Rankine cycle

noun Thermodynamics.

the hypothetical cycle of a steam engine in which all heat transfers take place at constant pressure and in which expansion and compression occur adiabatically.
Also called Clausius cycle.

Origin of Rankine cycle

First recorded in 1895–1900; named after W. J. M. Rankine

British Dictionary definitions for rankine cycle

Rankine cycle
/ (ˈræŋkɪn) /

noun

the thermodynamic cycle in steam engines by which water is pumped into a boiler at one end and the steam is condensed at the other

Word Origin for Rankine cycle

C19: named after W. J. M. Rankine (1820–72), Scottish physicist