UNIT 2

Gas Power Cycles

by
Deepa M S & Varuna Tandon

Source: Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach, 5th

edition
by Yunus A. Çengel and Michael A. Boles
Our study of gas power cycles will involve the study of those heat engines in which
the working fluid remains in the gaseous state throughout the cycle. We often study
the ideal cycle in which internal irreversibilities and complexities (the actual intake of
air and fuel, the actual combustion process, and the exhaust of products of
combustion among others) are removed.

We will be concerned with how the major parameters of the cycle affect the
performance of heat engines. The performance is often measured in terms of the
cycle efficiency.
Wnet
 th 
Qin

2
Carnot Cycle

The Carnot cycle was introduced in Chapter 5 as the most efficient heat engine that
can operate between two fixed temperatures TH and TL. The Carnot cycle is
described by the following four processes.

Carnot Cycle
Process Description
1-2 Isothermal heat
addition
2-3 Isentropic expansion
3-4 Isothermal heat
rejection
4-1 Isentropic
compression

3
Note the processes on both the P-v and T-s diagrams. The areas under the process
curves on the P-v diagram represent the work done for closed systems. The net
cycle work done is the area enclosed by the cycle on the P-v diagram. The areas
under the process curves on the T-s diagram represent the heat transfer for the
processes. The net heat added to the cycle is the area that is enclosed by the cycle
on the T-s diagram. For a cycle we know Wnet = Qnet; therefore, the areas enclosed
on the P-v and T-s diagrams are equal.
TL
 th , Carnot 1 
TH
We often use the Carnot efficiency as a means to think about ways to improve the
cycle efficiency of other cycles. One of the observations about the efficiency of both
ideal and actual cycles comes from the Carnot efficiency: 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.

4
Air-Standard Assumptions

In our study of gas power cycles, we assume that the working fluid is air, and the air
undergoes a thermodynamic cycle even though the working fluid in the actual power
system does not undergo a cycle.

To simplify the analysis, we approximate the cycles with the following assumptions:
•The air 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.

•A heat rejection process that restores the working fluid to its initial state replaces the
exhaust process.

•The cold-air-standard assumptions apply when the working fluid is air and has
constant specific heat evaluated at room temperature (25oC or 77oF).

5
Terminology for Reciprocating Devices

The following is some terminology we need to understand for reciprocating engines—

typically piston-cylinder devices. Let’s look at the following figures for the definitions
of top dead center (TDC), bottom dead center (BDC), stroke, bore, intake valve,
exhaust valve, clearance volume, displacement volume, compression ratio, and mean
effective pressure.

6
The compression ratio r of an engine is the ratio of the maximum volume to the
minimum volume formed in the cylinder.
V max VBDC
r 
V min VTDC
The mean effective pressure (MEP) is a fictitious pressure that, if it operated on the
piston during the entire power stroke, would produce the same amount of net work as
that produced during the actual cycle.

Wnet wnet
MEP  
Vmax  Vmin vmax  vmin

7
 Otto Cycle: The Ideal Cycle for Spark-Ignition Engines

Consider the automotive spark-ignition power cycle.

Processes
Intake stroke
Compression stroke
Power (expansion) stroke
Exhaust stroke

Often the ignition and combustion process begins before the completion of the
compression stroke. The number of crank angle degrees before the piston reaches
TDC on the number one piston at which the spark occurs is called the engine timing.
What are the compression ratio and timing of your engine in your car, truck, or
motorcycle?

8
 The air-standard Otto cycle is the ideal cycle that approximates the spark-ignition
combustion engine.

Process Description
1-2 Isentropic compression
2-3 Constant volume heat addition
3-4 Isentropic expansion
4-1 Constant volume heat rejection

The P-v and T-s diagrams are

9
10
Thermal Efficiency of the Otto cycle:
Wnet Qnet Qin  Qout Qout
 th    1 
Qin Qin Qin Qin
Now to find Qin and Qout.

Apply first law closed system to process 2-3, V = constant.

