Brayton cycle

The Brayton cycle is a thermodynamic cycle that de-

scribes the workings of a constant pressure heat engine.
Gas turbine engines and airbreathing jet engines use the
Brayton cycle. Although the Brayton cycle is usually run
as an open system (and indeed must be run as such if in-
ternal combustion is used), it is conventionally assumed
for the purposes of thermodynamic analysis that the ex-
haust gases are reused in the intake, enabling analysis as
a closed system.
The engine cycle is named after George Brayton (1830–
1892), the American engineer who developed it, although
it was originally proposed and patented by Englishman
John Barber in 1791.[1] It is also sometimes known as the
Joule cycle. The Ericsson cycle is similar to the Brayton
cycle but uses external heat and incorporates the use of a this Brayton cycle piston engine was made from historical draw-
ings and pictures
regenerator. There are two types of Brayton cycles, open
to the atmosphere and using internal combustion chamber
or closed and using a heat exchanger. entered the expander cylinder. The first versions of the
Brayton engine mixed vaporized fuel with air as it en-
tered the compressor by means of a heated-surface carbu-
1 History retor.,[2] The fuel / air was contained in a reservoir / tank
and then it was admitted to the expansion cylinder and
burned. As the fuel / air mixture entered the expansion
cylinder it was ignited by a pilot flame. A screen was used
to prevent the fire from entering / returning to the reser-
voir. In early versions of the engine, this screen some-
times failed and an explosion would occur, but in 1874
Brayton solved the explosion problem by adding the fuel
just prior to the expander cylinder. The engine now used
heavier fuels such as kerosine and fuel oil. Ignition re-
mained pilot flame.[3] Brayton produced and sold “Ready
Motors” to perform a variety of tasks like water pumping,
mill operation, even marine propulsion. Critics of the day
claimed the engines ran smoothly and had an efficiency
of about 17%.[4]
Brayton cycle engines were some of the first internal com-
bustion engines used for motive power. In 1881 John
Holland used a Brayton engine to power the world’s first
successful self-propelled submarine, the Fenian Ram.
John Philip Holland's submarine is preserved in the
Paterson Museum in the Old Great Falls Historic District
of Paterson, New Jersey.[5]
In 1878, George B. Selden produced the first internal
Brayton Ready Motor combustion automobile. Inspired by the internal com-
bustion engine invented by George Brayton displayed at
In 1872, George Brayton applied for a patent for his the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, Selden
“Ready Motor,” a reciprocating constant pressure engine. began working on a smaller lighter version, succeeding
The engine used a separate piston compressor and ex- by 1878, some eight years before the public introduction
pander, with compressed air heated by internal fire as it of the Benz Patent Motorwagen in Europe. The Selden

1
2 2 MODELS

1. a gas compressor

2. a burner (or combustion chamber)

3. an expansion turbine

Ideal Brayton cycle:

1. isentropic process - ambient air is drawn into the

compressor, where it is pressurized.

2. isobaric process - the compressed air then runs

through a combustion chamber, where fuel is
burned, heating that air—a constant-pressure pro-
cess, since the chamber is open to flow in and out.
George B Selden driving automobile in 1905
3. isentropic process - the heated, pressurized air then
gives up its energy, expanding through a turbine (or
auto was powered by a 3-cylinder, 400-pound version series of turbines). Some of the work extracted by
of the Brayton Cycle engine which featured an enclosed the turbine is used to drive the compressor.
crankshaft. Selden designed and constructed the engine
with the help of Rochester machinist Frank H. Clement 4. isobaric process - heat rejection (in the atmosphere).
and his assistant William Gomm. He filed for a patent on
May 8, 1879 (in a historical cross of people, the witness Actual Brayton cycle:
Selden chose was a local bank-teller, George Eastman,
later to become famous for the Kodak camera[6] ). His 1. adiabatic process - compression.
application included not only the engine but its use in a 4
wheeled car. He then filed a series of amendments to his 2. isobaric process - heat addition.
application which stretched out the legal process resulting
in a delay of 16 years before the patent[7] was granted on 3. adiabatic process - expansion.
November 5, 1895. Henry Ford fought the Selden patent. 4. isobaric process - heat rejection.
Ford argued his cars used the four-stroke Otto cycle and
not the Brayton engine shown used in the Selden auto.
Since neither the compression nor the expansion can
Ford won the appeal of the original case.
be truly isentropic, losses through the compressor and
the expander represent sources of inescapable working
inefficiencies. In general, increasing the compression ra-
2 Models tio is the most direct way to increase the overall power
output of a Brayton system.[8]
A Brayton-type engine consists of three components:
The efficiency of the ideal Brayton cycle is η = 1 − TT21 =
( )(γ−1)/γ
1. a compressor 1− P 1
P2 , where γ is the heat capacity ratio.[9]
2. a mixing chamber Figure 1 indicates how the cycle efficiency changes with
an increase in pressure ratio. Figure 2 indicates how the
3. an expander specific power output changes with an increase in the gas
turbine inlet temperature for two different pressure ratio
In the original 19th-century Brayton engine, ambient air values.
is drawn into a piston compressor, where it is compressed; The highest temperature in the cycle occurs at the end of
ideally an isentropic process. The compressed air then the combustion process, and it is limited by the maximum
runs through a mixing chamber where fuel is added, an temperature that the turbine blades can withstand. This
isobaric process. The pressurized air and fuel mixture is also limits the pressure ratios that can be used in the cycle.
then ignited in an expansion cylinder and energy is re- For a fixed turbine inlet temperature, the net work output
leased, causing the heated air and combustion products per cycle increases with the pressure ratio (thus the ther-
to expand through a piston/cylinder; another ideally isen- mal efficiency) and the net work output. With less work
tropic process. Some of the work extracted by the pis- output per cycle, a larger mass flow rate (thus a larger sys-
ton/cylinder is used to drive the compressor through a tem) is needed to maintain the same power output, which
crankshaft arrangement. may not be economical. In most common designs, the
The term Brayton cycle has more recently been given to pressure ratio of a gas turbine ranges from about 11 to
the gas turbine engine. This also has three components: 16.[10]
 3

