Thermodynamic Analysis of an Irreversible Maisotsenko Reciprocating Brayton Cycle

An irreversible Maisotsenko reciprocating Brayton cycle (MRBC) model is established using the finite time thermodynamic (FTT) theory and taking the heat transfer loss (HTL), piston friction loss (PFL), and internal irreversible losses (IILs) into consideration in this paper. A calculation flowchart of the power output (P) and efficiency (η) of the cycle is provided, and the effects of the mass flow rate (MFR) of the injection of water to the cycle and some other design parameters on the performance of cycle are analyzed by detailed numerical examples. Furthermore, the superiority of irreversible MRBC is verified as the cycle and is compared with the traditional irreversible reciprocating Brayton cycle (RBC). The results can provide certain theoretical guiding significance for the optimal design of practical Maisotsenko reciprocating gas turbine plants.