- #1
Gregg
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Homework Statement
A heat engine is taking identical amounts of heat from two hot reservoirs at temperatures ##T_{H1}, T_{H2} ## doing work and then heat to a cold reservoir ##T_C ##
What is the maximum efficiency of this heat engine?
Homework Equations
For a Carnot cyle it is ## \eta = 1 - T_C/T_H##
The Attempt at a Solution
First of all, the heat engine takes ##Q_1## from ##T_{H1}## and ##Q_2## from ##T_{H2} ## it then does work ##W## and heats ##T_C ##
I thought that since the maximum efficiency was for a reversible process that does the same thing then I could make a new process that takes heat ##Q_1+Q_2## from a reservoir of temperature ## T_H = \frac{T_{H1}+T_{H2}}{2} ##
Making the efficiency (max) ## \eta = 1 - T_C/T_H = 1 - \frac{2 T_C}{T_{H1}+T_{H2}} ##
Am I able to do this?