Optimal Configuration of a Gas Expansion Process in a Piston-Type Cylinder with Generalized Convective Heat Transfer Law

Lingen Chen, Kang Ma, Huijun Feng and Yanlin Ge
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Lingen Chen: Institute of Thermal Science and Power Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
Kang Ma: Unit 92941 of PLA, Huludao 125001, China
Huijun Feng: Institute of Thermal Science and Power Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
Yanlin Ge: Institute of Thermal Science and Power Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: Optimal configurations for the working fluid expansion process in a piston-type cylinder with maximum work production are studied by applying finite time thermodynamics. The problem is solved by utilizing the modified Lagrangian. The initial and final volumes, initial internal energy and total time are fixed, and the heat transfer between the working fluid and the external heat bath obeys the generalized convective heat transfer law, which can be transformed into Newton’s heat transfer law, the Dulong–Petit heat transfer law and the square convective heat transfer law. The optimal configurations of the expansion process under three different conditions of heat transfer law are provided and compared, respectively. The results show that the heat transfer law has both quantitative and qualitative influences on the optimal configurations of the expansion process.

Keywords: finite time thermodynamics; generalized convective heat transfer law; heated piston-type cylinder; optimal configuration; maximum work production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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