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Rankine cycle

noun Thermodynamics.
  1. 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.
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Origin of Rankine cycle

First recorded in 1895–1900; named after W. J. M. Rankine
Also called Clausius cycle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for rankine cycle

Rankine cycle

noun
  1. 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
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Word Origin for Rankine cycle

C19: 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