Performance optimization for a two-stage thermoelectric heat-pump with internal and external irreversibilities

A model of the behaviour of a two-stage semiconductor thermoelectric heat-pump with external heat transfer is devised. Performance of the heat-pump, assuming Newton’s heat-transfer law, is analyzed using the combination of finite-time thermodynamics and non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The analytical formula describing the heating load versus working electric-current, and the coefficient of performance (COP) versus working electric-current are derived. For the fixed total number of thermoelectric elements, the ratio of number of thermoelectric elements of the top stage to the total number of thermoelectric elements is also optimized for maximizing the heating load and the COP of the thermoelectric heat-pump. The effects of design factors on the performance are analyzed.     

Performance of an Atkinson cycle with heat transfer,friction and variable specific-heats of the working fluid

The performance of an air standard Atkinson cycle with heat-transfer loss, friction-like term loss and variable specific-heats of the working fluid is analyzed using finite-time thermodynamics. The relations between the power output and the compression ratio, between the thermal efficiency and the compression ratio, as well as the optimal relation between the power output and the efficiency of the cycle are derived by detailed numerical examples. Moreover, the effects of variable specific-heats of the working fluid and the friction-like term loss on the irreversible cycle performance are analyzed. The results show that the effects of variable specific-heats of working fluid and friction-like term loss on the irreversible cycle performance should be considered in cycle analysis. The results obtained in this paper provide guidance for the design of Atkinson engines.     

Finite-time thermodynamic modelling and analysis of an irreversible Otto-cycle

The performance of an air standard Otto-cycle is analyzed using finite-time thermodynamics. In the irreversible cycle model, the non-linear relation between the specific heat of the working fluid and its temperature, the friction loss computed according to the mean velocity of the piston, the internal irreversibility described by using the compression and expansion efficiencies, and the heat-transfer loss are considered. The relations between the power output and the compression ratio, between the thermal efficiency and the compression ratio, as well as the optimal relation between the power output and the efficiency of the cycle are indicated by numerical examples. Moreover, the effects of internal irreversibility, heat-transfer loss and friction loss on the cycle performance are analyzed. The results obtained in this paper may provide guidance for the design of practical internal-combustion engines.     

两级热电热机的有限时间热力学分析

建立了考虑外部传热影响的两级半导体热电热机模型,用有限时间热力学对牛顿传热规律下两级半导体热电热机的性能进行分析,导出了功率、效率与工作电流的一般关系式,得到了两侧换热器的最优面积分配和热电单元数的最优分配,并分析了多种因素对其性能的影响。     

Reciprocating heat-engine cycles

The performance of a generalized irreversible reciprocating heat-engine cycle model consisting of two heating branches, two cooling branches and two adiabatic branches with heat-transfer loss and friction-like term loss was analyzed using finite-time thermodynamics. The relations between the power output and the compression ratio, between the thermal efficiency and the compression ratio, as well as the optimal relation between the power output and the efficiency of the cycle are derived. Moreover, analysis and optimization of the model were carried out in order to investigate the effect of the cycle process on the performances of the cycles using numerical examples. The results obtained herein include the performance characteristics of irreversible reciprocating Diesel, Otto, Atkinson, Brayton, Dual and Miller cycles.     

Finite-time optimization of a solar-driven heat engine

Maximum power and efficiency at the maximum power point of an internally and externally irreversible finite-size solar thermal power plant heat engine are treated. It was found that the thermal efficiency depends on the internal irreversibility resulting from the working fluid for a given value of reservoir temperatures ratio. It was also concluded that the heat-exchangers optimum size ratio must be less than one for maximum power output.     

Optimum allocation of heat transfer surface area for cooling load and COP optimization of a thermoelectric refrigerator

The theory of finite time thermodynamics is applied to analyze and optimize the performance of a thermoelectric refrigerator, which is composed of multi-elements. For the fixed total heat transfer surface area of two heat exchangers, the ratio of the heat transfer surface area of the high temperature side heat exchanger to the total heat transfer surface area of the heat exchangers is optimized for maximizing the cooling load and the coefficient of performance of the thermoelectric refrigerator. The effects of various parameters on the optimum performance are analyzed. The results may provide guides for the analysis and optimization of practical thermoelectric refrigerators.     

