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Endoreversible Stirling Cycles: Plasma Engines at Maximal Power
Gregory Behrendt1,2, Sebastian Deffner1,2,3
1Department of Physics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 28, 2025
Summary
Endoreversible Stirling engines using plasma achieve maximum power at the Curzon-Ahlborn efficiency due to the plasma's equation of state. This finding generalizes beyond ideal gases.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Plasma Physics
Background:
- Endoreversible engine cycles are crucial in finite-time thermodynamics.
- Stirling engines are a key application area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficiency of endoreversible Stirling engines with plasma.
- To determine conditions for maximal power output.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of endoreversible Stirling engine cycles.
- Application of finite-time thermodynamics principles.
- Examination of plasma's caloric and mechanical equations of state.
Main Results:
- Endoreversible Stirling engines with plasma achieve maximal power at the Curzon-Ahlborn efficiency.
- This efficiency is linked to the linear and additive nature of the plasma's caloric equation of state.
- Findings generalize to various plasmas, not just ideal gases.
Conclusions:
- The study generalizes the Curzon-Ahlborn efficiency for Stirling engines using specific plasma properties.
- Photonic equation of state in plasmas leads to lower efficiency for Stirling engines, unlike Otto cycles.
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