A class of irreversible Carnot refrigeration cycles with a general heat transfer law

Abstract

The performance of a class of irreversible Carnot refrigeration cycles operating between two heat reservoirs at a low temperature T_L and a high temperature T_H, for which the only irreversibility results from the finite rate of heat conduction, is studied. The relation between the optimal rate of refrigeration and the coefficient of performance of these cycles is derived, based on a general heat transfer law. Moreover, the optimal performance of these cycles is discussed and the effect of different heat transfer laws on the optimal performance is investigated. Consequently, some new and useful results for refrigeration cycles are obtained.