Editing Rankine cycle (section)

== Real Rankine cycle (non-ideal) ==
[[File:Rankine cycle with superheat.jpg|class=skin-invert-image|thumbnail|upright=1.2|Rankine cycle with superheat]]
In a real power-plant cycle (the name "Rankine" cycle is used only for the ideal cycle), the compression by the [[pump]] and the expansion in the [[turbine]] are not isentropic.  In other words, these processes are non-reversible, and [[entropy]] is increased during the two processes.  This somewhat increases the [[power (physics)|power]] required by the pump and decreases the power generated by the turbine.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guruge |first=Amila Ruwan |date=2021-02-16 |title=Rankine Cycle |url=https://www.arhse.com/rankine-cycle/ |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=Chemical and Process Engineering |language=en-US}}</ref>

In particular, the efficiency of the steam turbine will be limited by water-droplet formation. As the water condenses, water droplets hit the turbine blades at high speed, causing pitting and erosion, gradually decreasing the life of turbine blades and efficiency of the turbine. The easiest way to overcome this problem is by superheating the steam. On the [[T–s diagram]] above, state 3 is at a border of the two-phase region of steam and water, so after expansion the steam will be very wet. By superheating, state 3 will move to the right (and up) in the diagram and hence produce a drier steam after expansion.