Ericsson Cycle - Ideal Ericsson Cycle

Ideal Ericsson Cycle

The following is a list of the four processes that occur between the four stages of the ideal Ericsson cycle:

• Process 1 -> 2: Isothermal compression. The compression space is assumed to be intercooled, so the gas undergoes isothermal compression. The compressed air flows into a storage tank at constant pressure. In the ideal cycle, there is no heat transfer across the tank walls.
• Process 2 -> 3: Isobaric heat addition. From the tank, the compressed air flows through the regenerator and picks up heat at a high constant-pressure on the way to the heated power-cylinder.
• Process 3 -> 4: Isothermal expansion. The power-cylinder expansion-space is heated externally, and the gas undergoes isothermal expansion.
• Process 4 -> 1: Isobaric heat removal. Before the air is released as exhaust, it is passed back through the regenerator, thus cooling the gas at a low constant pressure, and heating the regenerator for the next cycle.