Rankine cycle
nounThermodynamics.
the hypothetical cycle of a steam engine in which all heat transfers take place at constant pressure and in which expansion and compression occur adiabatically.
Origin of Rankine cycle
1First recorded in 1895–1900; named after W. J. M. Rankine
- Also called Clausius cycle.
Words Nearby Rankine cycle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for Rankine cycle
Rankine cycle
/ (ˈræŋkɪn) /
noun
the thermodynamic cycle in steam engines by which water is pumped into a boiler at one end and the steam is condensed at the other
Origin of Rankine cycle
1C19: named after W. J. M. Rankine (1820–72), Scottish physicist
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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