A combined gas–steam power cycle is being considered.

The topping cycle is a simple Brayton cycle that has a pres-

sure ratio of 7. Air enters the compressor at 15°C at a rate of 55 kg/s and the gas turbine at 850°C. The bottoming cycle
is a reheat Rankine cycle between the pressure limits of 6 MPa and 10 kPa. Steam is heated in a heat exchanger at a
rate of 25 kg/s by the exhaust gases leaving the gas turbine and the exhaust gases leave the heat exchanger at 450°C.
Steam leaves the high-pressure turbine at 1.0 MPa and is reheated to 400°C in the heat exchanger before it expands in
the low pressure turbine. The moisture content at the exit of the low-pressure turbine and the thermal efficiency of the
combined plant are determined.

Assumptions 1 Steady operating conditions exist. 2 Kinetic and potential energy changes are negligible. 3 Methane is an
ideal gas, and cold-air assumptions are considered.
Analysis (a) The analysis of gas cycle is as follows

Process 7-8 (isentropic compression of an ideal gas):

k −1 / k
P  0.299/1.299
T8 = T7  8  = (288 K )(7) = 450.7 K = 177.7°C
 P7 

Process 9-10 (isentropic expansion of an ideal gas):

(k −1) / k 0.1/1.1
P  1 
5 T10 = T9  10 = (1123K)   = 940.9 K = 667.8 °C
 P9  7 

We now find the work input to the compressor and the work output of the
turbine:
& c p (T8 − T7
wcomp,in
m ) = (55 kg/s)(2.4561 kJ/kg.K)(450.7-288)K= 22.0 MW
& c p (T9 − T10) = (55 kg/s)(4.528 kJ/kg.K)(1223-941)K= 70.2 MW
wturb,ou
tm

(b) The analysis of steam cycle is as follows

From the steam tables (Tables A-4, A-5, and A-6),

h1 = h f @ 10 kPa = 191.81 kJ/kg

3
v1 = v f @ 10 kPa = 0.00101 m /kg

wpI,in = v1 (P2 − P1 )
( )  1 kJ 
= 0.00101 m3 /kg (6000 − 10 kPa ) 
1 kPa ⋅ m 3 
= 6.05 kJ/kg 
h2 = h1 + wpI,in = 191.81 + 6.05 = 197.86 kJ/kg

P5 = 1 MPa  h5 = 3264.5 kJ/kg

T5 = 600°C  s 5 = 7.4670 kJ/kg ⋅ K
s6 − s f 7.4670 − 0.6492
P6 = 10 kPa  x 6 = = = 0.9091
 s fg 7.4996
s6 = s5  h = h + x h = 191.81 + (0.9091)(2392.1) = 2366.4 kJ/kg
6 f 6 fg

P6 = 10 kPa 
x = 0.9842
h6 = 2546.5 kJ/kg  6

Moisture Percentage = 1 − x 6 = 1 − 0.9842 = 0.0158 = 1.6%

 Noting that Q& ≅ W& ≅ ∆ke ≅ ∆pe ≅ 0 for the heat exchanger, the steady-flow energy balance equation
yields
E& = E& in out

∑ m& h = ∑ m& h
i i e e
.
m& s (h3 − h2 ) + m& s (h5 − h4 ) =2&mair(h10 − h11 ) =2m c p (T10− T11)
25 kg/s [ 3346.5 − 199.37) + (3264.5 − h4 )] = 2(55 kg/s)(3.89 kJ/kg.K)(941-722)K 
→ h4 = 2697.5 kJ/kg

W& net,gas = W& T,gas − W& C, gas = 70.2 -22.0 = 48.2 MW

W& T,steam = m& s (h3 − h4 + h5 − h6 ) = ( 25 kg/s )(3346.5 - 2659.9 + 3264.5 - 2366.4)kJ/s = 39.618 MW

W& P,steam = m& s w pump = (25 kg/s) (6.05 kJ/kg) = 0.151 MW

W& net,steam = W& T,steam − W& P, steam = 39.618 - 0.0665 =39.467 MW

W& net,plant = W& net,gas + W& net,steam = 2(48.2)+39.5 = 135.9 MW

Q& in = m& air (h9 − h8 ) = m& c p (T9 − T8 ) = 2(55 kg/s)(3.706 kJ/kg.K)(1123-450.7) = 274.0 MW

W& net, plant 135.9 MW

η th = = = 0.496 = 49.6%
Q& in 274.0 MW