Optimization, Stability, and Entropy in Endoreversible Heat Engines

The stability of endoreversible heat engines has been extensively studied in the literature. In this paper, an alternative dynamic equations system was obtained by using restitution forces that bring the system back to the stationary state. The departing point is the assumption that the system has a stationary fixed point, along with a Taylor expansion in the first order of the input/output heat fluxes, without further specifications regarding the properties of the working fluid or the heat device specifications. Specific cases of the Newton and the phenomenological heat transfer laws in a Carnot-like heat engine model were analyzed. It was shown that the evolution of the trajectories toward the stationary state have relevant consequences on the performance of the system. A major role was played by the symmetries/asymmetries of the conductance ratio σhc of the heat transfer law associated with the input/output heat exchanges. Accordingly, three main behaviors were observed: (1) For small σhc values, the thermodynamic trajectories evolved near the endoreversible limit, improving the efficiency and power output values with a decrease in entropy generation; (2) for large σhc values, the thermodynamic trajectories evolved either near the Pareto front or near the endoreversible limit, and in both cases, they improved the efficiency and power values with a decrease in entropy generation; (3) for the symmetric case (σhc=1), the trajectories evolved either with increasing entropy generation tending toward the Pareto front or with a decrease in entropy generation tending toward the endoreversible limit. Moreover, it was shown that the total entropy generation can define a time scale for both the operation cycle time and the relaxation characteristic time.