Design and performance evaluation of an innovative small scale combined cycle cogeneration system

This paper deals with an innovative natural gas (NG) combined cycle cogeneration system (150-kW_e, 192 kW_t). The system is made up of a combination of two interconnected combined heat and power (CHP) systems: a reciprocating internal combustion engine cogenerator (ICE CHP) as the topping cycle and a Rankine cycle cogenerator (RC CHP) which operates as the bottoming cycle on the exhaust gases from the ICE. The expander technology chosen for the Rankine cycle prime mover is a reciprocating single expansion steam engine with three cylinders in a radial architecture. The ICE is an automotive derived internal combustion engine with a high part-load electrical efficiency, due to a variable speed operation strategy and reduced emissions.     

多孔介质发动机再热循环有限时间热力学分析

建立了多孔介质（PM）发动机循环的有限时间热力学模型，对PM循环进行了分析，导出了存在摩擦及传热损失时循环功率与压缩比、效率与压缩比以及功率效率的特性关系，同时由数值计算分析了压缩比、预胀比、传热损失和摩擦损失对循环性能的影响特点。将PM循环与Otto循环进行了比较，结果表明：PM循环的性能要优于Otto循环的性能。     

Theory and performance analysis of a new heat engine for concentrating solar power

The objectives of this paper are to introduce a new heat engine and evaluate its performance. The new heat engine uses a gas, such as air, nitrogen, or argon, as the working fluid and extracts thermal energy from a heat source as the energy input. The new heat engine may find extensive applications in renewable energy industries, such as concentrating solar power (CSP). Additionally, the heat engine may be employed to recover energy from exhaust streams of internal combustion engines, gas turbine engines, and various industrial processes. It may also work as a thermal‐to‐mechanical conversion system in a nuclear power plant and function as an external combustion engine in which the heat source is the combustion gas from an external combustion chamber. The heat engine is to mimic the performance of an air‐standard Otto cycle. This is achieved by drastically increasing the time duration of heat acquisition from the heat source in conjunction with the timing of the heat acquisition and a large heat transfer surface area. Performance simulations show that the new heat engine can potentially attain a thermal efficiency above 50% and a power output above 100 kW under open‐cycle operation. Additionally, the heat engine could significantly reduce CSP costs and operate in open cycles, effectively removing the difficulties of dry cooling requirement for CSP applications. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

粗甲醇在内燃机上的清洁高效使用

在内燃机排气废热的作用下。液体粗甲醇加压汽化后引入裂解器催化分解为富氢混合气，在上止点附近喷入气缸，发动机采用米勒循环，其功率与效率优于同等结构奥托发动机。     

Combustion characteristics and energy distribution of hydrogen engine under high oxygen concentration

Integrated Vehicle Fluid (IVF) system is a promised energy management system for cryogenic upper stage. The power unit of IVF is hydrogen-oxygen internal combustion engine (ICE) whose energy utilization is close to 100% in IVF system. The oxygen concentration of intake gas was gradually raised during ICE tests as a preliminary study. The power of hydrogen-oxygen ICE reaches 4 kW at 3000 r/min, which satisfies the power requirement of IVF system. At this time, the exhaust loss reaches 41.6%, the heat transfer loss is 35.9%, and the output power only accounts for 21.9%. The heat transfer loss shows a parabolic trend which first rises and then falls with increasing oxygen concentration. But the exhaust loss keeps growing with the increases in oxygen concentration and engine speed. It is significant for the design of regenerative cooling system and other subsystems in IVF system at specific engine speed.     

Optimization of the endoreversible otto cycle with respect to both power and mean effective pressure

The output response of an endoreversible Otto cycle with combustion is optimized with respect to both power and mean effective pressure. The endoreversible cycle is one in which the heating process by combustion and the heat removing process to the surroundings are the only irreversible processes in the cycle. Expressions for these two responses are derived and optimized and a comparative analysis of results conducted. This paper provides an additional criterion for use in the evaluation of the performance and the suitability of an Otto engine.     

废热裂解甲醇内燃机复合循环研究

介绍了一种利用发动机废热裂解甲醇,将裂解气引入涡轮膨胀冷却后燃烧的新型循环,并建立物理数学模型,利用SHBWR方程及其混合规则描述流体及流体混合物状态,研究了甲醇操作压力、操作温度等对甲醇裂解气作功能力的影响,讨论了裂解气涡轮与发动机耦合时的调节与优化。     

A highly efficient six-stroke internal combustion engine cycle with water injection for in-cylinder exhaust heat recovery

