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In the history of science, the mechanical equivalent of heat states that motion and heat are mutually interchangeable and that in every case, a given amount of work would generate the same amount of heat, provided the work done is totally converted to heat energy. The mechanical equivalent of heat was a concept that had an important part in the ...
A generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. [19] A hydroelectric powerplant converts the mechanical energy of water in a storage dam into electrical energy. [20] An internal combustion engine is a heat engine that obtains mechanical energy from chemical energy by burning fuel. From this mechanical energy, the internal ...
A heat engine is a system that converts heat to usable energy, particularly mechanical energy, which can then be used to do mechanical work. [1] [2] While originally conceived in the context of mechanical energy, the concept of the heat engine has been applied to various other kinds of energy, particularly electrical, since at least the late 19th century.
For example, the efficiency of nuclear reactors, where the kinetic energy of the nuclei is first converted to thermal energy and then to electrical energy, lies at around 35%. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] By direct conversion of kinetic energy to electric energy, effected by eliminating the intermediate thermal energy transformation, the efficiency of the ...
Mechanical efficiency, where one form of mechanical energy (e.g. potential energy of water) is converted to mechanical energy ; Thermal efficiency or Fuel efficiency, useful heat and/or work output per input energy such as the fuel consumed; 'Total efficiency', e.g., for cogeneration, useful electric power and heat output per fuel energy ...
A heat engine is a system that performs the conversion of a flow of thermal energy (heat) to mechanical energy to perform mechanical work. [ 32 ] [ 33 ] A thermocouple is a temperature-measuring device and a widely used type of temperature sensor for measurement and control, and can also be used to convert heat into electric power.
For the three examples given above: 1) Heat can be transferred from a region of lower temperature to a higher temperature in a refrigerator or in a heat pump. These machines must provide sufficient work to the system. 2) Thermal energy can be converted to mechanical work in a heat engine, if sufficient heat is also expelled to the surroundings.
As an example, automotive engines convert chemical energy from the fuel into heat, and then into mechanical work that eventually turns the wheels. Thermodynamics principles are used by mechanical engineers in the fields of heat transfer , thermofluids , and energy conversion .