AIR STANDARD CYCLES

Theoretical Analysis
The accurate analysis of the various processes taking place in an internal combustion
engine is a very complex problem. If these processes were to be analyzed experimentally,
the analysis would be very realistic no doubt. It would also be quite accurate if the tests are
carried out correctly and systematically, but it would be time consuming. If a detailed
analysis has to be carried out involving changes in operating parameters, the cost of such
an analysis would be quite high, even prohibitive. An obvious solution would be to look for
a quicker and less expensive way of studying the engine performance characteristics. A
theoretical analysis is the obvious answer.
A theoretical analysis, as the name suggests, involves analyzing the engine
performance without actually building and physically testing an engine. It involves
simulating an engine operation with the help of thermodynamics so as to formulate
mathematical expressions, which can then be solved in order to obtain the relevant
information. The method of solution will depend upon the complexity of the formulation of
the mathematical expressions, which in turn will depend upon the assumptions that have
been introduced in order to analyze the processes in the engine. The more the assumptions,
the simpler will be the mathematical expressions and the easier the calculations, but the
lesser will be the accuracy of the final results.
The simplest theoretical analysis involves the use of the air standard cycle, which
has the largest number of simplifying assumptions.
A Thermodynamic Cycle
In some practical applications, notably steam power and refrigeration, a thermodynamic
cycle can be identified.
A thermodynamic cycle occurs when the working fluid of a system experiences a
number of processes that eventually return the fluid to its initial state.
In steam power plants, water is pumped (for which work W
P
is required) into a
boiler and evaporated into steam while heat Q
A
is supplied at a high temperature. The
steam flows through a turbine doing work W
T
and then passes into a condenser where it is
condensed into water with consequent rejection of heat Q
R
to the atmosphere. Since the
water is returned to its initial state, the net change in energy is zero, assuming no loss of
water through leakage or evaporation.
An energy equation pertaining only to the system can be derived. Considering a
system with one entering and one leaving flow stream for the time period t
1
to t
2
) 1 (
system f f
E E E W Q
out in
+
Q is the heat transfer across the boundary, +ve for heat added to the system and
ve for heat taken from the system.
W is the work transfer across the boundary, +ve for work done by the system and
-ve for work added to the system
in
f
E
is the energy of all forms carried by the fluid across the boundary into the system
out
f
E
is the energy of all forms carried by the fluid across the boundary out of system
E
system
is the energy of all forms stored within the system, +ve for energy increase
-ve for energy decrease
In the case of the steam power system described above

+ + ) 2 (
P T R A
W W W Q Q Q
All thermodynamic cycles have a heat rejection process as an invariable
characteristic and the net work done is always less than the heat supplied, although, as
shown in Eq. 2, it is equal to the sum of heat added and the heat rejected (Q
R
is a negative
number).
The thermal efficiency of a cycle,
th
, is defined as the fraction of heat supplied to a
thermodynamic cycle that is converted to work, that is
) 3 (
A
R A
A
th
Q
Q Q
Q
W
+

This efficiency is sometimes confused with the enthalpy efficiency,

e
, or the fuel
conversion efficiency,
f
) 4 (
c f
e
Q m
W

This definition applies to combustion engines which have as a source of energy the
chemical energy residing in a fuel used in the engine.
Any device that operated in a thermodynamic cycle, absorbs thermal energy from a
source, rejects a part of it to a sink and presents the difference between the energy absorbed
and energy rejected as work to the surroundings is called a heat engine.
A heat engine is, thus, a device that produces work. In order to achieve this
purpose, the heat engine uses a certain working medium which undergoes the following
processes:
1. A compression process where the working medium absorbs energy as work.
2. A heat addition process where the working medium absorbs energy as heat from a
source.
3 An expansion process where the working medium transfers energy as work to the
surroundings.
4. A heat rejection process where the working medium rejects energy as heat to a sink.
If the working medium does not undergo any change of phase during its passage
through the cycle, the heat engine is said to operate in a non-phase change cycle. A phase
change cycle is one in which the working medium undergoes changes of phase. The air
standard cycles, using air as the working medium are examples of non-phase change cycles
while the steam and vapor compression refrigeration cycles are examples of phase change
cycles.
Air Standard Cycles
The air standard cycle is a cycle followed by a heat engine which uses air as the working
medium. Since the air standard analysis is the simplest and most idealistic, such cycles are
also called ideal cycles and the engine running on such cycles are called ideal engines.
In order that the analysis is made as simple as possible, certain assumptions have to
be made. These assumptions result in an analysis that is far from correct for most actual
combustion engine processes, but the analysis is of considerable value for indicating the
upper limit of performance. The analysis is also a simple means for indicating the relative
effects of principal variables of the cycle and the relative size of the apparatus.
Assumptions
1. The working medium is a perfect gas with constant specific heats and molecular
weight corresponding to values at room temperature.
2. No chemical reactions occur during the cycle. The heat addition and heat rejection
processes are merely heat transfer processes.
3. The processes are reversible.
4. Losses by heat transfer from the apparatus to the atmosphere are assumed to be zero
in this analysis.
5. The working medium at the end of the process (cycle) is unchanged and is at the
same condition as at the beginning of the process (cycle).
In selecting an idealized process one is always faced with the fact that the simpler
the assumptions, the easier the analysis, but the farther the result from reality. The air cycle
has the advantage of being based on a few simple assumptions and of lending itself to rapid
and easy mathematical handling without recourse to thermodynamic charts or tables or
complicated calculations. On the other hand, there is always the danger of losing sight of
its limitations and of trying to employ it beyond its real usefulness.
Equivalent Air Cycle
A particular air cycle is usually taken to represent an approximation of some real set of
processes which the user has in mind. Generally speaking, the air cycle representing a
given real cycle is called an equivalent air cycle. The equivalent cycle has, in general, the
following characteristics in common with the real cycle which it approximates:
1. A similar sequence of processes.
2. Same ratio of maximum to minimum volume for reciprocating engines or
maximum to minimum pressure for gas turbine engines.
3. The same pressure and temperature at a given reference point.
4. An appropriate value of heat addition per unit mass of air.
The Carnot Cycle
This cycle was proposed by Sadi Carnot in 1824 and has the highest possible efficiency for
any cycle. Figures 1 and 2 show the P-V and T-s diagrams of the cycle.
Fig. 1 Fig. 2
Assuming that the charge is introduced into the engine at point 1, it undergoes
isentropic compression from 1 to 2. The temperature of the charge rises from T
min
to T
max
.
At point 2, heat is added isothermally. This causes the air to expand, forcing the piston
forward, thus doing work on the piston. At point 3, the source of heat is removed and the
air now expands isentropically to point 4, reducing the temperature to T
min
in the process.
At point 4, a cold body is applied to the end of the cylinder and the piston reverses, thus
compressing the air isothermally; heat is rejected to the cold body. At point 1, the cold
body is removed and the charge is compressed isentropically till it reaches a temperature
T
max
once again. Thus, the heat addition and rejection processes are isothermal while the
compression and expansion processes are isentropic.
From thermodynamics, per unit mass of charge
Heat supplied from point 2 to 3
) 5 ( ln
2
3
2 2
v
v
v p
Heat rejected from point 4 to 1
) 6 ( ln
4
1
4 4
v
v
v p
Now p
2
v
2
= RT
max
(7)
And p
4
v
4
= RT
min
(8)
Since Work done, per unit mass of charge, W = heat supplied heat rejected
4
1
min
2
3
max
ln ln
v
v
RT
v
v
RT W
( ) ( ) ) 9 ( ln
min max
T T r R
We have assumed that the compression and expansion ratios are equal, that is
) 10 (
4
1
2
3
v
v
v
v

