Power-Optimized Sinusoidal Piston Motion and Its Performance Gain for an Alpha-Type Stirling Engine with Limited Regeneration

Abstract

The recuperation of otherwise lost waste heat provides a formidable way to decrease the primary energy consumption of many technical systems. A possible route to achieve that goal is through the use of Stirling engines, which have shown to be reliable and efficient devices. One can increase their performance by optimizing the piston motion. Here, it is investigated to which extent the cycle averaged power output can be increased by using a special class of adjustable sinusoidal motions (the AS class). In particular the influence of the regeneration effectiveness on the piston motion is examined. It turns out that with the optimized piston motion one can achieve performance gains for the power output of up to 50% depending on the loss mechanisms involved. A remarkable result is that the power output does not depend strongly on the limitations of the regenerator, in fact—depending on the loss terms—the influence of the regenerator practically vanishes.

Power and Thermal Efficiency Optimization of an Irreversible Steady-Flow Lenoir Cycle

“…A large number of works have been performed for reciprocating (finite time) models [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ] by applying FTT. While finite size is the major feature for steady-flow devices, such as closed gas rubine (Brayton cycle) power plants and steam (Rankine cycle) and organic Rankine cycle power plants, many scholars have performed FTT studies for various steady-flow cycles with the power output (POW), thermal efficiency (TEF), exergy efficiency, profit rate, and ecological function as the optimization goals, under the conditions of different losses and heat transfer laws [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ].…”

Modeling and Performance Optimization of an Irreversible Two-Stage Combined Thermal Brownian Heat Engine

“…FTT theory has been applied for performance optimization of various macro energy systems. The applications of FTT include many aspects and the two major aspects are optimal configurations [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ] and optimal performances [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ,…”

“…FTT theory has been applied for performance optimization of various macro energy systems. The applications of FTT include many aspects and the two major aspects are optimal configurations [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] and optimal performances studies.…”

Performance Analysis and Optimization for Irreversible Combined Carnot Heat Engine Working with Ideal Quantum Gases

“…Combining with thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics, finite-time thermodynamics (FTT) has been widely applied in the performance analyses and optimizations of various heat engines (HEs), refrigerators and heat pump cycles, and many meaningful results have been obtained. At present, FTT is an important part of modern thermodynamics [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”