Title :
A constant volume Carnot engine cycle
Author :
Harris, William D.
Author_Institution :
245 Fairground Drive, Sacramento, CA 95817 (916) 456-2007, USA
fDate :
27 Jul-1 Aug 1997
Abstract :
An engine is presented such that its total volume is constant and whose cycle is the Carnot cycle as presented in the entropy-temperature picture, not as presented (by many textbooks) in the pressure-volume picture. The isothermal expansion and compression are replaced by an isothermal heat transfer between the surroundings and the engine such that there is a mass transfer between two gas reservoirs. The two reservoirs are always at the same temperature. The adiabatic expansion and compression are replaced by an adiabatic and reversible transfer of gas from one reservoir to another. Although the focus is on the working fluid being an ideal gas, the thermodynamic analysis presented can be extended easily to possible thermal electrochemical engines having a Carnot cycle characteristic. A heat engine, discussed by G.B. Baranescu (31st IECEC Conf., vol. 3, p. 713-718, 1996), is shown to be essentially one step of the present engine cycle
Keywords :
entropy; heat engines; heat transfer; mass transfer; thermal analysis; thermodynamics; adiabatic compression; adiabatic expansion; constant volume Carnot engine cycle; entropy-temperature picture; gas reservoirs; heat engine modelling; isothermal heat transfer; mass transfer; thermodynamic analysis; working fluid; Chemistry; Heat engines; Heat transfer; Isothermal processes; Regeneration engineering; Reservoirs; Solid state circuits; Stirling engines; Temperature; Thermodynamics;
Conference_Titel :
Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, 1997. IECEC-97., Proceedings of the 32nd Intersociety
Conference_Location :
Honolulu, HI
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-4515-0
DOI :
10.1109/IECEC.1997.661902