Stability Analysis of an Endoreversible Heat Engine with Stefan-Boltzmann Heat Transfer Law Working in Maximum-Power-Like Regime

Abstract

A local stability study of an endoreversible Stefan-Boltzmann (SB) engine, working in a maximum-power-like regime, is presented. This engine consists of a Carnot engine that exchanges heat with heat reservoirs T1 and T2, (T 1 > T2) through a couple of thermal links, both having the same conductance g. In addition, the working fluid has the same heat capacity C in the two isothermal branches of the cycle. From the local stability analysis we conclude that the SB engine is stable for every value of g, C and τ = T2/T1. After a small perturbation, the system decays to the steady state with either of two different relaxation times; both being proportional to C/g, and τ. Finally, when we plot some of the thermodynamic properties in the steady state versus τ, we find how an increment of τ can improve the stability of the system, at the same decreasing the efficiency and the power of the system. This suggests a compromise between the stability and the energetic properties of the engine driven by τ.