: a mechanism (such as an internal combustion engine) for converting heat energy into mechanical or electrical energy
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebHurricanes are enormous heat engines that deliver energy on a staggering scale. Christina Nunez, National Geographic, 12 June 2019 The thermionic diode heat engine invented by Nottingham and Hatsopoulos in the 1950s finally went all the way and produced power with no moving parts. Charles A. Berg, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2019 Then, when electricity is needed again, the system reunites the molten salt with the cold fluid, using a heat engine to reconvert the thermal energy to electricity, which can be sent back to the grid. Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2018 The reciprocating Carnot These results, however, are for a heat engine that operates continuously. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 25 Sep. 2018 The source of the problem lies in how all heat engines work. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 25 Sep. 2018 Required by the second law of thermodynamics, that unavoidable waste of energy severely limits the efficiency of a heat engine to below a level set by the temperatures of the baths. Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, 10 July 2018 The site broke a decades-old record Sunday by surpassing a cumulative 12.5 years of operation of a heat engine. Grant Segall, cleveland.com, 2 May 2018 At its core, the drinking bird is a heat engine, not that unlike a steam turbine or diesel engine. Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, 30 Jan. 2018 See More