The optimal performance of a two-stage endoreversible combined cycle is investigated for steady-state operation. The cycle efficiency at maximum specific power output equals the Curzon-Ahlborn efficiency, whereas the maximum specific power output of the cycle is, in general, smaller than that of...

Based on the model of a typical alkaline fuel cell (AFC) with circulating potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution as electrolyte and oxygen as oxidant and the experimental data available in the current literature, thermodynamic–electrochemical analyses on the performance of the AFC are carried out,...

Based on the irreversible model of a PEM fuel cell working at steady state, expressions for the power output, efficiency and entropy production rate of the PEM fuel cell are analytically derived by using the theory of electrochemistry and non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The effects of...

The influence of thermal resistance on the performance of a heat pump operating with three heat sources is investigated by using an endoreversible cyclic model with continuous flow. The overall heat-transfer area of the heat pump is chosen as an objective function for optimization. For a...

The model of a packed bed anode DCFC (direct carbon fuel cell) with molten carbonate as an electrolyte and graphite as a fuel is established to globally evaluate its performance. Thermodynamic-electrochemical analyses on the performance of the DCFC are implemented, in which the activation...

A rechargeable battery is often charged from an initial voltage, U0, to a specified voltage, U, for a given time, tc. In this paper, the total energy delivered by the voltage source and the charging efficiency are calculated for two different charge methods. The optimal arrangement of the...

The performance of a thermoelectric device used as a heat pump or refrigerator is mainly affected by the Peltier, Fourier, Joule and Thomson effects. The differential equations governing the temperature field inside the device operated between two heat reservoirs are established by using...

A new model of the energy selective electron (ESE) heat engine with a variable bias voltage resulting from a variable load resistance is established. Analytical expressions for the power output and efficiency of the system are derived, based on the Fermi–Dirac distribution of electrons. The...

We show that an absorption-refrigeration system affected by the irreversibility of finite-rate heat transfer may be modelled as a combined cycle, which consists of an endoreversible heat engine and an endoreversible refrigerator. Finite-time thermodynamics of endoreversible heat engines and...

With the help of Domenicali's equation and the heat flux equation, a finite difference method is directly used to determine the temperature and heat flux distribution profiles in one dimension of a thermoelectric generator simultaneously including the Peltier, Fourier, Joule, and Thomson...