Exergy Analysis of

Thermodynamic Cycles
-Harssh Mathhur
Why Exergy is important
• Exergy analysis is a practical and useful tool for such activities, with many
engineers and scientists suggesting that exergy analysis is a highly effective
method for evaluating and enhancing thermodynamic performance, and
superior to energy analysis.
• It is widely used to point out inefficiencies in the system, to identify the cause
and location of it and implement effective method to do this.
• It helps to achieve better design capabilities, better analysis, better utilization of
resource and also work out the cost effectiveness.
1: Paper on Exergy Analysis of Power and
Cooling Cycle
•The combined power and cooling cycle combines a Rankine Cycle and Absorption refrigeration
Cycle (using Ammonia-Water as working Fluid.
•AIM : To study the effect of Pressure Ratio, ammonia mass fraction at the absorber and turbine
efficiency on the total exergy destruction of the cycle.
•Method : To simulate a Thermodynamic Model using MATLAB.
•Ammonia-water mixtures have proven to be more effective in producing power as well as
cooling.
•They utilize low-temperature waste heat and also increase the efficiency of the system.
1: Paper on Exergy Analysis of Power and
Cooling Cycle
•Kalina cycle was found to be more effective (1.35 – 1.5 times) than the conventional Rankine
Cycle.
•It was found out that the temperature at the separator and the composition at the turbine inlet
are the key parameters for optimizing the Kalina cycle.
• The Kalina cycle uses the conventional condensation process by exchanging heat with the
environment, it puts a constraint on the lowest temperature of the working fluid exiting the
turbine. This constraint can be relaxed if an absorption condensation process is employed.
• Goswami cycle has the advantages of the Kalina cycle but removes the constraints of both the
Kalina, and the Rogdakis and Antonopoulos cycles (triple cycle system – replaced the
distillationecondensation stages of the Kalina cycle with an absorption condensation process.)
• First and second law analysis of the cycle and found that the combined power and refrigeration
cycle can give a second law efficiency as high as 65.8%
In the present paper an exergy analysis is performed and the exergy destruction in each
component of the Goswami cycle was calculated and compared for different absorber ammonia
mass fraction, turbine efficiencies and pressure ratio.
1: Paper on Exergy Analysis of Power and
Cooling Cycle
Simulation Parameter
• Efficiencies of the turbine and the pump were 85 and 80%, respectively
• Strong solution concentration was 0.437 (Ammonia mass fraction)
• Minimum temperature difference for each heat exchanger was 5 C
• Rectifier temperature was 108.5 C
• Reference temperature and pressure were 17 C and 1 atm respectively
• Pressure drops were neglected.
 1: Paper on Exergy Analysis of Power and
Cooling Cycle
In order, parametric analysis, steady state energy, mass and exergy balance were applied for
each cycle component.
• This figure shows that the absorber, the boiler and the turbine are the key components with the
highest contribution to the total exergy destruction.
•
1: Paper on Exergy Analysis of Power and
Cooling Cycle
• Total exergy destruction decreases when pressure ratio increases.
• The increase of the turbine efficiency reduces the total exergy destruction.
• The use of internal cooling source (case I) rather than external cooling source (case II) is
recommended for a more efficient energy-resource.
• The superheater condition reduces the exergy destruction of the cycle for high turbine
efficiencies
2: Exergetic Analysis of Aircraft Engine
Exergy analysis has been applied to an advanced hypersonic vehicle, with two main scopes:
◦ To enhance the exergy approach to the design and optimization of aerospace propulsion systems,
through the use of exergy flow diagram that provides aircraft engineers and systemdesigners with
insights into avoidable and unavoidable systemic losses, and
◦ To explore the limits and merits of fuelling options for a scramjet-powered aircraft.
The effects are studied of jet velocity and interair temperature, on entropy generation and exergy
efficiency, with the aid of a simulation program developed for this study.

The J85-GE-21 turbojet engine is designed for F-5 fighter aircraft models F and E by General Electric in the US and
now is used on this aircraft. A J85-GE-21 turbojet engine is shown in fig. 1, where the main parts are: diffuser,
compressor, combustion chamber, turbine, afterburner, and nozzle.
2: Exergetic Analysis of Aircraft Engine
2: Exergetic Analysis of Aircraft Engine
2: Exergetic Analysis of Aircraft Engine
• Temperatures, pressures, mass flow rates, kinetic, physical and chemical exergy rates for various
parts of engine at sea level and 200 m/s aircraft velocity are shown in tab. 1.

• Exergy efficiencies and entropy generation rates for the components of the engine at sealevel
and 200 m/s speed are shown in figs. 3 and 4, respectively.

•The highest component exergy efficiency is exhibited by the compressor at 96.7%.

• To determine the effect of aircraft engine velocity on entropy production rate and exergy
efficiency, the engine velocity is reduced from 200 m/s to 100 m/s and
2: Exergetic Analysis of Aircraft Engine
The highest component exergy efficiency is observed at sea level for the compressor (96.7%),
followed by the nozzle (93.7%), and turbine (92.3%). Similarly, the highest exergy efficiency at an
altitude of 11,000 mis exhibited by the compressor (95.7%), followed by thenozzle (94.8%), and
the diffuser (90.5%).
The lowest component exergy efficiency at sea level is observed for the afterburner (54.8%),
followed by the combustion chamber (80.4%). Correspondingly, the entropy production rates at
sea level indicate that the most irreversible process is the afterburner, followed by the
combustion chamber and nozzle.
Reducing aircraft velocity at sea level reduces the exergy efficiency of the aircraft engineand its
components.
The aircraft engine exergy efficiency is reduced 0.45% per centigrade degree increase in inlet air
temperature.
References
1. www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ : Importance of exergy for analysis, improvement, design

2. www.azocleanteh.com/ : An Introduction to Exergy - AZoCleantech.com

3. Exergy analysis of a combined power and cooling cycle.

Armando Fontalvo, Horacio Pinzon, Jorge Duarte, Antonio Bula, Arturo Gonzalez Quiroga, Ricardo
Vasquez Padilla*
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia

4. EXERGETIC ANALYSIS OF AN AIRCRAFT TURBOJET ENGINE WITH AN AFTERBURNER

Mehdi Aliehyaei EHYAEI, Abdolhasan ANJIRIDEZFULI, and Mark A. ROSEN