有限速率过程对活塞式斯特林发动机性能的影响

本文讨论在给定热源温度和压缩比的情况下,过程进行的速率有限,并受热传导不可逆影响的内可逆活塞式斯特林发动机的最优性能,导出以理想气体或范德瓦尔斯气体为工质的斯特林发动机的最大输出功率与热效率的关系,以及最大热效率与输出功率的关系,并推出了一些新的有限时间热力学的性能界限。     

Closed intercooled regenerator Brayton-cycle with constant-temperature heat-reservoirs

The performance of an irreversible closed intercooled regenerator Brayton-cycle coupled to constant-temperature heat reservoirs is analyzed by using the theory of finite-time thermodynamics (FTT). Analytical formulae for dimensionless power and efficiency are derived. Especially, the intercooling pressure-ratio is optimized for the optimal power and the optimal efficiency, respectively. The effects of component (the intercooler, the regenerator, and the hot- and cold-side heat-exchangers) effectivenesses, the compressor and turbine efficiencies, the heat-reservoir temperature-ratio, and the temperature ratio of the cooling fluid in the intercooler and the cold-side heat reservoir on the optimal power and the corresponding efficiency and corresponding intercooling pressure ratio, as well as the optimal efficiency and the corresponding power and corresponding intercooling pressure-ratio are analyzed by detailed numerical examples.     

Power optimization of an endoreversible closed intercooled regenerated Brayton-cycle coupled to variable-temperature heat-reservoirs

In this paper, in the viewpoint of finite-time thermodynamics and entropy-generation minimization are employed. The analytical formulae relating the power and pressure-ratio are derived assuming heat-resistance losses in the four heat-exchangers (hot- and cold-side heat exchangers, the intercooler and the regenerator), and the effect of the finite thermal-capacity rate of the heat reservoirs. The power optimization is performed by searching the optimum heat-conductance distributions among the four heat-exchangers for a fixed total heat-exchanger inventory, and by searching for the optimum intercooling pressure-ratio. When the optimization is performed with respect to the total pressure-ratio of the cycle, the maximum power is maximized twice and a ‘double-maximum’ power is obtained. When the optimization is performed with respect to the thermal capacitance rate ratio between the working fluid and the heat reservoir, the double-maximum power is maximized again and a thrice-maximum power is obtained. The effects of the heat reservoir’s inlet-temperature ratio and the total heat-exchanger inventory on the optimal performance of the cycle are analyzed by numerical examples.     

工质变比热和传热损失对Otto循环性能的影响

用有限时间热力学的方法分析空气标准Otto循环，由数值计算给出了存在传热损失和工质变比热时循环功率与压缩比、效率与压缩比以及功率和效率的特性关系，并分析了传热损失和工质变比热对循环性能的影响特点。通过分析可知传热和变比热特性对Otto循环性能有较大影响，所以在实际循环分析中应该予以考虑。     

Irreversible absorption heat-pump and its optimal performance

On the basis of an endoreversible absorption heat-pump cycle, a generalized irreversible four-heat-reservoir absorption heat-pump cycle model is established by taking account of the heat resistances, heat leak and irreversibilities due to the internal dissipation of the working substance. The heat transfer between the heat reservoir and the working substance is assumed to obey the linear (Newtonian) heat-transfer law, and the overall heat-transfer surface area of the four heat-exchangers is assumed to be constant. The fundamental optimal relations between the coefficient of performance (COP) and the heating-load, the maximum COP and the corresponding heating-load, the maximum heating load and the corresponding COP, as well as the optimal temperatures of the working substance and the optimal heat-transfer surface areas of the four heat-exchangers are derived by using finite-time thermodynamics. Moreover, the effects of the cycle parameters on the characteristics of the cycle are studied by numerical examples.     

