Cooling and heating rate limits of a reversed reciprocating ericsson cycle at steady state

Abstract

The optimal cooling and heating rates for the reversed reciprocating Ericsson cycle with ideal regeneration are determined for heat pump operations. These limiting rates are based on the upper and lower thermal reservoir temperature bounds and are obtained using time and entropy minimization procedures from irreversible thermodynamics. Use is made of time symmetry (a second law constraint) to minimize cycle time. This optimally allocates the thermal capacitances of the cycle and minimizes internal cycle entropy generation. Although primarily a theoretical work, a very practical and extensive parametric study using several environmentally friendly working fluids (neon, nitrogen and helium) is included. This study evaluates the relative contributions of various system parameters to rate-optimized design. The coefficient of performance (COP), and thus the quantity of cooling or heating for a given energy input, is the traditional focus; instead this work aims at the rate of cooling or heating in heat pumps under steady state conditions and using ideal gases as their working substances. The results obtained provide additional criteria for use in the study, design and performance evaluation of employing Ericsson cycles in refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump applications. They give direct insight into what is required in designing a reversed Ericsson heat pump to achieve maximum heating and cooling rates. The choices of working fluids and pressure ratios were found to be very significant design parameters, together with selection of regenerator and source—sink heat transfer parameters. The parameter most influencing both the heating and cooling mode COPs and the heat transfer rates was found to be the heat conductance of the thermal sink.

Keywords

Ericsson cycle cooling air conditioning heat pumps heating irreversible thermodynamics

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