Maximum Power and Efficiency to Maximum Power for a Power Plant with n Carnot-Like Cycles

A stationary power plant with n Carnot-like cycles is optimized. Each cycle has the following irreversibilities: finite rate heat transfers between the working fluid and the external heat sources, internal dissipation of the working fluid, and heat leak between reservoirs. In a previous work, [1] the optimal allocation or effectiveness of the heat exchangers for this power plant were determined by the application of two design rules, alternatively: fixed internal thermal conductance or fixed areas. In this work, these optimal relations obtained are substituted in the power and the maximum power is calculated, with respect to the isentropic ratio of each one of the Carnot-like cycles of the power plant and for both design rules (using only the law of heat conduction). Also, the efficiency to maximum power is presented.