heat engine
Combustion-powered motor mechanism
A heat engine is a device that converts thermal energy into mechanical work by exploiting temperature differences.
Steam engines, internal combustion engines, and jet turbines are all heat engines.
The term belongs to thermodynamics and engineering: The efficiency of any heat engine is limited by the Carnot cycle.
Heat engines power most vehicles and electricity generation.
French thermodynamics founder
- efficiencyProductive without waste
- entropyQuantified chaos in systems
- energy conversionChanging power between forms
- power cycleRestart by cutting electricity
second law · reversible · irreversible · enthalpy · fuel economy · energy loss
Reciprocating cylinder component
- cylinderCircular-based solid form
- crankshaftRotating engine shaft
- flywheelRotational energy storage device
- turbineBlade-driven energy converter
valve · camshaft · connecting rod · intake · exhaust stroke · power stroke · rotor · stator
Rapid economic mechanization period
- steamHeated water's gaseous form
- locomotiveRailway pulling machine
- patentObvious; inventor's monopoly
- inventorCreator of original devices
mechanization · machine age · Carnot · Diesel · Otto · horsepower · mill · factory
Energy source material
- ignitionStarting combustion process
- flameBurning gas made visible
- burnDamage by heat
- oxidationLosing electrons chemically
combustor · firebox · furnace · boiler · spark · exhaust · emissions · diesel
Fuel ignites in cylinders
- gas turbineFuel-to-rotation engine
- turbofanHigh-bypass aircraft engine
- turbojetTurbine-powered aircraft propulsion
- ramjetVelocity-fed aircraft engine
Carnot
French thermodynamics founder
- efficiencyProductive without waste
- entropyQuantified chaos in systems
- energy conversionChanging power between forms
power cycle · second law · reversible · irreversible · enthalpy · fuel economy · energy loss
piston
Reciprocating cylinder component
- cylinderCircular-based solid form
- crankshaftRotating engine shaft
- flywheelRotational energy storage device
turbine · valve · camshaft · connecting rod · intake · exhaust stroke · power stroke · rotor · stator · nozzle
industrial revolution
Rapid economic mechanization period
- steamHeated water's gaseous form
- locomotiveRailway pulling machine
- patentObvious; inventor's monopoly
inventor · mechanization · machine age · Carnot · Diesel · Otto · horsepower · mill · factory · steamship
fuel
Energy source material
oxidation · combustor · firebox · furnace · boiler · spark · exhaust · emissions · diesel · gasoline
internal combustion
Fuel ignites in cylinders
- gas turbineFuel-to-rotation engine
- turbofanHigh-bypass aircraft engine
- turbojetTurbine-powered aircraft propulsion
- heatheatwave, radiation, convection, insulators, conductors
- steam enginesboiler, piston, cylinder, steam boiler, firebox
- thermodynamicsentropy, enthalpy, free energy, second law, third law
- heat transferconduction, convection, conductors, insulators, radiation
- hurricaneshurricane, tropical cyclone, Andrew, Katrina, eyewall
- systemsecosystems, nervous system, computer system, immune system, circulatory system
heat engineelectric motor
Converts current to motion
fuel cell · wind turbine · waterwheel · hand crank · electric generator
heat engineheat pump
Thermal energy transfer device
refrigerator · air conditioner · cooling system · chiller · heat sink
heat, engine, heated, heating, heater, reheat, thermal, ingenious, heats