Your company has been invited to evaluate a unique proposal for a power plant in Hawaii. In your report to potential investors, you need to provide detailed analysis and your comments on the feasibility of such a plan. To begin, you need to analyze the current plan for the power plant. The inventor of the cycle has provided the following information about how their system should work:
The TOSU company has invented a process that would take advantage of the continuous lava flows into the ocean to produce power, using ammonia as the working fluid flowing through the process at 315 lb/min. Our plant would make use of the temperature variation between the 130°F surface water, where the lava hits the seawater, and the 50°F thermocline at 750 ft deep.
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Pump In
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Pump Out
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Sea Water In (Hot)
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Sea Water Out (Cold)
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Turbine In
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Turbine Out
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Cold Sea Water In
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Warm Sea Water Out
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Pressure (psi)
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286.47
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Temperature (°F)
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60
sat liq
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130
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125
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120
sat vapor
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60
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50
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55
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Enthalpy (BTU/lb)
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109.88
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591.64
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As a discussion point, it will be very useful to show your client the proposed cycle compared to an ideal cycle, so make sure that you include a drawing of the T-s diagram for the ideal Rankine cycle. On the same plot, draw the actual cycle proposed.
Continue the analysis by providing some basic information to your client about the performance of the various unit operations that the inventor is suggesting. Specifically, describe your concerns with any of them.
Identify at least two improvements that would allow the power plant to improve its efficiency without having to add an additional process. Describe, in a short paragraph (4-5 sentences) how your suggested improvements will improve the efficiency of the cycle.
Suppose that you learn that the implementation of your improvements would cause too much water condensation in the turbine. Identify a technique that would enable you to maintain the efficiency of your improvements but avoid condensation in the turbine. Describe, in a short paragraph (4-5 sentences) why your suggested improvement will avoid condensation in the turbine.
Overall, is this a process worth investing in? (Things to think about: How many homes would you expect it to power? What would you need to sell the power for, in order to make back the $2M building investment in 5 years?)