Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach, 6th Edition

Yunus A. Cengel, Michael A. Boles

McGraw-Hill, 2008

Chapter 9

GAS POWER CYCLES

(Part 1a)

Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

Objectives
1. Evaluate the performance of gas power cycles.
2. Develop simplifying assumptions applicable to gas power cycles.
3. Review the operation of reciprocating engines.
4. Analyze both closed and open gas power cycles.
5. Solve problems based on the Otto and Diesel cycles.
6. Solve problems based on the Brayton cycle; Brayton cycle with regeneration;
and Brayton cycle with intercooling, reheating, and regeneration.
7. Identify simplifying assumptions and perform second-law analysis on gas
power cycles.

Basic Considerations In Power Cycles Analysis

Most power-producing devices operate on cycles.
Ideal cycle: A cycle that resembles the actual cycle
closely but is made up totally of internally reversible
processes is called an ideal cycle.
Recall: Thermal efficiency of heat engines

Reversible cycles such as Carnot cycle have the

highest thermal efficiency of all heat engines operating
between the same temperature levels.
Unlike ideal cycles, they are totally reversible, and
unsuitable as a realistic model.

The analysis of many complex

processes can be reduced to a
manageable level by utilizing
some idealizations.

Idealizations (simplifications) in the analysis of power cycles

On a T-s diagram, the ratio of the area
enclosed by the cyclic curve to the area
under the heat-addition process curve
represents the thermal efficiency of the
cycle.

Care should be exercised in the

interpretation of the results from
ideal cycles.

1.

The cycle does not involve any friction. Therefore,

the working fluid does not experience any pressure
drop as it flows in pipes or heat exchangers.

2.

All expansion and compression processes take

place in a quasi-equilibrium manner.

3.

The pipes connecting the various components of a

system are well insulated, so heat transfer
through them is negligible.

On both P-v and T-s diagrams, the area enclosed by the

process curve represents the net work of the cycle.

Carnot Cycle - Its Value In Engineering

The Carnot cycle is composed of 4 totally reversible
processes: isothermal heat addition, isentropic expansion,
isothermal heat rejection, and isentropic compression.
For both ideal and actual cycles: Thermal
efficiency increases with an increase in the
average temperature at which heat is supplied
to the system or with a decrease in the average
temperature at which heat is rejected from the
system.

P-v and T-s diagrams of a Carnot cycle.

Example: A steady-flow Carnot engine.

Air-standard Assumptions
1.

2.

3.

4.

The combustion process is replaced by a

heat-addition process in ideal cycles.

The working fluid is air, which continuously

circulates in a closed loop and always
behaves as an ideal gas.
All the processes that make up the cycle
are internally reversible.
The combustion process is replaced by a
heat-addition process from an external
source.
The exhaust process is replaced by a
heat-rejection process that restores the
working fluid to its initial state.

Cold-air-standard assumptions: When the working fluid is considered to be air

with constant specific heats at room temperature (25C).
Air-standard cycle: A cycle for which the air-standard assumptions are
applicable.

Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach, 6th Edition

Yunus A. Cengel, Michael A. Boles
McGraw-Hill, 2008

Chapter 9

GAS POWER CYCLES

(Part 1b)

Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

Overview of Reciprocating Engines

The reciprocating engine (basically a pistoncylinder device) is an invention that
has proved to be very versatile and has a wide range of applications.

Reciprocating engine is the

powerhouse of the vast majority of
automobiles, trucks, light aircraft,
ships, electric power generators,
and many other devices.

Basic Components
The piston reciprocates in the cylinder between two fixed positions called the top dead
centre (TDC) - the position that forms the smallest volume in the cylinder - and the bottom
dead centre (BDC) - position that forms the largest volume in the cylinder.
The distance between TDC and BDC is called the stroke of
the engine. The diameter of the piston is called the bore.

Compression ratio:

Performance Characteristics
Net work output per cycle:

Mean effective pressure (MEP):

A fictitious pressure that, if it is acted on the piston
during the entire power stroke, would produce the
same amount of net work as that produced during the
actual cycle.

