What is the purpose of a thermodynamic cycle?

A process in which a fluid (water, air, ammonia, etc) successively changes state (from a liquid to a gas and back to a liquid) for the purpose of producing or transferring energy.

What is the most efficient thermodynamic cycle and why?

Classical thermodynamics indicates that the most efficient thermodynamic cycle operating between two heat reservoirs is the Carnot engine [1] , and a basic theorem expresses that any reversible cycle working between two constant temperature levels should have the same efficiency as a Carnot cycle [2].

What is thermodynamic variable?

Thermodynamic variables (or state variables) are easily measurable macroscopic quantities used to describe the state of a thermodynamic system. These quantities are different depending on the type of system we want to describe; it is not the same to describe the behavior of a magnet, a galaxy, or a living being.

What is Carnot cycle in thermodynamics?

Definition of Carnot cycle : an ideal reversible closed thermodynamic cycle in which the working substance goes through the four successive operations of isothermal expansion to a desired point, adiabatic expansion to a desired point, isothermal compression, and adiabatic compression back to its initial state.

What is ideal thermodynamic cycle?

Ideal cycles are simplified thermodynamic closed cycles to analyze the compression, combustion, and expansion process in an engine with a focus on extraction of work from combustion of the fuel–air mixture.

What is the difference between a thermodynamic process and thermodynamic cycle?

In thermodynamics, a “process” is defined by a trajectory in thermodynamic state space from a starting point A to the end point B, and a “cycle” is just a closed trajectory going back to A. Now, there is freedom of choice of the in-between states that the system undergoes.

What are the advantages of Rankine cycle?

Among other advantages, this prevents the vapor from condensing during its expansion and thereby reducing the damage in the turbine blades, and improves the efficiency of the cycle, because more of the heat flow into the cycle occurs at higher temperature.

What is the Carnot cycle in thermodynamics?

What is thermal efficiency of Carnot cycle?

All thermal power plants (including concentrating solar thermal, CST) need a cooling system to cool the turbine exhaust. It is well known that the Carnot cycle efficiency ( η thermal = 1 − T L T H ) is maximized with the highest possible heat source temperature TH and the lowest possible heat sink temperature TL.