Carnot efficiency is nothing but a 100% removal of the ideal gases’ over-pressure present at the heat engine’s entry-side. And basically, the traditional heat engines have just used heat to increase the heat engine’s entry-side’s over-pressure for the purpose of achieving a pressure difference between the heat engine’s entry- and exit-sides. Using my invention, an enormous and non-linearly increasing pressure difference can be achieved between the heat engines entry- and exit-sides by continuing to cool down the already condensed fluid / vapor at the heat engine’s exit-side. See the picture below.
The numbers and materials are indicative, but they show the principle …
1kg of water is boiled under the reduced pressure on the left side at a temperature of 308K (35oC/95oF).
On the right side the condensed water’s temperature is lowered to 298K (25oC/77oF), i.e., 10 degrees Kelvin below the boiling point.
There will be a significant 50kPa vapor pressure difference that powers the turbine. NOTE: Without the low cost (42kJ) lowering of the condensed liquid’s temperature to 10K below the boiling point temperatures, there would be a minimal pressure difference and a tiny engine efficiency. The more the already condensed liquid is cooled, the greater is the pressure difference at the different sides of the turbine.
As the steam passes through the turbine, it loses energy.
However, the turbine can never equalize the pressure difference. When the steam condenses into liquid, the water is still at the boiling point temperature and produces the corresponding vapor pressure. The exothermic heat of condensation (-2257kJ/kg) is released as the new intermolecular bonds are getting formed, as the steam condenses inside the turbine.
Eventually, the steam condenses into a liquid, after losing all of its heat of vaporization (2257kJ/kg) to the turbine.
After this, the right side only needs to transfer away 2% of the system’s added heat (4.18kJ/kg x 10K) degrees and return the liquid to the left side.
The waste heat (2%) can be removed with a heat pump, so the system does not even need a cold substance for receiving the waste heat.
Bounty will be paid to the first who can show that this invention can’t replace most of the fossil fuels by 2044, because even with reasonable modifications…
it will always be too expensive or unscaleable in comparison to existing energy alternatives
Quite frankly, I don’t think there is anything or anyone who can make this invention not to work. But please surprise me. I’d be super happy if someone could show that it doesn’t work, so that I would not need to be spending more time, energy or money for this invention. However, currently it’s my responsibility to check this thing out.
If you have a good bounty candidate-solution, please submit it to
If you think there might be a business opportunity, email
So far the bounty winner has not been found…
Edited 4.9.2024: Earlier the target year was 2022, now two years later pushing the target year two years further into future.
The gas laws bind together volume, pressure and temperature. Despite that, Sadi Carnot discovered in 1824 that only the heat engine’s hot- and cold-side temperatures determine its maximum efficiency. Since then, the engineers have been calculating efficiencies using temperatures and an equation:
This article shows that the same Carnot efficiency values can be obtained using the exit- and entry-side pressures. Also, the more universal equation for calculating maximum efficiencies for heat engines is:
Ƞmax = 1 - P(exit-side) / P(entry-side)
This article demonstrates thatit is the entry-side’s relative over-pressure that is powering the heat engines. When the Carnot efficiency’s share of energy has been removed from the system, the pressure coming from the entry-side has been reduced to an equal level with the exit-side pressure. At that moment, the exit-side’s pressure pushes the heat engine with equal force from the opposite direction than the entry-side’s pressure is pushing it. Ultimately, these equal but opposite forces end the heat engine’s ability to obtain energy with a higher efficiency from the system – precisely at that Carnot efficiency level. The functional role of the exit-side pressure is to reduce the heat engine’s ability to remove heat energy from the system in form of useful work. This article also links together the Newton’s laws of motion and the engine efficiency.
Sadi Carnot discovered that a heat engine’s hot and cold side temperature determines its maximum efficiency. Therefore, since 1824 engineers have been measuring heat engine’s hot and cold side temperatures and quite successfully determining each heat engine’s achieved and expected maximum efficiency. Carnot’s theorem has an error because it ignores the impact of having different pressures at the heat engine’s entry and exit sides. This error doesn’t show an error in results when the heat engine operates in an environment where its entry and exit sides are connected to the same and unlimited external pressure source. But when the pressure difference exits, the heat engine’s efficiency does not obey the usual equation used for calculating the heat engine’s efficiency.
Ƞmax = ȠCarnot = 1 - T(cold-side) / T(hot-side)
Instead, the efficiency can and should be calculated using the heat engines’ entry and exit side pressures as follows…
Ƞmax = 1 - P(exit-side) / P(entry-side)
Evidence 1: Same Carnot efficiency values can be obtained using the entry and exit side temperatures OR pressures
Next, I’ll prove that it is the pressures that determine the heat engine’s efficiency. First, I’ll show that the entry and exit side pressures can be used to obtain the same Carnot efficiency values obtained using the hot-side and cold-side temperatures. This demonstration uses the following closed heat engine system: two containers with known volumes and a known amount of ideal gas substance. Both of these containers are attached to the heat engine’s entry and exit sides. In addition, we assume the heat engine itself to be volumeless or having an insignificantly small volume in comparison to the volume of the entry and exit side containers.