Heat supplied Q
s
= R T
max
ln (r) (10)
Hence, the thermal efficiency of the cycle is given by
( ) ( )
( )
) 11 (
ln
ln
max
min max
max
min max
T
T T
T r R
T T r R
th

From Eq. 11 it is seen that the thermal efficiency of the Carnot cycle is only a
function of the maximum and minimum temperatures of the cycle. The efficiency will
increase if the minimum temperature (or the temperature at which the heat is rejected) is as
low as possible. According to this equation, the efficiency will be equal to 1 if the
minimum temperature is zero, which happens to be the absolute zero temperature in the
thermodynamic scale.
This equation also indicates that for optimum (Carnot) efficiency, the cycle (and
hence the heat engine) must operate between the limits of the highest and lowest possible
temperatures. In other words, the engine should take in all the heat at as high a temperature
as possible and should reject the heat at as low a temperature as possible. For the first
condition to be achieved, combustion (as applicable for a real engine using fuel to provide
heat) should begin at the highest possible temperature, for then the irreversibility of the
chemical reaction would be reduced. Moreover, in the cycle, the expansion should proceed
to the lowest possible temperature in order to obtain the maximum amount of work. These
conditions are the aims of all designers of modern heat engines. The conditions of heat
rejection are governed, in practice, by the temperature of the atmosphere.
It is impossible to construct an engine which will work on the Carnot cycle. In such
an engine, it would be necessary for the piston to move very slowly during the first part of
the forward stroke so that it can follow an isothermal process. During the remainder of the
forward stroke, the piston would need to move very quickly as it has to follow an isentropic
process. This variation in the speed of the piston cannot be achieved in practice. Also, a
very long piston stroke would produce only a small amount of work most of which would
be absorbed by the friction of the moving parts of the engine.
Since the efficiency of the cycle, as given by Eq. 11, is dependent only on the
maximum and minimum temperatures, it does not depend on the working medium. It is
thus independent of the properties of the working medium.
Piston Engine Air Standard Cycles
The cycles described here are air standard cycles applicable to piston engines. Engines
bases on these cycles have been built and many of the engines are still in use.
The Lenoir Cycle
The Lenoir cycle is of interest because combustion (or heat addition) occurs without
compression of the charge. Figures 3 and 4 show the P-V and T-s diagrams.
Fig. 3 Fig. 4
According to the cycle, the piston is at the top dead center, point 1, when the charge
is ignited (or heat is added). The process is at constant volume so the pressure rises to point
2. From 2 to 3, expansion takes place and from 3 to 1 heat is rejected at constant pressure.
Heat supplied, Q
s
= c
v
(T
2
T
1
) (12)
Heat rejected, Q
r
= c
p
(T
3
T
1
) (13)
Since W = Q
s
- Q
r
(14)
W = c
v
(T
2
T
1
) c
p
(T
2
T
1
) (15)
Thus
( )
( )
1 2
1 3
1
T T c
T T c
v
p
th

(16)

