Limits and Optimization of Power Input or Output of Actual Thermal Cycles

In classical thermodynamic, maximum power obtained from system (or minimum power supplied to system) defined as availability (exergy), but availability term is only used for reversible systems. In reality, there is no reversible system, all systems are irreversible, because reversible cycles doesn’t include constrains like time or size and they operates in quasi-equilibrium state. Purpose of this study is to define limits of the all basic thermodynamic cycles and to provide finite-time exergy models for irreversible cycles and to obtain the maximum (or minimum) available power for irreversible (finite-time exergy) cycles. In this study, available power optimization and performance limits were defined all basic irreversible thermodynamic cycles, by using first and second law of thermodynamic. Finally, these results were evaluated in terms of cycles’ first and second law efficiency, COP, power output (or input) and exergy destruction.