22-Mec-B3 Energy Conversion and Power Generation, May 2014: worked solutions

Paper format. Closed book, three hours. Two sections: Section A (Calculative) Questions 1–4 and Section B (Descriptive) Questions 5–6. Candidates answer three questions from Section A and one from Section B; four questions of 15 marks each constitute a complete 60-mark paper. Reference data for particular questions are bound in as pages 10–17, reference formulae and constants as pages 18–21, and the steam tables from Granet & Bluestein are supplied. All six printed questions are solved below.

Reference texts for 22-Mec-B3 Energy Conversion and Power Generation

Granet, I. and Bluestein, M., Thermodynamics and Heat Power, 6th ed. — the source of the steam tables (Tables A.1–A.4 SI) bound into this paper.
El-Wakil, M. M., Powerplant Technology — steam-station cycles, heat balance diagrams, gas turbines, wind and solar conversion (Figure 5.6 of this text is paper page 14).
Çengel, Y. A. and Boles, M. A., Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach, 9th ed. — Rankine, Brayton, Otto, Diesel and combined cycles.
Fox, R. W., Pritchard, P. J. and McDonald, A. T., Introduction to Fluid Mechanics, 10th ed. — the energy equation and head-loss accounting used for the hydro station.
Rayaprolu, K., Boilers for Power and Process — boiler efficiency and heat-rate conventions.

Units and conventions used throughout. The paper's own constant sheet (page 19) is used without substitution: $g = 9.81\ \text{m/s}^2$, $c_p$ air $= 1.005\ \text{kJ/kg}\cdot \text{K}$, $c_v$ air $= 0.718\ \text{kJ/kg}\cdot\text{K}$, $c_p$ water $= 4.190\ \text{kJ/kg} \cdot\text{K}$, $\rho_{\text{water}} = 1000\ \text{kg/m}^3$, $p_{\text{atm}} = 100\ \text{kPa}$. Monetary amounts are in Canadian dollars, as the paper is an Engineers Canada national examination.

22-Mec-B3 Energy Conversion and Power Generation: May 2014