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formulas-maquinas-termicas

Thermal Machines cheatsheet

Boilers

Boiler Efficiency

Where:

  • : Mass of steam generated.
  • : Enthalpy of steam.
  • : Enthalpy of feed water.
  • : Mass of fuel.
  • : Lower heating value of the fuel.

Thermal Efficiency of a Boiler

Combustion Ratio

Combustion Systems

Lower Heating Value (LHV)

Where:

  • : Energy released during combustion.
  • : Mass of the fuel.

Combustion Efficiency

Stoichiometric Combustion Balance (for hydrocarbons)

Engine Cooling

Heat Transfer Ratio (in water-cooled engines)

Where:

  • : Mass of water circulating in the system.
  • : Specific heat of water.
  • : Temperature of water at the engine inlet.
  • : Temperature of water at the engine outlet.

Thermal Balance of the Engine

Where:

  • : Heat generated by combustion.
  • : Heat lost by dissipation.
  • : Heat converted into useful work.

Carnot Cycle

Temperatures in the Carnot Cycle

The efficiency of the Carnot cycle depends on the temperatures of the hot and cold sources:

  • Temperature of the hot source
  • Temperature of the cold source

These temperatures must be expressed in kelvin (K).

Efficiency of the Carnot Cycle

The efficiency of the Carnot cycle is defined as the fraction of the absorbed heat that is converted into work. This efficiency depends only on the temperatures of the hot and cold sources:

Where:

  • = efficiency of the Carnot cycle (dimensionless, usually expressed as a percentage)
  • = temperature of the hot source (in Kelvin)
  • = temperature of the cold source (in Kelvin)

Heat Transferred in the Carnot Cycle

In a Carnot cycle, heat is absorbed and released during isothermal processes.

Heat absorbed from the hot source

Where:

  • = number of moles of gas
  • = ideal gas constant
  • = temperature of the hot source (in Kelvin)
  • and= initial and final volumes of the gas during isothermal expansion.

Heat released to the cold source

Where:

  • = temperature of the cold source (in Kelvin)
  • and= initial and final volumes during isothermal compression.

Work Done in the Carnot Cycle

The net work done by a Carnot cycle is the difference between the heat absorbed and the heat released:

It can also be expressed in terms of the temperatures and volumes:

Relationship Between Volume and Temperature in Adiabatic Processes

During adiabatic processes, there is no heat transfer. The relationship between volume and temperature in an adiabatic process for an ideal gas is given by:

Whereis the adiabatic coefficient or the ratio of specific heats ().

Relationship Between Work and Efficiency

The work done can also be related to the efficiency of the Carnot cycle:

Where:

  • = net work done by the cycle
  • = heat absorbed from the hot source
  • = efficiency of the Carnot cycle

Entropy in the Carnot Cycle

The total change in entropy in a Carnot cycle is zero, as it is a reversible cycle:

Change in entropy in the hot source

Change in entropy in the cold source

Since, we have:

Inverse Carnot Cycle (Refrigeration)

For an inverse Carnot cycle, used in refrigeration, the coefficient of performance (COP) is defined as:

COP for Refrigerator

COP for Heat Pump

Where:

  • = heat extracted from the cold source
  • = heat delivered to the hot source
  • = work done in the cycle