Talk:Carnot cycle

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 Definition:  Reversible thermodynamic cycle consisting of: isotherm–isentrope–isotherm–isentrope. [d] [e]
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 Workgroup categories:  Physics and Chemistry [Please add or review categories]
 Subgroup category:  Chemical Engineering
 Talk Archive:  none  English language variant:  British English

Efficiency

I am very unhappy about the literature on the efficiency of arbitrary cycles. As a warning for future readers I put here the following note.

I learned in "Kindergarten" (Delft University of Technology) that the Carnot cycle is the most efficient reversible cycle, but I find in the majority of texts that all reversible cycles are equally efficient. Even the great Fermi says so. I gave it quite some thought and came up with the argument in the section "Remark ...". This section does not come from any other source than my brain, therefore, in a certain sense it could be called research. However, I did not want to follow Fermi, because I think he is careless and did not give it enough thought, and I also didn't want to skip the point altogether. However, it is not out of the question that my former teachers and I are mistaken and that the majority of writers on the subject are correct, therefore I put here this warning. --Paul Wormer 17:13, 18 November 2009 (UTC)

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