Carnot efficiency

E267412

Carnot efficiency is the theoretical maximum efficiency that any heat engine can achieve when operating between two temperatures, serving as a fundamental limit in thermodynamics.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Carnot efficiency canonical 2
Carnot theorem 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf physical law consequence
thermodynamic efficiency limit
appliesTo Carnot engine
heat engine
reversible heat engine
assumes no friction
no heat losses
quasi-static operation
reversible processes
cannotExceed 1 − T_cold / T_hot
constrains real engine efficiency
definedBetween cold reservoir temperature
hot reservoir temperature
dependsOn cold reservoir absolute temperature
hot reservoir absolute temperature
dimension dimensionless quantity
equals efficiency of reversible engine between same temperatures
expressedAs fraction
percentage
field thermodynamics
greaterThan efficiency of any irreversible engine between same temperatures
hasFormula η_C = (T_hot − T_cold) / T_hot
η_C = 1 − T_cold / T_hot
historicalOrigin Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire
surface form: Carnot's 1824 work "Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire"
impliedBy second law of thermodynamics
implies zero efficiency when T_hot = T_cold
increasesWhen T_cold decreases for fixed T_hot
T_hot increases for fixed T_cold
independentOf engine construction details
working substance
introducedInContextOf ideal heat engines
lessThanOrEqualTo 1
maximumForGivenTemperatures any heat engine
namedAfter Nicolas Léonard Sadi
surface form: Sadi Carnot
relatedTo Carnot cycle
Clausius theorem
surface form: Clausius inequality

entropy
symbol η_C
η_Carnot
temperatureScale kelvin
surface form: Kelvin

Rankine
temperatureUnitRequirement absolute temperature scale
upperBoundOn thermal efficiency
usedIn heat engine design
heat pump performance analysis
power plant analysis
refrigeration cycle analysis

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Shockley–Queisser limit isRelatedTo Carnot efficiency
Carnot notableConcept Carnot efficiency
subject surface form: Sadi Carnot
Carnot notableConcept Carnot efficiency
subject surface form: Sadi Carnot
this entity surface form: Carnot theorem
Kelvin–Planck statement of the second law of thermodynamics relatedTo Carnot efficiency
this entity surface form: Carnot theorem