The Brayton Cycle, also known as the gas turbine cycle, is a thermodynamic cycle that describes the operation of a gas turbine engine. It consists of four main processes: adiabatic compression, constant-pressure heat addition, adiabatic expansion, and constant-pressure heat rejection. In the first process, air is compressed, increasing its pressure and temperature. The compressed air then undergoes heat addition at constant pressure, usually through combustion with fuel, resulting in a high-energy exhaust gas. This gas expands through a turbine, performing work and generating power, before being cooled at constant pressure, completing the cycle. Mathematically, the efficiency of the Brayton Cycle can be expressed as:
where is the inlet temperature and is the maximum temperature in the cycle. This cycle is widely used in jet engines and power generation due to its high efficiency and power-to-weight ratio.
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