heat engine

noun

Thermodynamics.

1. a mechanical device designed to transform part of the heat entering it into work.

heat engine

noun

1. an engine that converts heat energy into mechanical energy

Word History and Origins

Origin of heat engine¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

“You can think of a hurricane as a heat engine where the ocean is the fuel … so giving it warmer water is basically like higher-octane fuel,” Hazelton said.

Read more on Seattle Times

Hurricanes are heat engines, extracting thermal energy from “oceanic heat content.”

Read more on Washington Post

“Over the ocean, because the moisture supply is there for the heat engine, you’re constantly stirring the tea,” he said.

Read more on New York Times

Theory suggests that a warming climate should make the strongest tropical cyclones stronger, since hurricanes are heat engines that extract heat energy from the oceans, converting it to kinetic energy in the form of wind.

Read more on Scientific American

That’s because hurricanes are complex, massive rotating heat engines, Emanuel says, fueled by a favorable combination of warm ocean water, moist air, and consistent atmospheric winds.

Read more on Science Magazine