Which of the following represents an irreversible process causing real engines to fall short of the Carnot limit?
Answer
Heat transfer occurring across a finite, non-zero temperature difference between components (e.g., combustion gas and working fluid).
In real cycles, heat must be transferred across a non-zero temperature gap to achieve a useful rate of energy transfer, which represents an inherent, irreversible loss of potential efficiency compared to the idealized Carnot process.
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