Abstract
Modern society relies heavily on the conversion of heat into mechanical work. The first heat engines were responsible for the industrial revolution, but behind the scenes they were also fuelling the development of ther-modynamics. In 1824 Sadi Carnot's interest in improving the performance of steam engines led him to think about the efficiency of a heat engine in a new and fundamental way. He concluded that the maximum efficiency of a heat engine that absorbs heat from a reservoir at a given temperature, T2, and rejects heat to another reservoir at a lower temperature, T1, is ν=1T1/T2. In other words it is impossible to extract work from a single heat bath – a rule that we now know to be a consequence of the second law of thermodynamics.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
