joule's cycle

1 definition found

joule's cycle - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Joule's cycle \Joule's cycle\ (Thermodynamics)
     The cycle for the air engine proposed by Joule. In it air is
     taken by a pump from a cold chamber and compressed
     adiabatically until its pressure is eqal to that of the air
     in a hot chamber, into which it is then delivered, thereby
     displacing an equal amount of hot air into the engine
     cylinder. Here it expands adiabatically to the temperature of
     the cold chamber into which it is finally exhausted. This
     cycle, reversed, is used in refrigerating machines.
     [Webster 1913 Suppl.]