Thus, for constant specific heats,

Qnet , 23 U 23
Qnet , 23 Qin mCv (T3  T2 )

11
Apply first law closed system to process 4-1, V = constant.

Thus, for constant specific heats,

Qnet , 41 U 41
Qnet , 41  Qout mCv (T1  T4 )
Qout  mCv (T1  T4 ) mCv (T4  T1 )
The thermal efficiency becomes
Qout
 th , Otto 1 
Qin
mCv (T4  T1 )
1 
mCv (T3  T2 )

12
 (T4  T1 )
 th , Otto 1 
(T3  T2 )
T1 (T4 / T1  1)
1 
T2 (T3 / T2  1)
Recall processes 1-2 and 3-4 are isentropic, so

Since V3 = V2 and V4 = V1, we see that

T2 T3

T1 T4
or
T4 T3

T1 T2

13
The Otto cycle efficiency becomes
T1
 th , Otto 1 
T2
Is this the same as the Carnot cycle efficiency?

Since process 1-2 is isentropic,

where the compression ratio is r = V1/V2 and

1
 th , Otto 1 
rk 1

14
We see that increasing the compression ratio increases the thermal efficiency.
However, there is a limit on r depending upon the fuel. Fuels under high temperature
resulting from high compression ratios will prematurely ignite, causing knock.

15
Example 9-1

An Otto cycle having a compression ratio of 9:1 uses air as the working fluid. Initially
P1 = 95 kPa, T1 = 17oC, and V1 = 3.8 liters. During the heat addition process, 7.5 kJ
of heat are added. Determine all T's, P's, th, the back work ratio, and the mean
effective pressure.

Process Diagrams: Review the P-v and T-s diagrams given above for the Otto
cycle.

Assume constant specific heats with Cv = 0.718 kJ/kg K, k = 1.4. (Use the 300 K
data from Table A-2)

Process 1-2 is isentropic; therefore, recalling that r = V1/V2 = 9,

16
The first law closed system for process 2-3 was shown to reduce to (your homework
solutions must be complete; that is, develop your equations from the application of
the first law for each process as we did in obtaining the Otto cycle efficiency equation)
Qin mCv (T3  T2 )
Let qin = Qin / m and m = V1/v1
RT1
v1 
P1
kJ
0.287 (290 K ) 3
kg K m kPa

95 kPa kJ
m3
0.875
kg
17
 Qin v
qin  Qin 1
m V1
m3
0.875
kg
7.5kJ
. 10 3 m3
38
kJ
1727
kg
Then,
qin
T3 T2 
Cv
kJ
1727
kg
698.4 K 
kJ
0.718
kg K
3103.7 K

18
Using the combined gas law (V3 = V2)
T3
P3  P2 9.15 MPa
T2
Process 3-4 is isentropic; therefore,
k1 k1 1.4  1
V   1 1
T4 T3  3  T3   (3103.7) K  
 V4  r  9
1288.8 K

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Process 4-1 is constant volume. So the first law for the closed system gives, on a
mass basis,
Qout mCv (T4  T1 )
Q
qout  out Cv (T4  T1 )
m
kJ
0.718 (1288.8  290) K
kg K
kJ
717.1
kg
The first law applied to the cycle gives (Recall ucycle = 0)
wnet qnet qin  qout
kJ
(1727  717.4)
kg
kJ
1009.6
kg

20
The thermal efficiency is
kJ
1009.6
w kg
 th , Otto  net 
qin kJ
1727
kg
0.585 or 58.5%
The mean effective pressure is
Wnet wnet
MEP  
Vmax  Vmin vmax  vmin
wnet wnet wnet
  
v1  v2 v1 (1  v2 / v1 ) v1 (1  1/ r )
kJ
1009.6
m3 kPa
kg
 3
1298 kPa
m 1 kJ
0.875 (1  )
kg 9

21
The back work ratio is (can you show that this is true?)
wcomp u12 C (T  T ) (T  T )
BWR    v 2 1  2 1
wexp  u34 Cv (T3  T4 ) (T3  T4 )
0.225 or 22.5%
Air-Standard Diesel Cycle

The air-standard Diesel cycle is the ideal cycle that approximates the Diesel
combustion engine

Process Description
1-2 Isentropic compression
2-3 Constant pressure heat addition
3-4 Isentropic expansion
4-1 Constant volume heat rejection

The P-v and T-s diagrams are

22
23
Thermal efficiency of the Diesel cycle
Wnet Qout
 th , Diesel  1 
Qin Qin
Now to find Qin and Qout.

Apply the first law closed system to process 2-3, P = constant.

