Performance analysis and multi-objective optimization based on a modified irreversible Stirling cycle

The efficiency of the actual Stirling engine is much lower than the ideal Carnot cycle efficiency.To obtain more precise efficiency for Stirling engines,this paper proposes a modified Stirling cycle with a more accurate heat transfer process in Stirling engines based on a thermodynamic function called available potential.The finite-time thermodynamic method is used to analyze the model performance under constant heat source temperature,finite temperature difference heat transfer,and incomplete regenerative processes.A new polytropic process is introduced to model the heat transfer between the working fluid and external heat sources in which only heat above ambient temperature is converted into technical work.The regenerator is divided into numerous smaller heat reservoirs with individual temperature to analyze the incomplete regenerative processes.The expressions of the output power and thermal efficiency are obtained based on the modified irreversible Stirling cycle,and the effects of irreversible losses are analyzed to evaluate the performance of the proposed model.Results indicate that the efficiency of the modified cycle is much lower than that of the ideal Stirling cycle with an isothermal process.With the increase of the average heat transfer temperature difference,there exists an optimum value for the power of the irreversible cycle.The optimum power of the model was obtained for varying thermodynamic parameters by optimizing the average heat transfer temperature difference between the hot and cold sides.To optimize the irreversible model,the multi-objective optimization analysis is carried out based on NSGA-Ⅱ,which results in an optimized output power of 40.87 kW and an optimized thermal efficiency of 44%.

Power output analyses and optimizations of the Stirling cycle

Based on the finite time thermodynamics theory,the entransy theory and the entropy theory,the Stirling cycles under different conditions are analyzed and optimized with the maximum output power as the target in this paper.The applicability of entransy loss(EL),entransy dissipation(ED),entropy generation(EG),entropy generation number(EGN) and modified entropy generation number(MEGN) to the system optimization is investigated.The results show that the maximum EL rate corresponds to the maximum power output of the cycle working under the infinite heat reservoirs whose temperatures are prescribed,while the minimum EG rate and the extremum ED rate do not.For the Stirling cycle working under the finite heat reservoirs provided by the hot and cold streams whose inlet temperatures and the heat capacity flow rates are prescribed,the maximum EL rate,the minimum EG rate,the minimum EGN and the minimum MEGN all correspond to the maximum power output,but the extremum ED rate does not.When the heat capacity flow rate of the hot stream increases,the power output,the EL rate,the EG rate and the ED rate increase monotonously,while the EGN and the MEGN decrease first and then increase.The EL has best consistency in the power output optimizations of the Stirling cycles discussed in this paper.

Influence of quantum degeneracy on the performance of a gas Stirling engine cycle

Based on the state equation of an ideal quantum gas, the regenerative loss of a Stirling engine cycle working with an ideal quantum gas is calculated. Thermal efficiency of the cycle is derived. Furthermore, under the condition of quantum degeneracy, several special thermal efficiencies are discussed. Ratios of thermal efficiencies versus the temperature ratio and volume ratio of the cycle are made. It is found that the thermal efficiency of the cycle not only depends on high and low temperatures but also on maximum and minimum volumes. In a classical gas state the thermal efficiency of the cycle is equal to that of the Carnot cycle. In an ideal quantum gas state the thermal efficiency of the cycle is smaller than that of the Carnot cycle. This will be significant for deeper understanding of the gas Stirling engine cycle.