Exergetic assessment of a turbocharged stationary diesel engine

An exergetic analysis is presented of a turbocharged stationary diesel engine with a power output of about 19 MW. The system studied consists of a diesel engine, a turbine, a compressor, an intercooler and a radiator. The sites of exergy destructions are identified and quantified and the exergy efficiencies of various components determined. The exergy efficiency of the engine is found to be 40.5% at the specified reference state. The greatest exergy destruction occurs in the engine itself, which account for 84% of total exergy destruction in the system. A parametric investigation shows that the exergy losses of all system components increase with increasing reference-environment temperature. The results provide valuable information regarding the exergetic characteristics of turbocharged stationary diesel engines and appear to be useful for designers. The use of turbocharged stationary diesel engines has increased considerably in recent years as potential small-scale power generating solutions and in vehicle applications, due to their good power output, which helps overcome problems associated with some extreme operating conditions.