International Journal of Engineering & Technology IJET-IJENS Vol: 11 No: 06 55

Design of n-Butane Radial Inflow Turbine for 100 kW Binary Cycle Power Plant

Bambang Teguh P.
BTMP-BPPT, 230 building, Puspiptek, Serpong Tangerang, 15314, Indonesia
Lecturer in Mech. Engineering Dept. Master Program ISTN, Jakarta, Indonesia
[email protected] and [email protected]

Suyanto, Taufan Surana, Panca Kurniawan, Euis Djubaedah, Kornel Ola

PTKKE, BPPT building, Tour II, Floor 20, Jl. MH. Thamrin, No. 8. Jakarta, Indonesia
[email protected], [email protected],

ABSTRACT system is employed, water supply is necessary on

location to provide source for makeup water
Agency for the Assessment and Application of
Technology (BBPT) has successfully developed a model
of a 2 kW binary cycle power plant using brine as a heat
source. The working fluid using in this model is n-
pentane. The type of turbine used is a single stage axial
flow. This model was tested at Wayang Windu
geothermal field. Based on these successes experience,
BPPT further develop larger models for binary cycle
power plant i.e. 100 kW with a working fluid is n-butane.
For the purposes of this study, the design of an n-butane
radial inflow turbine was carried out. Turbines are
designed to operate with the following data: inlet Legend: PW Production well, P (Well) Pump, SR Sand
pressure 21.8 bar, outlet pressure 4.5 bar, inlet Remover, E Evaporator, PH Pre-heater, IP Injection Pump, FF
temperature 120 oC, mass flow 2.49 kg/s, electric power Final Filter, IW Injection Well, CSV Control and Stop Valve,
output 100 kW, and turbine power 141 kW. From a T/G Turbine/Generator, C Condenser, CP Condensate Pump,
design analysis, the turbine used is a single stage radial CT Cooling Tower, CWP Cooling Water Pump, M Make-up
inflow turbine, 500 mm rotor diameter, 26 number of Water
blades, 9.7 mm inlet width of blade, and 4.9 mm outlet Figure 1: Schematic of the binary cycle geothermal
width of blade. This turbine is designed to operate at power plant, Thomas C. Elliot et. all. (1989)
6000 rpm and 79.43 % of turbine efficiency.
Agency for the Assessment and Application of
Keywords: binary cycle plants, brine, n-butane, radial Technology (BBPT) has successfully developed a model
inflow turbine. of a 2 kW binary cycle plant using brine as a heat source
and the working fluid is n-pentane (Fig. 2). The type of
turbine used is a single stage axial flow. This model was
1. INTRODUCTION tested at Wayang Windu geothermal field, Bambang
1.1. Binary Cycle Power Plant Teguh P. et. all (2010). Based on these successes
In the conventional geothermal power plant almost experience, BPPT further develop larger models for
100% of the brine from a separator is re-injected into the binary cycle power plant i.e. 100 kW with a working
earth in hot condition through a reinjection well. A brine fluid is n-butane. For the purposes of this study, the
of around 150o C with a mass flow rate at hundreds of design of an n-butane radial inflow turbine was carried
tons per hour is potential of producing an estimate of out.
several hundred MW of electric power. Similarly, a
conducted industrial survey such as from chemical and 1.2. Radial Inflow Turbines for Binary Cycle Plant
petrochemical industries, energy industries and so forth using N-Butane as Working Fluid
indicates that potentially hundreds of MW of hot waste Process data for binary cycle are ideal for radial
can still be extracted for other purposes. inflow turbines. Pressure ratios, flows and temperatures
A binary cycle geothermal power plant is an ensure an operation very close to the maximum
appropriate technology for taking advantages of hot achievable isentropic efficiency. Other losses in gear
waste or others thermal energy that has not yet been boxes, generator and bearings typically do not exceed in
utilized, especially low temperature geo fluid (150o C). In total 10% of the total enthalpy drop. For this reason the
the binary cycle power plant, thermal energy from brine larger units can recover almost 85% electricity compared
or geo fluid is moved through a heat exchanger to the to the total isentropic enthalpy drop. Another benefit in
working fluid used in a Rankine cycle. The flow chart for using radial inflow turbine in standard execution with
a typical binary cycle geothermal power plant is shown variable inlet nozzles is the ability to smooth seasonal
in Figure 1. variations inherent to geothermal process, Frederic
Energy cycle components in the Figure 1 consist of Marcuccili and Samuel Zouaghi (2007).
pre-heater, evaporator, a set of control valves, turbine,
condenser and filling pump. In addition, there is a water
cycle that is used as condenser cooler. If a wet cooling
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1.3. Calculation procedure

