The ideal
regenerative Rankine cycle
Problem:
Heat is transferred to working fluid during
process 2-2’ at a relatively low temperature
 lowers the average heat addition
temperature
 thus the cycle efficiency
Solution:
Raise the temperature of liquid leaving the
pump (feedwater).
 One possibility is to transfer heat to
feedwater from the expanding steam in a
counterflow heat exchanger built into the
turbine, that is, to use regeneration
 It is impractical in design such a heat
exchanger and because it would increase
the moisture content of the steam at final
stages of turbine.
 The ideal
regenerative Rankine cycle
A practical regeneration process in steam power plants is accomplished
by extracting steam from turbine to heat the feedwater
 This steam is used to heat the feedwater
 This process is called regeneration and the heat exchanger where
heat is transferred from steam to feedwater by is called a
regenerator, or feedwater heater (FWH)
 The ideal
regenerative Rankine cycle
Open FWH

 An open (or direct-contact) feedwater heater is basically a

mixing chamber
 Saturated water from the condenser is pumped to
feedwater pressure and send to the FWH.
 At the feedwater heater, the compressed water is
mixed with the steam extracted from the turbine,
while the remaining steam continues to expand
isentropically to the condenser pressure.
 A second pump raises the pressure of the water to the
boiler pressure.
 It exits the feedwater heater as saturated water at the
heater pressure.

single-stage regenerative cycle

 The ideal
regenerative Rankine cycle
Open FWH

For each 1 kg of steam leaving boiler, y kg expands partially in the

turbine and is extracted at state 6. Remaining (1 - y) kg expands
completely to condenser pressure. Therefore, the mass flow rates
are different in different components. If the mass flow rate through
 , for example, it is (1 - y)m
the boiler is m  through the condenser.

q in  h 5  h 4
q out  1  y h 7  h1 
w turb ,out  h 5  h 6  1  y h 6  h 7 
w pump, in  1  y w pump  , in  w pump  , in
m6
y (fraction of steam extracted)
m5
w pump  , in  1 P2  P2 
w pump  , in  1 P4  P3 
 The ideal
regenerative Rankine cycle

Closed FWH

 Closed FWH are shell-and-tube type in which

feedwater temperature increases as the extracted
steam condenses on the outside of the tubes carrying
the feedwater.
 The two streams can be at different pressures since
the two streams do not mix.
 The extracted stream condenses in the closed
feedwater while heating the feedwater from the
pump.
 The heated feedwater is send to the boiler and
condensate from the feedwater heater is allowed to
pass through a trap into condenser (traps the vapor).