Optimal control of thermodynamic processes. III

Optimal thermodynamic cycles with a fixed period are considered. Problems of a cycle of a maximal mean power and of a cycle with a maximal efficiency are solved with the mean power specified. A cycle which maximizes the efficiency is found to be also optimal in terms of minimal entropy growth. Inverse thermodynamic cycles are also considered. The well-known thermodynamic results on optimal cycles are extreme cases with the mean cycle power tending to zero.