A concept adding two strokes to the Otto or Diesel engine cycle to increase fuel efficiency is presented here. It can be thought of as a four-stroke Otto or Diesel cycle followed by a two-stroke heat recovery steam cycle. A partial exhaust event coupled with water injection adds an additional power stroke. Waste heat from two sources is effectively converted into usable work: engine coolant and exhaust gas. An ideal thermodynamics model of the exhaust gas compression, water injection and expansion was used to investigate this modification. By changing the exhaust valve closing timing during the exhaust stroke, the optimum amount of exhaust can be recompressed, maximizing the net mean effective pressure of the steam expansion stroke (MEP_steam). The valve closing timing for maximum MEP_steam is limited by either 1 bar or the dew point temperature of the expansion gas/moisture mixture when the exhaust valve opens. The range of MEP_steam calculated for the geometry of a conventional gasoline engine and is from 0.75 to 2.5 bars. Typical combustion mean effective pressures (MEP_combustion) of naturally aspirated gasoline engines are up to 10 bar, thus this concept has the potential to significantly increase the engine efficiency and fuel economy.     

A comparison of Miller and Otto cycle natural gas engines for small scale CHP applications

This paper presents an investigation into the feasibility and potential advantages of a small scale Miller cycle natural gas engine for applications such as domestic combined heat and power systems. The Miller cycle engine is compared to a standard Otto cycle engine using cycle analyses and multidimensional simulation, and basic engine design implications are discussed. It is found that the Miller cycle engine has a potential for improved fuel efficiency, but at the cost of a reduced power to weight ratio. A fuel efficiency advantage of 5→10%$5\to 10\%$ compared to a standard Otto cycle engine appears possible, however it is stated that further investigations, in particular into the topic of engine friction, are required in order to validate the findings.     

Investigation on power output of the gamma-configuration low temperature differential Stirling engines

This paper provides a study on power output determination of a gamma-configuration, low temperature differential Stirling engine. The former works on the calculation of Stirling engine power output are discussed. Results from this study indicate that the mean pressure power formula is most appropriate for the calculation of a gamma-configuration, low temperature differential Stirling engine power output.     

Manufacturing and testing of a gamma type Stirling engine

In this study, a gamma type Stirling engine with 276 cc swept volume was designed and manufactured. The engine was tested with air and helium by using an electrical furnace as heat source. Working characteristics of the engine were obtained within the range of heat source temperature 700–1000 °C and range of charge pressure 1–4.5 bar. Maximum power output was obtained with helium at 1000 °C heat source temperature and 4 bar charge pressure as 128.3 W. The maximum torque was obtained as 2 N m at 1000 °C heat source temperature and 4 bar helium charge pressure. Results were found to be encouraging to initiate a Stirling engine project for 1 kW power output.     

Similarity design and experimental investigation of a beta‐type Stirling engine with a rhombic drive mechanism

Stirling engines are power machines that operate over a closed, regenerative thermodynamic cycle with the ability to use any heat source from the outside, including hydrogen, solar energy, and biomass fuels. In this work, the development of a beta‐type Stirling engine is presented. The improved similarity design and optimization methods are described in detail, as are the key parameters of the constructed prototype and the arrangement of the entire test rig. A new structure for the expansion exchangers is developed to reduce the flow loss. The performance test of the prototype engine is conducted under laboratory conditions using an electrical heating system. In this test, the temperature and the pressure of the working fluid are monitored by thermocouples and pressure sensors, respectively. The speed and the torque of the output shaft are obtained by the dynamometer. Finally, the preliminary test results with the prototype engine are shown. The maximum output shaft power can reach 288 W at 600°C and 15‐bar charge pressure. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

以Dieterici气体为工质的两类热机循环性能分析

对Dieterici实际气体作了简要分析,并以Dieterici实际气体为工质,分别导出卡诺热机和斯特林热机的输出功和效率的一般表达式.最后通过数值计算,讨论了卡诺热机及斯特林热机的输出功和效率分别与体积和温度之间的关系.所得结论可为热机的运行条件和优化设计提供理论参考.     

Optimization of Output Power and Thermal Efficiency of Solar‐Dish Stirling Engine Using Finite Time Thermodynamic Analysis

This paper presents an investigation on finite time thermodynamic (FTT) evaluation of a solar‐dish Stirling heat engine. FTTs has been applied to determine the output power and the corresponding thermal efficiency, exergetic efficiency, and the rate of entropy generation of a solar Stirling system with a finite rate of heat transfer, regenerative heat loss, conductive thermal bridging loss, and finite regeneration process time. Further imperfect performance of the dish collector and convective/radiative heat transfer mechanisms in the hot end as well as the convective heat transfer in the heat sink of the engine are considered in the developed model. The output power of the engine is maximized while the highest temperature of the engine is considered as a design parameter. In addition, thermal efficiency, exergetic efficiency, and the rate of entropy generation corresponding to the optimum value of the output power is evaluated. Results imply that the optimized absorber temperature is some where between 850 K and 1000 K. Sensitivity of results against variations of the system parameters are studied in detail. The present analysis provides a good theoretical guidance for the designing of dish collectors and operating the Stirling heat engine system.     

