Title: The 'entropy-cycle' method for thermodynamic analysis of energy intensive systems

Authors: Vladimir Nikulshin, Viktoria Von Zedtwitz

Addresses: Head of Theoretical General and Nonconventional Power Engineering Department, Odessa National Polytechnic University, Odessa, Ave. Shevchenko 1, 65044, Ukraine. ' ETH- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Department of Mechanical and process Engineering, ETH- Zentrum, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland

Abstract: In the design and operation of energy intensive systems, the possibility of improving the system|s efficiency is very important to explore. The main way of improving efficiency is through thermodynamic analysis and optimisation. One of the more representative thermodynamic characteristics of system are exergy efficiency and exergy losses. As it is known the exergy losses can be calculate on the base of Gui-Stodola equation (method of entropy generation) as well as in result of exergy balances. In this paper is made the comparative thermodynamic analysis of Air Refrigerator (AR) based on |entropy-cycle| method and on exergetic methods. It is shown that both approaches are thermodynamically objective and for this reason give the same results. On the other hand, the exergetic approach is more simple in application abut the |entropy-cycle| method gives better possibility for graphical illustration of the exergy losses in any process in AR cycle. Illustrative example and numerical results of exergy analysis of AR are given.

Keywords: thermodynamic analysis; entropy; exergy efficiency; exergy losses; air refrigeration; energy intensive systems; thermodynamics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2007.011580

International Journal of Exergy, 2007 Vol.4 No.1, pp.74 - 86

Published online: 03 Dec 2006 *

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