constraints are somewhat alleviated, enabling much

higher reheat temperatures (about 2000 °C). Reheat
is most often used to improve the specific power (per
throughput of air), and is usually associated with
a drop in efficiency, this effect is especially pro-
nounced in afterburners due to the extreme amounts
of extra fuel used.
• Overspray, wherein, after a first compressor stage,
water is injected into the compressor, thus increas-
ing the mass-flow inside the compressor, increasing
the turbine output power significantly and reduc-
ing compressor outlet temperatures.[11] In a second
compressor stage the water is completely converted
to a gas form, offering some intercooling via its la-
tent heat of vaporization.

Figur1: Brayton cycle efficiency

4 Methods to improve efficiency
The efficiency of a Brayton engine can be improved in the
following manners:

• Increasing pressure ratio - As Figure 1 above shows,

increasing the pressure ratio increases the efficiency
of the Brayton cycle. This is analogous to the in-
crease of efficiency seen in the Otto cycle when the
compression ratio is increased. However, there are
practical limits when it comes to increasing the pres-
sure ratio. First of all, increasing the pressure ra-
tio increases the compressor discharge temperature.
This can cause the temperature of the gasses leav-
ing the combustor to exceed the metallurgical limits
of the turbine. Also, the diameter of the compressor
blades becomes progressively smaller in higher pres-
sure stages of the compressor. Because the gap be-
tween the blades and the engine casing increases in
size as a percentage of the compressor blade height
Figure2: Brayton cycle specific power output
as the blades get smaller in diameter, a greater per-
centage of the compressed air can leak back past the
3 Methods to increase power blades in higher pressure stages. This causes a drop
in compressor efficiency, and is most likely to occur
in smaller gas turbines (since blades are inherently
The power output of a Brayton engine can be improved smaller to begin with). Finally, as can be seen in
in the following manners: Figure 1, the efficiency levels off as pressure ratio
increases. Hence, there is little to gain by increas-
• Reheat, wherein the working fluid—in most cases ing the pressure ratio further if it is already at a high
air—expands through a series of turbines, then is level.
passed through a second combustion chamber be-
fore expanding to ambient pressure through a fi- • Recuperator[12] - If the Brayton cycle is run at a low
nal set of turbines. This has the advantage of in- pressure ratio and a high temperature increase in
creasing the power output possible for a given com- the combustion chamber, the exhaust gas (after the
pression ratio without exceeding any metallurgical second turbine) might still be hotter than the com-
constraints (typically about 1000 °C). The use of pressed inlet gas (after the first turbine). In that case,
an afterburner for jet aircraft engines can also be a heat exchanger can be used to transfer thermal en-
referred to as “reheat"; it is a different process in ergy from the exhaust to the already compressed gas,
that the reheated air is expanded through a thrust before it enters the combustion chamber. The ther-
nozzle rather than a turbine. The metallurgical mal energy transferred is effectively re-used, thus
4 7 REFERENCES

increasing efficiency. However, this form of heat 5.2 Solar Brayton cycle
recycling is only possible, if the engine is run in a
low efficiency mode with low pressure ratio in the In 2002 a hybrid open solar Brayton cycle was operated
first place. for the first time consistently and effectively with rele-
Note, that transferring heat from the outlet (after vant papers published, in the frame of the EU SOLGATE
the last turbine) to the inlet (before the first turbine) program.[13] The air was heated from 570 K to over 1000
would reduce efficiency, as hotter inlet air means K into the combustor chamber. Further hybridization
more volume and thus more work for the compres- was achieved during the EU Solhyco project running a
sor turbine. For engines with liquid cryogenic fuels, hybridized Brayton cycle with solar energy and Biodiesel
namely Hydrogen, it might be feasible, though, to only.[14] This technology was scaled up to 4.6MW within
use the fuel to cool the inlet air before compression the project Solugas located near Seville where it is cur-
to increase efficiency. This concept is extensively rently demonstrated at pre-commercial scale.[15]
studied for the SABRE engine.

