♨️ Carnot Efficiency Calculator
Calculate the maximum possible efficiency any heat engine could achieve operating between a hot and cold reservoir, per the Carnot limit.
What Carnot efficiency represents
The Carnot efficiency is the theoretical maximum efficiency any heat engine can achieve when operating between a hot and a cold thermal reservoir, as set by the second law of thermodynamics. No real engine can exceed it.
The formula
Carnot efficiency η = 1 – (Tc / Th), where Tc and Th are the absolute (kelvin) temperatures of the cold and hot reservoirs respectively. A bigger temperature difference between the reservoirs allows for higher maximum efficiency.
Real engines always have efficiency below this Carnot limit due to friction, heat losses, and irreversibilities. This calculator is for general thermodynamics education.