Efficiency at maximum power output of an irreversible Carnot-like cycle with internally dissipative friction

Abstract

We investigate the efficiency at the maximum power output (EMP) of an irreversible Carnot engine performing finite-time cycles between two reservoirs at constant temperatures ${T}_{h}$ and ${T}_{c}$ $(<{T}_{h})$, taking into account the internally dissipative friction in two ``adiabatic'' processes. The EMP is retrieved to be situated between ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{{}_{C}}/2$ and ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{{}_{C}}/(2\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\eta}}_{{}_{C}})$, with ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{{}_{C}}=1\ensuremath{-}{T}_{c}/{T}_{h}$ being the Carnot efficiency, whether the internally dissipative friction is considered or not. When dissipations of two ``isothermal'' and two ``adiabatic'' processes are symmetric, respectively, and the time allocation between the adiabats and the contact time with the reservoir satisfy a certain relation, the Curzon-Ahlborn (CA) efficiency ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{{}_{CA}}=1\ensuremath{-}\sqrt{{T}_{c}/{T}_{h}}$ is derived.

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• Physical Review E - View
• arXiv (Cornell University) - View - PDF
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