• A Brayton engine also forms half of the 'combined 5.3 Reverse Brayton cycle
cycle' system, which combines with a Rankine en-
gine to further increase overall efficiency. However,A Brayton cycle that is driven in reverse, via net work
input, and when air is the working fluid, is the air
although this increases overall efficiency, it does not
actually increase the efficiency of the Brayton cyclerefrigeration cycle or Bell Coleman cycle. Its purpose is
itself. to move heat, rather than produce work. This air cooling
technique is used widely in jet aircraft for air conditioning
• Cogeneration systems make use of the waste heat systems utilizing air tapped from the engine compressors.
from Brayton engines, typically for hot water pro-
duction or space heating.
6 See also
5 Variants • George Brayton / inventor

5.1 Closed Brayton cycle • Selden Automobile

• Gerotor

• Heat engine

• HVAC

7 References
C T
[1] according to Gas Turbine History

[2] Frank A. Taylor (1939), “Catalog of the Mechanical Col-

lections Of The Division Of Engineering”, United States
National Museum Bulletin 173 (United States Government
Printing Office): 147

[3] “IMPROVEMENT IN GAS-ENGINES (Patent no.

125166)". Google Patent Search. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
Closed Brayton cycle [4] “IMPROVEMENT IN GAS-ENGINES (Patent no.
C compressor and T turbine assembly 125166)". Google Patent Search. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
w high-temperature heat exchanger
ʍ low-temperature heat exchanger [5] “Holland Submarines”. Paterson Friends of the Great
~ mechanical load, e.g. electric generator Falls. Retrieved 2007-07-29.

A closed Brayton cycle recirculates the working fluid, the [6] Weiss, H. Eugene (2003). Chrysler, Ford, Durant, and
air expelled from the turbine is reintroduced into the com- Sloan. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-1611-4.
pressor, this cycle uses a heat exchanger to heat the work-
[7] US 549160 patent.pdf
ing fluid instead of an internal combustion chamber. The
closed Brayton cycle is used for example in closed-cycle [8] Lester C. Lichty, Combustion Engine Processes, 1967,
gas turbine and space power generation. McGraw-Hill, Inc., Lib.of Congress 67-10876
 5

[9] http://web.mit.edu/16.unified/www/SPRING/
propulsion/notes/node27.html Ideal cycle equations,
MIT lecture notes

[10] Çengel, Yunus A., and Michael A. Boles. “9-8.” Thermo-

dynamics: An Engineering Approach. 7th ed. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 2011. 508-09. Print.

[11] http://www.max-boost.co.uk/max-boost/resources/docs/
SwirlFlash_WI.pdf

[12] “Brayton Thermodynamic Cycle”.

[13] Research

[14] Solhyco.com Retrieved 2012-01-09

[15] Solugas.EU Retrieved 2014-11-09

8 External links
• Today in Science article on Brayton Engine
• http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/
GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=
JSEEDO000126000003000872000001&idtype=
cvips&gifs=yes
• http://elib.dlr.de/46328/

• Test and evaluation of a solar powered gas turbine

system
6 9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

9 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

9.1 Text
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monP, Maury Markowitz, Glenn, GCarty, Wikiborg, Moink, Mushroom, Giftlite, DocWatson42, Mat-C, Wolfkeeper, BenFrantzDale, Tom
harrison, Mark.murphy, Pashute, Mboverload, Khalid hassani, Gunnar Larsson, Pembers, D6, Ocon, Bobo192, Duk, Russ3Z, Kjkolb, Mdd,
PAR, EmmetCaulfield, Gene Nygaard, Crosbiesmith, CharlesC, Palica, Ian Dunster, YurikBot, Limulus, Ksyrie, Dhollm, Rwalker, Knotnic,
E Wing, MStraw, Eric Norby, Tttrung, SmackBot, IstvanWolf, DHN-bot~enwiki, Kellyprice, Jaganath, Mikiemike, CRGreathouse, Dgian-
otti, Abhimanyu.dagla, Thijs!bot, Achalmeena, Kaboldy, Igodard, T96 grh, Kel.jackson, Nposs, M samadi, Yabbadabbadoo, D-Kuru, Eng-
ware, VolkovBot, Larryisgood, Ticklemygrits, Fattywagonman, Rios sk, Dolphin51, Tompen, Thgoiter, Tomeasy, Arctur, Thingg, Addbot,
Ericg33, Yobot, Schmittr, Materialscientist, Gigemag76, Powe, A42579, RibotBOT, Mnmngb, FrescoBot, Pinethicket, FoxBot, Emaus-
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