,
_

,
_

1
1
1
1
2
1
3
T
T
T
T

(17)
Since
1
3
1
3
1
2
1
2
,
V
V
T
T
p
p
T
T

and
1
2
1
2
1
3
2
3
3
2
3 3 2 2
T
T
p
p
V
V
V
V
p
p
so V p V p

,
_

,
_

( )
( )
) 18 (
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
3

1
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

e
e
th
r
r
V
V
V
V
Here, r
e
= V
3
/V
1
, the volumetric expansion ratio. Equation 18 indicates that the
thermal efficiency of the Lenoir cycle depends primarily on the expansion ratio and the
ratio of specific heats.
The intermittent-flow engine which powered the German V-1 buzz-bomb in 1942
during World War II operated on a modified Lenoir cycle. A few engines running on the
Lenoir cycle were built in the late 19
th
century till the early 20
th
century.
The Otto Cycle
The Otto cycle, which was first proposed by a Frenchman, Beau de Rochas in 1862, was
first used on an engine built by a German, Nicholas A. Otto, in 1876. The cycle is also
called a constant volume or explosion cycle. This is the equivalent air cycle for
reciprocating piston engines using spark ignition. Figures 5 and 6 show the P-V and T-s
diagrams respectively.
Fig. 5 Fig. 6
At the start of the cycle, the cylinder contains a mass M of air at the pressure and
volume indicated at point 1. The piston is at its lowest position. It moves upward and the
gas is compressed isentropically to point 2. At this point, heat is added at constant volume
which raises the pressure to point 3. The high pressure charge now expands isentropically,
pushing the piston down on its expansion stroke to point 4 where the charge rejects heat at
constant volume to the initial state, point 1.
The isothermal heat addition and rejection of the Carnot cycle are replaced by the
constant volume processes which are, theoretically more plausible, although in practice,
even these processes are not practicable.
The heat supplied, Q
s
, per unit mass of charge, is given by
c
v(
T
3
T
2
)
the heat rejected, Q
r
per unit mass of charge is given by
c
v(
T
4
T
1
)
and the thermal efficiency is given by
( )
( )
) 19 (
1
1
1
1
2
3
1
4
2
1
2 3
1 4

'

,
_

,
_

T
T
T
T
T
T
T T
T T
th

Now
3
4
1
4
3
1
1
2
2
1
T
T
V
V
V
V
T
T

,
_

,
_

And since
2
3
1
4
3
4
2
1
T
T
T
T
have we
T
T
T
T

Hence, substituting in Eq. 19, we get, assuming that r is the compression ratio V
1
/V
2
) 20 (
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
1

,
_

r
V
V
T
T
th
In a true thermodynamic cycle, the term expansion ratio and compression
ratio are synonymous. However, in a real engine, these two ratios need not be equal
because of the valve timing and therefore the term expansion ratio is preferred sometimes.
Equation 20 shows that the thermal efficiency of the theoretical Otto cycle
increases with increase in compression ratio and specific heat ratio but is independent of
the heat added (independent of load) and initial conditions of pressure, volume and
temperature.
Figure 7 shows a plot of thermal efficiency versus compression ratio for an Otto
cycle for 3 different values of . It is seen that the increase in efficiency is significant at
lower compression ratios.
Figure 7
This is also seen in Table 1 given below, with = 1.4.
Table 1
From the table it is seen that if:
CR is increased from 2 to 4, efficiency increase is 76%
CR is increased from 4 to 8, efficiency increase is only 32.6%
CR is increased from 8 to 16, efficiency increase is only 18.6%
r

1 0
2 0.242
3 0.356
4 0.426
5 0.475
6 0.512
7 0.541
8 0.565
9 0.585
10 0.602
16 0.67
20 0.698
50 0.791
r
Mean effective pressure:
It is seen that the air standard efficiency of the Otto cycle depends only on the compression
ratio. However, the pressures and temperatures at the various points in the cycle and the net
work done, all depend upon the initial pressure and temperature and the heat input
from point 2 to point 3, besides the compression ratio.
A quantity of special interest in reciprocating engine analysis
is the mean effective pressure. Mathematically, it is the net work done on the piston, W,
divided by the piston displacement volume, V
1
V
2
. This quantity has the units of pressure.
Physically, it is that constant pressure which, if exerted on the piston for the whole outward
stroke, would yield work equal to the work of the cycle. It is given by
) 21 (
2 1
3 2
2 1
V V
Q
V V
W
mep

where Q
2-3
is the heat added from points 2 to 3.
Now

) 22 (
1
1
1
1
1
2
1 2 1

,
_

,
_

r
V
V
V
V V V
Here r is the compression ratio, V
1
/V
2
From the equation of state:
) 23 (
1
1 0
1
p
T
m
R
M V
R
0
is the universal gas constant
Substituting for V
1
from Eq. 3 in Eq. 2 and then substituting for V
1
V
2
in Eq. 1 we get
) 24 (
1
1
1 0
1
3 2
A
r
T MR
m p
Q
mep

The quantity Q
2-3
/M is the heat added between points 2 and 3 per unit mass of air
(M is the mass of air and m is the molecular weight of air); and is denoted by Q, thus
) 24 (
1
1
1 0
1
B
r
T R
m p
Q
mep

We can non-dimensionalize the mep by dividing it by p

1
so that we can obtain the
following equation
) 25 (
1
1
1
1 0 1
1
]
1

1
1
1
1
]
1

T R
m Q
r
p
mep

Since ( ) 1
0

v
c
m
R
, we can substitute it in Eq. 25 to get
[ ]
) 26 (
1
1
1
1
1 1

1
]
1

r
T c
Q
p
mep
v
The dimensionless quantity mep/p
1
is a function of the heat added, initial temperature,
compression ratio and the properties of air, namely, c
v
and . We see that the mean
effective pressure is directly proportional to the heat added and inversely proportional to
the initial (or ambient) temperature.
We can substitute the value of from Eq. 20 in Eq. 26 and obtain the value of mep/p
1
for
the Otto cycle in terms of the compression ratio and heat added.
Figure 8
Figure 8 shows plots of mep/p
1
versus compression ratio for different values of heat
added function.
In terms of the pressure ratio, p
3
/p
2
denoted by r
p
we could obtain the value of mep/p
1
as
follows:
( )( )
( ) ( )
) 27 (
1 1
1 1
1
1

r
r r r
p
mep
p
We can obtain a value of r
p
in terms of Q as follows:
) 28 ( 1
1
1
+

r T c
Q
r
v
p
Another parameter, which is of importance, is the quantity mep/p
3
. This can be obtained
from the following expression:
) 29 (
1
1 1
1
1
1 3
+

r T c
Q
r p
mep
p
mep
v
Figure 9
Figure 9 shows plots of the quantity mep/p
3
versus r. This shows a decrease in
the value of mep/p
3
when r increases.
Choice of Q
We have said that
) 30 (
3 2
M
Q
Q


M is the mass of charge (air) per cycle, kg.
Now, in an actual engine
) 31 ( /
3 2
cycle kJ in Q FM
Q M Q
c a
c f

