Thermodynamic analysis of solar-driven irreversible intercooled regenerated reheated Brayton cycle system

Using an irreversible solar-driven Brayton heat engine system under constant temperature as study object, which consisted of a solar collector and the model of an intercooled regenerated reheated Brayton cycle system according to thermodynamic theory and method. Taking the overall efficiency of the system as the objective function, the effect of solar radiation intensity and concentration ratio, high and low temperature heat exchanger effectiveness, compressor and turbine efficiency, intermediate and total pressure ratio on total system efficiency was analyzed and calculated. The results show that there are optimum operating temperature of solar collector and corresponding maximum overall efficiency for the system. When the solar collector efficiency is constant, the total efficiency of the system increases with increase of solar radiation intensity and concentration ratio. Under the same working temperature, improving the heat exchanger in low temperature side will increase total system efficiency more, and improving the efficiency of the compressor can improve the total efficiency of the system more. The overall efficiency may reach their maximum value by optimizing the intermediate pressure ratio, there exists an optimum total pressure ratio for the system operation. ©, 2014, Science Press. All right reserved.