Energy Analyses for a Steam Power Plant Operating under the Rankine Cycle

We present a thermodynamic cycle design based on energy analyses for steam power plants (power station) when working according to the Rankine cycle. This thermodynamic cycle consists of a constant-entropy water pump, a constant-pressure water boiler, a constant-entropy steam turbine, and a constant-pressure-temperature steam condenser. We propose four states of water, representing the inlet of each of four devices in the Rankine cycle. Due to estimated losses, the net shaft (mechanical) power from the thermodynamic cycle should be 1.157 times the electric power output from the power plant. The thermodynamic cycle efficiency is 38.59%, but the power plant efficiency is 33.35%. The design is generic, and is not limited to a specific source of heat or power output. Thus, it can operate with clean energy sources (concentrated solar power or nuclear reactors), as well as with fossil fuels. The highest temperature in the cycle is 600 °C, the highest absolute pressure is 50 bar, the lowest temperature is 50.2 °C, and the lowest absolute pressure is 0.125 bar.