100 kPa and 300 K, and is compressed to 1200 kPa. The isentropic efficiency of the
compressor is 84%. The inlet conditions of the turbine are 1200 kPa and 1400 K. The air expands
through the turbine, which has an isentropic efficiency of 88% at a pressure of 100 kPa. The air then
passes through a heat exchanger to generate the steam required for the steam cycle, and exits at 400
K. The steam enters the steam cycle turbine at 8 MPa, 400°C, and expands to condenser pressure at 8
kPa. Water in the pump as a saturated liquid at 8 kPa. The steam cycle turbine and pump have
isentropic efficiencies of 90% and 80%, respectively.
a) Air and steam mass flow rates
b) Net power developed by gas and steam turbine