7/14/2015

Heatcannotbecompletelyconverted

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Heatcannotbecompletelyconverted
The2ndformofthe2ndlawheatcannotbecompletelyconvertedintootherformsofenergy
placessomepracticalrestrictionsontheefficiencyof,forexample,internalcombustionandsteam
poweredengines.
Beforediscussingthisinmoredetail,however,letusseewhythisstatementissurprising.Aswiththe
exampleoftheicecubemeltingonahotday,nothingfromenergyconservationwouldpreventwork
frombeingcompletelyconvertedintootherformsofenergy,andindeedsuchtotalconversioncan
happenforenergiesotherthanheat.Forexample,aballreleasedfromrestwhichfallstotheground
hasallgravitationalpotentialenergyatthetopandallkineticenergyatthebottomthepotential
energyatthetopthusgetscompletelyconvertedtokineticenergyatthebottom.Oriftheballis
connectedtoaropeandpulleyofsomesort,itsgravitationalpotentialenergycanbeconvertedinto
usefulwork(churningbutterforexample).Althoughinpracticesomeofthepotentialenergywillbe
losttofriction,thereisnoreasoninprinciplethatallthepotentialenergycannotbeconvertedinto
work.Ifwegobacktoouranalogybetweenheatflowingfromhottocoldandanobjectrunningdown
hill,wecanunderstandthatinprinciple,insteadofgoingintokineticenergytoraisethetemperature
ofthecoolersubstanceheatcanbeharnessedtodousefulwork.Inthiscontextthesecondlawmakes
theverysurprisingstatementthatsomeoftheheatenergymustalwaysbelost,sothattheconversion
fromheattoworkisnever100%efficient.Note,however,thatthisformofthe2ndlawplacesno
restrictiononconvertingotherformsofenergyintoheatitistheconversionofheatintootherforms
ofenergythatturnsoutnevertobe100%efficient,eveninprinciple.
Anmachinewhichconvertsheatintootherformsofenergyiscalledaheatenginethegeneric
operation,inaccordancewiththe2ndlaw,ispicturedbelow.

Figure8.8:Agenericheatengine

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Heatcannotbecompletelyconverted

Theimportantaspecthereisthatsome``wasteheat''isalwaysexpelledintothecoolerreservoirno
heatenginecouldoperatewithoutsuchexpulsion.Thisiswhy,forexample,onenoticesinthewinter
nearasteampoweredelectricalgeneratingplantthatnearbyiceonariverismeltedthiscomesfrom
thewasteheatoftheplantbeingexpelledintotheriver.
Onecanshowthatthereisanidealmaximumefficiencypresentfortheconversionofheatinto
externalwork:thisis

wherethetemperaturesareexpressedintheKelvinscale.Itisimportanttonotethatthisisanideal
efficiencyrealenginesalsolosesomeefficiencyduetofriction,etc.,butthisisabovethistheoretical
limit.Thus,aheatenginewouldoperatewith100%efficiencyinconvertingheatintousefulwork
onlyifthecoolreservoirwasat0K(273o),whichisnotpossible.
Forexample,asteampoweredelectricalgeneratingplantwhichoperatesbetween500Kand300K
(roomtemperature)hasamaximumefficiencyof40%.Similarconsiderationsholdforaninternal
combustionengine,thebasicoperationofwhichisillustratedbelow.

Figure8.9:Asimplifiedinternalcombustionengine

Inthissegmentofthecycle,thefuelmixtureexplodes,eitherfromasparkplugforagasengineor
fromthehighpressureforadieselengine.Thisdrivesthepistondownwards,whichsubsequently
turnsthecrankshaftandeventuallythewheelsthisisthepartwhichconvertstheenergyofheatinto
usefulwork.Thepistonthenrises,expellingtheexhaustgaseswhichcarryawaythewasteheat.The
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Heatcannotbecompletelyconverted

cyclethengoesontodrawinmorefuelmixturetorepeatthecycle.Themajorpointhereisthatthe
exhaustgasescarrywiththemexcessheatwhichcouldnotbeconvertedintousefulwork.

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