M
f
is the mass of fuel supplied per cycle, kg
Q
c
is the heating value of the fuel, kJ/kg
M
a
is the mass of air taken in per cycle
F is the fuel air ratio = M
f
/M
a
Substituting for Eq. (B) in Eq. (A) we get
) 32 (
M
Q FM
Q
c a

) 33 (
1
1
1
2 1
1
2 1
r V
V V
And
V
V V
M
M
Now
a

So, substituting for M

a
/M from Eq. (33) in Eq. (32) we get
) 34 (
1
1
,
_

r
FQ Q
c
For isooctane, FQ
c
at stoichiometric conditions is equal to 2975 kJ/kg, thus
Q = 2975(r 1)/r (35)

At an ambient temperature, T
1
of 300K and c
v
for air is assumed to be 0.718 kJ/kgK, we get
a value of Q/c
v
T
1
= 13.8(r 1)/r.
Under fuel rich conditions, = 1.2, Q/ c
v
T
1
= 16.6(r 1)/r.
Under fuel lean conditions, = 0.8, Q/ c
v
T
1
= 11.1(r 1)/r
The Diesel Cycle
This cycle, proposed by a German engineer, Dr. Rudolph Diesel to describe the processes
of his engine, is also called the constant pressure cycle. This is believed to be the
equivalent air cycle for the reciprocating slow speed compression ignition engine. The P-V
and T-s diagrams are shown in Figs 10 and 11 respectively.
Figures 10 and 11
The cycle has processes which are the same as that of the Otto cycle except
that the heat is added at constant pressure.
The heat supplied, Q
s
is given by
c
p(
T
3
T
2
)
whereas the heat rejected, Q
r
is given by
c
v(
T
4
T
1
)
and the thermal efficiency is given by
( )
( )
) 36 (
1
1
1
1
1
2
3
2
1
4
1
2 3
1 4

'

,
_

,
_

T
T
T
T
T
T
T T c
T T c
p
v
th

From the T-s diagram, Fig. 11, the difference in enthalpy between points 2 and 3 is
the same as that between 4 and 1, thus
1 4 3 2
s s

,
_

,
_

2
3
1
4
ln ln
T
T
c
T
T
c
p v

,
_

,
_

2
3
1
4
ln ln
T
T
T
T

,
_

2
3
1
4
T
T
T
T
and
1
1
1
2
2
1
1

,
_

r V
V
T
T
Substituting in eq. 36, we get
) 37 (
1
1
1 1
1
2
3
2
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

T
T
T
T
r
th

Now
ratio off cut r
V
V
T
T
c

2
3
2
3
( )
) 38 (
1
1 1
1
1
1
]
1

c
c
r
r
r

When Eq. 38 is compared with Eq. 20, it is seen that the expressions are similar
except for the term in the parentheses for the Diesel cycle. It can be shown that this term is
always greater than unity.
Now
e
c
r
r
V
V
V
V
V
V
r
1
2
4
3
2
3
where r is the compression ratio and r
e
is the expansion ratio
Thus, the thermal efficiency of the Diesel cycle can be written as
) 39 (
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

e
e
r
r
r
r
r

Let r
e
= r since r is greater than r
e
. Here, is a small quantity. We therefore
have
1
1
1

,
_

,
_

r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
e
We can expand the last term binomially so that
+

+
,
_

3
3
2
2
1
1 1
r r r r
Also
( )

,
_

,
_

,
_

r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
e
1
1
We can expand the last term binomially so that
( ) ( ) ( )
+
+ +
+
+
+

+
,
_

3
3
2
2
! 3
2 1
! 2
1
1 1
r r r r

Substituting in Eq. 39, we get

( ) ( ) ( )
) 40 (
! 3
2 1
! 2
1
1
1
3
3
2
2
3
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
]
1

+
+ +
+
+
+

r r r
r r r
r

Since the coefficients of

3
3 2
, ,
r r r
r

, etc are greater than unity, the quantity in the
brackets in Eq. 40 will be greater than unity. Hence, for the Diesel cycle, we subtract
1
1

r

times a quantity greater than unity from one, hence for the same r, the Otto cycle efficiency
is greater than that for a Diesel cycle.
If
r

is small, the square, cube, etc of this quantity becomes progressively smaller,
so the thermal efficiency of the Diesel cycle will tend towards that of the Otto cycle.
From the foregoing we can see the importance of cutting off the fuel supply early in
the forward stroke, a condition which, because of the short time available and the high
pressures involved, introduces practical difficulties with high speed engines and
necessitates very rigid fuel injection gear.
In practice, the diesel engine shows a better efficiency than the Otto cycle engine
because the compression of air alone in the former allows a greater compression ratio to be
employed. With a mixture of fuel and air, as in practical Otto cycle engines, the maximum
temperature developed by compression must not exceed the self ignition temperature of the
mixture; hence a definite limit is imposed on the maximum value of the compression ratio.
Thus Otto cycle engines have compression ratios in the range of 7 to 12 while
diesel cycle engines have compression ratios in the range of 16 to 22.
We can obtain a value of r
c
for a Diesel cycle in terms of Q as follows:
) 41 ( 1
1
1
+

r T c
Q
r
p
c
We can substitute the value of from Eq. 38 in Eq. 26, reproduced below and obtain the
value of mep/p
1
for the Diesel cycle.
[ ]
) 26 (
1
1
1
1
1 1

1
]
1

r
T c
Q
p
mep
v
In terms of the cut-off ratio, we can obtain another expression for mep/p
1
as
follows:
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
) 42 (
1 1
1 1
1

r
r r r r
p
mep
c c
For the Diesel cycle, the expression for mep/p
3
is as follows:
) 43 (
1
1 3