Optimum outlet temperature of solar collector for maximum work output for an Otto air-standard cycle with ideal regeneration

The optimum solar collector outlet temperature for maximizing the work output for an Otto air-standard cycle with ideal regeneration is investigated. A mathematical model for the energy balance on the solar collector along with the useful work output and the thermal efficiency of the Otto air-standard cycle with ideal regeneration is developed. The optimum solar collector outlet temperature for maximum work output is determined. The effect of radiative and convective heat losses from the solar collector, on the optimum outlet temperature is presented. The results reveal that the highest solar collector outlet temperature and, therefore, greatest Otto cycle efficiency and work output can be attained with the lowest values of radiative and convective heat losses. Moreover, high cycle work output (as a fraction of absorbed solar energy) and high efficiency of an Otto heat engine with ideal regeneration, driven by a solar collector system, can be attained with low compression ratio.     

Heat-transfer aspects of Stirling power generation using incinerator waste energy

The integration of a free-piston Stirling engine with linear alternator and an incinerator is able to effectively recover the waste energy and generate electrical power. In this study, a cycle-averaged heat transfer model is employed to investigate the performance of a free-piston Stirling engine installed on an incinerator. With the input of source and sink temperatures and other realistic heat transfer coefficients, the efficiency and the optimal power output are estimated, and the effect induced by internal and external irreversibilities is also evaluated. The proposed approach and modeling results presented in this study provide valuable information for engineers and designers to recover energy from small-scale incinerators.     

Performance analysis and optimization of a supercharged Miller cycle Otto engine

One of the major alternatives of the Otto cycle has been examined to determine its potential for increased efficiency and net work power in the spark ignited internal combustion engine is to shorten the compression process relative to the expansion process by early close or late of intake valve. The modified Otto cycle is called Miller cycle. This paper deals with the analysis of a supercharged Otto engine adopted for Miller cycle operation. The Miller cycle shows no efficiency advantage and suffers a penalty in power output in the normally aspirated version. In the supercharged Otto engine adopted for Miller cycle version, it has no efficiency advantage but does provide increased net work output with reduced propensity to engine knock problem. Sensitivity analysis of cycle efficiency versus early close of intake valve and that of cycle net work versus early close of intake valve are performed. Optimization on the cycle efficiency is obtained.     

Unified cycle model of a class of internal combustion engines and their optimum performance characteristics

The unified cycle model of a class of internal combustion engines is presented, in which the influence of the multi-irreversibilities mainly resulting from the adiabatic processes, finite-time processes and heat leak loss through the cylinder wall on the performance of the cycle are taken into account. Based on the thermodynamic analysis method, the mathematical expressions of the power output and efficiency of the cycle are calculated and some important characteristic curves are given. The influence of the various design parameters such as the high-low pressure ratio, the high-low temperature ratio, the compression and expansion isentropic efficiencies etc. on the performance of the cycle is analyzed. The optimum criteria of some important parameters such as the power output, efficiency and pressure ratio are derived. The results obtained from this unified cycle model are very general and useful, from which the optimal performance of the Atkinson, Otto, Diesel, Dual and Miller heat engines and some new heat engines can be directly derived.     

An irreversible heat engine model including three typical thermodynamic cycles and their optimum performance analysis

An irreversible Dual heat engine model, which can include the Otto and Diesel cycles, is established and used to investigate the influence of the multi-irreversibilities mainly resulting from the adiabatic processes, finite time processes and heat leak loss through the cylinder wall on the performance of the cycle. The power output and efficiency of the cycle are derived and optimized with respect to the pressure ratio of the working substance. The maximum power output and efficiency are calculated. The influence of the various design parameters on the performance of the cycle is analyzed. The optimum criteria of some important parameters such as the power output, efficiency and pressure ratio are given. Several special interesting cases are discussed. The results obtained are general, so that the optimal performance of irreversible Otto and Diesel cycles are included in two special cases of the Dual cycle and may be directly derived from that of the Dual heat engine. Moreover, the performance characteristic curves of the three heat engines are presented by using numerical examples.     

普适内可逆热机循环模型的(火用)经济性能优化

用有限时间热力学方法分析工作在恒温热源TH、TL之间内可逆普适热机循环模型的经济性能,导出循环利润率与工质温比、热效率与工质温比的关系式;以及利润率和效率的特性关系。所得结果包含了内可逆D iese、lO tto、A tk inson和B rayton循环的有限时间经济性能。