Endoreva: Curzon Ahlborn Efficiency
Thermodynamics & Statistical Physics arc, page 52 of 193. Back to The Pixelated Physics Universe
Who they are
Endoreva has one line, and says it often: “Maximum power. not maximum efficiency.”
Endoreva is a character of the Thermodynamics & Statistical Physics arc: drawn in pixels, ruled by one piece of real physics, and never allowed to break it.
The physics
Curzon–Ahlborn efficiency at maximum power: η = 1 − √(Tc/Th).
$$ \begin{gathered} \eta = 1 - \sqrt{\frac{T_c}{T_h}} \end{gathered} $$
| Symbol | Meaning | SI unit |
|---|---|---|
| $\eta$ | efficiency at maximum power | — |
| $T_c$ | cold reservoir temperature | K |
| $T_h$ | hot reservoir temperature | K |
Sources
Crossovers
Endoreva meets Tepidora (Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics). Endoreva runs an engine between a hot and a cold reservoir at maximum power, with efficiency 1 − √(T_c/T_h). Tepidora warns that once the reservoirs reach the same temperature, the efficiency is zero and no engine works at all.
Endoreva meets Calorus (Caloric Theory of Heat). Calorus thought heat was a conserved fluid. Endoreva's engine turns part of the heat into work, which is exactly what the caloric fluid could not allow. Heat is energy in transit, not a substance.
Wear the lore
- Endoreva, the Max-Power Engine Mug
- Related infographic poster: Carnot's Ideal – Plate 011 Physics Poster
Concept keywords: Curzon Ahlborn Efficiency, Endoreva, Thermodynamics & Statistical Physics, physics lore, Pixelated Physics