Material Detail

How you reviewed the materials:

I spent most of my time working with the rankine cycle calculator. I was
primarily interested in the simulation aspect of the module. I probably played
around with it for close to an hour.

The quality of content:

The application was very nice and helpful. It did a good job of relating the
concepts and properties of the rankine cycle through the T-s graph.

The potential effectiveness for enhancing teaching and learning:

The application could be easily integrated into a classroom setting. It can be
used to show the many variances of the cycle, and how to manipulate them via
pressure or temperature changes within the system.

The ease of using the materials:

It was pretty easy to use as long as you understood the simple relations, so
that you weren't trying to alter the extraction pressure to something that was
higher than the boiler pressure.

How you reviewed the materials

I was first introduced to this applet in the classroom. The applet was introduced to the class to demonstrate the difference between a Carnot Cycle and a regular Rankine Cycle. I later came back and used the different applications over the period of 20 minutes or so to thoroughly test the different applet’s abilities.



Quality of content

The web site has lots of different applets that view the way a steam plant works with varying complexity. My major complaint is that to view the more complex processes you have to first view the less complex process and one by one make your way up the complexity level. There is no quick link for the various cycles. The cycle must be taken in progression. The two diagrams side by side are very helpful. This helps the student visualize where the steam is in the plant as well as what process is taking place in relation to the dome.



Potential effectiveness for enhanced teaching and learning

As this was introduced in the classroom I found it to be very effective. It effectively demonstrated the use of several heat cycles. It allowed the more visual learners to comprehend what process are taking place. This is a very helpful tool and I highly recommend that all instructors utilize this site when explaining or introducing engine cycles and efficiency.



Ease of using

The site is very easy to use and pretty strait forward. As I mentioned earlier it is kind of difficult to navigate the site because of the progression needed to access the higher complexity cycles. The diagrams are very easy to use easy to comprehend.