Abstract
This paper presents a finite-time thermodynamic optimization based on three different optimization criteria: Maximum Power Output (MP), Maximum Efficient Power (MEP), and Maximum Power Density (MPD), for a simplified Curzon-Ahlborn engine that was first proposed by Agrawal. The results obtained for the MP are compared with those obtained using MEP and MPD criteria. The results show that when a Newton heat transfer law is used, the efficiency values of the engine working in the MP regime are lower than the efficiency values () obtained with the MEP and MPD regimes for all values of the parameter , where and are the hot and cold temperatures of the engine reservoirs , respectively. However, when a Dulong-Petit heat transfer law is used, the efficiency values of the engine working at MEP are larger than those obtained with the MP and the MPD regimes for all values of . Notably, when , the efficiency values for the MP regime are larger than those obtained with the MPD regime. Also, when , the efficiency values for the aforementioned regimes are similar. Importantly, the parameter plays a crucial role in the engine performance, providing guidance during the design of real power plants.
Highlights
The concept of Carnot’s efficiency is one of the cornerstone of thermodynamics
A comparison of efficiencies η Maximum Power Output (MP), η Maximum Power Density (MPD), and η Maximum Efficient Power (MEP) for the Newton heat transfer law case is shown in Figure 2, in which, for certain values of τ (0 < τ < 1), we observe that η MPD > η MEP > η MP when τ ≤ 0.19 and η MEP > η MPD > η MP when 0.19 < τ < 1
This paper presents a finite-time thermodynamic optimization based on three different optimization criteria—Maximum Power Output (MP), Maximum Efficient Power (MEP) and Maximum Power Density (MPD)—for a simplified Curzon-Alhborn engine proposed by Agrawal
Summary
The concept of Carnot’s efficiency is one of the cornerstone of thermodynamics. It serves as the upper bound for the heat engine efficiency between two heat reservoirs; when the engines are operating infinitely slower, this is obviously unrealistic. Entropy 2018, 20, 637 analysis, Sahin et al [13] introduced a new optimization criterion called the Maximum Power Density (MPD) analysis. Using this criterion, some authors investigated the optimal performance of heat engines. This paper presents a Maximum Power Output (MP), Maximum Efficient Power (MEP), and Maximum Power Density (MPD) performance analysis for a simplified version of the Curzon-Ahlborn engine proposed by Agrawal [20], which is basically assigned the same thermal resistance for the same temperature differences at the upper and lower isotherm of the cycle.
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