Thus, for constant specific heats

Qnet , 23 U 23  P2 (V3  V2 )
Qnet , 23 Qin mCv (T3  T2 )  mR (T3  T2 )
Qin mC p (T3  T2 )

24
Apply the first law closed system to process 4-1, V = constant (just as we did for the
Otto cycle)

Thus, for constant specific heats

Qnet , 41 U 41
Qnet , 41  Qout mCv (T1  T4 )
Qout  mCv (T1  T4 ) mCv (T4  T1 )
The thermal efficiency becomes

Qout
 th , Diesel 1 
Qin
mCv (T4  T1 )
1 
mC p (T3  T2 )
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 Cv (T4  T1 )
 th , Diesel 1 
C p (T3  T2 )
1 T1 (T4 / T1  1)
1 
k T2 (T3 / T2  1)
What is T3/T2 ?
PV PV
3 3
 2 2 where P3  P2
T3 T2
T3 V3
 rc
T2 V2
where rc is called the cutoff ratio, defined as V3 /V2, and is a measure of the duration
of the heat addition at constant pressure. Since the fuel is injected directly into the
cylinder, the cutoff ratio can be related to the number of degrees that the crank
rotated during the fuel injection into the cylinder.

26
What is T4/T1 ?
PV PV
4 4
 1 1 where V4 V1
T4 T1
T4 P4

T1 P1
Recall processes 1-2 and 3-4 are isentropic, so
k k k k
PV
1 1  PV
2 2 and PV
4 4  PV
3 3

Since V4 = V1 and P3 = P2, we divide the second equation by the first equation and
obtain

Therefore,

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 1 T1 (T4 / T1  1)
 th , Diesel 1 
k T2 (T3 / T2  1)
1 T1 rck  1
1 
k T2 (rc  1)
1 rck  1
1 
rk 1 k (rc  1)
* What happens as rc goes to 1? Sketch the P-v diagram for the Diesel cycle and
show rc approaching 1 in the limit.

28
When rc > 1 for a fixed r,
 th , Diesel   th , Otto . But, rDiesel  rOtto  th , Diesel   th , Otto
since , .

29
 Thermodynamic Dual Cycle

Qin Qin Qout

Air
Dual TC
Cycle

BC

Compression Const volume Const pressure Expansion Const volume

Process heat addition heat addition Process heat rejection
Process Process Process
 Dual Cycle
Process 1  2 Isentropic compression
Process 2  2.5 Constant volume heat addition
Process 2.5  3 Constant pressure heat addition
Process 3  4 Isentropic expansion
Process 4  1 Constant volume heat rejection

2.5 3 Qin
3

2 Qin
2.5

4
4 2

1
1 Qout

Qin
(u2.5  u2 )  (h3  h2.5 ) cv (T2.5  T2 )  c p (T3  T2.5 )
m
 Thermal Efficiency

Qout m u4  u1
 Dual 1  1 
cycle Qin m (u2.5  u2 )  (h3  h2.5 )

1  rck  1 
 Dual 1  k  1 
const cv r  (  1)  k rc  1

v P3
where rc  3 and  
v 2 .5 P2

Note, the Otto cycle (rc=1) and the Diesel cycle (=1) are special cases:

Otto 1 
1
 Diesel

1  k  1  

1  1 rck  1 
rk1 const cV 
r  k rc  1 
The use of the Dual cycle requires information about either:
i) the fractions of constant volume and constant pressure heat addition
(common assumption is to equally split the heat addition), or
ii) maximum pressure P3.

Transformation of rc and  into more natural variables yields

k  1   Qin  1   1 1 P3
rc 1     
k   P1V1  r k  1 k  1  r k P1

For the same inlet conditions P1, V1 and the same compression ratio:
Otto   Dual   Diesel

For the same inlet conditions P1, V1 and the same peak pressure P3
(actual design limitation in engines):
 Diesel   Dual  otto
 For the same inlet conditions P1, V1 For the same inlet conditions P1, V1
and the same compression ratio P2/P1: and the same peak pressure P3:

Pmax

Pressure, P
“x” →“2.5”
Pressure, P

Qout Po
th 1 
Qin
Po
Specific Volume
1
Specific Volume 4 Tds
1  3
2 Tds Tmax
tto
O al
Du
se l el

Temperature, T
Die Dies
Temperature, T

al
Du
to
Ot

Entropy Entropy