Td. Navarretegonzalez et al., A MUSER-CURZON-AHLBORN ENGINE MODEL FOR PHOTOTHERMAL CONVERSION, Journal of physics. D, Applied physics, 30(17), 1997, pp. 2490-2496
We study a photothermal engine resulting from a combination of a Muser
engine with an endoreversible Curzon-Ahlbom cycle. This model was pro
posed by De Vos as an approach to a certain class of photothermal conv
ersion devices. We analyse that engine with and without solar concentr
ators. We find that typical performance quantities such as the power o
utput, entropy production, engine efficiency and solar conversion effi
ciency are functions both of the collector's temperature and of the co
ncentration factor. For the case of an engine with concentrators, we f
ind that there is an optimum value for the concentration factor if one
wishes to maximize both the solar energy efficiency and a parameter m
easuring a compromise between the engine's efficiency and the solar co
nversion efficiency.