Polytropic Process

A polytropic process is any thermodynamic process that can be expressed by the following
equation:

pVn  = constant
The  polytropic process  can describe gas expansion and compression, which  include heat
transfer. The exponent  n  is known as the  polytropic index,  and it may take on any value
from 0 to ∞, depending on the particular process.

There are some special cases of n, which corresponds to particular processes:

 the case n =  0,  p= constant,  corresponds to an isobaric (constant-pressure)
process.
 the case n =  1,  pV = constant,   corresponds to an isothermal (constant-
temperature) process.
 the case n = ,  pV = constant,   corresponds to an isentropic (constant-
entropy) process.
 the case n  ➝  ∞    corresponds to an isochoric (constant-volume) process.
 

 the case 1 < n < , in this process, heat and workflows, go in opposite
directions, This process occurs, for example, in vapor compression
refrigeration during compression
 the case < n <  ∞, in this process, heat and workflows go in the same
direction, This process occurs, for example, in an internal combustion engine
(e.g.,, Otto cycle), in which there are heat losses through the cylinder walls
during a gas expansion (power stroke)Polytropic process – main
characteristics
For a polytropic process between two states:
 

p1V1n  = p2V2n
Polytropic processes with various polytropic indexes.
 

 
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See above:

Thermodynamic Processes

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