A Carnot power cycle is executed in a piston-cylinder system using 1 kg of water. The cycle consists of an isobaric expansion of a saturated liquid at 160 °C (State 1) to a volume of 0.30 m^3 (State 2) followed by a reversible adiabatic expansion to 20 °C (State 3). The water is then compressed isothermally to State 4, and finally compressed reversibly and adiabatically back to the original State 1.
(a) Sketch the cycle on a P-v diagram.
(b) Determine the heat transfer into the cycle and the net work for the cycle, in kJ.
(c) Calculate the thermal efficiency of this power cycle using the values found in part (b). Compare this value with the value based on the maximum possible value for a reversible cycle operating between the absolute temperatures of the high-temperature and low-temperature thermal reservoirs.