The, K., S. Miller, and C. Edwards. 2008. Thermodynamic requirements for maximum internal combustion engine cycle efficiency. Part 1: optimal combustion strategy. International Journal of Engine Research 9, 449-465.
In the article Thermodynamic Requirements for Maximum Internal Combustion Engine Cycle Efficiency, The et al. 2009 argue that equilibrium dynamics dictate the amount of exergy destroyed due to combustion in internal combustions engines. The article is the first of a two-part study examining the requirements to maximize the internal combustion engine cycle efficiency. The article represents the findings of an original study conducted by the authors, where they provided results that allows determining the optimal strategy for an optimal work output of the internal combustion engine.
The article, although a part of a two-part study, is self-sufficient, in terms of the purpose and the methods used in an investigation. The development of the study is common for scholarly research, where authors start with introducing the problem, providing an overview of relevant literature, in which the main investigated concepts are presented, provide their analysis of the problem through calculations, and finalize it with the findings and their implications.
Transferred to the context of their paper, the stated problem is the low efficiency of the internal combustion (IC) engine (Section 1). The review of the literature covers the sources of the inefficiency of the engine according to the laws of thermodynamics, combining the overview with introducing and defining the important terms and notions, such as resource exergy, thermodynamic constraints, etc (Section 1.1). The overview is accompanied by supported tables, showing the examined terms regarding known fuels. To investigate the optimal solution, the article separately examines through analyzing the variables of several equations, after which an assertion can be made.
An example can be seen through providing the equation of the balance in a thermodynamic system and then building the argument through manipulating the variables affecting the constant UV equilibrium (Section 2-3). The aforementioned sections are supported through graphs outlining the analysis process, where the optimal points for minimizations strategies are shown. In the following sections 4 and 5, the article transfers the theory into practice outlining the constraints that are not covered in the theoretical assumptions, such as the homogeneity of gasses, and losses due to heat transfers. Finally, the findings of each section are summarized into two distinct implications of the optimal solutions, which are the reactant and product thermodynamic states at the start and the end of combustion, and the optimal IC engine operating cycle element composition (Section 6).
The support of the arguments can be mainly seen through the theory of thermodynamics, and the assumptions related to literature, based on which the variables are manipulated. The referencing style can be seen as a bit confusing as the authors used endnotes, and thus following the references will require looking at the end of the article. The language used in the article can be seen two-fold, where on the one hand, the problem statement, assumptions, findings, and conclusions, are written in an accessible language, extending the potential target audience of the article. On the other hand, the methods of supporting their assumptions require a solid background in the subject, limiting the analysis process to be understood by a specific audience. The usage of headers as well as devoting a section (1.3) for explaining the outline of the article facilitates understanding the flow of the paper. In addition, each section is defined in the opening paragraph, covering the main points that will be examined.
It can be concluded that the originality of the work, and its importance to the theoretical framework of understanding the effectiveness of IC engines, all contribute to the significance of this resource to the subject of internal combustion engines.
References
Teh, K., S. Miller, and C. Edwards. 2008. Thermodynamic requirements for maximum internal combustion engine cycle efficiency. Part 1: optimal combustion strategy. International Journal of Engine Research 9, 449-465. Web.