Reversible Work Under Ideal Conditions

Chapter 41 Reversible Work Under Ideal Conditions

Looking at the parts scattered across the table, Luo Xia couldn't help but think that if he had studied mechanics before, he would have been unstoppable. No, it seems he can now put his past life's skills to good use.

"Do you have the operating parameters for the power furnace? Boiler temperature, pressure, power, etc."

"Yes, I'll have them make a copy for you."

The guys were all working diligently, and Snow and Rorschach didn't want to disturb them, so they spoke quietly after entering the room. Now Snow led Rorschach to the nearest cartographer:

"He's from the Cano Masters group, give him a copy of the data."

The young man who had been called looked up, his eyes bloodshot, and stared intently at Luo Xia for a moment before suddenly grabbing his hand: "Don't come! Run! Run, you silly boy!"

"Have you gone crazy from drawing all that?!" Snow spread his four hands apart. "Didn't I say they're members of Master Kano's team, not here to apply for a job?!"

"Oh, sorry, sorry."

"Haha, everyone in our magic design department is talented, but they're a bit eccentric." After saying that, Snow opened a new purple potion and tilted his head back to gulp it down.

You guys are all pretty scary. After getting the data, Rorschach quickly took it to the fourth floor.

When Kano saw Rorschach return, he asked, "How did it go?"

"I think the Alchemy Department needs to control the consumption of stamina potions while ensuring adequate rest time."

"They all volunteer to arrange their work hours," Cano shrugged. "Of course, based on the work assignments."

Rorschach sat down, picked up a piece of paper and a quill pen, and began to write and draw.

Pascal was organizing Professor Cano's manuscript when he asked Rorschach, "What are you planning to do?"

"Find out how the dwarf power furnace works."

"Why bother? If you don't understand, you'll just get humiliated by the guys from the Alchemy Department."

"What if I figure it out?"

"Hmm...they might feel like you're humiliating them."

After a long time, Kano and his senior colleague Paulina went to do the experiment: "Today's experiment is very complicated, beginners shouldn't come. You should read the literature first."

As a result, Rorschach received a stack of papers from his advisor.

"How is it?"

Phew… Luo Xia tried to organize the data and made a table: “I don’t understand it yet, but I have a general idea.”

"I knew it... Rorschach, hurry up and pack your things, it's almost time to leave."

"So early?" Kano usually has brunch in the morning, and after the group meeting and visit to the alchemy department in the afternoon, it's only around 8 pm now.

"Our mentor, Archmage Cano, has many social engagements. In the evenings, the ladies wear low-cut necklines, and the gentlemen wear face powder. A group of people fill their stomachs with delicacies like truffle chicken and grilled halibut, and drink barrels of wine..."

Compared to other archmages, Kano is not so gloomy. On the contrary, as a native Valuwana prince, he is very witty and eloquent, and has become a prominent figure representing the Tower of Stars and frequenting Valuwana's high society.

Attending a banquet at nine o'clock in the evening, followed by playing Tarot with prominent figures in the capital—a card game originating from the southern tip of the continent—until late at night. Then waking up at nine in the morning for brunch, this is the daily routine of the accomplished Grand Mage, Mr. Kano, monotonous and tedious.

"Can I take these materials back to my dorm?"

"Of course you can! But kid, you have a long life ahead of you, don't get so caught up in books that you miss out on wonderful things!" Kano said earnestly to the boy after returning from the laboratory.

No, I haven't discovered anything beautiful in Valuvana in the dead of night. The innocent youth rejects the corrupting influences of the world.

Back in his dormitory at the Tower of Stars, Rorschach took out a new sheet of paper, picked up his pen, and wrote the title: "An Investigation into the Efficiency Limits of Thermodynamic Conversion and Heat Engines."

There was nothing he could do; his mentor was "Kano."

Simply put, a heat engine, any machine that converts heat into mechanical work, including a steam engine, can have its operating cycle simplified into four processes:

The working medium, steam or water, can be cooled by expanding and releasing heat to a low-temperature environment, and heated by being compressed and absorbing heat from a high-temperature heat source.

In other words, the working medium gains or loses a certain amount of heat from the environment, either changing its volume or its temperature. An increase in volume can drive a piston or impeller to output power.

Since the amount of heat is constant, we hope that the temperature change consumes as little heat as possible so that the volume change outputs more work.

In an ideal reversible cycle, the heat consumed by temperature changes is minimized. The entire process is named after its inventors and is known as the Carnot cycle.

As for why Rorschach also had to explain to the mages of this world what a reversible process is in his paper... In short, a heat engine has an efficiency limit that depends on the temperature difference between the heat source and the heat-releasing environment.

It has a major premise: the conservation of energy. Ignoring the existence of chemical energy and magic, let's extend the principle of equivalent exchange in alchemy to the realm of thermodynamics and tell the guys in the alchemy department: the conservation of energy! Yeah, they'll definitely understand!

Thankfully, this world has introduced calculus, otherwise even a plagiarist would be exhausted. And I'm not even good at advanced mathematics... Rorschach thought to himself as he wrote furiously.

In order to better depict magical circuits, to build houses better, and to hit cannonballs to the other side more effectively... the clever people of this world, while studying gods and magic, still set aside precious time to tinker with mathematical logic.

Mathematics, you are truly powerful that you can thrive even in a world with magic!

If Rorschach followed the paths of Carnot, Kelvin, Clausius, and Maxwell, he could write a massive book, become the number one figure in thermodynamics in another world, and then… that would be the end of it.

Mages who specialize in alchemy would look down on them: "Why are you, a mage, researching these things like a dwarf? Do you even know magic?"

Before he knew it, the night had deepened. Luo Xia stopped writing and continued using the [Light Spell] for illumination; he wouldn't miss the opportunity to improve his proficiency.

"I feel like I've been tinkering with theoretical knowledge lately, but I really need to learn some spells... Can I get reimbursed for the study scrolls I buy?"

Before going to bed, Rorschach reviewed the unfinished first draft and started a new page to write down his thoughts:

Does the law of conservation of energy include magic?

Is there an efficiency limit to the conversion of magic with other elements and energy?

We also need to test the effect of the oscillating crystal... and figure out the threshold at which input magic causes a shielding effect...

Finally, Rorschach checked the panel and found that the most proficient attribute, "Magic Condensation (Purple)," had reached 836, with only a few dozen experience points left to reach the next level.

Will there be a next level? What comes after purple? What new effects will be unlocked? As Luo Xia pondered these questions, the light spell unknowingly went out.

……

Paulina has been arguing with the Alchemy Department these past few days, while Rorschach spends his days reading literature or helping Cano in the lab, and his nights working on his own paper.

On the second-to-last day of the ten-day period, the last working day, Luo Xia, as usual, ate breakfast in the cafeteria while reading the newspaper.

Achoo!

It's getting cold. Rorschach was still wearing a cotton shirt under his mage's robe. He looked around at the apprentices, some wearing cashmere under their open robes, some wearing leather vests, and some noble ladies who couldn't stand the cold wearing fur shawls over their robes.

I'm going on vacation soon, so I need to buy some clothes.

Thank you Crispy Nightmare for the monthly tickets and recommendation tickets.

(End of this chapter)