,
_

r p
mep
p
mep
Modern high speed diesel engines do not follow the Diesel cycle. The process of
heat addition is partly at constant volume and partly at constant pressure. This brings us to
the dual cycle.
The Dual Cycle
An important characteristic of real cycles is the ratio of the mean effective pressure to the
maximum pressure, since the mean effective pressure represents the useful (average)
pressure acting on the piston while the maximum pressure represents the pressure which
chiefly affects the strength required of the engine structure. In the constant-volume cycle,
shown in Fig. 10, it is seen that the quantity mep/p
3
falls off rapidly as the compression
ratio increases, which means that for a given mean effective pressure the maximum
pressure rises rapidly as the compression ratio increases. For example, for a mean effective
pressure of 7 bar and Q/c
v
T
1
of 12, the maximum pressure at a compression ratio of 5 is 28
bar whereas at a compression ratio of 10, it rises to about 52 bar. Real cycles follow the
same trend and it becomes a practical necessity to limit the maximum pressure when high
compression ratios are used, as in diesel engines. This also indicates that diesel engines will
have to be stronger (and hence heavier) because it has to withstand higher peak pressures.
Constant pressure heat addition achieves rather low peak pressures unless the
compression ratio is quite high. In a real diesel engine, in order that combustion takes place
at constant pressure, fuel has to be injected very late in the compression stroke (practically
at the top dead center). But in order to increase the efficiency of the cycle, the fuel supply
must be cut off early in the expansion stroke, both to give sufficient time for the fuel to
burn and thereby increase combustion efficiency and reduce after burning but also reduce
emissions. Such situations can be achieved if the engine was a slow speed type so that the
piston would move sufficiently slowly for combustion to take place despite the late
injection of the fuel. For modern high speed compression ignition engines it is not possible
to achieve constant pressure combustion. Fuel is injected somewhat earlier in the
compression stroke and has to go through the various stages of combustion. Thus it is seen
that combustion is nearly at constant volume (like in a spark ignition engine). But the peak
pressure is limited because of strength considerations so the rest of the heat addition is
believed to take place at constant pressure in a cycle. This has led to the formulation of the
dual combustion cycle. In this cycle, for high compression ratios, the peak pressure is not
allowed to increase beyond a certain limit and to account for the total addition, the rest of
the heat is assumed to be added at constant pressure. Hence the name limited pressure
cycle.
The cycle is the equivalent air cycle for reciprocating high speed compression
ignition engines. The P-V and T-s diagrams are shown in Figs.12 and 13. In the cycle,
compression and expansion processes are isentropic; heat addition is partly at constant
volume and partly at constant pressure while heat rejection is at constant volume as in the
case of the Otto and Diesel cycles.
Figure 12 Figure 13

The heat supplied, Q
s
per unit mass of charge is given by
c
v(
T
3
T
2
) + c
p(
T
3
T
2
)
whereas the heat rejected, Q
r
per unit mass of charge is given by
c
v(
T
4
T
1
)
and the thermal efficiency is given by
( )
( ) ( )
) 44 (
1 1
1
1
) 44 (
1 1
1
1
) 44 ( 1
3
3
1
2
2
3
2
3
1
2
1
4
3
3
3
2
3
2
1
4
1
2 3 2 3
1 4
C
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
B
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
A
T T c T T c
T T c
p v
v
th

,
_

,
_

'

,
_

,
_

,
_

From thermodynamics
) 45 (
2
3
2
3
p
r
p
p
T
T

the explosion or pressure ratio and
) 46 (
3
3
3
3
c
r
V
V
T
T


the cut-off ratio.
Now,
1
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
1
4
1
4
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
T
T

Also

,
_

,
_

,
_

r
r
V
V
V
V
V
V
p
p
c
1
4
3
3
3
4
3
3
4
And

r
p
p

1
2
Thus

c p
r r
T
T

1
4
Also
1
2
1
1
2

,
_

r
V
V
T
T
Therefore, the thermal efficiency of the dual cycle is
( ) ( )
) 46 (
1 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
]
1

c p p
c p
r r r
r r
r

We can substitute the value of from Eq. 46 in Eq. 26 and obtain the value of
mep/p
1
for the dual cycle.

In terms of the cut-off ratio and pressure ratio, we can obtain another expression
for mep/p
1
as follows:
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
) 47 (
1 1
1 1 1
1

+

r
r r r r r r r r
p
mep
c p p c p
For the dual cycle, the expression for mep/p
3
is as follows:
) 48 (
3
1
1 3

,
_

p
p
p
mep
p
mep
Since the dual cycle is also called the limited pressure cycle, the peak pressure, p
3
,
is usually specified. Since the initial pressure, p
1
, is known, the ratio p
3
/p
1
is known. We
can correlate r
p
with this ratio as follows:
) 49 (
1
1
3

,
_

r p
p
r
p
We can obtain an expression for r
c
in terms of Q and r
p
and other known
quantities as follows:
( ) ) 50 ( 1
1 1
1
1

,
_

+
1
1
]
1

'

p v
c
r r T c
Q
r
We can also obtain an expression for r
p
in terms of Q and r
c
and other known
quantities as follows:
) 51 (
1
1
1
1

+
1
]
1

c
v
p
r
r T c
Q
r
Figure 14 shows a constant volume and a constant pressure cycle, compared with a
limited pressure cycle. In a series of air cycles with varying pressure ratio at a given
compression ratio and the same Q, the constant volume cycle has the highest efficiency
and the constant pressure cycle the lowest efficiency.
Figure 15 compares the efficiencies of the three cycles for the same value of

