A laboratory-scale steam plant that shows fundamental thermodynamic principles of energy conversion and mechanical power measurement.
• Ideal for students to gain insight into the fi rst and second laws of thermodynamics
• Introduces students to industry-standard methods of analysing steam plant performance, including Rankine cycle analysis and using the Willans line
• Uses a simple two-cylinder steam motor and an electrically-heated boiler for easy understanding of the main parts of a steam plant
• Self-contained in a mobile frame that includes all instruments needed for experiments
• Allows students to copy the Marcet boiler experiment to prove the pressure-temperature relationship for saturated steam
• Connects to TecQuipment’s optional Versatile Data Acquisition System (VDAS®)
Description
A mobile laboratory-scale steam plant for experiments in thermodynamic principles. It helps students to understand:
• Thermodynamic laws of energy conservation
• Steady fl ow energy equation
• Thermal effi ciency and the control surface
• Rankine cycle analysis
• The Willans line
A mobile frame contains all the parts of the test set. An electric pump draws from a reservoir (included) to deliver water to an electrically-heated boiler. The boiler includes a safety valve, water level gauge and ‘blow-down cock’. The boiler produces steam to turn a two-cylinder steam motor. The used steam from the motor outlet passes through a mains water-cooled condenser, then down to a waste tank or to a measuring vessel (supplied). TecQuipment supply a stopwatch and thermometer to allow accurate measurement of the fl ow and temperature of the condensate (steam fl ow).
The equipment includes all instruments needed for the experiments. These include a band-brake dynamometer with a digital torque and speed display, to measure and display motor speed, torque and power. Thermocouples connect to a digital temperature display to measure and display temperatures at key points in the test set. A throttling calorimeter allows students to measure the dryness fraction of the steam.
Two mechanical gauges show the boiler and engine inlet pressures. A meter shows the electrical power supplied to the heaters in the boiler.
For quicker tests with easier recording of results, TecQuipment can supply the optional Versatile Data Acquisition System (VDAS®). This gives accurate realtime data capture, monitoring and display, calculation and charting of all the important readings on a computer (computer not included).
Recommended Ancillaries
• VDAS-F (frame-mounted version of the Versatile Data Acquisition System)
Learning outcomes
• Steam plant performance, including the Rankine cycle analysis and the Willans line
• Marcet boiler experiment on saturated steam (pressure temperature relationship)
