The maximum coefficient of performance of internally irreversible refrigerators and heat pumps

A class of irreversible refrigeration cycles is investigated to determine the maximum coefficient of performance in the heat pump mode and the refrigerator mode. For the purpose of generality and simplicity of the results, finite-time heat transfer in the condenser and evaporator is expressed in terms of arithmetic mean temperature differences. The generic source of internal irreversibility is measured by a single irreversibility factor which transforms the Clausius inequality into an equality to simplify the cycle model. These optimum cycle performances are obtained as closed form analytical expressions in which the irreversibility factor has been shown to be simply related to the ratio of the actual and endoreversible cycle coefficients of performance.