Laboratory Scale Steam Power Plant Study – Rankine Cycler™ Effectiveness As A Learning Tool And Its Component Losses

Abstract

The Rankine Cycler™ steam turbine system, produced by Turbine Technologies, Ltd., is a tabletop-sized working model of a fossil-fueled steam power plant. It is widely used by engineering colleges around the world.The objectives of this paper are threefold. First, undergraduate students that have used the Rankine Cycler were surveyed to assess the effectiveness of the device as a learning tool. The results of the survey can be applied so that the equipment is used in the undergraduate curriculum in the best possible manner. Inevitably, when a power generation plant is scaled-down and it has few efficiency-enhancing components (e.g. lack of feedwater heaters, etc.), energy losses in components will be magnified, substantially decreasing the cycle efficiency. Although the Rankine Cycler is a useful tool for teaching fundamentals of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and instrumentation systems in an undergraduate laboratory, a comprehensive analysis of the equipment has not been performed. This analysis would be useful to faculty and students who use the equipment and would also be useful to potential customers of Turbine Technologies. Faculty and students at two different universities have begun a comprehensive analysis of the Rankine Cycler. As an initial effort, the results of a parametric study of the effects of component losses on cycle efficiency are presented. Considerations in this study include boiler efficiency, turbine internal efficiency, turbine volumetric efficiency, mechanical efficiency, electric generator efficiency, boiler-to-turbine line losses (pressure and heat), and turbine-to-condenser line losses. In addition, proposals are made for experimental determination of Rankine Cycler component performance.Finally, in addition to the learning assessment and parametric study, future studies are outlined to complete a comprehensive analysis of the Rankine Cycler.

Laboratory Scale Steam Power Plant Study Rankine Cycler Effectiveness As A Learning Tool And A Comprehensive Experimental Analysis

“…This is the second paper, continuing the work started in 2004-05. In the first paper 2 , two important objectives were met. First, to determine the effectiveness of the RC as a learning tool, an indirect assessment was performed ; students were surveyed to assess the RC as a learning tool.…”

“…In almost all cases, these are "non-ideal" effects that cause the efficiency (or heat rate) of the real RC to be poorer (lower efficiency or higher heat rate) than the ideal model. A partial catalog of these effects was given in the previous paper 2 . The results from that paper of a parametric study of the effects of component losses on RC thermal efficiency helped to pinpoint what combinations of various component losses account for the poor performance (i.e., low thermal efficiency or high heat rate) of the RC.…”

Examination of Combustion Processes Using a Rankine Cycler

“…quite extensively. [2][3][4] The focus of this lab is to provide students the opportunity to apply several of the topics covered in the Thermodynamics classes to an actual power producing system. These topics include: 1) Plotting a T-S curve for a cycle 2) Calculating the isentropic and second law efficiency of a steam turbine 3) Calculating the 1 st law efficiency of a power plant.…”