Experiment 2 Experiments on Rankine Cycle Steam Power System I. Objectives The purpose of this experiment is to observe a model steam power plant in operation. We will conduct an experiment on the Rankine Cycler provided by Turbine Technologies. We will study the Rankine Cycler System as a whole as well as thedetails of each component that makes up the system. We will also focus on the thermo-dynamic analysis of the system and its components in a steady state, steady flowcondition. II. Safety Precautions ¾ DO NOT operate the Rankine Cycler without first becoming familiar with the the steps and precautions outlined below (also provided in the Operator's Manual). ¾ DO NOT operate the system unattended. ¾ DO NOT touch any surface on the Cycler during operation – MOST SURFACES ARE HOT !!! ¾ DO NOT move the system while operating or when the boiler is pressurized. ¾ DO NOT allow the boiler water level to drop below the 1.0 in (2.5 cm) mark, on the sight glass. ¾ DO NOT attempt to fill the boiler while the system is pressurized. ¾ DO NOT open the boiler doors while hot, doing so may cause permanent warping of the boiler cradle. ¾ DO NOT exceed scale readings/limitations on any instrument or gauge. ¾ DO NOT tighten or adjust fittings while system is under pressure. ¾ DO NOT tap on or scratch boiler sight glass.III. The Rankine Cycler Fig. 1 shows the Rankine Cycler from Turbine Technologies. Figs. 2 and 3 show details and Fig. 4 gives a schematic of the set-up. The Rankine cycler is an open cycle, where the steam is generated in the boiler by evaporating, and superheating, of water. The steam passes through a valve where it is throttled to lower pressure and then enters the turbine where it is expanded. The turbine drives the generator; the generator load can be controlled. After expansion in the turbine, the steam is exhausted into the “cooling tower”, where part of the steam condenses. Pressure and temperature measurements are taken at the boiler outlet, before the turbine, and after the turbine. This allows to find important thermodynamic quantities which are important for the evaluation of the turbine performance. BoilerSight Glass Boiler Pressure gaugeSteam Admission ValveGenerator TurbineCondenser Operator’s panelMaster Switch Fig. 1 Turbine Technologies Rankine CyclerFig. 2 Close up of steam valve (the red wheel), turbine (in steel casing), and generator (black). In the background the boiler with its blower (right), and the condensation “tower” (left). Fig. 3: The boiler (open). The flame burns in the large pipe, and the hot combustion gas returns through the smaller pipes to the exhaust chimney. The burner is mounted in the door. The lower part of the boiler contains liquid, the upper part contains steam. The upper pipes are surrounded by steam, which can be superheated.Fig. 4: Simple schematic for the Rankine Cycler. The indicated pressures and temperatures are recorded during the experiment; the generator power can be computed from the measured current I and voltage V as P = I*V . Additionally, the volume flow of the propane gas is also measured. IV. Experimental Procedure A. Pre-Start Complete the pre-start procedures per the checklist (1-17) given below. The checklist establishes that all systems are ready for operation and that heat can be safely applied to the boiler. 1. Area check – verify suitability for operation 2. Caster wheels must be in the locked position 3. Keyed master switch is in the off position 4. Burner switch is in the off position 5. Load switch in the off position 6. Load rheostat in the minimum load, full counter-clockwise position 7. Operator panel gas valve in the off position 8. The condenser tower should be drained 9. The front and rear boiler doors must be closed and latched 10. The steam admission valve must be open11. The boiler should be drained completely 12. Fill the boiler with 203 oz (6,000 ml) of clean, distilled water 13. The fill equipment should be stowed 14. Turn the steam admission valve to the closed position 15. The computer daq system usb cable should now be connected 16. The rankine cycler electrical service should be connected 17. The fuel source line should be connected B. Starting & Preheating the System 1. Turn Gas valve to ON, on the propane gas canister. 2. Turn Gas valve to ON, on the Rankine Cycler. 3. Listen and smell for propane gas leak. If none then proceed to next step. 4. Keyed Master Switch to ON 5. Click on PdaqView .exe icon on your computer's deskop screen. This takes you to the data display and recording screen. 6. Click on the menu bar for updating all meters and channel configuration chart and verify all the meters are reading properly. 7. Click on the menu ‘arm trigger’ to start recording the data to a file. At the end of data run click on this menu button to stop data logging. 8. Burner switch to ON 9. LOAD rheostat fully counterclockwise, LOAD is OFF 10. Wait 45 seconds till you hear the flames (Burner is lit) 11. Watch the Pressure dial – it will reach 110 psig after about 5 minutes. 12. Turn Steam Admission Valve to OPEN slowly till pressure = 40 psig. 13. Turn Steam Admission Valve to CLOSE and wait for pressure to reach 110 psig. 14. Turn Steam Admission Valve to OPEN slowly till pressure = 40 psig. 15. Turn Steam Admission Valve to CLOSE and wait for pressure to reach 110 psig. The system has been pre-heated; you are now ready to run the experiment.C. Running the Test 1. Very slowly open the Steam Admission Valve – the generator should be spinning and voltage out (on the voltmeter located on the operator panel) should be close to 15 volts (Never exceed 15 V). 2. Turn on LOAD switch and set load to about 200 mA at 6 volts while maintaining a steam pressure of about 110 psig with manipulation of the Steam Admission Valve. 3. The STEAM ADMISSION VALVE and the LOAD RHEOSTAT must be adjusted to achieve a STEADY STATE CONDITION. Satisfactory run-time results can be achieved with the following STEADY STATE values: • An AMP METER indication of approximately 0.2 Amps. • A VOLT METER indication of approximately 6.0 Volts. • A BOILER PRESSURE indication of approximately 110 psi (758 kPa). (Note that these values need not be matched exactly. When a reasonable STEADY STATE is ACHIEVED your experiment has started). 4. To begin an experimental run, the scan number must be NOTED in your