heat engine
noun
: a mechanism (such as an internal combustion engine) for converting heat energy into mechanical or electrical energy
Examples of heat engine in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cyclones, also known as typhoons and called hurricanes in North America, are enormous heat engines of wind and rain that feed on warm ocean water and moist air.
—
Lex Harvey, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
But just like heat engines, information engines are never perfect.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024
Your car likely has a heat engine that uses gasoline to heat air inside a cylinder that presses on a piston to turn your wheels.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Hurricanes are heat engines that use hot water to move air.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
One way to model a hurricane is as a heat engine, a device that harnesses a temperature gradient to do work.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Heat switches can boost the efficiency of entire classes of heat engines, such as solar thermal power plants, which use heat from the sun to generate electricity.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Feb. 2023
In theory this process could create a small temperature imbalance, and therefore a useful heat engine, if the demon was smart about when to end the experiment and lock any temperature imbalance in place, much as a smart gambler on a hot streak knows when to leave the table.
—Quanta Magazine, 22 Apr. 2021
In 1823, Sadi Carnot (1796–1832) wanted to understand why a heat engine (like your car engine) is so inefficient at converting heat into work.
—Scott Bembenek, Discover Magazine, 7 June 2017
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Lex Harvey, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
But just like heat engines, information engines are never perfect.
—Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024
Your car likely has a heat engine that uses gasoline to heat air inside a cylinder that presses on a piston to turn your wheels.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Hurricanes are heat engines that use hot water to move air.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
One way to model a hurricane is as a heat engine, a device that harnesses a temperature gradient to do work.
—Umair Irfan, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Heat switches can boost the efficiency of entire classes of heat engines, such as solar thermal power plants, which use heat from the sun to generate electricity.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Feb. 2023
In theory this process could create a small temperature imbalance, and therefore a useful heat engine, if the demon was smart about when to end the experiment and lock any temperature imbalance in place, much as a smart gambler on a hot streak knows when to leave the table.
—Quanta Magazine, 22 Apr. 2021
In 1823, Sadi Carnot (1796–1832) wanted to understand why a heat engine (like your car engine) is so inefficient at converting heat into work.
—Scott Bembenek, Discover Magazine, 7 June 2017
Cite this Entry
“Heat engine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20engine. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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