Let’s assume that the “Hot Entry Side” was initially heated to 1089K, while the Cold Exit Side remained at 294K. At this point, the pressure inside the “Hot Entry Side” can be calculated to be 9054.45Pa, and the pressure inside the “Cold Exit Side” can be calculated to be 2444.45Pa. A handy Online calculator can be used in making those calculations.
Carnot efficiency value obtained from the hot entry side and cold exit side temperatures
Same efficiency value obtained from the Hot Entry Side and Cold Exit Side pressures
Table 1: Same Carnot efficiency values can be obtained using the entry and exit side temperatures or pressures
To prove that this was not just a coincidence, we use different entry and exit side temperatures.
Entry-side container temperature (K)
Exit-side container temperature (K)
entry-side container pressure (kPa)
Exit-side container pressure (kPa)
ȠCarnot (1-TCold/THot) x 100%
Ƞalternative (1-Pexit/Pentry) x 100%
300
300
2.49434
2.49434
0.00%
0.00%
301
300
2.50265
2.49434
0.33%
0.33%
400
300
3.32579
2.49434
25.00%
25.00%
450
300
3.74151
2.49434
33.33%
33.33%
500
300
4.15723
2.49434
40.00%
40.00%
600
300
4.98868
2.49434
50.00%
50.00%
700
300
5.82012
2.49434
57.14%
57.14%
800
300
6.65157
2.49434
62.50%
62.50%
900
300
7.48302
2.49434
66.67%
66.67%
1000
300
8.31446
2.49434
70.00%
70.00%
1089
294
9.05445
2.44445
73.00%
73.00%
1000
1
8.31446
0.008314
99.90%
99.90%
1000
0
8.31446
0.00000
100.00%
100.00%
Table 2: Maximum Carnot efficiency values can be calculated from various entry Vs. exit side pressures
The results in table 2 show the systematic correlation between the Entry Vs. Exit side temperatures and pressures.
Evidence 2: Heat engine’s maximum efficiency percentage is equal to its entry side over-pressure percentage
The pressure difference between its entry and exit sides determines the heat engine’s ability to perform external work. The values shown in table 1 demonstrate that when the temperatures or pressures at the heat engine’s entry and exit sides are the same, the heat engine’s maximum efficiency is 0%. Thus, it cannot do any external work. Table 2 also shows that if additional heat (or pressure) is added to the heat engine’s entry side, the heat engine obtains the ability to produce external work.
When any heat engine does some external work, it always takes its host system’s internal energy. That lost internal energy manifests itself in the form of the fluid’s reduced temperature and pressure. Next, we show that the over-pressure at its entry side limits the heat engine’s maximum efficiency when that over-pressure has been consumed, adding successive heat engines for the purpose of harvesting more of the remaining heat is a pointless.
In this demonstration, an almost similar device arrangement can be used as was used earlier with evidence1. The difference this time is that we have two independent heat engines placed inside that pipe that connects the “Hot Entry Side” and “Cold Exit Side.” Picture 2 show this arrangement. In picture 2, we initially assume that the Hot Entry Side has been heated to 1089K, causing the 1mol of ideal gas inside the 1m3 container to obtain a pressure of 9054.45Pa. Similarly, we assume that the “Cold Exit Side” container with 1 mol of an ideal gas and a volume of 1m3 will obtain a 2444.45Pa pressure. Earlier, the Carnot efficiency for this kind of system was calculated to be 0.73003.
Picture 2: The reduction entry side pressure by the Carnot efficiency percentage, is equal to the exit side pressure level
Lets see what happens to the entry side pressure if we remove 73.003% of it ?
9054.45Pa – ((9054.45Pa / 100) x 73.003) = 2444.43Pa
What a coincidence! When we reduce the Hot Entry Side pressure by Carnot efficiency share of pressure, the remaining “Hot Entry Side” pressure equals to Cold Exit Side pressure; 2444.43Pa Vs. 2444.45Pa. Furthermore, we can also obtain the Carnot efficiency value by calculating…
To ensure this is not a coincidence, we did similar calculations to different Hot Entry Side Vs. Cold Exit Side temperature/pressure combinations. The results of those are shown in table 3.
Entry-side container temperature (K)
Exit-side container temperature (K)
entry-side container pressure (kPa)
Exit-side container pressure (kPa)
(Pentry –Pexit) / Pentry x 100%
Carnot efficiency %
300
300
2.49434
2.49434
0.00%
0.00%
301
300
2.50265
2.49434
0.33%
0.33%
400
300
3.32579
2.49434
25.00%
25.00%
450
300
3.74151
2.49434
33.33%
33.33%
500
300
4.15723
2.49434
40.00%
40.00%
600
300
4.98868
2.49434
50.00%
50.00%
700
300
5.82012
2.49434
57.14%
57.14%
800
300
6.65157
2.49434
62.50%
62.50%
900
300
7.48302
2.49434
66.67%
66.67%
1000
300
8.31446
2.49434
70.00%
70.00%
1089
294
9.05445
2.44445
73.00%
73.00%
1000
1
8.31446
0.008314
99.90%
99.90%
1000
0
8.31446
0.00000
100.00%
100.00%
Table 3: Carnot efficiency can also be obtained by calculating (Pentry –Pexit) / Pentry
The results in table 3 show the deterministic role of the exit side pressure to the overall available efficiency of the system. The results in table 3 indicate that the Carnot efficiency is limited by the”Cold Exit Side” pressure and predictable. Also, when the Carnot efficiency worth of heat has been removed from the entry side, its pressure equals the “Cold Exit Side” pressure.
