Water is used as the working fluid of a pressurized-water nuclear power plant (shown in Figure 1) designed to produce 1150 MW of electric power. Saturated liquid exiting the reactor enters a flash evaporator at a selected pressure. The pressure reduction is achieved by a constant enthalpy throttle valve. Thus, a fraction of the water flashes into saturated vapor (state 2) and the remainder flows as saturated liquid into the mixing chamber (state 3, p3=p2). The steam enters the turbine, generates shaft work, and exits at state 4. The turbine shaft drives an electric generator (not shown). After state 4, the working fluid enters the condenser, exits the condenser (state 6) as saturated liquid at the temperature specified below, enters the pump, and then the mixing chamber (state 7, p7=p3=p8). The liquid exiting the mixing chamber is pumped to the pressure of the reactor and enters the reactor in state 5 (p5=p1).

Recommendations for Future Analysis - what would you recommend if your client had more money to spend, or was willing to relax some of the constraints on the design problem or rethink the problem entirely? How to increase the efficiency of a Rankine Cycle?