How CyclePad Views Thermodynamic Cycles
A thermodynamic cycle consists of a
collection of components connected together in some
appropriate fashion. The components CyclePad knows about
include compressors, turbines, heaters, coolers, pumps,
mixers, splitters, throttles, and heat exchangers.
CyclePad describes connections in terms of the properties
of the material at the connection, that is, the
properties of the stuff that is flowing between the
components.
Simple Rankine Cycle
In the above diagram, for example,
you will see that there are four components: a heater, a
turbine, a cooler, and a pump. These components are
connected via four stuffs, S1, S2, S3, and S4.
The major source of information
about the cycle is the set of parameters associated with
each stuff and each component. CyclePad knows what
parameters are associated with each component and with
each stuff. It knows that the set of what parameters are
relevant can vary; when a stuff is saturated, for
example, its dryness (quality) becomes relevant, and a
turbine which is not approximated as isentropic requires
some specification of its presumed efficiency. Part of
your job as a designer is selecting numerical values and
modeling assumptions to see if a particular design can
satisfy your performance criteria (e.g., desired work
output, efficiency, etc.).
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