,
_

1 r
r
Q
for the same initial conditions and three values of p
3
/p
1
for the dual cycle. It is
interesting to note that the air standard efficiency is little affected by compression ratio
above a compression ratio of 8 for the limited pressure cycle.
The curves of mep/p
3
versus compression ratio for the same three cycles as above
are given in Fig. 10. It is seen that a considerable increase in this ratio is obtained for a
limited pressure cycle as compared to the constant volume or constant pressure cycles.
Figure 14
Figure 15
The Atkinson Cycle
This cycle is also referred to as the complete expansion cycle. Inspection of the P-V
diagrams of the Otto, Diesel and Dual cycles shows that the expansion process to point 4
does not reach the lowest possible pressure, namely, atmospheric pressure. This is true of
all real engines; when the exhaust valve opens, the high pressure gases undergo a violent
blow down process with consequent dissipation of available energy. This is necessary so as
to allow the gases to flow out due to pressure difference and hence reduce the piston work
in driving out the gases. The air standard cycle shows a loss of net work because of the
reduction in area of the P-V diagram.
In the Otto cycle, if the expansion is allowed to completion to point 4 (Fig. 16) and
heat rejection occurs at constant pressure, the cycle is called the Atkinson cycle.
The heat supplied, Q
s
per unit mass of charge is given by
c
v(
T
3
T
2
)
Figure 16
whereas the heat rejected, Q
r
per unit mass of charge is given by
c
p(
T
4
T
1
)
and the thermal efficiency is given by
( )
( )
) 52 ( 1
2 3
1 4
T T c
T T c
v
p
th

) 53 (
1
1
1
2
3
2
1
4
1

,
_

,
_

T
T
T
T
T
T
Now
) 53 (
1
4
1
4
A r
V
V
T
T
v


As before,
) 54 (
2
3
2
3
p
r
p
p
T
T

And ) 55 (
1
2
1
1
2

,
_

r
V
V
T
T
The efficiency is therefore given by
( )
( )
) 56 (
1
1 1
1
1

p
v
th
r
r
r

If we denote the expansion ratio as V

4
/V
3
, we can rewrite the thermal efficiency as
( )
( )
) 57 (
1
1 1
1
1

v
v
e
th
r
r
r
Since the Atkinson cycle area under the P-V diagram is larger than the
corresponding Otto cycle, the efficiency, for the same compression ratio and heat input,
will be higher.
An engine can be built to make use of complete expansion, but the stroke length of
such an engine will be extremely long and will not be economically feasible to offset the
improvement in power and efficiency. Also, there are some operational problems with such
a cycle.
The Miller Cycle
This cycle, proposed by Ralph Miller, (Fig. 17), is applicable for engines with very early or
late closing of the inlet valve. If the valve closes before the piston reaches bottom center, at
point 1, the charge inside will first expand to point 7. Compression will be from point 7
through 1 to point 2. Work done in expansion from 1 to 7 is the same as the compression
work from point 7 to 1. The actual compression work will be from 1 to 2.
If the valve closes after the piston crosses the bottom center, it will do so again at
point 1. Compression will begin after the valve closes. For this case, process 1 to 7 and 7 to
1 will not exist.
The parameter, , is defined as the ratio of the expansion ratio r
e
to the compression
ratio, r
c
, thus:
Fig. 17
Fig. 17
(Equations 58-61)
The thermal efficiency of the Miller cycle is a function of the compression ratio, the
specific heat ratio, the expansion ratio and the heat added. The ratio of the Miller cycle
thermal efficiency and the equivalent Otto cycle thermal efficiency is plotted against in
Fig. 18 (Taken from Ferguson and Kirkpatrick
1
). For high values of , the Miller cycle is
more efficient. A plot of the ratio of indicated mean effective pressures of the two cycles
against (Fig.19, also taken from the same reference) shows that the Miller cycle is at a
significant disadvantage. This is because, as increases, the fraction of the displacement
volume that is filled with the inlet fuel-air mixture decreases, thereby decreasing the IMEP.
The decrease in the IMEP for the Miller cycle can be compensated by supercharging the
inlet mixture.
Figure 18
1
Ferguson and Kirkpatrick, Internal Combustion Engines, 2
nd
Ed., John Wiley & Sons New York, 2001
Figure 19
The Brayton Cycle
The Brayton cycle is also referred to as the Joule cycle or the gas turbine air cycle because
all modern gas turbines work on this cycle. However, if the Brayton cycle is to be used for
reciprocating piston engines, it requires two cylinders, one for compression and the other
for expansion. Heat addition may be carried out separately in a heat exchanger or within
the expander itself.
The pressure-volume and the corresponding temperature-entropy diagrams are
shown in Figs 20 and 21 respectively.
Fig. 20
Fig. 21
The cycle consists of an isentropic compression process, a constant pressure heat
addition process, an isentropic expansion process and a constant pressure heat rejection
process. Expansion is carried out till the pressure drops to the initial (atmospheric) value.
Heat supplied in the cycle, Q
s
, is given by
C
p
(T
3
T
2
)
Heat rejected in the cycle, Q
s
, is given by
C
p
(T
4
T
1
)
Hence the thermal efficiency of the cycle is given by
( )
( )
) 62 (
1
1
1
1
2
3
1
4
2
1
2 3
1 4

'

,
_

,
_

T
T
T
T
T
T
T T
T T
th

Now
4
3
1
4
3
1
1
2
1
2
T
T
p
p
p
p
T
T

,
_

,
_

And since
2
3
1
4
4
3
1
2
T
T
T
T
have we
T
T
T
T

Hence, substituting in Eq. 62, we get, assuming that r
p
is the pressure ratio p
2
/p
1
) 63 (
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
1

,
_

p
th
r
p
p
T
T
This is numerically equal to the efficiency of the Otto cycle if we put
1
1
1
2
2
1
1

,
_

,
_

r V
V
T
T
so that ) 63 (
1
1
1
A
r
th

where r is the volumetric compression ratio.

