Abstract
The Stirling engine is one of the most promising devices for the recovery of waste heat. Its power output can be optimized by several means, in particular by an optimized piston motion. Here, we investigate its potential performance improvements in the presence of dissipative processes. In order to ensure the possibility of a technical implementation and the simplicity of the optimization, we restrict the possible piston movements to a parametrized class of smooth piston motions. In this theoretical study the engine model is based on endoreversible thermodynamics, which allows us to incorporate non-equilibrium heat and mass transfer as well as the friction of the piston motion. The regenerator of the Stirling engine is modeled as ideal. An investigation of the impact of the individual loss mechanisms on the resulting optimized motion is carried out for a wide range of parameter values. We find that an optimization within our restricted piston motion class leads to a power gain of about 50% on average.
Highlights
In the 1970s, finite-time thermodynamics evolved in Steve Berry’s group as an extension to traditional thermodynamics [1]
Our aim was to determine the potential gains in the average power output which could be achieved by an optimized piston motion as compared to the standard motion
In general we found that the power output was not very sensitive with respect to the motion control parameters in the sense that one got large power variations for small parameter changes
Summary
In the 1970s, finite-time thermodynamics evolved in Steve Berry’s group as an extension to traditional thermodynamics [1]. The aim of this extension was to describe dissipative heat engines operating in finite time or with finite rates as opposed to the reversible description. New concepts [2,3,4,5] were developed and applied to heat engines, and to chemical processes [6]. Already this early work emphasized the importance of process optimization [7]
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