Otto Cycle Compression Efficiency
Compression alone sets an ideal Otto engine’s efficiency, while the amount of heating sets how much work the cycle delivers.
Free theory articleCompression alone sets an ideal Otto engine’s efficiency, while the amount of heating sets how much work the cycle delivers.
Concept & interpretation
The Otto cycle models the ideal operation of a spark-ignition piston engine. It consists of two isentropic (reversible adiabatic) processes representing compression and expansion, and two isochoric (constant volume) processes representing heat addition and heat rejection.
experiment
Explore the interactive module to see how parameters affect the cycle:https://riano.app/module/otto-cycle-compression-efficiency
- Set Heat capacity ratio to "7/5" and Compression ratio to "4".
- Observe the cycle efficiency output.
- Change Heat temperature multiplier to "1". Note that the cycle collapses into a line with no net work, and efficiency is "Undefined no heat input".