For gas turbines it is convenient to speak of pressure ratio p
2
/p
1
rather than the
compression ratio V
2
/V
1
unless we are talking of a reciprocating type of Brayton cycle
engine. Reciprocating engines that operate on this cycle would require a very long stroke
so that the working medium can expand to atmospheric pressure. This will increase the
friction power and hence reduce the brake power.
The heat addition at constant pressure of the Brayton cycle makes it more efficient
than the diesel cycle although the latter also has a constant pressure heat addition. This is
because expansion in the former cycle proceeds to atmospheric pressure rather than to a
higher pressure in the former cycle.
The spark ignition and compression ignition engines are more efficient than the gas
turbine. This is because the SI and the CI engines operate at higher peak cycle
temperatures. Moreover, the compression and expansion processes are more efficient in the
piston-cylinder system due to lower fluid friction and turbulence. On the other hand, the
mass flow rate through a gas turbine is much greater than that through a CI or SI engine;
hence the gas turbine is ideally suited for higher power than the CI engine. The gas turbine
may be provided with intercooling during compression, reheating during expansion, and
regeneration prior to heat addition. These are techniques used to increase the power and
efficiency of a simple gas turbine.
Gas turbines generally run at maximum fuel-air ratios that are about a quarter of the
chemically correct ratio. Hence, such cycles analysis may be carried out with Q = 2980/4
= 745 kJ/kg air. There is no concept of a clearance volume in a gas turbine so the value of
M
a
/M in eq. 32 is taken as unity.
For a gas turbine, the ratio of work per unit time (or power) to the volume of air at
inlet conditions (per unit time) or W/V
1
has units of pressure. Its significance is similar to
that of mean effective pressure in reciprocating engines.
A gas turbine cycle of the type described above, at the most, gives an idea of the
upper limit of possible cycle efficiency. It does not, however, predict the trends of real gas
turbine performance very well, even when the compressor, combustion chamber and
turbine efficiencies are assumed to be constant.
Comparison of Air Cycles
The Lenoir, Otto, Diesel, dual, Atkinson and Brayton cycles may be compared for
similar parametric conditions. In all these comparisons it is assumed that initial conditions
of pressure and temperature are identical. One of the parameters that may be kept the same
for all the cycles is the heat input. Another factor that may be kept the same is the
compression ratio, maximum pressure or maximum temperature. Another set of factors that
can be kept the same are the temperature and pressure. In the case of the dual cycle, another
comparison is on the basis of different proportions of heat added at constant pressure
relative to heat added at constant volume.
Same Compression Ratio and Heat Input
It is already seen that adding heat at constant volume results in the highest maximum
pressure and temperature for the Otto and Atkinson cycles. Adding heat at constant
pressure results in the lowest maximum temperature and pressure for the constant pressure
Diesel cycle. The corresponding values for the dual cycle lie in between those for the Otto
and Diesel cycles.
This is seen Fig. 22, which gives the pressure-volume diagrams for all cycles
except the Lenoir cycle which has no compression therefore no compression ratio. The
Fig 22
Lenoir cycle (with the same heat input) has a peak temperature between the Otto and Diesel
cycles but a displacement volume of about 6.6 times that of the other cycles.
In the temperature-entropy diagram shown in Fig. 23, the area under a curve
represents the heat (added or rejected as the case may be). For the Otto, dual and Diesel
cycles, the area under the lower constant volume line represents the heat rejected, between
the entropy limits of any given cycle. From Fig. 23, it is seen that the area under the heat
rejected curve is the least for the Otto cycle and the highest for the Diesel cycle, while for
the limited pressure (dual) cycle, it lies in between. Since the heat rejected by the Otto
cycle is the lowest, and
added heat
rejected heat
1
,
Fig. 23
it the most efficient while the Diesel is the least efficient because in this cycle, the heat
rejected is the highest. The efficiency of the dual cycle lies in between. This explains why a
petrol engine will be more efficient than a diesel engine if the compression ratio is the
same. Unfortunately, a diesel engine cannot have the same compression ratio as that of a
petrol engine because the diesel fuel would not be able to auto-ignite. However, it is clear
from the foregoing in any engine, the addition of heat should be such that maximum
possible expansion of the working fluid should occur in order to obtain the maximum
thermal efficiency.
When comparing the constant-pressure heat rejection curves of the Brayton,
Atkinson and Lenoir cycles, the heat rejection is the highest for the Lenoir and hence its
efficiency is the lowest. Thus, the relative values of the heat rejection (in ascending order)
and the corresponding thermal efficiency (in descending order) are as follows: Atkinson,
Otto, Brayton (numerically equal to that of the Otto), dual, Diesel, and Lenoir cycles. The
main reason why the diesel cycle is at a disadvantage is its lower isentropic expansion
ratio.
Fig. 24
Same Maximum Pressure and Heat Input
A comparison of all the cycles except the Lenoir air cycle with the same maximum
pressure and heat input, as seen in Fig. 24, indicates that the heat rejected is the lowest for
the Brayton cycle and the highest for the Otto cycle. The relative order of efficiencies (in
ascending order is as follows: Otto, Atkinson, dual, diesel, and Brayton cycles. The Lenoir
cycle would not be feasible because the temperatures reached at the end of combustion
would be extremely high. A much lower compression ratio must be used with the Otto and
Atkinson cycles than with the Brayton and diesel cycles in order to attain the same
maximum pressure. The compression ratio for the dual cycle will lie in between.
This explains why the diesel engine (which follows the dual cycle more closely) is
more efficient than a petrol engine. In a real engine, the maximum pressures would be
comparable and so also the heat inputs because the heating values of the two fuels are more
or less similar.
Same Maximum Temperature and Heat Input
The same conclusion as in the previous case can be obtained in this case, that is, the Otto
cycle is the least efficient and the Brayton is the most efficient. Here also the compression
ratio of the Otto and Atkinson cycles will have to be kept much lower than that of the
Brayton and Diesel cycles. The dual cycle case falls in between.
Same Maximum Pressure and Maximum Temperature
For this case, the heat rejected for those cycles where the heat is rejected at constant
volume is the same. However, the heat added in the diesel cycle is the highest, making it
the most efficient cycle, followed by the dual and Otto cycles. The heat rejected for those
cycles where the heat is rejected at constant pressure will be lower, and since the heat
added in the Brayton cycle is higher than that for the Atkinson cycle, the Brayton cycle is
the most efficient of them all, followed by the Atkinson, Diesel, dual and Otto cycles. The
