Carnot cycle

The Carnot cycle is an idealized thermodynamic cycle that describes a perfect heat engine. All real heat engines are imperfect approximations of the theoretical perfection embodied by the Carnot cycle. In the Carnot cycle, not all heat energy is converted into mechanical work, but a large portion is -- the largest portion allowed by physical law. A heat engine produces work from the temperature differential of two reservoirs. In a combustion engine, one reservoir is the heat created inside the engine (source), and the other is the external surroundings (sink). The heat generated by the source causes the gas inside the cylinder to expand, driving a piston that does work. Carnot cycle is a four stage reversible sequence consisting of 1. isothermal expansion at high temperature T2 2. adiabatic compression 3. isothermal compression at low temperature T1 4. adiabatic expansion

gure 2: A Carnot cycle acting as a heat engine, illustrated on a pressure-volume diagram to illustrate the work done. 1. The temperature remains constant, but the volume increases. During the process
from State 1 to State 2 heat is transferred from the source to the gas to maintain the temperature. We will note the heat transfer by Q1 into the gas. During an adiabatic processThe temperature decreases and the volume increases as the gas expands to fill the volume. During the process from State 2 to State 3 no heat is transferred. The temperature remains constant, but the volume decreases. During the process from State 3 to State 4 heat is transferred from the gas to heat source to maintain the temperature. We will note the heat transfer by Q2 away from the gas.

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adiabatic compression. Weight is added, which raises the pressure in the gas. The temperature increases and the volume decreases as the gas is compressed. During the process from State 4 to State 1 no heat is transferred. At the end of the fourth process, the state of the gas has returned to its original state and the cycle can be repeated as often as you wish. During the cycle, work W has been produced by the gas, and the amount of work is equal to the area enclosed by the process curves. From the first law of thermodynamics, the amount of work produced is equal to the net heat transferred during the process:

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W = Q1 - Q2