The Carnot cycle is a fundamental concept in thermodynamics and represents an ideal model of a reversible heat engine that operates between two heat sources, one hot and one cold.
This cycle was proposed by the French physicist Sadi Carnot in 1824 and is essential to understand the theoretical limits of the efficiency of heat engines.
The Carnot cycle is an ideal model and cannot be fully achieved in practice due to the inevitable losses and frictions in real systems. However, it serves as an important theoretical reference for understanding the limits of the efficiency of heat engines under ideal conditions.
Stages of the Carnot cycle
The Carnot cycle consists of four reversible stages that are carried out in two isothermal processes (at constant temperature) and two adiabatic processes (without heat transfer):
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Isothermal process (isochoric heating): In this stage, the system (for example, a gas) is placed in contact with a hot heat source at a temperature Th and expands isothermally, maintaining a constant temperature throughout the process. During this step, the system absorbs heat from the hot source.
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Adiabatic process (adiabatic expansion): In this stage, the system is thermally isolated, so that there is no heat transfer with the surroundings. The gas continues to expand, doing work on the surroundings, and as a result, its temperature decreases.
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Isothermal process (isochoric cooling): The system comes into contact with a cold heat source at a temperature Tc. During this stage, the gas is compressed isothermally, maintaining a constant temperature and releasing heat to the cold source.
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Adiabatic process (adiabatic compression): The system is thermally isolated again, so that there is no heat transfer with the surroundings. The gas is compressed adiabatically, doing work on the system and increasing its temperature.
Upon completion of these four stages, the system returns to its initial state, and the cycle can be repeated.
Efficiency
The efficiency of the Carnot cycle is defined as the ratio between the net work done and the heat absorbed from the hot source:
Efficiency = 1 - (Tc / Th )
Where Tc is the temperature of the cold source and Th is the temperature of the hot source.
The efficiency of the Carnot cycle is the maximum possible for any heat engine operating between the same two temperatures Tc and Th .
carnot machine
A Carnot engine is a reversible heat engine that operates between two heat sources, one hot and one cold, and does work from the flow of heat between these two sources.
This theoretical machine is used to illustrate the fundamental principles of thermodynamics and to establish the theoretical limits of efficiency for any heat engine.
Reverse Carnot cycle
The inverse Carnot cycle, also known as the Carnot refrigerator or Carnot refrigerating machine, is the inverse concept of the classical Carnot cycle.
While the Carnot cycle describes a heat engine that converts heat into work, the reverse Carnot cycle describes a refrigerating engine that does work to transfer heat from a cold source to a hot source, against the natural flow of heat.
The main objective of a refrigerator or refrigerating machine is to maintain a region or system at a lower temperature than the surrounding temperature. To achieve this, an external energy input (work) is needed to carry out the cooling process.
The reverse Carnot cycle consists of four reversible stages, just like the classical Carnot cycle, but the directions of the processes are opposite:
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Adiabatic Process (Adiabatic Compression): In this stage, the refrigerant is compressed adiabatically, increasing its temperature and pressure. Work is done on the refrigerant to compress it.
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Isothermal process (isochoric heating): The refrigerant comes into contact with the hot source at a temperature Th . During this step, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the hot source, while its temperature remains constant.
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Adiabatic process (adiabatic expansion): In this stage, the refrigerant expands adiabatically, reducing its temperature and pressure. Work is done on the system to allow for adiabatic expansion.
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Isothermal process (isochoric cooling): The refrigerant comes into contact with the cold source at a temperature Tc . During this stage, the refrigerant releases heat towards the cold source, maintaining a constant temperature.
Upon completion of these four stages, the refrigerant returns to its initial state, and the cycle can be repeated to maintain the cooling process.
Importance of the Carnot cycle
The Carnot cycle is of great importance in thermodynamics and science in general for several fundamental reasons:
The Carnot cycle is of great importance in thermodynamics and science in general for several fundamental reasons:
1. Set theoretical limits of efficiency
This cycle provides the maximum possible theoretical efficiency for any heat engine operating between two heat sources at different temperatures.
The maximum efficiency is achieved only when the cycle is completely reversible, and this maximum value is determined exclusively by the temperatures of the heat sources involved.
2. It allows us to understand reversibility
The Carnot cycle is completely reversible, which means that it can operate in both directions, both as a heat engine that converts heat into work and as a refrigerator that transfers heat from a cold to a hot source.
This theoretical reversibility is essential to understand the concepts of irreversibility and energy losses in real systems. In practice, real machines are always less efficient and therefore irreversible to some extent.
3. It hepls in the design and improvement of thermal systems
Although the Carnot cycle is an ideal model and cannot be perfectly implemented in real systems due to inevitable losses and friction, it provides valuable guidance for designing and improving thermal systems.
Engineers and scientists use it as a reference to evaluate the performance of heat engines, such as motors and generators, and refrigeration systems, and to identify areas for improvement in efficiency.
4. It contributes to the understanding of thermodynamics
The Carnot cycle is a fundamental building block of thermodynamics and provides a solid foundation for the study of other thermodynamic cycles, such as the Rankine cycle in power plants and the Brayton cycle in gas turbines.
In addition, the Carnot cycle helps to understand key concepts of thermodynamics, such as work, heat, entropy, and energy transfer in thermal systems.