1.3.1 Specific speed ns
The radial inflow turbine must be designed at
optimum specific speed ns which represents a shape
factor for the passage of the wheel. Ronald H. Aungier
(2006) gives the formula:
2N
Q5
n s = 60 0.75
(Hid )
(1)
With id isentropic enthalpy drop (kJ/kg), Q 5
volumetric flow-rate at the outlet of turbine (m3/s), N
rotation velocity of turbine wheel (rpm). The volumetric
& mass flow
& / t5 where m
flow-rate is defined as Q 5 = m
Figure 2. Installation of 2 kW binary cycle power
plant model, Bambang Teguh P. et. all rate (kg/s), t5 gas density in section 5 (kg/m3).
(2010) Figure 4 from Ronald H. Aungier (2006) describe
the relation of specific speeds with turbine efficiency.
The advantage of operating at higher pressure levels The maximum turbine efficiency is obtained at ns around
and with lighter organic fluid than usual is explained. It
0.5
increases the recovered electrical power, whilst
decreasing the expander frame size and price. In most of
the cases there is a large benefit to optimize the binary
cycle process data together with the turbine design to
offer the best net cycle efficiency Frederic Marcuccili
and Samuel Zouaghi (2007).
The main components of such radial inflow turbine
are described in Figure 3.

Figure 4. Efficiency is a function of ns for radial

inflow turbine, Ronald H. Aungier (2006)

After determining ns and Q5, and Htd the next stage

of calculating the dimensions shown in the flow chart
Figure 5. The nomenclature according to Ronald H.
Aungier (2006), is as follows:
Figure 3. Cross section of expander wheel of radial Q : volumetric flow rate (m3/s)
inflow turbine showing the flow passage &
m : mass flow rate (kg/s)
from inlet to outlet, Frederic Marcuccili
: density (kg/m3)
and Samuel Zouaghi (2007)
H : enthalpy drop (kJ/kg)
v : velocity ratio (U4/C0)
A high pressure barrel housing from which the gas
U : local blade speed (m/s)
first expands through guide vane or nozzles
C0 : Spouting velocity (m/s)
arrangement that is located in the circumference of
the wheel. : flow angle with respect to tangent (rad)
C : absolute velocity (m/s)
The gas is accelerated in the guide vanes and enters
b : passage width; also maximum chamber (m)
the turbine wheel. It converts the kinetic portion of
r : radius (m)
energy contained in the gas by means f deflection in
z : axial coordinate
to mechanical energy.
zR : circular-arc radius of curvature
The gas leaves the wheel axially at the low pressure
level and subsequently passes through the discharge
diffuser where velocities are converted into pressure
and reduced to normal pipeline velocities.
The power generated by the wheel is given to shaft
which runs in high speed bearings. This power can
be recovered by driving a compressor or a
generator.

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The following figures show the geometric

dimensions mentioned in the list nomenclature
menclature:

Figure 6. Circular-Arc
Arc Hub Construction, Ronal H.
Aungier (2006)

Figure 7. Power Law Shroud Contour, Ronal H.

Aungier (2006)

2. METHODOLOGY

The methodology used in developing the

hydrocarbon radial inflow turbines are as follows:

Analysis approach
This activity uses the approach of data analysis and
numerical analysis. Data analysis was performed with the
initial design of data collection and calculation of its
Figure 5. Calculation process of radial inflow turbine design. The numerical analysis carried out by processing
the data using the software with the aim of knowing the
NR : Number of blades (including the splitter blade) initial conditions as well as the optimization
W : relative velocity (m/s) opportunities that can be done
o : blade passage throat width
s : blade pitch 2r/N (m) Optimization techniques
N : rotation speed (rpm) Optimization techniques can be done in several
ways iterations until obtained more optimum results
results.
Subscripts: Calculation process can be seen in the Figure 4.
id : ideal (no loss) parameter
t : total thermodynamic condition 2.1 System design
s : total-to-static
static condition; also a shroud condition Design
esign of the 100 kW binary cycle geothermal
R : rotor parameter power plant model is shown in Figure 8.
8 Heat exchangers
1 : volute inlet parameter in the 100 kW binary cycle plant model include an
2 : volute exit and nozzle inlet parameter evaporator, a condenser and a cooling tower. The wet
3 : nozzle exit parameter cooling towerer is chosen to cool down n-butane
n as
4 : rotor inlet parameter condenser coolant. The chosen evaporator and condenser
5 : rotor exit parameter are shell and tube types. These types are preferred since

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there are simpler in terms of design and easily about the proper analysis of material to manufacture the
manufactured locally in Indonesia. hydrocarbon turbines.
Given the working fluid used is a flammable
hydrocarbon fluid, it is necessary to study an analysis of
the seal to overcome the leakage so as to minimize the
potential for fires.
Expected there is cooperation between government
and small to medium manufacturing industry in terms of
coaching and empowerment of the domestic industry.

5. REFERENCES

Bambang Teguh P. et. all, Design and Experimental

Validation of Heat Exchangers Equipment for 2 kW
Model of Binary Cycle Power Plant, Proceedings World
Figure 8. Diagram of 100 kW binary cycle plant Geothermal Congress 2010, Bali, Indonesia, 25-29 April
model and design parameter, 2010.

The thermal designs of evaporator and condenser Frederic Marcuccili and Samuel Zouaghi, Radial Inflow
have been done using the temperature-Enthalpy diagram Turbines for Kalina and Organic Rankine Cycle,
(T-h) method. This method is selected since both heat Proceedings European Geothermal Congress 2007,
exchangers involve phase change of the respected Unterhaching, Germany, 30 May - 1 June 2007.
working fluids, so that conventional approach is not
applicable. Brackenburry has developed a software to H. J. Brackenbury, D. J. Evans and D. B. Gibons, HTFS-
design heat exchangers applying this method, H. J. Design Report, Harwell-National Engineering
Brackenbury et. all. (1993). A mechanical design Laboratory-Chalk River Lboratories, UK, 1993
calculation has been done accordingly with TEMA
(1998) and other standards. Ronald H. Aungier, Turbine Aerodynamics Axial Flow
and Radial Flow Turbine Design, New York, 2006.
3. RESULTS
Based on the parameters optimization of the Process TEMA, 7th Edition, 1998
Flow Diagram (PFD) in Figure 6, the n-butane radial
inflow turbine was designed with an enthalpy drop of Thomas C. Elliot, Kao Chen and Robert C. Swanekamp,
58.41 kJ/kg and flow rate of 2.494 kg/s. The estimated Standard Handbook of Powerplant Engineering, 2nd
turbine thermal power is around 145.65 kW. The rotation edition, Mc Graw-Hill, 1989
velocity of shaft is designed to be 6000 rpm.
The results of design calculations give the main APPENDIX
dimensions of the turbine as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. The results of turbine design calculations

Nomenclature Property Name Units Value

z number of blades - 26
lc1 channel inlet width mm 11.8
channel inlet mean
D1 mm 486
diameter
channel outlet shroud
D2t mm 379.2
diameter
channel outlet hub
D2h mm 90
diameter
B flow path axial length mm 217.2
idShaft shaft index -
n Rotation per minute rpm 6000

From the data in Table 1, using the simulation

Figure 9. Magnitude tangential to the turbine
software "exstream" can be done depiction rotor profiles,
(exstream software)
stators and other images as shown in Figure 9 - 15 in the
appendix chapter.

4. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

Based on the results of design calculations,

considering the dimensions of a small turbine and turbine
rotation velocity is high, it is necessary to study further

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Figure 10. Nozzle Cascades (exstream software)

Figure 13. Stator Vane (exstream software)

Figure 14. Blade Rotor (exstream software)

Figure 11. Blade Cascades (exstream software)

Figure 15. Rotor dan Stator (exstream software)

Figure 12. Flow path and velocity triangles (exstream

software)

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