Conclusions
Picture 2 and Table 3 indicate that the “Hot Entry Side” pressure cannot be reduced more than the Carnot efficiency percentage. For example, if the left side heat engine, that is shown in picture 2, could operate with a thermal efficiency of 74%, it would cause the “Cold Exit Side” container to have a higher pressure than is the pressure between those two heat engines; causing the molecules from the “Cold Exit Side” to flow towards the area between those heat engines. As shown in tables 2 and 3, the heat engine’s efficiency is zero when the entry side pressure equals exit side pressure. It was also demonstrated that when the entry side pressure is reduced by a percentage equal to the Carnot efficiency, that reduced pressure level will be the pressure level that exists at the “Cold Exit Side.”
Only logical explanation for these effects is that
All heat engines are powered by the pressure difference between their entry and exit sides.
A heat engine cannot reduce the fluid’s pressure to a lower pressure level than is found at the “Cold Exit Side”.
The pressure at the “Cold Exit Side” reduces the thermal efficiency which the heat engine can achieve; by pushing back and opposing the flow of the molecules coming from the Hot Entry Side.
If the “Cold Exit Side” exhibits no pressure, the heat engine can operate with up to 100% efficiency
The Carnot’s equation for calculating the maximum efficiency of heat engines should be replaced with an equation Ƞmax = 1 – P(exit-side) / P(entry-side)
When the heat engine has consumed all the heat derived pressure, the heat engine may continue to operate if there is additional source of pressure; according to Dalton’s law all the partial pressures add up.
Juuso Hukkanen (24.8.2021)
and some hashes… sha256:c7f25e5813e3adaea060438f7e5acfd9b9c5e56a9942ceaf69a15d880503aa30 sha1:a3288c78958b35dea35978b92b494901b256772f md5:6c334a5915eca82ff38053d3a6e7e39d
For science nerds, the following picture probably says more than 1000 words. Click on the picture to see it in a downloadable full size.
So, what is it?
I created a simple (~one moving part) heat pipe + turbine design, which permanently maintains a higher turbine entry side pressure and recycles all waste heat from the turbine’s exit side. Molecules at a high-pressure heating area (A) will always flow towards the low-pressure cooling area (B). In doing so, the molecules must always go through every single of the turbine blades, and they necessarily lose some of the system’s internal energy to each of the turbine blades. After irreversibly losing the heat of vaporization (~98% of the added energy), the steam condenses to liquid. The condensed liquid must then be further cooled to maintain the low-pressure area at cooling area (B) of the heat pipe. As up to 98% of the internal energy was converted into electricity, 3% of that electricity can now be used for powering a heat pump to remove the remaining 2% of added thermal energy from the cooling area B.
Large heat pipes can transfer megawatts of thermal energy. So, if this thing works, it should be possible to make units that produce megawatts of electrical power. I imagine placing those units into bodies of water, from which they would take thermal energy and send it to dry land in the form of electricity. But does it work? At least it is a simple design and the critical step is very nicely isolated. Also, I can’t think of any form of substance that would prevent the steam’s molecules, traveling at the speed of sound, from interacting with the blades and therefore losing energy to the benefit of the kinetic energy of a rotor. So, is there something wrong? If there is an error, I can’t find that – can you?
Is this a business opportunity?
Well, if you science nerds think that it might work – then it probably can become a business.
If you say, it’s impossible, and especially if you can back up that with some reasonable explanation – well, then it probably doesn’t work.
After I had applied for a patent, I took the invention to local university. After three months of waiting, professor-level specialists have verbally confirmed that it works, but despite my gentle persuasion, they appear to be too shy ever to put anything on paper. I kind of understand them, but this may be important and insight from less shy professors is highly appreciated and needed. Ultimately someone needs to actually confirm that it works or that it doesn’t work.
About a size of a business opportunity. Well, it’s big enough. The world is expected to be spending trillions for building renewable energy production capacity during the current decade. If this technology allows building production capacity the cheapest, the most environmentally friendly, and the most scalable way, you can expect to see revenue in billions.
I estimate that 20 million 1MW units, operating with a capacity factor of 80%, would be enough to cover the current annual use of energy (140,000 TWh). With effective assembly plants, such capacity could be built within 20 years at a total cost of 5-10 trillion dollars. The price of each of the roughly car-sized 1MW units would be $250,000 – $500,000. Therefore, if this invention really works, in less than 25 years, it can replace most of the current use of fossil fuels and make green energy transition happen.
If you are an investor and think this could be a business opportunity for you. Please email me at lets_build_it [at] hotbenefits.com.
