A proposal of ecologic taxes based on thermo-economic performance of heat engine models

Marco A. Barranco-Jiménez, Israel Ramos-Gayosso, Marco A. Rosales, Fernando Angulo-Brown

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Within the context of Finite-Time Thermodynamics (FTT) a simplified thermal power plant model (the so-called Novikov engine) is analyzed under economical criteria by means of the concepts of profit function and the costs involved in the performance of the power plant. In this study, two different heat transfer laws are used, the so called Newton's law of cooling and the Dulong-Petit's law of cooling. Two FTT optimization criteria for the performance analysis are used: the maximum power regime (MP) and the so-called ecological criterion. This last criterion leads the engine model towards a mode of performance that appreciably diminishes the engine's wasted energy. In this work, it is shown that the energy-unit price produced under maximum power conditions is cheaper than that produced under maximum ecological (ME) conditions. This was accomplished by using a typical definition of profits function stemming from economics. The MP-regime produces considerably more wasted energy toward the environment, thus the MP energy-unit price is subsidized by nature. Due to this fact, an ecological tax is proposed, which could be a certain function of the price difference between the MP and ME modes of power production.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1042-1056
Number of pages15
JournalEnergies
Volume2
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2009

Keywords

  • Endoreversible cycles
  • Optimization
  • Thermoeconomics

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