Open AccessMultiple Rankine topping cycles
Author(s) -
J. D. McWhirter
Publication year - 1995
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/206551
Subject(s) - degree rankine , rankine cycle , topping , organic rankine cycle , working fluid , environmental science , process engineering , waste management , engineering , thermodynamics , power (physics) , mechanical engineering , electricity generation , physics , botany , biology
The efficiency of a Rankine cycle is primarily determined by the temperatures of heat addition and rejection. However, no working fluid has been identified which will operate in a Rankine cycle over an extremely wide temperature range. Multiple Rankine topping cycles offer a technique for achieving high thermal efficiencies in power plants by allowing the use of several working fluids. This paper gives a history of Rankine topping cycles, presents an analysis for the calculation of the overall efficiency of a three-module multiple Rankine cycle, and presents results from a case study for a sodium-mercury-water cycle