Local and global stability analysis of a Curzon–Ahlborn model applied to power plants working at maximum [formula omitted]-efficient power

Abstract

The analysis of the effect of noisy perturbations on real heat engines working on the well-known steady-state regimes (maximum power output, maximum efficient power, etc.), has been a topic of interest within the context of Finite-Time Thermodynamics (FTT). In general, the small perturbation stability dynamics has been studied by considering some of the above-mentioned performance regimes. In this work, we intrinsically corroborate that the concepts of thermodynamic optimization and stability are not uncorrelated. On the other side, due to global stability dynamics opened an extension for the general study of thermal disturbances in endoreversible heat engines, we present a study of local and global stability analysis of a power plant model (the Curzon–Ahlborn model) operating on a generalized performance regime called k-efficient power. We also construct the Lyapunov functions to prove the global asymptotically stable behavior of this steady-state for the isothermal branches. In our study, we consider a Newtonian heat transfer law as well as the role of the k parameter in the evolution of perturbations to the heat fluxes. In general, the so-called restructured operation conditions show a better thermal stability dynamics than the original ones.