不可逆Miller循环的功率效率特性

用有限时间热力学的方法考虑空气标准Miller循环，导出存在摩擦及传热损失的空气标准Miller循环的功率与压缩比、效率与压缩比，以及功率和效率的最佳特性关系；同时由数值计算分析了摩擦和传热对循环性能的影响特点。结论包含了各种特定条件下不同循环的特性，具有一定的普适性。     

Ecological performance analysis of an endoreversible modified Brayton cycle

An endoreversible closed modified simple Brayton cycle model with isothermal heat addition coupled to variable-temperature heat reservoirs is established using finite-time thermodynamics. Analytical expressions of dimensionless power output, thermal efficiency, dimensionless entropy generation rate and dimensionless ecological function are derived. Influences of cycle thermodynamic parameters on ecological performance and optimal compressor pressure ratio, optimal power output, optimal cycle thermal efficiency and optimal entropy generation rate corresponding to maximum ecological function are obtained and compared with those corresponding to maximum power output. The results show that cycle thermal efficiency improvement and entropy generation rate reduction are obtained at the expense of higher compressor pressure ratio and a little sacrifice of power output at maximum ecological function. The compromises between power output and entropy generation rate and between power output and cycle thermal efficiency, respectively, are achieved.     

Thermoelectric-generator with linear phenomenological heat-transfer law

The performance of multi-element thermoelectric-generators, assuming heat-transfer irreversibilities which obey the linear phenomenological heat-transfer law Q ∝ (ΔT⁻¹), is studied in this paper by combining finite-time thermodynamics with non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The performance characteristics of the output power, efficiency and working electrical-current are described by numerical examples.     

最大功率密度输出时Atkinson热机的效率

有限时间热力学主要研究循环的最大功率及相应效率。本文则以功率密度——循环输出功率与最大比容之比——作为优化目标分析Ａｔｋｉｎｓｏｎ循环的性能，以兼顾发动机尺寸性能。计算表明最大功率密度输出时循环的效率总是大于最大功率输出时的效率，且前者相应的尺寸参数比后者要小。     

闭式内可逆回热布雷顿热电冷联产装置(火用)分析

应用有限时间热力学理论和方法建立了闭式内可逆回热布雷顿热电冷联产装置模型,导出了装置无量纲(火用)输出率和效率的解析式。通过数值计算分析了回热器热导率对(火用)输出率和(火用)效率的影响,发现存在临界压比,同时优化了压比,研究了热电比、制冷和供热温度等设计参数对最优(火用)输出率和(火用)效率以及相应最佳压比的影响,发现最优(火用)输出率时的设计压比要大于最优(火用)效率时的设计压比,最优(火用)输出率和(火用)效率均随冷用户温度的升高而减小,分别存在最佳的热用户温度使(火用)输出率和(火用)效率取得最大值,热用户温度对装置最优(火用)性能的影响比冷用户温度更为明显。     

非均质温差发电器的性能分析

建立非均质温差发电器(TEG)理论模型,考虑热电材料的非均质导热系数以及温差发电器与热源间的传热热阻的影响,分析非均质温差发电器的一般性能.讨论热电元件对数、热导率、高温热源温度对非均质温差发电器性能特性的影响.结果表明,相较于均质温差发电器,导热系数不均匀强度越大,非均质温差发电器的最大输出功率和最大效率越高;热电元...     

Exergy-based ecological optimization of linear phenomenological heat-transfer law irreversible Carnot-engines

The optimal exergy-based ecological performance of a generalized irreversible Carnot-engine with losses due to heat-resistance, heat leakage and internal irreversibility, in which the heat-transfer between the working fluid and the heat reservoirs obeys a linear phenomenological heat-transfer law, is derived by taking an exergy-based ecological optimization criterion as the objective. This consists of maximizing a function representing the best compromise between the power output and entropy-production rate of the heat engine. A numerical example is given to show the effects of heat leakage and internal irreversibility on the optimal performance of the generalized irreversible heat-engine. The results provide theoretical guidance for the design of practical engines.     

Performance of irreversible Meletis–Georgiou vane rotary engine cycle with variable specific heats of working fluid

An irreversible cycle model of Meletis–Georgiou (MG) engine consisting of an isochoric heating branch, isochoric and isobaric cooling branches, two non-isentropic compression and two non-isentropic expansion branches and with heat transfer loss, internal irreversibility and the linear relation between specific heat of the working fluid and its temperature is established by using the theory of finite time thermodynamics. The analytical relations of the work output versus compression ratio, the efficiency versus compression ratio, as well as the work output versus efficiency are obtained by using numerical examples. The results show that the work output versus the efficiency characteristic of the irreversible MG cycle is a loop-shaped curve which is consistent with the general heat engine performance, and the cycle model considering the internal irreversibility and linear relation between specific heats of the working fluid and its temperature is closer to practice than the endo-reversible model with constant specific heats of the working fluid.