In: Mechanical Engineering
a simple ideal Brayton cycle with air as the working fluid has a pressure ratio of 10. The air enters the compressor at 520 R and the turbine at 2000 R. Accounting for the variation of specific heats with temperature, determine (a) the ait temperature at the compressor exit, (b) the back work ratio, and (c) the thermal efficiency.
Pressure ratio rp = 10
Compressor inlet temperature T1= 520R
Turbine inlet temperature to T3 = 2000 R
Since we are considering variable specific heats the specific heat at constant pressure and specific heat at constant volume will be different at different temperatures.
At T1= 520R from ideal gas properties of air tables
At T3 = 2000 R from ideal gas properties of air tables
Process 1-2 is isentropic compression
At Pr2 = 12.47 from ideal gas properties of air
(b)
Process 3-4 is isentropic expansion
We know that
At Pr4 = 17.4 from ideal gas properties of air
The work required by compressor is expressed as
The work done by turbine is expressed as
The back work ratio
(c) The thermal efficiency
Heat supplied
Net work is expressed as
Therefore the thermal efficiency