Thermodynamic efficiency
Encyclopedia : T : TH : THE : Thermodynamic efficiency
In thermodynamics, thermodynamic efficiency, symbolized by (e), is defined as:
[e \equiv \frac]
where
W is the absolute value of the work done in one thermodynamic cycle.
Q is the absolute value of the change in heat done in one cycle.
History
In 1824, the French physicist Sadi Carnot derived efficiency for heat engines as a function of the temperature of its hot and cold reservoirs:[ e \equiv \frac]
The equation shows that higher efficiency is achieved with greater temperature differential between hot and cold working fluids. Practically speaking, the hotter the fluid, the more efficient the engine will be.
See also
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.