INFLUENCE OF INTERNAL HEAT LEAK ON THE POWER VERSUS EFFICIENCY CHARACTERISTICS OF HEAT ENGINES

The influence of an internal heat leak on the optimal performance of h eat engines is examined in this paper. The relation between optimal po wer output and efficiency for a steady state irreversible heat engine with irreversibilities due to external heat resistance and internal he at leak is derived. The power versus efficiency characteristics obtain ed in this paper are qualitatively different from those of an endoreve rsible heat engine. The characteristics are also in good agreement wit h those of a real heat engine. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.