Process / pipelineVapor Power Cycle

Rankine Cycle

The Rankine Cycle is the fundamental thermodynamic cycle for steam power plants. It describes how thermal energy from burning fuel or concentrated solar radiation is converted to mechanical work and ultimately electricity. The cycle consists of four processes: isobaric heat addition in the boiler, isentropic expansion through the turbine, isobaric heat rejection in the condenser, and isentropic compression by the pump.

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Sources

  1. Smith, J. M., Van Ness, H. C., & Abbott, M. M. (2005). Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 978-0071247009
  2. Moran, M. J., Shapiro, H. N., Boettner, D. D., & Bailey, M. B. (2014). Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics (8th ed.). Wiley. ISBN: 978-1118412947

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Referenced by

ScholarGateRankine Cycle (Rankine Cycle for Steam Power Generation). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/thermodynamics/rankine-cycle