Carnotefekti

Carnotefekti, often referred to as the Carnot effect, is a concept in thermodynamics related to the efficiency of heat engines. It describes the maximum possible efficiency that any heat engine operating between two heat reservoirs at different temperatures can achieve. This theoretical limit is named after the French physicist Sadi Carnot. The Carnot efficiency is determined solely by the temperatures of the hot reservoir (T_hot) and the cold reservoir (T_cold), expressed in absolute temperature units (Kelvin or Rankine). The formula for Carnot efficiency (η_Carnot) is given by η_Carnot = 1 - (T_cold / T_hot). This means that no real-world heat engine can be more efficient than a Carnot engine operating between the same two temperatures. The Carnot cycle, a theoretical thermodynamic cycle, is the reversible cycle that achieves this maximum efficiency. It consists of four reversible processes: two isothermal processes and two adiabatic processes. While a true Carnot engine cannot be built in practice due to irreversibilities like friction and heat loss, the Carnot efficiency serves as a benchmark for evaluating the performance of actual heat engines. Engineers strive to design engines that approach this theoretical limit, as increasing efficiency leads to less fuel consumption and reduced waste heat.