Carnot cycle and heat engines?

Question

why is the carnot cycle used in conjunction with engine cycles? thanks

Answer 1

The Carnot cycle yields the maximum possible extraction of work from a given quantity of energy which travels between two constant temperatures. No other cycle can be more efficient and, in this regard it is used as a standard of performance for more practical cycles.

Unfortunately it cannot be used as a basis for a real engine cycle because although it has a high efficiency, it has a very low m.e.p (mean effective pressure). A Carnot car might have the potential to give you 200 miles per gallon but it wouldn't have the power to get you out of the garage!!

Answer 2

A heat engine is a cyclic process that converts heat to work

The carnot cycle is the most efficient engine cycle possible, it is the only only reversible engine cycle that operates between two heat resevoirs.

Hope this helps, don't really understand what you're asking though...

Answer 3

Actually, carnot cycle is an ideal scientific cycle, it is a "reversible" process, no energy loss, no friction, everything is perfect !

The heat engines use this "perfect and ideal" cycle to represent the action of heat flow from the source to the sink. So that we don't bother with calculating the losses/gains in heat/energy ..etc. Instead we only concentrate on the "path" of the heat engine and its function.