Dynamic Robustness and Thermodynamic Optimization in a Non-Endoreversible Curzon–Ahlborn Engine

Abstract

In this work we analyze the stability of a non-endoreversible Curzon–Ahlborn engine, taking into account the engine's implicit time delays. When comparing the system's dynamic stability with its thermodynamic properties (efficiency and power output), we find that the temperature ratio τ = T₂/T₁ (T₁ > T₂ being the temperatures of the external heat reservoirs) represents a trade-off between stability and energetic properties. This result is in agreement with previous studies of the endoreversible Curzon–Ahlborn engine. The only dierence is that, in the non-endoreversible case, τ can only increase up to R (with R < 1, a parameter measuring the degree of internal irreversibilities), while in the endoreversible case it can grow up to one. Finally, we demonstrate that the total time delay does not destabilize the system steady-state, regardless of its length, and thus it does not seem to play a role in the dynamic-thermodynamic property trade-off.