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← ScienceWhich mechanism limits maximum power output of a Carnot engine?
A)Isothermal heat transfer irreversibility✓
B)Adiabatic expansion rate constraints
C)Material strength at high temperature
D)Minimum size of heat exchangers
💡 Explanation
Maximum power requires rapid heat transfer, but faster transfer causes greater temperature gradients and thus *irreversibility*, reducing efficiency; because real-world processes cannot happen infinitely slowly, therefore irreversibility due to finite-time operation dominates rather than ideal Carnot conditions.
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