NDLI: Heat Engine

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Heat Engine

Content Provider	AK Lectures
Description	Mechanical energy can be readily converted into thermal energy and one such example is the rubbing of ones hands. However, the reverse process, that is, transforming thermal energy into mechanical energy is a tad bit tricky and requires a special device known as the heat engine. The heat engine transforms thermal energy into mechanical energy but only does so when energy is allowed to flow from a higher temperature to a lower temperature. Only a small part of the heat is actually transformed into usable work and the rest of the heat is discharged into a system at a lower temperature. There are many different types of heat engines and one of the most common heat engines is a reciprocating steam engine. The reciprocating steam engine is composed of a boiler, intake valve and a condenser. Water is usually made to evaporate inside the boiler by the burning of coal (or another substance). The steam then travels via a pipe system into the intake valve, where the expanded gas does work on a piston in moving that piston. When the piston is brought back to its initial position, it does work on the gas and pushes the gas into a compartment called the condenser (the work the gas does on the piston plus the work that the piston does on the gas is the net work that the steam engine generates). Since the condenser is at a lower temperature, the steam condenses into the liquid state and is pumped back into the boiler to begin the cycle all over again. Note that a difference in temperature between the boiler and the condenser is absolutely necessary because it creates a difference in pressure and allows the gas to do work on the environment. If the difference in temperature was zero (if the temperature of boiler was the same as the temperature of condenser), then the difference of pressure would be zero and no net work would be done by the steam engine.
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Subject Keyword	Classical Physics heat process system compartment state position device cycle
Content Type	Video
Educational Role	Teacher Student
Educational Use	Self Learning Lecture Reading
Resource Type	Video Lecture
Education Level	Under Graduate
Subject	Heat

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