Carnot (Sadi Carnot)

Sadi Carnot was a French physicist who, in the early 1800s, studied how heat engines work. He discovered that there is a theoretical maximum efficiency for any engine converting heat into work, which depends on the temperature difference between a hot source and a cold sink. This idea led to the concept of the Carnot cycle, a perfect, idealized process that sets the upper limit for engine efficiency. His work helps us understand thermodynamics and the fundamental limits of energy conversion, guiding the development of more efficient engines and energy systems today.