I've invented a 100% efficient combustion engine (aussie.zone)

submitted 10 months ago by 18107@aussie.zone to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

27 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I use it to heat my house.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] buycurious@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago

Sorry, I’m a bit dumb for this one.

Could someone please explain?

[-] DemBoSain@midwest.social 40 points 10 months ago

There's no such thing as a 100% efficient "engine". But in this case, since the waste heat is put to use (heating the house), OP thinks there's a loophole.

But, house would also need to be soundproof. Any noise leaking to the outside is lost energy.

[-] Ellie_The_Nurse@lemmy.world 18 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Ah, but that’s by design: it also acts as a soothing white noise machine.

Then you might point out the exhaust and all it’s associated wastes, but that’s by design: it produces a heady and aromatic product for recreational huffing.

Then you might point out the vibrations, but that’s by design: the engine also provides invigorating massages to relax taut muscles.

[-] Dieinahole@kbin.social 10 points 10 months ago

You. Come sell my book

[-] Valmond@lemmy.mindoki.com 3 points 10 months ago

Let's allow a rounding error for 99.51% shall we?

[-] 18107@aussie.zone 7 points 10 months ago

Don't tell anyone, but I actually only used 1 significant figure, so anything above 50% will do.

I'm also using the version of significant figures where I work backwards from the answer, otherwise I'd need 95% or higher and that's too difficult.

[-] 18107@aussie.zone 24 points 10 months ago

Most engines are less than 30% efficient at producing movement. The majority of the energy is lost as heat.

Thermodynamics tells us that pretty much all energy ends up as heat. In a closed system, any device that uses energy is 100% efficient at making heat. A 1000W computer will make exactly as much heat as a 1000W heater.

A 100% efficient engine can only exist if the desired output is heat, thus making it a pretty useless engine. Also, in a closed system, the exhaust cannot leave.

[-] RvTV95XBeo@sh.itjust.works 9 points 10 months ago

A 1000W computer will make exactly as much heat as a 1000W heater.

All space heaters should be coin miners (or some other borderline useless energy wasting tech, like AI training). Change my mind.

[-] wahming@monyet.cc 6 points 10 months ago

We have enough of a chip shortage, tyvm

[-] owenfromcanada@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

If you want to be philanthropic, there are programs you can run that use your computer's idle time to process data for cancer research and such.

[-] someguy3@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

You can sign up for research crunching.

[-] someguy3@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

Furnace.

[-] Hello_there@kbin.social 3 points 10 months ago

But even a furnace/fireplace is subject to incomplete combustion, where some portion of the wood is transformed into byproducts that rob some of the energy of the fire. There's actually a big difference in the amount of energy you can get out of a fire, depending on the type of stove that's used.
That's some of what NGOs have tried to do for developing countries - find cheap and easily produceabke stove designs that can reduce the amount of wood needed and improve air quality in the home.