Possible violation of the Kelvin statement (2nd law)?

In summary, you can convert heat to mechanical power with an efficiency of nearly 100% if you have a perfect vacuum or cold reservoir at zero temperature.
  • #1
weezy
92
5
Say I have an infinite cylinder filled with monoatomic gas and on one end has a piston attached to it. I now supply heat to the cylinder. The gas expands thereby converting all of heat energy into physical work(displacement of the piston). Since the cylinder is very long it eliminates the requirement of a cyclic process and could in theory provide work for a very long time until the piston reaches the cylinder's length. Have I not just violated kelvins statement? Provided friction is zero? W=P.dV?
 
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  • #2
Why bother heating it? You have an infinite amount of energy stored in your cylinder, you can easily extract a finite amount out of it without changing the system.
Working with infinite things just doesn't work.
 
  • #3
mfb said:
Why bother heating it? You have an infinite amount of energy stored in your cylinder, you can easily extract a finite amount out of it without changing the system.
Working with infinite things just doesn't work.
What if it was very long but finite? Wouldn't then all the Q I supply be converted to work?
 
  • #4
If you have an infinite vacuum of zero temperature available, and infinite time for the process.
 
  • #5
How are you supplying heat though? A flame, electricity, a hamster on a wheel? That is where the increase in entropy is occurring here.
 
  • #6
DuckAmuck said:
How are you supplying heat though? A flame, electricity, a hamster on a wheel? That is where the increase in entropy is occurring here.
I still haven't been exposed to the idea of entropy yet. Basically I mean that if the cylinder is very long for some finite amount of time I could get all of the heat energy to be expand the gas and thereby converting "all" heat into work.
 
  • #7
If you have a perfect vacuum (or anything else) at zero temperature as cold reservoir, you can convert heat to mechanical power with an efficiency of (nearly) 100%.
 

Related to Possible violation of the Kelvin statement (2nd law)?

1. What is the Kelvin statement (2nd law) and why is it important?

The Kelvin statement (2nd law) is a fundamental law of thermodynamics that states that heat cannot spontaneously flow from a colder body to a hotter body. This law is important because it helps us understand and predict the behavior of energy and heat in various systems.

2. What would be considered a possible violation of the Kelvin statement (2nd law)?

A possible violation of the Kelvin statement (2nd law) would be a scenario where heat spontaneously flows from a colder body to a hotter body without any external work being done.

3. Is it possible for the Kelvin statement (2nd law) to be violated?

No, the Kelvin statement (2nd law) is a fundamental law of physics and has been tested and proven to hold true in all observed cases. Any apparent violations can usually be explained by external factors or incomplete understanding of the system.

4. What are the consequences of a violation of the Kelvin statement (2nd law)?

A violation of the Kelvin statement (2nd law) would have significant consequences, as it would mean that our understanding of energy and heat transfer is incorrect. This could potentially lead to major disruptions in technological advancements and our understanding of the natural world.

5. How do scientists test for violations of the Kelvin statement (2nd law)?

Scientists can test for violations of the Kelvin statement (2nd law) by conducting experiments and observing the flow of heat in various systems. They also use mathematical models and simulations to predict and analyze the behavior of energy and heat in different scenarios.

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