Carnot Cycle help - Engine temp reservoirs

[Big Drop]

Hi,

I need some help concerning the Carnot cycle [i've searched, but what i needed didn't come up]. I am trying to work out the efficiency of a 4 or 2 stroke motorcyle engine. [car engine, it doesn't matter really]. But I'm having some difficulty finding temperatures for the hot and cold reservoirs. I've searched the internet for a while...but still can''t come up with anything.

If anyone has any idea please help!

Thanks.

 

[vanesch]

Hi,

I need some help concerning the Carnot cycle [i've searched, but what i needed didn't come up]. I am trying to work out the efficiency of a 4 or 2 stroke motorcyle engine. [car engine, it doesn't matter really]. But I'm having some difficulty finding temperatures for the hot and cold reservoirs. I've searched the internet for a while...but still can''t come up with anything.

The hot reservoir temp is typically the combustion temperature, and the low temperature is the temperature at which the gas leaves the useful part of the engine.

 

[astrokreng]

Hello,

I understand your struggle in finding the temperatures for the hot and cold reservoirs in the Carnot cycle. The Carnot cycle is a theoretical model that operates between two heat reservoirs, one at a high temperature (TH) and one at a low temperature (TC). In order to calculate the efficiency of an engine using the Carnot cycle, you will need to know the temperatures of the reservoirs.

One way to determine these temperatures is by looking at the operating temperatures of the engine itself. For example, the hot reservoir could be the temperature of the engine's combustion chamber, and the cold reservoir could be the temperature of the surrounding air or the engine's cooling system.

Another way to determine the temperatures is by using the ideal gas law, which relates temperature, pressure, and volume. By measuring the pressure and volume of the engine at different points in the cycle, you can calculate the temperature of the gas within the engine and use that as the temperature of the reservoirs.

It is important to note that the efficiency of a real engine will not be equal to the efficiency of a Carnot cycle, as there are always losses and inefficiencies in real-world systems. However, the Carnot cycle can still serve as a useful theoretical model for understanding the principles of heat engines.

I hope this helps and good luck with your calculations! If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.