Thermodynamic analysis and parametric study of an irreversible regenerative-intercooled-reheat Brayton cycle

An irreversible cycle model of a regenerative-intercooled-reheat Brayton heat engine along with a detailed parametric study is presented in this paper. The power output and the efficiency are optimized with respect to the cycle temperatures for a typical set of operating conditions. It is found that there are optimal values of the turbine outlet temperature, intercooling, reheat and cycle pressure ratios at which the cycle attains the maximum power output and efficiency. But the optimal values of these parameters corresponding to the maximum power output are different from those corresponding to the maximum efficiency for the same set of operating condition. The maxima of the power output and efficiency again changes as any of the cycle parameters is changed. The maximum power point and the maximum efficiency point exist but the power output corresponding to the maximum efficiency is found to be lower than that can be attained. The optimum operating parameters, such as the turbine outlet temperature, intercooling, reheat and cycle pressure ratios etc. corresponding to the maximum power output and corresponding to the maximum efficiency are obtained and discussed in detail. This cycle model is general and some of the results obtained by earlier workers can be derived directly from the present cycle model as a special case.