Endoreversible heat-engines for maximum power-output with fixed duration and radiative heat-transfer law

• Published in: Applied energy Vol. 84; no. 4; pp. 374 - 388
• Main Authors: Song, Hanjiang, Chen, Lingen, Sun, Fengrui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2007; Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Series: Applied Energy
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Endoreversible heat-engine; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Engines and turbines; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Generalized thermodynamic-optimization; Optimal configuration; Optimal-control theory; Radiative heat-transfer law; Radiative heat-transfer law Endoreversible heat-engine Optimal-control theory Optimal configuration Generalized thermodynamic-optimization; Endoreversible heat-engine; Optimal configuration; Optimal-control theory; Radiative heat-transfer law; Generalized thermodynamic-optimization; Differential equation; Taylor series; Modeling; Optimization; Heat engine; Optimal control; Radiative transfer; Heat transfer
• ISSN: 0306-2619; 1872-9118
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2006.09.003

Optimal configuration of a class of endoreversible heat-engines, with fixed duration and subject to the radiative heat-transfer law q ∝ Δ( T 4), has been determined. The optimal cycle that maximizes the power output of the engine has been obtained using optimal-control theory, and the differential equations are solved by a Taylor-series expansion. It is shown that the optimal cycle has six branches, including two isothermal branches and four maximum-power branches, without adiabatic branches. The interval of each branch has been obtained, as well as the solutions of the temperatures of the heat reservoirs and working fluid. A numerical example is given. The results are compared with those obtained using the Newton’s heat-transfer law for maximum power output and those using a linear phenomenological heat-transfer law for maximum power output.