Historically, a succession of thermodynamic processes has been used to idealize the operating cycles of internal combustion engines. In this study, the 256 possible combinations of four reversible processes-isentropic, isothermal, isochoric, and isobaric-are surveyed in search of cycles promising superior thermal efficiency. Regenerative cycles are excluded. The established concept of the air-standard cycle, which mimics the internal combustion engine as a closed-cycle heat engine, is used to narrow the field systematically. The approach relies primarily on graphical interpretation of approximate temperature-entropy diagrams and is qualitative only. In addition to identifying the cycles offering the greatest efficiency potential, the compromise between thermal efficiency and mean effective pressure is addressed.
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