compression ratio in the Diesel cycle will be higher than that of the Otto.
Same Maximum Pressure and Output
While the temperature-entropy plots are best suited for comparing cycles on the basis of
heat input and temperatures, the pressure-volume diagram is best suited for comparing
cycles on the basis of pressure and work output. The temperature-entropy diagram would
nevertheless be still required in order to determine the efficiency. The temperature-entropy
curves will be similar to the case of same maximum pressure and same heat input. Hence
the order of efficiency will be the same, that is Otto, Atkinson, dual, Diesel, and Brayton
cycles.
Additional Information on the Miller Cycle
Taken from Everything2.com:-
The Miller Cycle, developed by American engineer Ralph Miller in the 1940's, is a modified Otto
Cycle that improves fuel efficiency by 10%-20%. It relies on a supercharger/turbocharger, and
takes advantage of the superchargers greater efficiency at low compression levels. As with
other forced induction engines more power can be had from a smaller engine, but without the
efficiency penalties usually associated with forced induction (e.g. a Miller Cycle v6 can get the
power of a v8 yet still retain the fuel efficiency of a v6).
During the intake stroke the supercharger overcharges the cylinder with fuel and air, and
during the first bit of the compression stroke the intake valves are left open and some of the
overcharge is pushed out. While the overcharge is being forced out and until the intake valves
close the piston isn't pushing against anything and in effect the compression stroke is
shortened compared to the 'normal' power stroke. While the supercharger normally employed
does use some of the engines power, it's much less than the power saved from the shortened
compression stroke. The lower friction associated with the smaller engine also improves
efficiency
Taken from Wikipedia:-
A traditional Otto cycle engine uses four "strokes", of which two can be considered "high
power" the compression stroke (high power consumption) and power stroke (high power
production). Much of the internal power loss of an engine is due to the energy needed to
compress the charge during the compression stroke, so systems that reduce this power
consumption can lead to greater efficiency.
In the Miller cycle, the intake valve is left open longer than it would be in an Otto cycle engine.
In effect, the compression stroke is two discrete cycles: the initial portion when the intake
valve is open and final portion when the intake valve is closed. This two-stage intake stroke
creates the so called "fifth" cycle that the Miller cycle introduces. As the piston initially moves
upwards in what is traditionally the compression stroke, the charge is partially expelled back
out the still-open intake valve. Typically this loss of charge air would result in a loss of power.
However, in the Miller cycle, this is compensated for by the use of a supercharger. The
supercharger typically will need to be of the positive displacement type due its ability to
produce boost at relatively low engine speeds. Otherwise, low-rpm torque will suffer.
A key aspect of the Miller cycle is that the compression stroke actually starts only after the
piston has pushed out this "extra" charge and the intake valve closes. This happens at around
20% to 30% into the compression stroke. In other words, the actual compression occurs in the
latter 70% to 80% of the compression stroke. The piston gets the same resulting compression
as it would in a standard Otto cycle engine for less work.
To understand the reason for the delay in closing the intake valve, consider the action of the
crankshaft, piston and connecting rod in creating a mechanical advantage. At bottom dead
center ("BDC") or top dead center ("TDC"), the rotational axis of the crank comes into
alignment with the wrist pin, and the big end of the crank. When these three points (rotational
axis of the crank, wrist pin center, and big end center) are in alignment, there is no lever arm
to create or use rotational energy. But as the crank rotates a bit, the big end of the crank
moves away from alignment with the other two points, creating the mechanical leverage
needed to do the work of compression. By delaying the closing of the inlet port, compression
of the air in the cylinder is delayed to a point where the crankshaft is once again very
effective. In the meantime, the air charge has been easily pushed out of the cylinder and back
upstream in the inlet tract where it meets the pressurized charge from the supercharger head-
on, causing the inlet pressure to increase just as the inlet port closes. In the inlet tract, the
supercharger continues to add pressure until the inlet valve opens again. The net gain comes
from moving the work of compression away from the most inefficient region of the crank
rotation, namely the rotation near BDC, and letting the work of compression be done during
the near-BDC period by the more efficient Supercharger. This trick of inlet timing and
compression allows the crank to turn freely around BDC and makes Miller Cycle engines free
revving and fuel efficient.
The Miller cycle results in an advantage as long as the supercharger can compress the charge
using less energy than the piston would use to do the same work. Over the entire compression
range required by an engine, the supercharger is used to generate low levels of compression,
where it is most efficient. Then, the piston is used to generate the remaining higher levels of
compression, operating in the range where it is more efficient than a supercharger. Thus the
Miller cycle uses the supercharger for the portion of the compression where it is best, and the
piston for the portion where it is best. In total, this reduces the power needed to run the
engine by 10% to 15%. To this end, successful production engines using this cycle have
typically used variable valve timing to effectively switch off the Miller cycle in regions of
operation where it does not offer an advantage.
In a typical spark ignition engine, the Miller cycle yields an additional benefit. The intake air is
first compressed by the supercharger and then cooled by an intercooler. This lower intake
charge temperature, combined with the lower compression of the intake stroke, yields a lower
final charge temperature than would be obtained by simply increasing the compression of the
piston. This allows ignition timing to be advanced beyond what is normally allowed before the
onset of detonation, thus increasing the overall efficiency still further.
An additonal advantage of the lower final charge temperature is that the emission of NOx in
diesel engines is decreased, which is an important design parameter in large diesel engines on
board ships and power plants.
Efficiency is increased by raising the compression ratio. In a typical gasoline engine, the
compression ratio is limited due to self-ignition (detonation) of the compressed, and therefore
hot, air/fuel mixture. Due to the reduced compression stroke of a Miller cycle engine, a higher
overall cylinder pressure (supercharger pressure plus mechanical compression) is possible,
and therefore a Miller cycle engine has better efficiency.
The benefits of utilizing positive displacement superchargers come with a cost. 15% to 20% of
the power generated by a supercharged engine is usually required to do the work of driving
the supercharger, which compresses the intake charge (also known as boost).