Classifications of IC Engines:
1. Spark-ignition (SI) or Petrol engines
2. Compression-ignition (CI) or Diesel
engines

10

Otto Cycle: Ideal Spark-Ignition Engines Cycle

The piston executes four complete strokes within the cylinder. The crankshaft
completes two revolutions for each thermodynamic cycle.
These engines are called four-stroke IC engines.

11
Actual and ideal cycles in spark-ignition engines on a P-v diagram.

T-s Diagram of Ideal Otto Cycle

IC Engines Classifications:
Four-stroke cycle
1 cycle = 4 stroke = 2 revolutions of crankshaft
Two-stroke cycle
1 cycle = 2 stroke = 1 revolution of crankshaft
Sequence of processes:

12

Two-Stroke IC Engines
In two-stroke engines, all four functions described earlier are executed in two
strokes: the power and compression stroke.
Generally less efficient, but are relatively simple and inexpensive. They have high
power-to-weight and power-to-volume ratios.

13

Thermal Efficiency of Otto Cycle

The heat supplied to the working fluid during
constant-volume heating (combustion),

The heat rejected from the working fluid during

constant-volume cooling (exhaust),

Temperature-volume relation,
Thermal efficiency,

Cold-air standard assumption.

Compression ratio,

14

Engine Knock (Autoignition)

Premature ignition of the fuel produces audible noise called engine knock. It hurts
performance and causes engine damage.
Autoignition places upper limit on compression ratios that can be used in SI engines.
Specific heat ratio, k affects the thermal efficiency of the Otto cycle.

15

Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach, 6th Edition

Yunus A. Cengel, Michael A. Boles
McGraw-Hill, 2008

Chapter 9

GAS POWER CYCLES

(Part 1c)

Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

Diesel Cycle: Ideal Cycle for CI Engines

In diesel engines, only air is compressed during the compression stroke, eliminating
the possibility of autoignition. These engines can be designed to operate at higher
compression ratios, typically between 12 and 24.
Fuels that are less refined (thus less expensive) can be used in diesel engines.
The combustion process takes place over a
longer interval - fuel injection starts when
the piston approaches TDC and continues
during the first part of power stroke.
Hence, combustion process in the ideal
Diesel cycle is approximated as a constantpressure heat-addition process.

17

Sequence of processes:
1-2 Isentropic compression
2-3 Constant-pressure heat addition
3-4 Isentropic expansion
4-1 Constant-volume heat rejection.
Note:
Petrol and diesel engines differ only in the
manner the heat addition (or combustion)
process takes place.
It is approximated as a constant volume
process in the petrol engine cycle and as a
constant pressure process in the Diesel
engine cycle.

18

Thermal Efficiency of Diesel Cycle

Heat supplied to the working fluid during the
constant-pressure heating (combustion),

Heat rejected from the working fluid during the

constant-volume cooling (exhaust),

Thermal efficiency of Diesel cycle (general),

- constant specific heats

Cutoff ratio,

19

For the same compression ratio, thermal efficiency of Otto cycle is greater than that
of the Diesel cycle.
As the cutoff ratio decreases, the thermal
efficiency of the Diesel cycle increases.

Thermal efficiencies of large diesel engines

range from about 35 to 40 percent.

When rc =1, the efficiencies of the Otto

and Diesel cycles are identical.

Higher efficiency and lower fuel costs

make diesel engines attractive in
applications such as in locomotive engines,
emergency power generation units, large
ships, and heavy trucks.

20

Dual Cycle: Realistic Ideal Cycle for CI Engines

Approximating the combustion process as
a constant-volume or a constant-pressure
heat-addition process is overly simplistic
and not quite realistic.
A better approach would be to model the
combustion process in both SI and CI
engines as a combination of two heattransfer processes, one at constant volume
and the other at constant pressure.
The ideal cycle based on this concept is
called the dual cycle.

Note: Both the Otto and the Diesel cycles can be obtained
as special cases of the dual cycle.

21